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Presenters Biographies

Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP Representative Steven B. Maier James Hester Susan L. Anderson

Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP

Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, is well known in the world of public health as a leader, practitioner and administrator. Benjamin has been the executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the nation's oldest and largest organization of public health professionals, since December 2002. He came to that post from his position as secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where he played a key role developing Maryland's bioterrorism plan. Benjamin became secretary of the Maryland health department in April 1999, following four years as its deputy secretary for public health services.

Benjamin, of Gaithersburg, Md., is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He is board-certified in internal medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians.  He is the author of more than 80 scientific articles and book chapters.

Representative Steven B. Maier

Steven B. Maier of Middlebury, Vermont was born on January 5, 1956, in Milford, Connecticut, and became a resident of Middlebury in 1992. He was educated at Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, receiving his B.A. in 1978, and then at Vermont Law School in South Royalton, Vermont where he received his Master's in Environmental Law in 1985.  He is currently an environmental and energy consultant.  He is married to Priscilla S. Bremser and they have three sons.  Representative Maier has been a Member of the Vermont House, serving as a Democrat, from 2003 to present.  He is currently co-chair of the Vermont Legislative Commission on Health Care Reform and chair of the Vermont House Health Care Committee.  He has been a member of House health care committees since 2003.

James Hester

James A. Hester, Ph.D. is the Director of the Health Care Reform Commission for the Vermont State Legislature.  The commission is charged with overseeing the implementation of the comprehensive package of health reform legislation passed in 2006 and recommending the long term strategy to ensure that all Vermonter’s have access to affordable, quality health care.

Dr. Hester has 35 years experience in the health care field, and has held senior management positions with MVP Healthcare in Vermont, ChoiceCare in Cincinnati, Pilgrim Health Care in Boston, and Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston. He began his managed care career as Director of Applied Research for the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Hester earned his Ph.D. in urban studies, and his M.S. and B.S. degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also holds a Masters of Education degree from St Michael’s College. 

Susan L. Anderson

Susan L. Anderson currently serves as Chief of Staff and Deputy Director of the Governor, Edward G. Rendell’s Office of Health Care Reform.  The Office of Health Care Reform is charged with coordinating the Commonwealth's Health Care Reform Agenda.

Prior to her appointment she was a principal in the investment and consulting firm of GRECOventures Ltd. She reviewed all requests for funding, evaluated the viability of and feasibility of growth projections and proformas, and determined levels and terms of investment by the firm.

From 1976 to 1988, she served as secretary/treasurer of the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners, an arm of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania which governs admission to the bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In this administrative position she served as attorney for the Board before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. She also managed the Board's legal and administrative staff in the preparation, administration and grading of the Pennsylvania bar examination.

She earned her bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Eastern University in 1969 and her J.D. degree from Villanova University School of Law in 1972.

 March Health Webcasts Archives