The Century Foundation (TCF), a leading progressive think tank, today announced the hiring of Tara Oakman as Senior Fellow and Director of Health Equity and Reform and Emily McGrath as Senior Fellow and Director of Workforce Policy. In addition, TCF announced that Kings Floyd has joined as an associate on the organization’s Disability Economic Justice team and Lea Woods has joined as an associate working on Women’s Economic Justice issues.
Oakman will lead TCF’s health care team focused on creating a more equitable, accessible U.S. healthcare system. Previously, she worked at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest health and health care philanthropy, where she was the interim managing director of the RWJF’s Transforming Health and Healthcare Systems thematic area. In that role, she led the strategy development and implementation planning for how RWJF can work to address the structural racism being perpetuated in health care and public health systems and the resulting major health inequities. While at RWJF, she has also led much of the portfolio of work on access, affordability, and equity of Medicaid and Marketplace coverage in states.
McGrath will lead TCF’s efforts to advance workforce policy focused on achieving equitable labor market outcomes for all communities. A seasoned workforce strategist with deep experience in coalition-building, innovative educational initiatives, and program scaling, her diverse background includes experience across government, industry, and education. Prior to TCF, Emily was the Director of Workforce Development at NextFlex, a Manufacturing USA Institute focused on emerging technologies. At NextFlex, Emily led workforce strategy and operations, scaling a range of initiatives to key manufacturing markets across the nation.
“Both Tara and Emily have spent their careers focused on how public policy can advance equity in health care and the workforce, respectively. They each bring a wealth of experience and expertise, and a deep commitment to helping the people and communities that policy too often overlooks,” said Mark Zuckerman, TCF President and former deputy director of President Obama’s Domestic Policy Council. “It’s an honor to welcome them—along with Kings Floyd and Lea Woods—to the growing TCF family.”
Kings Floyd is a disability rights activist, access coordinator, and writer based in Washington, D.C. and Portland, Maine. A lifelong advocate and public speaker, she works to combine her unwavering passion for disability rights, health care, and mental health and wellness with intersectional communities. Ms. Floyd most recently served at the U.S. Department of Transportation, supporting the director of civil rights as a special assistant in the areas of disability, LGBTQ+ and gender, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Lea Woods is a policy associate at TCF where her work focuses on a range of issues, including paid family leave and child care. Prior to TCF, Lea worked for the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), where she organized conferences and convenings for state-level think tanks and advocacy groups. She has worked in fundraising and communications at nonprofits that promote women’s economic security and political power, including the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and the Center for Women’s Leadership.
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TCF Welcomes New Health Care Director, Tara Oakman, and New Workforce Policy Director, Emily McGrath
The Century Foundation (TCF), a leading progressive think tank, today announced the hiring of Tara Oakman as Senior Fellow and Director of Health Equity and Reform and Emily McGrath as Senior Fellow and Director of Workforce Policy. In addition, TCF announced that Kings Floyd has joined as an associate on the organization’s Disability Economic Justice team and Lea Woods has joined as an associate working on Women’s Economic Justice issues.
Oakman will lead TCF’s health care team focused on creating a more equitable, accessible U.S. healthcare system. Previously, she worked at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest health and health care philanthropy, where she was the interim managing director of the RWJF’s Transforming Health and Healthcare Systems thematic area. In that role, she led the strategy development and implementation planning for how RWJF can work to address the structural racism being perpetuated in health care and public health systems and the resulting major health inequities. While at RWJF, she has also led much of the portfolio of work on access, affordability, and equity of Medicaid and Marketplace coverage in states.
McGrath will lead TCF’s efforts to advance workforce policy focused on achieving equitable labor market outcomes for all communities. A seasoned workforce strategist with deep experience in coalition-building, innovative educational initiatives, and program scaling, her diverse background includes experience across government, industry, and education. Prior to TCF, Emily was the Director of Workforce Development at NextFlex, a Manufacturing USA Institute focused on emerging technologies. At NextFlex, Emily led workforce strategy and operations, scaling a range of initiatives to key manufacturing markets across the nation.
“Both Tara and Emily have spent their careers focused on how public policy can advance equity in health care and the workforce, respectively. They each bring a wealth of experience and expertise, and a deep commitment to helping the people and communities that policy too often overlooks,” said Mark Zuckerman, TCF President and former deputy director of President Obama’s Domestic Policy Council. “It’s an honor to welcome them—along with Kings Floyd and Lea Woods—to the growing TCF family.”
Kings Floyd is a disability rights activist, access coordinator, and writer based in Washington, D.C. and Portland, Maine. A lifelong advocate and public speaker, she works to combine her unwavering passion for disability rights, health care, and mental health and wellness with intersectional communities. Ms. Floyd most recently served at the U.S. Department of Transportation, supporting the director of civil rights as a special assistant in the areas of disability, LGBTQ+ and gender, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Lea Woods is a policy associate at TCF where her work focuses on a range of issues, including paid family leave and child care. Prior to TCF, Lea worked for the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), where she organized conferences and convenings for state-level think tanks and advocacy groups. She has worked in fundraising and communications at nonprofits that promote women’s economic security and political power, including the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and the Center for Women’s Leadership.
Tags: about tcf