Ian McLaughlin is a senior staff attorney with Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP), working both on tobacco control and childhood obesity issues. Ian’s practice focuses on tobacco retailer licensing, public financing (taxes and fees), and code enforcement issues, and he provides training and individualized legal technical assistance in all of these areas. Ian also serves as a municipal administrative hearing officer for the City of Petaluma, California, conducting hearings and deciding a variety of code enforcement matters. Prior to joining PHLP, Ian practiced municipal law with a private law firm, Meyers, Nave, Riback, Silver & Wilson, and served as City Attorney for the City of Clearlake, California, and Assistant City Attorney for the City of Healdsburg. He has also served as legislative counsel to the Hawaii State Senate and the National Legislature of the Republic of Palau. Ian is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the UC Berkeley School of Law.
As founder and executive director of Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP), Marice Ashe has launched and directs multiple pioneering efforts to improve public health outcomes through the use of law and policy. Under her leadership, PHLP builds the capacity of leaders across the nation to use practical public policy solutions as they address a range of chronic diseases. PHLP’s team of lawyers, city planners, architects, and policy specialists develop model laws and policies, consult on tough policy questions, and provide training and technical assistance to ensure strong policy initiatives that create sustainable solutions. Marice is a frequent speaker at public health conferences throughout the nation, and she consults with federal and state agencies on how best to incorporate legal and policy tools into groundbreaking public health strategies. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and received her MPH and JD from the University of California at Berkeley.
Genie Gratto leads PHLP's communications team, which is responsible for ensuring the organization's products and services reach their target audiences. She also directs the communications effort for the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN). In the 14 years leading up to her joining PHLP, she worked as a journalist before moving on to the advocacy, non-profit, labor union, corporate and web software development arenas. She is a cum laude graduate of Mary Baldwin College and received her master's in writing from Johns Hopkins University.
Elisa Laird-Metke is a staff attorney specializing in legal issues involving product marketing, the retail environment, and exposure to secondhand smoke. Prior to joining PHLP, Elisa litigated consumer protection, civil rights, and employment class action lawsuits. Before law school, she worked as a sign language interpreter and was the first deaf services coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Elisa graduated cum laude from East Carolina University and received her law degree from Golden Gate University.
Catherine Mongeon is a staff attorney at PHLP focusing on tobacco control. She specializes in legal issues that affect the sale of tobacco and the retail environment. Before joining PHLP, Catherine received a fellowship to collaborate with a Papua New Guinean NGO in a campaign to strengthen accountability in development projects abroad. Prior to law school, Catherine served for three years in the United States Peace Corps in Paraguay, South America, where she helped develop and implement an environmental education campaign and trained teachers in environmental education techniques. Catherine is a magna cum laude graduate of Colby College and received her law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law.
Matthew Moore is a staff attorney at PHLP focused on tobacco control, specializing in secondhand smoke and tobacco retailer licensing issues. Before joining PHLP, Matthew worked at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Seattle regional office, specializing in enforcement of federal civil rights laws as they apply to public health programs and services. Matthew is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and Tufts University School of Medicine. He also holds a master’s degree in cultural anthropology from San Francisco State University, where he focused on health care access issues among San Francisco’s homeless population.
Livia Rojas is PHLP's webinar and event specialist. As part of the organization's communications team, she helps with the design and implementation of PHLP's webinars and events. Prior to joining PHLP, Livia provided technical assistance to college campuses with multidisciplinary teams of practitioners serving survivors of sexual violence in the United States and Puerto Rico. In addition, she has experience working with immigrant communities around issues of HIV, substance use, incarceration/detention and gender-based violence. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Columbia University School of Social Work.
Carrie Spector is PHLP's senior communications officer. As part of the organization's communications team, she helps to guide the development and promotion of PHLP's products. She has worked in journalism and nonprofit communications for more than 15 years. Prior to joining PHLP, she managed the communications department for a national cancer advocacy organization. She has also worked on the editorial staff at a variety of national and regional magazines, including Health, California Lawyer, and Mother Jones. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston University's College of Communication.
Kim Arroyo Williamson is a communications associate on PHLP’s communications team. She coordinates publication layout, design, and production, working to ensure consistency throughout the organization’s products and identity. She also develops and provides support for staff presentations. Prior to this role, she managed the organization’s database development and implementation, coordinated a program supporting pharmaceutical access for health care organizations serving uninsured and underinsured patients, and worked in free and community clinics. She holds a BA in Community Studies and Education with honors from UC Santa Cruz.
Leslie Zellers is PHLP’s director of programs. She also directs PHLP’s tobacco control work, including the Technical Assistance Legal Center (TALC), a California-based project providing technical assistance to communities seeking to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and limit tobacco marketing and sales. Prior to joining PHLP, Leslie conducted legal and policy work on tobacco prevention and childhood lead poisoning prevention for Contra Costa County and several nonprofit organizations. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and a graduate of the UC Hastings College of the Law.
