Our Team

LeAnn Swanson is chief executive officer of the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). Bringing more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience to the role, Ms. Swanson is responsible for the overall leadership and operations of NCHL and works closely with the NCHL board of directors on the development of the organization’s strategic plan and direction. She oversees all financial, programmatic, and operational controls of the organization and provides oversight to its corporate members; sponsors; and stakeholders. Ms. Swanson is responsible for promoting the mission and vision of NCHL and its portfolio of collaborative programs, including the US Cooperative for International Patient Programs (USCIPP), the Leadership Excellence Networks (LENS), and the National Council on Administrative Fellowships (NCAF). Ms. Swanson works to engage and interface with member organizations, prospective members, and corporate sponsors, ensuring NCHL’s visibility throughout the industry while fostering relationships across disciplines and key stakeholders. She holds a Master of Public Health from San Diego State University and a Bachelor of Science in health education from Northern Arizona University.

Brandy Blanton is research coordinator for the US Cooperative for International Patient Programs (USCIPP), one of the premier membership programs of the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). In this role, Ms. Blanton supports a number of USCIPP projects and initiatives, including ongoing global market monitoring and business intelligence; in-depth economic, political, social, and infrastructural country analysis and reporting; USCIPP’s annual benchmarking survey and Qlik Sense data dashboard and analytics initiatives; USCIPP’s International Patient Experience Initiative; and additional research projects for USCIPP’s Premium members as prioritized by the Benchmarking & Research Subcommittee. Ms. Blanton holds a Master of Letters (MLitt) in terrorism and political violence from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and two undergraduate degrees – a Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative and professional writing and a Bachelor of Arts in theater and politics – from Converse College in South Carolina.

Soleh Dermawan is the accountant for the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). Mr. Dermawan brings more than 30 years of for-profit, non-profit, and administrative business experience to his role. He is responsible for NCHL’s overall financial operation and works closely with the NCHL CEO and NCHL’s programs and member organizations relative to financial matters. Soleh is responsible for NCHL’s financial accuracy and completeness and engages and communicates with member organizations to ensure they are comfortable with financial matters. He has completed many graduate programs and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Indonesia as well as a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Northeastern Illinois University.

Jarrett Fowler is senior director of strategic and international initiatives at the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). In this role, Mr. Fowler serves as a member of the NCHL leadership team and oversees the organization’s strategic initiatives, including business development and growth, new product and service development, and broadening NCHL’s overall reach. He also directs NCHL’s international initiatives and supports the US Cooperative for International Patient Programs (USCIPP) team by co-leading global business development events for USCIPP’s members, contributing to USCIPP’s international market analysis and business intelligence work, and supporting USCIPP’s senior manager in driving membership growth. Mr. Fowler holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in international studies from the University of Chicago.

Alia Ibrahim is senior manager of the US Cooperative for International Patient Programs (USCIPP), one of the premier membership programs of the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). In this role, she leads the USCIPP program and holds responsibility for an ongoing portfolio of projects and initiatives as prioritized by USCIPP’s membership. Ms. Ibrahim oversees educational events and special projects, USCIPP’s strategic planning and growth initiatives, and USCIPP’s day-to-day operations. She serves as the NCHL staff lead for USCIPP’s Advisory Council, External Relations Subcommittee, Global Market Development Subcommittee, and the USCIPP International Patient Experience Initiative. Ms. Ibrahim fosters relationships with key external stakeholders in both the public and private sectors and also co-leads global business development events for USCIPP’s members. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in interdisciplinary studies from DePaul University.

Jen Kvasnicka serves as program manager for the National Council on Administrative Fellowships (NCAF). She works with NCAF and Graduate Education Health Management (GEHM) members to provide overall program planning, reporting, and coordination for the NCAF program. She works to advance business development, conducts research related to NCAF, and engages with NCAF and GEHM committees. Ms. Kvasnicka brings experience in not-for-profit organizations, healthcare management, and operations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Leadership from Valparaiso University and a Master of Science in Health Administration from the same institution.

Callie Lambert (she/her) serves as director of research for the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). In this role, Ms. Lambert leads and maintains strategic oversight of the research, business intelligence, market analytics, and data analytics initiatives of NCHL and its premier programs, including the US Cooperative for International Patient Programs (USCIPP); the Leadership Excellence Networks (LENS); and the National Council on Administrative Fellowships (NCAF). She serves as the technical subject matter expert for NCHL’s data visualization and dashboard environments and directs all of the organization's programmatic benchmarking initiatives. Ms. Lambert holds a Master of Science in Public Policy & Management – Data Analytics from Carnegie Mellon University as well as a Bachelor of Arts in political science and anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis. 

Ren Lovegood (they/them) is senior manager of the Leadership Excellence Networks (LENS), one of the premier membership programs of the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). In this role, they oversee strategic planning and business development, membership recruitment, and day-to-day programmatic operations specific to the LENS Program. They serve as the NCHL staff lead for LENS’ Steering Committee, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Council, Leadership Development Council, Talent Metrics, Analytics, & Planning (TMAP) Council, and Well-Being Council. Mx. Lovegood has over 15 years of collective experience in nonprofit healthcare, education, advocacy, wellness initiatives, and program management. They hold a Master of Healthcare Administration from Suffolk University in Boston, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a minor in International Relations from Eckerd College in Florida.

Meghan Nousaine (she/her) is the senior director of communications and development at the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL).  Ms. Nousaine serves on the leadership team of NCHL and oversees all communications, member relations, sponsorship, and some key administrative duties of the organization.  Additionally, she provides strategic oversight and guidance to several of NCHL programmatic elements.   She has more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit healthcare communications, development, health policy, stakeholder and member engagement, and legislative advocacy.  She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Communication from California State University Monterey Bay.