Lead Advocate Certification: Module 4

Whitney Doyle is the Director of Advocacy and Government Relations at the Amputee Coalition. Whitney has extensive advocacy and grassroots leadership experience and previously served as the Executive Director of the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology, Inc. Her drive for transparency and equality led to expanded outreach of assistive technology services in every county in Florida. Whitney began her career with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics from St. Petersburg College and became a certified prosthetist in 2015. Seeking a transition away from patient care, Whitney began working on projects that aligned with her passion for equitable access. 

Her disability advocacy work started in 2008, when she joined the Florida Youth Council and became a volunteer at the Florida Youth Leadership Forum. Being inspired by others who have disabilities has led her to become an active member of the Florida Independent Living Council’s board of directors and the National Council on Independent Living’s finance committee. Whitney has a master’s degree in nonprofit management from the University of Central Florida and became a certified nonprofit professional in 2023. 

Olivia Keller recently joined the Government Relations team at the Amputee Coalition as the Public Policy Manager. Prior to joining the Amputee Coalition, Olivia was the Senior Public Policy Analyst at Disability Rights Florida where she worked with the rest of the Public Policy team to track and analyze the impact of relevant state and federal legislation on people with disabilities and helped set Disability Rights Florida’s legislative priorities. Being born with a physical disability herself, she previously assisted others with disabilities acquire independent living skills as the Peer Mentor at the Suncoast Center for Independent Living. Olivia also served on the Citizens with Disabilities advisory board for the City of Sarasota, FL and was a candidate for the Florida Senate in 2018. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the University of Memphis where she graduated cum laude and is currently working towards her Master’s in Disability Studies through the City University of New York. 

Ryan Geddie is a congenital amputee and Senior Grassroots Advocacy Specialist at the Amputee Coalition. He received a B.A. in Government from The University of Texas at Austin in the spring of 2022.

Laura Friedel joined Tarplin, Downs & Young, LLC in 2023 as a partner after more than two decades in the United States Senate.  Laura most recently served as the Clerk/Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies for the past 12 years.  In that role, Laura was at the center of developing every LHHS Appropriations bill for more than a decade, which is the largest non-defense spending bill, encompassing over $215 billion in discretionary funding and over $1.3 trillion in mandatory funding.  She was involved in virtually every aspect of the development, consideration, and passage of HHS supplemental appropriations bills, including for pandemic response, hurricane and tornado recovery, and Afghanistan and Ukraine refugees resettlement.  She was at the center of increasing the National Institutes of Health’s funding by 60 percent, including establishing ARPA-H; significantly expanding mental health and substance use disorders prevention and treatment programs; and increasing annual investments in medical countermeasures and drug development.  Laura was instrumental in writing, negotiating, and passing five bipartisan COVID-19 funding bills in 2020, providing over $320 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services and establishing Operation Warp Speed and NIH’s RADx program.  Prior to working on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Laura worked for Senator Richard Shelby as his Legislative Director and for Senator Zell Miller. 

Meg Joseph joined TDY as a partner in the fall of 2022. Meg brings over 15 years of bicameral experience leading moderate Democratic offices on Capitol Hill. Meg most recently served as Chief of Staff to Senator Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) where she was at the center of several historic legislative accomplishments including the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, >span class="NormalTextRun SCXW218804601 BCX0"> Safer Communities Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. A skilled strategist, Meg’s experience includes first-hand knowledge of bipartisan negotiation among the Senate, House, and administration. She also served as a Chief of Staff in the House of Representatives to then-Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09), to Congressman Jim Matheson (UT-04), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and to Congressman Bobby Bright (AL-02). For both Chief Deputy Whips Sinema and Matheson, Meg worked as the principal floor staffer for Blue Dog whip operations. Meg began her time in the House of Representatives as Clerk to the House Committee on Rules under Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (NY-25). Additionally, Meg has worked extensively in moderate Democratic politics, including in fundraising and campaigns. She served at both the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as a Senior advisor to House and Senate campaigns, and assisted Chairs of the Blue Dog PAC.