KATIE VAN DEYNZE (She/Her) who joined Health Access in March 2022 as Policy and Legislative Advocate.
Growing up in Davis, California as the daughter of Canadian immigrants, Katie attributes her passion for healthcare reform to early conversations with family around the kitchen table contrasting the inaccessible and expensive American healthcare system to her family’s experience in Canada.
Katie began her advocacy career interning at Fearless Advocacy, Inc. where she provided support to the firm’s nonprofit clients. In 2017, she joined former Assemblymember Kansen Chu’s office as a Legislative Aide and was promoted to Legislative Director in 2019. Throughout her tenure in the Legislature, Katie’s passion for improving access to behavioral healthcare was widely felt by the Capitol community and she was recognized by the Assembly Education Committee with a certificate for her work to improve access to school-based mental health services in K-12 schools. Prior to joining Health Access, Katie was Legislative Director for Assemblymember Marc Levine where she managed his legislative package and staffed issues including privacy and consumer protection, natural resources, housing and health policy.
Katie received her B.A. in Social Sciences, with honors in Political Science and a minor in Economics from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. When she is not advocating for equitable health policies, Katie enjoys watching movies, hiking, running, and spending time with family and friends.
