About The Transformation Project
Myra Christopher, co-director: Christopher has led the Center since its inception in 1985. In addition to providing oversight to the Center, Christopher served as the national program officer of the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation's National Program Office for State-based Initiatives to Improve End-of Life Care from 1998-2003.
These roles allow Christopher to continue her lifelong mission to improve care for seriously ill people and their families.
Because of Christopher's involvement with the Nancy Beth Cruzan case, Senator John Danforth sought her assistance in drafting and introducing the Patient Self-Determination Act. She also consulted with the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations on patients' rights and organizational ethics standards. She is currently consulting with the Centers for Disease Control.
Bill Novelli, co-director: Novelli spent eight years as CEO of AARP. During his tenure the organization achieved important policy successes at national and state levels in health, financial security and other areas. He made AARP a leading voice calling for comprehensive health care reform.
He was co-founder and former president of Porter Novelli, one of the world's largest public relations agencies. He retired from the firm to pursue a second career in public service. He was named one of the 100 most influential public relations professionals of the 20th century by the industry's leading publication.
Novelli has been president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, whose mandate is to change public policies and the social environment, limit tobacco companies' marketing and sales practices to children, and serve as a counterforce to the tobacco industry and its special interests. He now serves as chairman of the board.
Judith Peres, deputy director: Judith R. Peres is an Expert Consultant in the Nursing Home and Palliative end-of-life care areas and a clinical social worker serving Medicare Beneficiaries. She was the Deputy Director of Last Acts, a National Program Office, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to improve care and caring near the end of life.
In that role she developed major policy pieces speaking to the need to improve end-of-life care in this country. Her career spans over three decades in both Medicare health policy and direct clinical work.
Prior to her appointment at Last Acts, Ms. Peres served as Director of Health Policy for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, specializing in quality, reimbursement, and workforce issues.
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation
Founded by Peter G. Peterson with a commitment of $1 billion, the Foundation is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the nature and urgency of key economic challenges threatening America's future and to accelerating action on them.
To address these challenges successfully, we work to bring Americans together to find sensible, long-term solutions that transcend age, party lines and ideological divides in order to achieve real results. For more information, see www.PGPF.org.
