Chair of the Council of Directors

The Honorable Gail R. Wilensky, Ph.D.

Dr. Wilensky is an economist and senior fellow at Project Hope with more than 30 years of experience in health sciences. She directed the Medicare and Medicaid programs and served in the White House as a senior advisor on health and welfare issues to President GHW Bush. Wilensky was on the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). She also co-chaired the Department of Defense Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care.

Wilensky received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Ph.D. in economics at the University of Michigan and has received several honorary degrees. She is a member of HJF’s Council of Directors Executive Committee and Audit Committee.

Sid Ashworth, MBA

Ms. Sid Ashworth recently retired from Northrop Grumman Corporation where she was the Vice President of Government Relations. She brings more than 25 years of experience in legislative and executive branch relations to HJF’s Council of Directors. Additionally, she is a Senior Adviser for the Center for Strategic and International Studies; has been a guest lecturer at Indiana University, The Brookings Institute, Georgetown University; and was a Senior Executive Fellow at Harvard University’s JKF School of Government. Ms. Ashworth is Chair of HJF’s Council of Directors Compensation & Governance Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.

Ronald Blanck, D.O., LTG, USA (Ret.)

Lieutenant General Ronald R. Blanck, D.O., (U.S. Army, retired) is a partner and Chairman of the Board of Martin, Blanck & Associates, which provides health care consulting for the private sector and the government. He retired as the President of the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth June 30, 2006. As president, Dr. Blanck headed an academic health center that includes the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, and School of Health Professions.

Dr. Blanck began his military career in 1968 as a medical officer and battalion surgeon in Vietnam. He retired 32 years later as the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command. Dr. Blanck is a member of HJF’s Council of Directors Executive Committee and Compensation and Governance Committee.

Elder Granger, M.D., MG, USA (Ret.)

Dr. Granger is a retired Major General in the United States Army and a board-certified physician. He is currently the President and CEO of THE 5Ps, LLC, a healthcare, education, and leadership consulting organization. Previously, Granger served as the Deputy Director and Program Executive Officer of the TRICARE Management Activity. He was the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) on DoD health plan policy. Granger has received numerous awards, decorations, and honors, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters. Dr. Granger is a member of HJF’s Council of Directors Executive Committee, Audit Committee and Compensation & Governance Committee.

John (“Jay”) Paxton, Jr., Gen., USMC (Ret.)

Marine Corps General John (“Jay”) Paxton, Jr., Ret., joined the Council of Directors in 2017. He served as the 33rd Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps before retiring in 2016. As the second-highest ranking officer in the Marine Corps, he played a critical role in ensuring the health and wellbeing of Marines. With deployments to locations worldwide, he emphasized, advocated and recommended priorities for the Marine Corps. He is a member of HJF’s Council of Directors Executive Committee and Audit Committee.

Thomas W. Weston, Jr., CPA

Mr. Weston retired as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of ECS Federal, LLC, which is based in Fairfax, Virginia. ECS is a leading provider of advanced technologies and solutions in the cloud, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and IT modernization areas. Mr. Weston led all accounting and finance initiatives for the company and had a key role in driving the strategic direction of ECS through both organic growth and a focused mergers and acquisitions program. Mr. Weston also oversaw the contracts, procurement and corporate facility functions at ECS.

Prior to his work at ECS, Mr. Weston was Executive Vice President, CFO, Treasurer and Secretary of Acentia, LLC. In addition to his services with HJF, Mr. Weston is a member of the Board of Directors of both NeoSystems, LLC and MAG Aerospace, where he also serves as the chairman of the audit committee. Mr. Weston is Chair of HJF’s Council of Directors Audit Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.

Ex-Officio Director

U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-California)

Representative Salud Carbajal, a Democrat who serves California’s 24th congressional district, is a member of the House Committee on Armed Services.

He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and Fielding Graduate University, where he earned a master’s in organizational management. Rep. Carbajal also served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve for eight years.

Before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016, he served on the Board of Supervisors for Santa Barbara County.

Ex-Officio Director

U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais, M.D. (R-Tennessee) 

Representative Scott DesJarlais is currently serving his fourth term in Congress representing Tennessee's fourth congressional district. He serves on several committees in the House, including Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, Agriculture, Subcommittee on Readiness, and Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces.

He is also a member of the House Freedom Caucus as well as the GOP Doctors Caucus.

Rep. DesJarlais earned degrees in chemistry and psychology from the University of South Dakota and went on to receive his M.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine.

Ex-Officio Director

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island)

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) is the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. After graduating from the United States Military Academy in 1971, he received an active-duty commission in the Army.

Over the course of his military career, he earned the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Ranger Tab, Senior Parachutist Badge, and Expert Infantry Badge. He later earned a master’s in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1982.

He served three terms in the Rhode Island State Senate and three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sen. Reed was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996.

Ex-Officio Director

U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker (R-Mississippi)

U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker has represented the state of Mississippi in the U.S. Senate since 2007. Wicker is the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee for the 118th Congress. His other committee assignments include the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Environment and Public Works Committee; and Rules and Administration Committee. From 1995 to 2007, Wicker served in the U.S. House of Representatives. He started his career in public service in the Mississippi Senate representing Lee and Pontotoc counties.

Senator Wicker also served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, retiring from the reserve in 2004 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Wicker and his wife, Gayle, live in Tupelo and have three children and eight grandchildren.

Ex-Officio Director

The Honorable Jonathan Woodson, M.D., MG, USAR (Ret.)

Dr. Jonathan Woodson is President of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Prior to this position, he was a Lars Anderson Professor in Management and Professor of the Practice at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. From 2010-2016, Dr. Woodson was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Before his appointment to the DoD by President Obama in 2010, Dr. Woodson was a professor of Surgery and Associate Dean for Students, Diversity, and Multicultural Affairs at Boston Medical Center.

Dr. Woodson is a graduate of the City College of New York and the New York University School of Medicine. He received his postgraduate medical education at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He also holds a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

Chairman Emeritus 

Philip A. Odeen

Chairman Philip A. Odeen retired in 2002 as Chairman and CEO of TRW Inc., an aerospace, defense and automotive company that merged with defense contractor Northrop Grumman. Previously, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of BDM International Inc., an IT firm acquired by TRW. Before joining BDM, Odeen was Vice Chairman of Management Consulting Services at accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand. He has served on several Department of Defense advisory boards.

Earlier in this career he served in senior positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council. Since retiring, he has served on and chaired a number of public company boards.

Director Emeritus

The Honorable Beverly Byron

The Honorable Beverly Byron served seven successive terms in Congress as a Democratic representative from Maryland.

She was the first woman to head a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, chairing the Military Personnel and Compensation Subcommittee, where she oversaw more than 40 percent of the Department of Defense’s budget. She also chaired the House Special Panel on Arms Control and Disarmament. She was named to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission in 1993.

Director Emeritus

The Honorable John H. Dressendorfer

The Honorable John H. Dressendorfer retired as Vice President of Government Affairs at L-3 Communications Corp. Previously, he was Vice President of Government Relations for Titan Corp., which L-3 acquired in 2005. Prior to working with Titan Corp., he was Vice President of Government and External Affairs for the American Forest & Paper Association. He was President and Founder of the lobbying firm Dressendorfer Laird. He also served as a Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs under President Reagan and was an Assistant to Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird during the Nixon administration.