In July of 2019, I became the Executive Director of The President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS), a U.S. Cabinet Level Task Force, created by Presidential Executive Order. The goal of PREVENTS was to build the first all-of-government and whole-of-nation effort focused on suicide prevention with our Veterans leading the way. 

Over the next eighteen months – working with a team of talented and passionate senior officials from across government – we would build and begin to implement a cross sector approach that included all Federal Agencies, non profit organizations, universities, the entertainment industry, corporations as well as state and local governments. We developed the first national public health campaign, REACH, that encouraged all Americans to REACH to those in need and REACH for help when they themselves were struggling. And we developed a National Ambassador program that included political leaders from both sides of the aisle, celebrities, military officers and mental health experts – who used their influence to share our message and engage those in need. 

After the change of administration in 2020, I was asked to remain in the government to continue the work I began. But COVID19 was raging and priorities were changing. PREVENTS was reorganized under a single agency and I returned to the private sector. The impact of the PREVENTS work continues, however, through the lessons learned, the relationships forged and the opportunities created.