National Conference of State Legislatures
Kate Blackman, MSW, MPH has a diverse work experience in the field of public health and policy. Kate is currently serving as the Vice President of State Policy & Research at the National Conference of State Legislatures, overseeing a team of 55+ professionals and leading policy work on various issues. Prior to this, they were the Director of the Health Program at NCSL, where they managed a team of 18 staff and a grant portfolio worth $3+ million. Kate also has experience as a Program Director and Senior Policy Specialist at NCSL, focusing on public health and access to care issues.
Before joining NCSL, Kate worked as a Project Director at the UNC Center for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, managing a community-based research project to address obesity and social determinants of health. Kate has also worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at the UNC-CH School of Social Work, evaluating a mental health program, and as a Social Work Intern at Carrboro High School. Earlier in their career, Kate served as a Program Coordinator at The Ophelia Project & Boys Initiative, establishing curriculum-based programs and launching the Girls on the Run program.
Kate began their career as an Outreach Assistant & Volunteer Coordinator at Passages Northwest, where they coordinated budgets and managed volunteers for summer programs. Throughout their career, Kate has demonstrated strong leadership skills, grant management expertise, and a commitment to improving public health and access to care.
Kate Blackman earned a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism & Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completing their studies from 2002 to 2006. Later, they pursued a Master's Degree in Social Work from the same institution, which they obtained from 2010 to 2012. Additionally, Kate Blackman also earned a Master's Degree in Public Health from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, completing their studies during the same time frame. In 2005, they obtained a certification as a Wilderness First Responder from the NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute (WMI).
National Conference of State Legislatures
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The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan non-governmental organization established to serve the members and staff of state legislatures of the United States.The National Conference of State Legislatures has three major objectives: improving the quality and effectiveness of state legislatures; promoting policy innovationand communication among state legislatures; and ensuring state legislatures a strong cohesive voice in the federal system.NCSL maintains two offices: one in Denver and the other in Washington, D.C. The organization has eight standing committees composed of legislators and legislative staff, appointed by the leadership of the legislatures. Each Committee provides a means by which state legislators can share experience, information, and advice on a variety of state issues ranging from policy to management. The committees meet together biannually at NCSL’s Fall Forum and NCSL's Legislative Summit to adopt state-federal legislative policies. These committee meetings also serve as an opportunity for states to network and establish flows of information as well as experience-based suggestions from other states. In addition to the Fall Forum and the Summit, NCSL builds the state legislative community by hosting various web seminars, leadership meetings, and access to relevant websites and online documents throughout the year.The organization is led by a legislator, who serves as its President and by a legislative staffer, who serves as Staff Chair. The National Conference of State Legislatures was established in 1975 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, United States.