MODERATOR
Becca King Reed, Executive Director-San Jose for Northern California Public Broadcasting and KTEH Executive Producer
Becca King Reed is the Executive Director-San Jose for Northern California Public Broadcasting
(NCPB) and KTEH Executive Producer. Reporting to Michael Isip, Vice
President of Television Content and Education Network, King Reed supports the
day-to-day operations of KTEH, which includes fund-raising and community involvement. She also leads the editorial team in
developing and producing content.
King Reed brings to NCPB an award-winning background as an executive producer
of television magazine shows, news programs and documentaries. Production highlights include oversight of
one of public television’s more successful kids programs, It’s a Big, Big
World. King Reed was a producer of this multi-million dollar, high
definition program, which at the time was on the cutting edge for live-action
3D animation, and was supported by a production staff and crew of more than sixty.
Her previous experience producing and managing a national children’s
program was The Dooley and Pals Show, a series syndicated on more than
100 commercial broadcast stations as
well as on PBS from 2000-2003. King Reed also has extensive experience
producing for cable networks, including The
Health Network, where she produced a network launch event for television
and the internet, including the live birth of triplets via satellite.
In addition to a deep content expertise in health programs, King
Reed has produced numerous news and public affairs programs, live events, and cultural
and performance programs. She has produced in the field, in studio, on
sound stages, via satellite and microwave, and for local and national broadcast
or syndication.
SPEAKERS
John R. Graham, Director, Health Care Studies
Pacific Research Institute
John R.
Graham is Director of Health Care Studies at the Pacific Research Institute. He
is the author of the U.S. Index of Health Ownership, the
only project to rank all 50 states’ health laws and regulations according to
free-market principles; and the editor of a book addressing What States Can Do to Reform Health Care: A Free Market Primer,
to which he contributed a chapter on pharmaceutical cost containment.
He is also
the primary author of the monthly Health
Policy Prescriptions series, which addresses national health
reform, and contributes to PRI's Capital Ideas series of short articles on public policy
in California. He has written numerous articles covering diverse topics
within health policy for periodicals including the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. He
blogs frequently at Free
American Health Care and State House Call.
Mr. Graham
speaks frequently on health care reform on radio and television, and at
conferences in the United States, Canada,
and Europe. He has also worked as a management
consultant and investment banker in Canada
and Europe and has previously served as an infantry officer in the Canadian
Army in Canada, Germany,
and Cyprus.
He received his M.B.A. from the London Business
School (England)
and his B.A. (with Honors) in economics and commerce from the Royal Military
College of Canada.
Miesha Hardy, Vice President of Development, Communications &
Government Relations
Community Health Partnership
Prior to joining the Partnership in 2008, Miesha Hardy
held various leadership positions in the health care field, government and
private industry for more than 13 years. Ms. Hardy’s experience includes
directing communications and community relations efforts for Regional Medical
Center of San Jose and serving in similar roles for National Semiconductor,
Integrated Device Technologies (IDT), and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation
Authority. Ms. Hardy earned a B.A. degree from Santa Clara University and
a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is a member
of the International Association of Business Communicators, Association of
Fundraising Professionals and the Silicon Valley National Coalition of 100
Black Women.
Michelle Oberman, Health Law Professor
Santa Clara School of Law
As a legal scholar with a
background in public health, Oberman’s research focuses on legal and ethical
issues relating to adolescence, sexuality, pregnancy, and motherhood. In recent
years, she has written about statutory rape, postpartum mental health issues
and the law, filicide, substance abuse by pregnant women, and the fiduciary
obligations of health care providers to their patients. In addition to teaching
in the area of health law, Oberman teaches Criminal Law and Contracts.
Stephen Prater, Insurance Law Professor
Santa Clara School of Law
Mr. Prater is a 1980 cum laude
graduate of Santa Clara University, School of Law, and a nationally recognized
expert in the insurance industry. From 1981 to 1988, he was employed as General
Counsel, Vice-President/General Counsel, and ultimately Sr. Vice President and
General Counsel for the Allied Group of Companies, which specialized in the
business of insurance. He has been teaching the course on Insurance Law and
Practice at Santa Clara University, School of Law since 1983. Subjects include
the structure and operation of insurance companies, claims handling standards
and practices, insurance marketing, underwriting, insurance “bad faith” and
related topics. Mr. Prater has testified as a court qualified expert in
hundreds of cases around the country, including the landmark US Supreme Court
case of Campbell v. State Farm. He is a consultant on insurance law and
practice, for insurance companies, insureds, governmental entities, employers
and others. The California Department of Insurance, the Federal Government, the
State of California, and the City and County of Los Angeles have retained him
as an expert. He has been a featured/key-note speaker at more than 200
national, state and local insurance industry sponsored seminars and conventions
over the years. He is the co-author of the two volume treatise “The Employee
Benefits Guide” published by Matthew Bender, New York.
Patrick Romano, State Field Director for Health Access
Patrick Romano is State
Field Director for Health Access and currently manages the campaign for
California Health Care for America Now. Mr. Romano has over 13 years experience
working as a field strategist and consultant for candidate campaigns; directing
non-profit field programs at the state and national levels; and managing
legislative advocacy campaigns in the states of California, Alaska, Washington,
Oregon, Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota and Pennsylvania.
Mr. Romano began his
career working for health care reform on Proposition 186 and has worked on such
issues as "Pay At The Pump" auto insurance reform, HMO Patient Bill
of Rights, and the Proposition 103 Enforcement Project. He also served as
Political Director for the original Progressive Legislative Action Network
(PLAN) from 1995-1996, and worked on legislative staff in the California State
Assembly.
Mr. Romano earned a BA
from the University of California Berkeley and an MA from the University of
Pennsylvania.
Ashley Roybal, Congressional Aide, Office of Congressman Mike Honda
(CA-15)
Ashley Roybal grew up in the Bay Area. She received a bachelor's degree from UCLA, but returned to San Jose soon after, and worked on several local political campaigns before joining Congressman Honda's district staff in 2007.
In his District Office, she serves as Congressman Honda's Field Representative for healthcare, social security, seniors, women's issues, civil rights, and a variety of other topics. In this role, she works with a counterpart in Washington, D.C. to track legislation related to those topics, to assess its impact on the 15th Congressional District, and to make voting and bill sponsorship recommendations to Congressman Honda. She also monitors local issues, builds relationships with key stakeholders in the community, and meets with a variety of constituents and groups on Congressman Honda's behalf and works to address their concerns. She writes speeches and briefers to help prepare Congressman Honda for local events, and represents him at events when he is not in the area.
In addition to her duties as a Field Representative, Ashley also works as a Constituent Caseworker, assisting CA-15 residents in problems with federal agencies and programs. Along with one of her colleagues, she also runs Congressman Honda's Student Advisory Council, which works to engage local high school students in their government and their community, and to provide a way for them to make their voices heard by policymakers and community leaders.
Outside of work, Ashley serves on the boards of two community organizations, and is active in local politics. She lives in San Jose with her fiancé, DJ.