Alyson K. Northrup

Alyson Northrup (she/her) joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in 2022. In this role, Alyson leads RWJF’s engagement with federal policymakers in Congress and executive agencies and provides strategic direction to the Foundation’s federal policy initiatives. She brings to this role a decade of experience in government and government affairs, a record of successful policy impact, and a reputation for sharing timely and trusted analysis to inform effective policymaking.

Prior to joining RWJF, Alyson served as associate director of public policy and government affairs at the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP). There, she built and mobilized coalitions of national stakeholders to drive congressional action for policies and programs grounded in evidence to improve the health and wellbeing of women, children, and families; support the public health workforce; and advance health equity.

Legislative successes where Alyson’s advocacy played a key role included: consecutive annual funding increases to the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant program; passage of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2018 and accompanying funding to support state maternal mortality reviews; and the creation of a state option to extend comprehensive Medicaid coverage from the statutory minimum of 60 days postpartum to 365 days postpartum. While at AMCHP, Alyson also served as a policy lead for the federally funded Maternal Health Learning & Innovation Center.

Before her time at AMCHP, Alyson spent five years in the U.S. Senate, where she served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand [D-N.Y.]. In this role, she was responsible for managing the senator’s legislative portfolio for health, child welfare, and education issues.

Alyson holds a Master of Science degree in Biodiversity Conservation and Policy from the University at Albany, State University of New York, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Political Economy from Fordham University.

Born in Schenectady, N.Y., Alyson now lives in northern Virginia with her husband and two children. She enjoys spending time outdoors, especially hiking and skiing, discovering the world through the eyes of her kids, and returning to the beautiful Adirondack Mountains.