Groundwork Ohio Announces Exciting Changes to Team
Reem Aly Joins Groundwork Ohio in Senior Leadership Role; Lynanne Gutierrez and Kelsey E. Hopkins Promoted to New Roles
COLUMBUS, OH – Groundwork Ohio – the state’s leading advocacy organization focused on issues impacting the prenatal period to age five – has announced exciting changes to the Groundwork Ohio team that reflect the organization’s growth, trusted thought leadership, and respected policy and advocacy expertise. Reem Aly has joined Groundwork Ohio as Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer; Lynanne Gutierrez has been promoted to Groundwork’s Chief Operating & Policy Officer; and Kelsey E. Hopkins now serves as the Prenatal-to-Three Manager.
“I am thrilled that Reem, Lynanne, and Kelsey have accepted these exciting and challenging new roles,” said Shannon Jones, President & CEO of Groundwork Ohio. “As we continue to grow our team, expand our capacity, and build our expertise, I am confident that Groundwork’s mission-driven work will continue to improve the lives of Ohio’s youngest children and their families as well as transform the child advocacy infrastructure in the state.”
As Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer, Reem Aly will provide organizational leadership and spearhead Groundwork’s data, equity, and accountability efforts to ensure that Groundwork’s policy agenda reflects research and best practices. Reem will also directly oversee the implementation of Groundwork’s unique “centers of excellence”: the Center for Family Voice, the Center for Maternal and Young Child Health, and the Center for Early Learning.
Reem brings unique policy, research, and organizational expertise coming from a decade of service to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO), where she most recently served as Vice President. During her extensive work at HPIO, Reem led efforts to provide Ohio policymakers and health stakeholders with high quality, objective information that is relevant to their policy decisions, with a particular focus on health equity, maternal and child health, and the intersections of the health care system and population health. She co-led the development of HPIO’s Health Value Dashboard, a tool to track Ohio’s progress towards health value.
Reem also serves as an adjunct faculty member at The Ohio State University’s College of Public Health and has worked as a consultant at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and at OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. and Bricker & Eckler LLC.
Lynanne Gutierrez, who previously served as Groundwork’s Assistant Director & Legal Counsel, has been promoted to Chief Operating & Policy Officer. A trusted leader, respected policy expert, and proven strategist, Lynanne will help execute Groundwork's bold vision and oversee the implementation of the organization’s policy agenda and integrate its external affairs to build upon a powerful movement that prioritizes the needs of every young child in the state of Ohio. As Lynanne comes up on five years with Groundwork, her professional growth has both mirrored and driven the trajectory of the organization.
Finally, Kelsey E. Hopkins now serves as Groundwork’s Prenatal-to-Three Manager, where she will work to elevate Groundwork's prenatal-to-3 policy priorities and provide targeted support to the organization’s engagement with stakeholders, policy research, and advocacy efforts. Kelsey previously served as a Policy Associate with Groundwork Ohio.
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Groundwork Ohio is a committed, nonpartisan public-policy research and advocacy organization formed in 2004 that champions high-quality early learning and healthy development strategies from the prenatal period to age five, that lay a strong foundation for Ohio kids, families, and communities. Learn more about Groundwork Ohio at groundworkohio.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.