18th Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization Congressional Staff Briefing Resources (July 2023)

Posted on July 21, 2023

 

  • Raja Flores, MD, is the System Chair of  the Department of Thoracic Surgery at The Mount Sinai Health System and ADAO Science Advisory Board Co-Chair Member. Raja is a world renowned leader in the field of thoracic surgery, recognized for his pioneering efforts in the treatment of mesothelioma. Dr. Flores’ research interests include numerous past projects relating to the multimodality management of malignant pleural mesothelioma. He helped pioneer the use of intraoperative chemotherapy for mesothelioma; and led a multi-center trial designed to improve patient outcomes. He changed the surgical management of pleural mesothelioma cancer with a landmark study comparing extrapleural pneumonectomy and pleurectomy/decortication. An expert in his field, Dr. Flores has appeared on many national and local television news reports to discuss mesothelioma. With over 300 related publications to date, his energies and commitment to the plight of mesothelioma patients remain paramount.

 

  • ​​Mike Meenan is the Director of Global Government Affairs at Olin Corporation and provides counsel on federal, state, and international government affairs issues. He is an advocate for Olin’s interests in Congress, before regulatory agencies, and with national and state-based trade associations. Meenan is an Olin PAC Chairman and company political engagement leader. He previously worked with the American Chemistry Counsel, US Senate Commerce Committee, and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 

 

  • Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH is a member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and immediate past chair of its Action Board. She is affiliated with the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, serving as liaison to its Science and Prevention Board. Dr. Monforton is a lecturer in public health at Texas State University where she ensures her students learn about the magnitude of harm caused by asbestos. Dr. Monforton worked in the U.S. Department of Labor (1991-2001) and is a policy expert in occupational health and safety. She provides her expertise on grant-funded research projects and to community organizations who support vulnerable workers. Her book, On the Job: The Untold Story of Worker Centers and The New Fight for Wages, Dignity, and Health was published by the New Press in 2021. In 2019, Dr. Monforton testified on behalf of APHA in support of the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act. 

 

  • Linda Reinstein is the President/CEO and Co-Founder of Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO). Reinstein became an activist when her husband, Alan, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2003. She co-founded the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization in 2004 and now serves as President and CEO. Reinstein has been a strong political voice for justice in every major asbestos-related issue. Reinstein, a highly sought-after international speaker, has frequently served as a Congressional witness and presented at the Department of Labor (OSHA), British House of Commons, United Nations Congress, American Public Health Association, and to other audiences around the world. Recognized as an expert with nearly 40 years of nonprofit experience in building and sustaining grassroots organizations, Reinstein specializes in developing, implementing, and leveraging integrated social media campaigns. Focused on national and international occupational and environmental disease prevention, Reinstein’s proficiency in the powerful advocacy space of online media has greatly increased the effectiveness of ADAO’s core mission of education, advocacy, and community support actions. She has won many prestigious awards including the Global Impact Award (2013), from the Independent Asbestos Training Providers; Bruce Vento Hope Builder Award (2011), from the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation; the highest level of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for her 4,000 hours of volunteerism during her lifetime (2010); and the Heart and Soul Award in from the Manhattan Beach Women in Business Association (2005). Recently, after months of collaboration with experts in the U.S. and Australia, Reinstein spearheaded the launch of a new web “kNOw Asbestos”, to educate about the dangers of asbestos exposure and prevention. 

 

  • Greg Russell serves as a Government Affairs Representative with the International Association of Fire Fighters, he oversees a diverse and expansive portfolio of fire and EMS operational issues. Joining the fire service in 1983, Greg immersed himself in the fire and emergency medicals service career field climbing through the operational ranks to serve as an engine company Lieutenant before transitioning to the Fire Marshall’s Office. Greg retired as a Fire Marshal and Fire/Arson Investigator in 2016 after 33 years of uniformed service. Progressively rising in the IAFF since 1996, he continues to advocate for the issues of importance to the men and women of the fire service.

 

  • Bob Sussman, JD, is the principal in Sussman and Associates, a consulting firm that offers advice on energy and environmental policy issues to clients in the non-profit and private sectors. He has been an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center and a Visiting Lecturer at Yale Law School. Bob served in the Obama Administration as Co-Chair of the Transition Team for EPA and then as Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator from 2009-2013. He served in the Clinton Administration as the EPA Deputy Administrator during 1993-94. At the end of 2007, Bob retired as a partner at the law firm of Latham & Watkins, where he headed the firm’s environmental practice in DC. Bob was a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress in 2008. He is currently serving as Chair of the Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin. Bob is a magna cum laude 1969 graduate of Yale College and a 1973 graduate of Yale Law School. Bob has published numerous blogs and articles on climate change and other current environmental issues.

 

  • James Williams, Jr. is the Director of Federal Relations for all cancer screening and early detection issues at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. Williams has been the director of federal affairs for Wayne State University for the last 11 years. Williams’ Hill experience includes serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for former Congresswoman Carolyn C. Kilpatrick.