ADVISORS

LAUREL STINE, J.D. M.A. ​

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Laurel Stine leads the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Washington DC-based policy team in the development and advancement of federal and state policy to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.

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Prior to joining AFSP, Stine has engaged in mental health and disability policy development and advocacy for over 25 years, most recently as Senior Director of Congressional and Federal Affairs and Partnerships for the American Psychological Association. In her role she advocated for the availability and accessibility of psychological services, primarily involving public and private health insurance and telehealth, and led advocacy organizational relationship initiatives and created strategic alliances.

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Stine also served as the chief lobbyist for the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law — a national legal- advocacy organization — where she managed a diverse portfolio of federal legislative and regulatory issues affecting children and adults with mental disorders in the areas of health care, education, and justice.

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Stine now serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) — a coalition of over 70 national behavioral health organizations — and co-led the Health Policy Committee for over ten years with coalition successes, including the enactment of mental health parity, the Affordable Care Act and comprehensive mental health reform.

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Stine received a bachelor's degree in psychology from UCLA, a master's degree in clinical psychology from SUNY-Binghamton and a JD degree from the Washington College of Law at the American University in Washington, D.C.

PAUL LEKAS ​

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Paul Lekas is the Senior Vice President, Head of Global Public Policy & Government Affairs, at the Software &
Information Industry Association. Paul is a thought leader and advocate with over two decades of experience advising leaders and organizations in government and the private sector on technology policy, national security, and other areas. Currently, Paul leads public policy and government affairs efforts of the Software & Information Industry Association. He is responsible for overall strategy, policy development, and government engagement in the United States and internationally on issues including artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, data protection and privacy, internet regulation, competition and innovation, intellectual property, cross-border data flows, and education technology. Previously, Paul served in senior legal and policy positions in the U.S. government, including as Deputy General Counsel at the Department of Defense and with the National Security Commission on AI and the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. He was a lawyer in private practice for over a decade, handling high-stakes investigations and litigation. Paul serves on advisory panels and task forces with the OECD, the EdSAFE AI Alliance, TeachAI, the CivXNow Coalition, Future of Privacy Forum, R Street Institute, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and more. He is a regular speaker at major conferences on a range of technology issues and has been featured in the New York Times, Politico, Axios, and many other publications. Paul received his A.B. and J.D. degrees from Harvard University.

SOPHIE SHEINA SZEW ​

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Biography: 

YAEL BROMBERG ​

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Biography: 

LILY JOY WINDER​

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Biography: 

POOJA MEHTA ​

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Biography: