Leadership & Staff

Research!America's dedicated staff are willing to work with you on your efforts to advocate for research to improve health.

Leadership

The Honorable Michael N. Castle, Chair of Research!America’s Board of Directors, is a former two-term Governor, nine-term U.S. Congressman, Lieutenant Governor, Deputy Attorney General and State Senator. He has always held a deep interest in financial services, health care and energy, and throughout his public life he has worked across party lines, building bridges and forming coalitions to find pragmatic, bipartisan solutions to some of the most pressing problems facing the country. During his nine terms as Delaware's sole member in the House of Representatives, he served on the House Financial Services Committee, where he chaired the Subcommittee on Domestic and Monetary Policy.

More about The Honorable Michael N. Castle. (Click on the photo for a hi-res color headshot.)

Mary Woolley is the president and CEO of Research!America. Under her leadership, Research!America's membership has more than quadrupled as it has earned the attention and respect of research, media, and community leaders with its signature public opinion surveys and advocacy resource materials. More about Mary Woolley. (Click on the photo for a hi-res color headshot.)

Leadership team

Mike Coburn

Michael Coburn is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer of The Arc of the United States, President and CEO of the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, and in management and leadership roles with a number of national nonprofit organizations. Mike currently serves on the advisory committee of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, which aims to facilitate the medical community’s awareness-raising efforts of the impact of climate change on health.

Eleanor (Ellie) Dehoney

Ellie has been Vice President of Policy and Advocacy since March of 2011. Prior to joining Research!America, Ellie served as a Legislative Director in the office of Senator Sherrod Brown. Ellie also served as the legislative director for Brown in the House of Representatives, where she maintained lead responsibility for work related to his role as Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee. Before joining Brown’s staff, Ellie served as a Legislative Assistant for former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle.

Jenny Luray

Jenny Luray is Vice President of Strategy and Communications. Jenny served as Chief of Staff to former Senator Barbara Mikulski, Legislative Director to Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Deputy Assistant to the President in the Clinton White House. She directed U.S. policy and government affairs for BD and Abbott as well as led the Susan G. Komen Advocacy Alliance as its president. Jenny sits on the Governing Committee of the FDA-supported NESTcc, and on the Advisory Council of the Brown University School of Public Health.

Donna McKelvey

Donna McKelvey is Vice President of Alliance Development and Membership of Research!America. Previously, she served as the Chief Development Officer for Food Allergy Research and Education, overseeing the revenue and relationship development for major gifts, individual giving, membership, corporate and foundation, and special events on a national level. She has also spent more than 20 years of her career as a leader, both on a local level and the national level, with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, including serving as the Executive Director for the Organization’s National Capital Area Chapter and the Rhode Island Chapter, as well as serving as a National Field Director.