Nancy Davenport-Ennis

Chief Executive Officer & President

Nancy Davenport-Ennis, cancer survivor, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of two organizations she founded in 1996, National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF), a policy organization, headquartered in Washington, DC that seeks to improve access to care through regulatory and policy initiatives at the state and federal levels and Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), a 501(c)3 direct patient services non-profit organization, headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, that provides professional case management services to insured, under-insured and un-insured patients diagnosed with chronic, debilitating and life-threatening conditions. PAF also has an office in Mission Valley, California and home office case management support in Iowa, Tennessee, Nevada and New York.

Davenport-Ennis was recently appointed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to serve on the Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) Committee. She was also appointed by the National Institutes of Health to serve on its Open Ended Working Group (OEWG). In the past, she has been appointed to, or has served on, several national committees including an appointment by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services as a Commissioner on the American Health Information Community (AHIC) with Health and Human Services (HHS) serving as Co-Chair of the Consumer Empowerment Working Group for AHIC, Directors Consumer Liaison Group (DCLG) with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a voting seat on the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee (MCAC) at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Access to Quality Cancer Care Team, a committee of C-Change, One Voice Against Cancer, Virginia Governor's Government & Regulatory Reform Task Force, Virginia Attorney General's Regulatory and Government Reform Task Force-Healthcare Working Group, Health Information Technology Council for Virginia and the Mayor's Committee on Medicaid and Physician Recruitment in Newport News, VA.

Davenport-Ennis also serves on the Board of Directors for Friends of Cancer Research, the Advisory Board for the Intercultural Cancer Council, external Board of Review for the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, MO, the PRR Advisory Board for Oncology Times, In-Touch, Coping and Managed Care and Cancer magazines. She has testified as a Congressional witness before the Senate and House committees addressing access issues confronting patients. In 2009, Davenport-Ennis testified before the Senate HELP Committee to address health care reform proposals for coverage and reimbursement, and also testified before the Federal Coordinating Council to address comparative effectiveness reform. In 2008, she testified before the Senate Finance Committee to address charity care practices in non-profit hospitals, and testified before Administrator Astrue of the Social Security Administration (SSA) to address Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) reform recommendations for compassionate allowances.

Throughout her career in patient advocacy, Davenport-Ennis' expertise has been sought by national and local media outlets for news articles addressing access issues confronting patients and reflecting the value of case management and/or legal interventions. She has served as a source for articles appearing in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, US News and World Report, USA Today, Washington Post, The Boston Globe; Houston Chronicle, The Daily Press, The Virginian Pilot , Inside CMS, Family Circle Magazine; Parade Magazine, Readers Digest; Prevention Magazine, Self Magazine, All You, AARP Bulletin, Real Simple Magazine, Glamour Magazine, Nursing Spectrum, Business Week, Hematology Oncology Times, Physicians Practice Magazine, Coping Magazine, Women and Cancer,  American Family Physician Monograph on Cancer, CNN, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, CBS affiliate stations, and the Lifetime Network. 

In 2008, Ms. Davenport - Ennis was selected by Yoplait and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure as a Yoplait Champion for her tireless efforts in fighting breast cancer. She also joined the Stand Up 2 Cancer (SU2C) Advisory Council, a national movement to end cancer.  In 2007, PAF was named one of the "Top 25 Places to Work" in Hampton Roads by Inside Business. PAF was also awarded the Distinguished Merit Citation by the Peninsula Chapter of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities in February 2008. 

Ms. Davenport-Ennis is the recipient of the 2005 Women in Business Achievement Award presented by Anthem and Business Week.  Davenport-Ennis was honored with the 1989 Outstanding Young Woman of America Award, the Association of Community Cancer Centers Advocate of the Year Award and the U.S. Oncology Medal of Honor Award. Ms. Davenport-Ennis was also appointed to the Governor's Commission on the Uninsured in Virginia. Davenport-Ennis was also named as a Paul Harris Fellow by the National Rotary Foundation.  Davenport-Ennis holds a B.A. degree in English from Campbell University. She resides in Yorktown, Virginia with her husband, John H. Ennis, Jr. and has two daughters and four grandchildren.

Grayson Fowler

Executive Vice President of Government Affairs

Grayson Fowler is Executive Vice President of Government Affairs.  In this capacity, Mr. Fowler for the tracking and analyses of all legislative initiatives affecting patients and their access to healthcare.  Prior to joining National Patient Advocate Foundation, Mr. Fowler was the Director of Federal Relations for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a privately funded organization established to focus the nation's attention and action on reducing tobacco use and its many harms among both children and adults.  Mr. Fowler joined the Campaign in September 1999 after many years on Capitol Hill and as a lobbyist.

Mr. Fowler also served as Senior Vice President at The Sheridan Group, a small government relations firm predominantly focused on health care issues which he helped to found in 1991.  At The Sheridan Group, Mr. Fowler was responsible for supervising the firm's government relations staff and overseeing the development of legislative agendas and advocacy and media strategies for a variety of clients.  While there, he played a central role in the creation and maintenance of a multi-city HIV/AIDS funding coalition.

From January 1989 to December 1990, Mr. Fowler was the Executive Vice President of International Public Strategies/Mark Siegel and Associates, responsible for the formulation and implementation of government relations and public relations strategies for the firm's clients, including the Government of Pakistan under Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.  Mr. Fowler supervised the government relations staff and served as a contributing editor to the firm's newsletter.

Mr. Fowler helped create the U.S.-Japan Dialogue in September 1987 and served as its Deputy Director through September 1988.  From June 1974 through June 1987, Mr. Fowler held a succession of jobs in the United States Senate, beginning as a Research Assistant to the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, more commonly known as the Senate Watergate Committee.  Mr. Fowler next moved to the Office of Senator Adlai E. Stevenson where he became a Press Assistant.  In May 1977, Mr. Fowler moved to the Office of Senator Edward Zorinsky of Nebraska as a legislative assistant covering the areas of health, education, human services, labor, banking and urban affairs.  A year later he became the Senator's Foreign Policy Advisor and his Personal Representative to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Mr. Fowler holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service degree from Georgetown University.  He resides in Washington, DC.

Amy Boivin Wotring

Vice President of Federal Government Affairs

Amy Boivin Wotring is Vice President of Federal Government Affairs. Ms. Wotring responds to proposed legislation, tracks and analyzes federal legislation and generally coordinates federal government affairs activities in the Washington DC office. Prior to joining National Patient Advocate Foundation, Ms. Wotring worked as a Legislative Associate at a state government affairs firm in Washington DC, where she focused on health policy. Ms. Wotring gained additional experience in the district office of United States Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and in the Rhode Island state legislature. Ms. Wotring holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Roger Williams University.

Kimberly Williams

State Government Affairs Manager 

Kimberly Williams is the State Government Affairs Manager for the National Patient Advocate Foundation. She directs recruitment and advocacy activities for NPAF's roster of volunteers who serve as State Policy Liaisons and within the larger Patients' Voice Network. As State Government Affairs Manager, Kimberly helps to guide health care policy reform through the use of these grassroots advocacy programs and encouraging direct communication with state and federal legislators.

Kimberly also contributes to NPAF's government affairs activities by examining and responding to proposed state legislation, in consideration of its potential impact on patient populations. Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas, where she studied both Psychology and Biology.

Ashley Schelske

Legislative Assistant

Ashley Schelske is a Legislative Assistant at NPAF.  Ms. Schelske conducts research and policy analysis to determine the impact on patients and NPAF principles.  She helps to inform the NPAF government relations team on critical issues by attending health care briefings, conferences, congressional hearings, and representing NPAF in advocacy coalitions.

Prior to joining the National Patient Advocate Foundation, Ms. Schelske worked at an international non-governmental organization that specializes in child vaccination programs.  Ms. Schelske gained additional public health experience while working for a large HIV/AIDS service organization.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from The Ohio State University.

Donna Adkins

Legislative Liaison 

Donna Adkins is the Legislative Liaison for the National Patient Advocate Foundation.  Communicating weekly with the volunteer members of the Patients' Voice Network, she helps to ensure volunteer advocates throughout the United States stay well informed on NPAF initiatives, as well as encourages their relationships with federal and state legislators.

Prior to joining NPAF, Donna volunteered for over twenty years with various health care non-profit organizations working on both federal and state legislation.  Donna holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Saint Leo University.

Brad Tallamy 

Policy and Legislative Liaison & Data Analyst

Brad Tallamy is the Policy and Legislative Liaison & Data Analyst for the National Patient Advocate Foundation.  He compiles patient service data for reporting on federal legislative, regulatory and policy activities.  As Policy and Legislative Liaison & Data Analyst, Mr. Tallamy conducts policy analysis for NPAF needs as related to Senate and House initiatives and collaborates with federal agencies, including the FDA and CMS.

Prior to joining National Patient Advocate Foundation, Mr. Tallamy worked as a Policy / Data Manager at Columbia University Medical Center in the Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation.  Mr. Tallamy has been published in over twenty peer-reviewed manuscripts in pediatric research, stem cell transplantation and pediatric stem cell therapy.  Mr. Tallamy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Loyola University in Maryland.