Judi Hilman, Executive Director

Judi is Executive Director and co-founder of the Utah Health Policy Project, a 501-C-3 nonprofit organization dedicated to creating quality, comprehensive, affordable health care coverage for all Utah residents.  Prior to starting the UHPP, Judi served as Health Policy Director and Research Director for Utah Issues, Center for Poverty Research and Action.  In 2008 Judi was selected as 1 of 10 Community Health Leaders by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  This and other awards were given in recognition of her leadership in community organizing.

Judi was born in Los Angeles and raised there and in Israel. She has her MA from Cornell University in History and BA (magna cum laude) from the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied history of medicine and German literature. Before coming to Utah in '99 she oversaw development and strategic communications at a community rehabilitation agency serving people with disabilities in upstate New York. Judi has authored numerous publications, including Utah's Poor: Solutions for Today's Economy (ISBN 0-9770806-0-9), Making Sense of Utah Medicaid, an article for Virtual Mentor, ethics journal of the American Medical Association, and others.  Her work covers a broad range of policy issues impacting the uninsured, low-income medically underserved, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities. Judi is happiest when she is working on solvable problems, and this is why she has dedicated a good portion of her career to comprehensive, ‘post-partisan’ solutions to the health care crisis.  

Lincoln Nehring, Medicaid Policy Director

Lincoln is an attorney and is the public health coverage program guru at the Utah Health Policy Project.  He directs UHPP’s policy, research and advocacy efforts surrounding government run health plans.  Basically, if you want to know how Medicaid, CHIP, or the Utah Premium Partnership work, how these programs can be improved, and what role they should play in health reform, he’s your guy.  Linc was born in Salt Lake City. After leaving to pursue academic, professional and athletic interests in Oregon and Washington, D.C., Linc returned to Utah to help work on finding solutions to the health care crisis.  He earned both a BS and JD from the University of Oregon.  He is an accomplished distance runner, running varsity cross country and track for the Ducks.  Now that he is old and slow, out of the office, you can find Linc exploring Utah via bike, skis, and foot.

Wendy Knowles,
Education & Implementation Coordinator

Wendy recently graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Consumer and Community Studies and Human Development and Family Studies, with a Minor in Political Science. During her studies, Wendy emphasized health policy and nonprofit leadership while completing internships with the UHPP and the IDA (Individual Development Account) program based at AAA Fair Credit. Wendy was raised in Salt Lake City and is the mother of two great children.

Stacey received a BA in Film Studies from the University of Utah.  For the past eight years she has held administrative roles with independent film and television projects, nonprofits and large for-profit companies.  Most recently in San Francisco, Stacey provided executive support and office management at the healthcare advertising agency Anderson DDB.  As Operations Manager with the UHPP, she helps keep the organization running smoothly through budgeting, HR, development, communications, volunteer recruitment and general office management. When not at the office Stacey enjoys skateboarding, traveling, DIY crafting and baking sweet treats.