HRA Policy Staff
Holly Brown-Williams is Director of Policy. She oversees policy formulation, implications, and recommendations from HRA projects as well as the dissemination of this information to policymakers. She also directs HRA's programs on environmental health and healthy aging. Holly led an effort to develop a statewide action plan to reduce fish contamination and protect human and ecosystem health in California. She is also a Co-Investigator on the CDC-funded California Environmental Health Tracking Program, which is developing a statewide environmental health surveillance system as part of a nationwide data network. Prior to joining HRA in 2004 Holly was Associate Director of UCOP's California Policy Research Center.
Joan Lichterman is Principal Editor. She has nearly 40 years of editorial, writing, and analytical experience. Prior to joining HRA in 2006, she co-managed a UC Office of the President publications program based on policy-relevant research conducted by UC faculty members in a range of fields, including public health. She also has administrative experience in the community-based drug-rehabilitation field, and training in occupational safety and health, including environmental health. Joan holds a BA in Sociology from Roosevelt University, in Chicago.
Andrea Spurgeon, MA, is Project Manager/Analyst. She coordinates a wide range of research and intervention activities on aging and environmental health. Before joining HRA in 2005, Andrea was an analyst at UCOP's California Policy Research Center, where she managed the policy research grants program, provided technical assistance to state government, developed a database of UC policy expertise, and helped organize conferences for policymakers detailing UC-based research. Andrea holds a masters degree in Sociology from St. Patrick's University in Ireland and a bachelor's in Political Science from UC Berkeley.