Advanced Advocacy Academy A year-round liver advocacy program turning personal experience into policy impact.

Dr. Aariyana Britton is a public health practitioner and researcher specializing in rural health, chronic disease prevention, health policy, and healthcare access. She currently works in community and population health, where she focuses on translating public health data into actionable, community-centered strategies that improve health outcomes and reduce disparities.

Her work spans public health education, policy engagement, advocacy training, and systems-level prevention initiatives, with particular emphasis on underserved and rural communities. Dr. Britton is passionate about empowering communities and patient advocates to better understand how policy decisions shape healthcare access, prevention efforts, and long-term health outcomes.

In addition to her public health practice, she serves as an educator, speaker, and consultant, frequently leading conversations on health equity, leadership, advocacy, and community-based prevention strategies across local, state, and national platforms.

Aaron Jackson, from sunny Southern California, was born with the rare liver disease Biliary Atresia and received his life-saving Kasai Procedure at 115 days old. A three-time organ transplant recipient — receiving two livers and a kidney in just five weeks — he is a Liver Health Foundation Board Member and winner of the 2025 Courage Award.

He is the founder of AKDS Life and author of the AKDS: Motivation and Reflection journal, a former Salvation Army Grants Coordinator for Homeless Services, a post-transplant black belt in mixed martial arts from the West Coast World Martial Arts Association, and a Showcase winner on The Price is Right.

Adam Gomez III has been a Marriage and Family Therapist for the past five years, providing support for multi-dimensional clients and family units through diverse treatment interventions and advocating immediate resources. Adam is certified in providing Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Birth-to-Five Treatment services within the needed population.

He has personal experience with chronic liver illness, through his own father's long battle with alcohol use, which led to future health complications and eventually his death. Devoting his life to mental health awareness, Adam advocates to provide psychoeducation on services to individuals and family units to support them during challenging times.

AJ is a graduate of the University of Florida and holds a degree in accounting. He began this journey over nine years ago when his brother was diagnosed with MASH. He was the only one there to be a caregiver, and jumped in with both feet, learning day by day what he needed to do.

Anna Lin is a patient advocate and Hepatitis Care Partner dedicated to advancing healthcare equity for the liver disease communities.

Following her graduation from Boston University, she joined the Global Liver Institute to coordinate all pediatric and rare liver disease initiatives. In her current role, she manages program strategy that bridges patient needs and ensures that the unmet needs of the rare disease community remain a top public health priority.

Anna is also deeply committed to breaking down structural barriers to care. She is a passionate advocate for medical immigration reform and a champion for health literacy, driven by a mission to ensure complex medical and policy information is transparent, easily digestible, and accessible to every community.

Christina Martin is a keynote speaker, nonprofit founder, personal trainer, and professional dancer who empowers individuals and organizations to thrive through resilience, purpose, and community. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 13, she founded a high school support club that became Type Zero Foundation, a nonprofit organization that serves hundreds of families impacted by diabetes.

In 2019, Christina became the first female with type 1 diabetes to compete on NBC's American Ninja Warrior. Today, she speaks at conferences, healthcare events, and corporate gatherings across the country, inspiring audiences to overcome obstacles, embrace challenges, and create lasting impact.

Christine Maalouf is a multilingual communications expert. As Global Liver Institute's Director of Communications and External Relations, Christine supports GLI's diverse programs by building strategic partnerships and stakeholder relationships, creating strategies, campaigns, and messaging, maintaining a cohesive brand identity, and using diverse media channels to impact patients and reach wider audiences.

She has experience spanning industries from NGOs, educational institutions, and corporations to fitness & wellness and luxury brands. Prior to joining GLI, Christine worked with international organizations such as the United Nations. She is an active diabetes advocate and works closely with the National Diabetes Organization — DiaLeb and the International Diabetes Federation.

Mrs. Maalouf has developed, led, and managed multiple successful awareness campaigns reaching millions of impressions. She is a public speaker, leading workshops and sessions on metabolic health awareness and advocacy, storytelling, digital media, the importance of social media for nonprofits, and other topics in the field.

Mrs. Maalouf is a member of Ellevate Network, the National Health Council's communications affinity group, and Catalyst Now. She sits on the board of DiaLeb USA, is a member of the International Diabetes Federation's Blue Circle Voices (BCV), and is a founding member of the Women in Metabolism Council, led by the Global Metabolic Health Alliance. She is a former member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and its National and Washington, DC chapters.

Board Member + Fundraising Coordinator, ICP Care  •  Founder, Damia Petrie | Advocacy + Impact Design

Damia Petrie is a fetal + maternal health advocate, Board Member and Fundraising Events Coordinator at ICP Care, where she supports national awareness and fundraising initiatives for Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP).

Following her own experience with ICP and ongoing cholestatic symptoms two years beyond pregnancy — currently under further evaluation — Damia became deeply committed to improving outcomes for both mothers and babies through education, advocacy, and community-building.

She previously led ICP Care’s social media strategy for nearly two years, during which she significantly expanded the organization’s digital reach — including a 177% year-over-year increase in reach during ICP Awareness Month. She also played a key role in fundraising efforts, contributing to the success of ICP Care’s 2026 inaugural gala.

In addition to her work with ICP Care, Damia serves as a Board Member, Web Designer, and Nonprofit Development Coordinator for Five Rivers Performance Collective (FRPC). She is also the founder of Damia Petrie | Advocacy + Impact Design, where she partners with mission-driven organizations to create strategic, impact-focused design and communications.

Her work centers on amplifying patient voices, strengthening nonprofit impact, and bridging awareness gaps across liver diseases.

Dorcas Ama Adom is a public health researcher and PhD student in Community Health Sciences and Policy at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Her research focuses on HIV prevention, PrEP utilization, liver disease disparities, and the social and structural determinants of health affecting marginalized populations in the United States — particularly Black and Brown communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, and people who inject drugs.

With a background as a physician assistant trained in Ghana and an MPH in Community Health from Georgia Southern University, Dorcas brings a multidisciplinary and practice-informed perspective to public health research. She employs epidemiologic methods, GIS, community-engaged research, and policy analysis to generate evidence that informs equitable HIV and liver disease prevention strategies, healthcare interventions, and policies aimed at reducing health disparities.

With more than 35 years of experience as a senior global human resources leader in the software industry, Gary brings extensive expertise in leadership, organizational strategy, and workforce development. For the past four years, he has also served as a Patient Advocate Ambassador with the Global Liver Institute, championing patient-centered care and liver health awareness.

In addition, he has spent the past three years as a Patient Advocate on the Patient and Family Advisory Council at Stamford Hospital, helping to elevate the patient voice and improve the delivery of care through meaningful collaboration with healthcare providers.

Ieesha Johnson is the executive director and founder of The Decision Project®, a grassroots initiative she established under the umbrella of Infinite Legacy to empower socially disadvantaged communities to make informed and inspired decisions about organ, eye, and tissue donation and transplantation through culturally grounded education and engagement.

She previously served as director of community outreach at Infinite Legacy, where she led efforts to increase awareness of organ, eye, and tissue donation across Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Under her leadership, community-centered strategies expanded engagement across diverse populations, addressing medical mistrust, misinformation, health disparities, and barriers to donor registration.

Ieesha began her career at OneLegacy, the organ procurement organization serving the greater Los Angeles area, where she worked as a hospital services coordinator and later as an in-house coordinator at one of the city's largest trauma centers. She joined Infinite Legacy in 2010 as a hospital services coordinator, transitioned to community outreach in 2014, and became director in 2021.

A nationally engaged leader in donation, transplantation, and community health, Ieesha is the immediate past president of the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT) and currently serves on the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations' (AOPO) IMPACT Committee. She is also a board member and treasurer for Commencement and a former member of the Donate Life America Advisory Council. She previously served as an expert panelist for the Division of Transplantation within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Ieesha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from California State University, Long Beach, and a Master of Science in Leadership and Management from the University of La Verne. She is a member of the American Public Health Association and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and previously served as health chair for the NAACP Maryland State Conference.

Ivy Ahmed, MPH, MCHES, is a public health and patient advocacy leader with more than 20 years of experience advancing patient education, engagement, access, and health equity across nonprofit, healthcare, and life sciences settings. Her work has focused on translating patient needs and experiences into meaningful programs, partnerships, and strategies that improve care and strengthen the patient voice.

Ivy currently supports the Global Liver Institute's programs and strategic initiatives across liver diseases, working with patients, advocates, clinicians, and other stakeholders to advance earlier diagnosis, patient education and navigation, access to care, and improved health outcomes. She brings extensive experience in oncology, chronic disease, and patient-centered program development and is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist.

Jenn Jones is the Founder and Director of Sober Livers, a Fatty Liver Foundation Impact Program, where she works to ensure people affected by alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), MetALD, and alcohol use disorder have access to education, peer support, and a meaningful voice in the future of liver care.

A nationally recognized patient advocate and speaker, Jenn has delivered Grand Rounds at Mayo Clinic and served as a keynote speaker for the opening session of the AASLD Liver Meeting. She has held patient leadership and advisory roles with AASLD and the Global Liver Institute and is a four-time alumna of GLI's Advanced Advocacy Academy.

Her advocacy is deeply personal. In 2018, Jenn survived severe alcohol-associated hepatitis and decompensated cirrhosis and has remained sober since. Although her work now brings her into conversations with clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders, Jenn remains a person living with cirrhosis — attending appointments, navigating ongoing health concerns, and experiencing many of the same uncertainties as the community she serves.

That perspective grounds her advocacy: she is not advocating for the patient community from the outside; she is walking alongside it.

Jenny Daigle is the Director of Communications at the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), where she leads strategic communications, media relations, and public affairs for the national association representing organ procurement organizations (OPOs). She works with leaders and stakeholders across the donation and transplantation community to advance public understanding, strengthen trust, and communicate on complex policy and system processes.

Jenny serves on the Donate Life America Advisory Council and the ASAE Communications Advisory Council, and was recently recognized as a 2026 The Alliance 40 Under 40 honoree. She holds a master's degree in global health from Glasgow University.

Joel Ballew is Director of Strategic Partnerships at Global Liver Institute, where he leads the development of partnerships that advance GLI's patient advocacy, education, policy, and public health initiatives. He works across the corporate, healthcare, nonprofit, and community sectors to build collaborations that expand GLI's reach and impact in the United States and globally.

Before his work in nonprofit executive leadership and healthcare advocacy, Joel served in pastoral ministry, an experience that continues to shape his approach to leadership, communication, and building relationships. He holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Eastern Mennonite Seminary, along with executive and professional certifications from Penn's Wharton School.

Jonatán Garcia serves as the Senior Manager, Community Liaison at Velocity Clinical Research, the world's leading integrated clinical research site organization. Based out of Waco, Texas, he leads the organization in advancing patient and clinician engagement, with an emphasis on the liver research centers across the network.

He has a passion for increasing awareness and screenings for health conditions and connecting community clinicians, and their patients, to cutting-edge clinical trials, especially for liver disease. He is a graduate of the Master of Public Health program at Baylor University and has over 17 years of experience in clinical practice and community health education.

L. Marie Asad is a healthcare executive, Board Certified Patient Advocate, and nationally recognized rare disease advocate dedicated to advancing health equity and patient-centered care. She serves as Area Vice President at AccentCare Personal Care Services in Illinois and is the Founder and President of PBC Awareness, NFP, where she works to elevate the voices of people living with Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC).

Drawing on both her professional leadership and lived experience as a patient, L. Marie has become a respected voice in healthcare advocacy, speaking at national conferences and collaborating with policymakers, researchers, clinicians, and patient organizations to improve access to care and health outcomes. Her work spans community engagement, healthcare policy, and patient empowerment, with a focus on ensuring that patients are active partners in shaping the future of healthcare.

L. Marie is honored to moderate the Global Liver Institute's 2026 Advanced Advocacy Academy and looks forward to facilitating meaningful discussions that equip advocates with the knowledge, skills, and partnerships needed to drive lasting change.

Larry R. Holden has spent most of his personal and professional life acting as a public servant in a variety of capacities. He has a special connection to liver health, as several of his family members are affected by it and continue to face ongoing struggles. A tireless advocate for the patient's voice, he now uses his years of political experience and his vast network of congressional contacts to serve the public good.

Mr. Holden served for over a decade in politics and policy positions in Washington, D.C. In that time, he worked for U.S. Senator Hank Brown (CO), helped negotiate international security agreements with foreign governments, started a political internet company, served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman Shays (CT), and was President of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association.

In addition to his political work, Mr. Holden has over 15 years of experience creating and running small businesses. He started three for-profit businesses that were all sold successfully to investors. He believes that using for-profit models to drive efficiencies in the nonprofit world gives charities the best chance for success and the best outcomes for the patients served. Believing strongly in servant leadership, he guides, counsels, and mentors many in the field.

Boards & Committees

National Health Council — Board Policy Committee (Jan 2026–present); AI, CEO, and CFO Affinity Groups; Government Relations Action Team. Global Liver Institute — Board of Directors (Sep 2025–present). Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) — Patient Workgroup (Nov 2024–present). Digestive Diseases National Coalition — Board of Directors & Executive Committee (Jan 2024–present). AASLD — Public Policy Committee (Jan 2023–Dec 2025).

Luiz has been a financial assistant for a major university for the past 25 years, a weaving instructor for over 30 years, and an adventurous quilter. When not crafting, Luiz is happy at home with their three cats: Ella, Etta, and Effie.

Luiz is a care partner for his husband, Gary, who lives with MASH and received a liver transplant in 2018.

Michelle Dinnen is a liver disease and Alpha-1 (ZZ) patient advocate, clinical research participant, and healthy lifestyle champion. She serves on the Global Liver Institute Steering Committee, is an A3 Alumni, and leads an Alpha-1 Foundation support group to empower patients worldwide.

Sean Eiles is a pediatric transplant advocate and living donor family member who brings a unique patient and family perspective to transplant medicine. Through his family’s experience navigating pediatric liver transplantation and living donation, he works to advance patient-centered care, education, and advocacy within the transplant community.

Sean is passionate about sharing his family’s journey to highlight the human side of transplant medicine and the power of living donation.

Stephen Gray, MD, MBA, is a Professor of Surgery at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Surgical Director of Liver Transplantation at George Washington University Hospital. He is a transplant surgeon specializing in liver transplantation and complex hepatobiliary surgery, with a strong commitment to multidisciplinary, patient-centered care.

A central focus of Dr. Gray's clinical practice and research is equitable access to liver transplant evaluation and waitlist access, with particular attention to reducing structural, geographic, and system-level barriers to care. His professional interests also include transplant program development, quality improvement, and the use of health informatics and telemedicine to expand access, improve efficiency, and enhance communication in healthcare delivery. He recently earned an MBA from The George Washington University School of Business, reflecting his emphasis on leadership, organizational strategy, and healthcare system innovation.

Colonel (retired) Steven Coffee is a distinguished leader whose impact spans military service, healthcare advocacy, and academia. Colonel Coffee is the former military deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for human resources policy affecting over 700,000 military and civilian personnel in the Air and Space Forces.

He holds an undergraduate degree in political science from Morehouse College and has earned many advanced degrees and certificates, including master's degrees in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University and in Clinical Quality, Safety, and Leadership from Georgetown University, completion of the Joint and Combined Warfighting School at the National Defense University, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certification from Cornell University.

A combat veteran, Col. Coffee deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Freedom Sentinel, Spartan Shield, and Inherent Resolve, and served as a military aide to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack H. Obama on the social staff.

Col. Coffee is a founding member of Patients for Patient Safety US and the CEO and president of Head-2-Heart-Connections LLC, in addition to service on multiple boards of directors and advisory boards focused on developing policy and healthcare research initiatives, including the American Board of Internal Medicine Governance Board and the ABIM Fairness Review Board. An international speaker, best-selling children's book author of "Baby Steven's Gift of Life," and educator, Col. Coffee continues to inspire change and innovation.

Stephen Silva-Brave is an advocate, community organizer, social worker, educator, and doctoral student in social work at the University of Texas at Arlington. He holds licenses in social work and chemical dependency counseling and has dedicated his life to supporting Indigenous and historically marginalized communities in breaking through systems of oppression and generational trauma to recover paths to healing, recovery, and mental wellness.

A liver disease survivor himself, Stephen's journey from patient to advocate reflects the deep power of identity, purpose, and community connection. Through his many volunteer advocacy roles, he has come to believe that serving others is the ultimate form of healing. His voice carries the resilience of his ancestors and the vision of collective liberation.

Woodlhey Ambroise is the Senior Director of Organ Operations and Surgical Recovery at LifeGift, where she has demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic vision since joining the organization in 2012 as a Donation Clinical Specialist. Over the years, she has progressively advanced to her current executive role, overseeing two departments of more than 50 professionals committed to initial ventilated referral triage, organ allocation for transplantation and research, local organ recovery processes, and preservation efforts.

Throughout her leadership tenure, Woodlhey has exemplified a collaborative and innovative approach, transforming operational workflows to maximize organ utilization and enhance efficiency. Under her guidance, LifeGift's organ placement center expanded from just seven coordinators to over 23 highly trained professionals. She has successfully led initiatives to streamline expedited allocation and recovery processes, resulting in increased organ availability and utilization.

Her leadership is characterized by strategic planning skills, a capacity to foster cohesive team environments, and a commitment to continuous quality improvement. She excels at navigating complex logistical challenges, leveraging data-driven insights, and building partnerships that support operational excellence in the transplant community.

Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Biology from St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida. She earned her medical degree from the Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas School of Medicine in Tamaulipas, Mexico. She also holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration and a Master of Business Administration from Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. As a registered respiratory therapist and a foreign medical graduate, Woodlhey possesses extensive critical care experience.

Active in numerous professional organizations, Woodlhey is a member of the Alpha Kappa Sorority, Inc., and has served as a national speaker for the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO). She has co-authored multiple posters, delivered presentations at prominent conferences including AOPO, AMAT, AST, and NATCO, and contributed to several planning committees. She was appointed Vice Chair of the Clinical Development Committee for AMAT and Chairperson of AMAT's Advisory Board, and currently chairs LifeGift's Multicultural Advisory Committee. Her influence extends to the OPTN, where she served on the Expeditious Task Force and the Pediatric Transplant Committee. Woodlhey currently serves as President of the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT).

Beyond her professional achievements, Woodlhey is deeply passionate about organ donation and transplantation advocacy. Her diverse expertise, leadership acumen, and unwavering dedication drive her to introduce innovative ideas and perspectives that promote systemic change and advance the mission of saving lives through organ donation and transplantation.