Staff
Susan Van Meter
President
Susan Van Meter was named ACLA President in March 2022. She previously served as Executive Director of AdvaMedDx where she directed the policy, advocacy, communications, regulatory, payment and legislative strategy and operations of the association, which represents manufacturers of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) clinical tests in the U.S. and abroad. In this role, she also developed the association’s robust response to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing advocacy efforts. Prior to her role at AdvaMedDx, Van Meter served as the Senior Vice President of Federal Relations at the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), where she was responsible for developing their priorities and strategies to further the interests of their hospital and health system members. She also previously worked in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Office of Legislation. Van Meter holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Villanova University and Boston University, respectively.
Joyce Gresko
Legal Counsel
Joyce Gresko is an attorney in Alston & Bird’s Washington, D.C., office, where she is a member of the Health Care and Legislative & Public Policy Teams. She focuses her practice on health care regulatory, legislative and compliance matters. Her clients include clinical laboratories, durable medical equipment suppliers, hospitals, health care professional associations and other health care entities. She assists clients on a daily basis to understand and resolve issues relating to Medicare and Medicaid payment and coding, federal and state fraud and abuse laws, effective compliance programs and health care quality.
Joyce draws on her experience of more than a decade as a public policy advocate and campaign professional. She worked for Democratic candidates campaigning for President, governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House. She also held leadership positions in advocacy organizations such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and Children’s Defense Fund. She is a reading mentor in the Washington, D.C., public schools through Everybody Wins! DC, and she volunteers with the College Diabetes Network and JDRF Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Chapter. She was selected by Super Lawyers to the 2014 Washington, D.C. Rising Stars list.
Holly Grosholz
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Holly Grosholz joined ACLA in October 2022 as Director of Government Affairs. She previously served as Director of Government Relations at the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA). In this role, she led the device federal government affairs and lobbying for the medical imaging industry and worked collaboratively with healthcare and provider stakeholders.. Prior to MITA, Holly worked at the American Public Health Association. Holly earned her BA in Political Science at Bucknell University.
Cheryl Hawkins
Executive Administrator
Cheryl Hawkins, has been employed with ACLA since June 1996. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of ACLA's Washington office, and is the primary contact for all membership and office issues. Before joining ACLA, Ms. Hawkins was a Legislative Assistant for the government affairs office of Meridian Oil, Inc from 1992 to 1995. Prior to Meridian Oil, Inc., Ms. Hawkins was a Government Affairs Assistant for the American Petroleum Institute (API) from 1985-1992.
Cheryl attended Prince Georges' Community College and the University of Maryland. She has been an active member of Executive Women International ® (EWI) since 1992, a Corporate Board member (2013-2019), and a Past Corporate President (2017-2018). EWI's vision is to enhance professional growth and development within a diverse group of women while empowering them to make a difference as they inspire others.
Joan Kegerize
Vice President, Reimbursement and Scientific Affairs
Joan Kegerize joined ACLA in January 2019 as Vice President, Reimbursement and Scientific Affairs. She has a background in legal and reimbursement analysis most recently prior to ACLA at GMBI, where she worked with healthcare stakeholders across the industry on a range of coding, auditing and reimbursement issues for new and existing healthcare services. She also worked with clients to direct and implement reimbursement strategies for the Medicare and Medicaid programs as well as commercial/private payers. She began her career as a genetic counselor at Magee Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. She holds a Master of Science in Human Genetics from the University of Pittsburgh, and a J.D. from New York Law School and is a licensed attorney in New Jersey.
Elyse Oveson
Chief of Advocacy Operations
Elyse Oveson joined ACLA in December 2023 as Chief of Advocacy Operations. She previously served as Senior Director of Federal Relations at the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS). In this role she developed and implemented federal regulatory and legislative agendas in Washington, D.C. to help advance the interests of the HANYS hospital and health system membership. Before joining HANYS in 2013, Ms. Oveson served as a Legislative Assistant in the House of Representatives, where she was a lead advisor to a member of Congress on healthcare policy, among other issues. Before working on Capitol Hill, Ms. Oveson was an associate at the New York-based lobbying firm, Park Strategies, LLC. Ms. Oveson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Union College and a Master’s degree in Government from Johns Hopkins University.
Sarah Thibault-Sennett
Senior Director of Reimbursement Policy
Sarah Thibault-Sennett joined ACLA in April 2023 as Senior Director of Reimbursement Policy. Sarah was previously the Director of Public Policy & Advocacy at the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP). Her areas of expertise focus on coding, coverage, and reimbursement issues affecting molecular diagnostic tests. Additionally, she has a strong background in patient engagement and regulatory issues affecting molecular pathology. She has a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) in Bethesda, MD, and a background in molecular genetics and developmental biology. She moved into public policy with the goal of increasing patient access to appropriate diagnostic testing.
Mary Lee Watts
Vice President, Government Affairs & Policy
Mary Lee Watts joined ACLA in December 2023 as Vice President, Government Affairs and Policy. She previously served as Director, Federal Affairs at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), where she directed ASM’s policy development, outreach and engagement with Congress and federal agencies on annual appropriations and across a broad portfolio of issues affecting the microbial sciences, infectious disease diagnostics and public health. Before joining ASM in 2019, Ms. Watts held policy and advocacy positions with the American Association for Cancer Research, American Society for Nutrition, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Mary Lee holds a Master of Public Health degree in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology from Vanderbilt University. She was recognized with a 2023 Top Lobbyist award by the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics (NILE).
