Public health and policy leaders Katrina Forrest, JD, and Catherine Patterson, MPP, have been selected to lead CityHealth as co-executive directors, starting August 1. An initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, CityHealth works to improve community health by advancing a package of evidence-based policy solutions that will help millions of people live longer, better lives in vibrant, prosperous communities.
Katrina is an experienced leader in government relations, policy development, and partnerships, who joined the CityHealth team to work closely with policymakers, community leaders, and legal experts as the National Director of Partnerships. Prior to joining CityHealth, she served as both deputy chief of staff and legislative director for At-Large D.C. Councilmember David Grosso, where she was responsible for drafting more than 50 pieces of legislation and leveraging community relationships to drive the councilmember’s legislative agenda and policy priorities. Before her work in local and state government, Katrina served as a Compliance Manager with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), where she worked to improve and strengthen consumer protections under fair lending and fair housing laws.
Catherine is a skilled policy and management professional who currently serves as CityHealth’s director of operations, leading the organization’s budgeting, fundraising and infrastructure. As former managing director of urban health and policy at the de Beaumont Foundation, she helped lead foundation initiatives, including a funding collaborative designed to stimulate and support innovative partnerships between hospitals, public health, and communities. Prior to joining the de Beaumont Foundation in 2014, Catherine worked at Pew Charitable Trusts, spearheading efforts in several states to expand access to preventive oral health services, such as dental sealants and fluoridated water.
“We are excited for what the future of CityHealth holds under Katrina and Catherine’s leadership. Together, they will continue to advance the amazing progress we’ve seen in cities across the country, as they work with community, and business leaders to create meaningful policy change,” said Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH, MA, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation.
“Katrina and Catherine’s policy, relationship-building, and management expertise make them a dynamic duo to lead CityHealth,” said Bechara Choucair, MD, senior vice president and chief health officer at Kaiser Permanente. “Under their leadership, CityHealth will be well positioned to help create even more opportunities for health in our cities.”
As co-executive directors, Katrina and Catherine will build upon outgoing CityHealth President Shelley Hearne’s five years of progress and leadership. Hearne will begin a new position as Inaugural Alfred Sommer Michael Klag Decanal Professor of the Practice of Health Advocacy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Under Hearne’s stewardship, CityHealth awarded over 50 new medals in cities across the country and 17 cities improved their overall status by putting in place key policies that will make an important difference in the lives of their residents. Katrina and Catherine will continue this momentum as they help CityHealth expand to reach 75 cities in 2021, update the initiative’s recommended policies, and collaborate with partners to advance policy that will create more prosperous, vibrant cities that help people thrive.
CityHealth works to advance a package of proven policy solutions that will help millions of people live longer, better lives in vibrant, prosperous communities. CityHealth regularly evaluates cities on the number and strength of their policies. The views expressed by CityHealth do not necessarily reflect the views of the project funders. Learn more at www.cityhealth.org.
