For Immediate Release:
April 14, 2026
Media Contact:
David Guarino
dguarino@melwoodglobal.com
617-548-4981
BOSTON – Jennifer Lemmerman, an experienced non-profit and advocacy leader with deep involvement in health care and support for vulnerable populations was today announced as the new Executive Director of Health Care For All.
Lemmerman most recently served as Chief Policy Officer for Project Bread, where she led statewide policy campaigns and coalition efforts addressing food insecurity. She previously held roles with longtime HCFA collaborator Community Catalyst and as an elected Alderman in the City of Melrose. She will begin in her new role on May 11.
Health Care For All Board of Directors Chair Dr. Trishan Panch said Lemmerman is the perfect leader to bring the state’s leading health policy advocacy organization into its next 40 years.
“Twenty years after Massachusetts’ historic health care reform, the threats to health care access and affordability couldn’t be greater and, in Jennifer, we have a leader who will ensure our decades of leadership on these issues continues to grow,” said Dr. Panch. “Jennifer’s myriad experiences on the frontlines of health care policy, nonprofit advocacy and leadership makes her a fantastic choice to carry on this never-more-vital work.”
Lemmerman said she was grateful and eager to get to work with HCFA’s dedicated team of consumer advocates, HelpLine councilors and policy leaders.
“Health care access and affordability are increasingly out of reach for too many people in Massachusetts,” said Lemmerman. “Health Care For All has spent four decades fighting to make our health system work for everyone, and I’m honored to join the organization at such an important moment. I’m excited to build on the legacy of incredible past leaders like Amy Rosenthal and Rob Restuccia, and to work with HCFA’s dedicated staff, advocates, and partners to protect the progress we’ve made and keep pushing for a health care system that is equitable, affordable, and accessible for everyone in Massachusetts.”
“Jennifer Lemmerman is the right person to lead HCFA into the future, and I am excited for her to take on this important role,” said Rosenthal, now serving as state Undersecretary of Health. “Jen and I worked together for five years on national health reform efforts. She understands the importance of advocating for individuals and families and working collaboratively with partners and policymakers. As part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, I am looking forward to working with her to advance our shared goals.”
As HCFA’s Executive Director, Lemmerman will provide overall strategic leadership for the 40-year-old organization’s three core strategic focus areas of its work: direct service, community engagement, and policy and advocacy campaigns.
Lemmerman has spent nearly two decades advancing policy, advocacy, and coalition efforts across Massachusetts and nationally. She spent the past seven years at Project Bread, most recently serving as Chief Policy Officer, where she led major statewide policy and advocacy campaigns addressing food insecurity, including the successful effort to make universal school meals permanent in Massachusetts.
Earlier in her career, Lemmerman held roles at Community Catalyst, supporting state-based organizations during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and later working to defend the law against legislative and legal challenges. She also worked at the National Brain Tumor Society, where she led the organization’s national grassroots advocacy program.
Beyond that, Lemmerman has served as an elected city Alderman in Melrose and currently serves as a Field Education Advisor to graduate students in the Masters of Social Work program at Boston University. She earned her Masters in Social Work from Boston College and her Bachelors in Social work from the University of Vermont.
###