Heartland Alliance's Policy & Advocacy staff are dedicated to improving the lives of people living in poverty through policy change.

Kim Drew - Policy Associate

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 Kim has worked for Heartland Alliance since 2008. She is the lead coordinator of the From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign: Realizing Human Rights in Illinois.  The Campaign is working to cut extreme poverty in Illinois in half by the year 2015.  Kim's primary focus is on income supports, employment and economic advancement.  Kim has over seven years of community organizing experience.  Prior to joining Heartland Alliance, Kim served as the Associate Director for the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, a grassroots community-based organization serving Chicago’s southwest side.  Kim received her BA in Human Development and Social Relations from Kalamazoo College and her Masters in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.   Contact Kim

Nadeen Israel - Policy Associate

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Nadeen has worked for Heartland Alliance since 2009, and her current focus is health care policy. In this position, Nadeen advocates for a health care system that fosters innovative, cost-effective, and integrated models of coordinated care and addresses the needs of vulnerable populations. Prior to joining the policy and advocacy team at Heartland Alliance, Nadeen worked with the Social IMPACT Research Center where she served as the Research Manager for a short-term, needs assessment study. Nadeen has experience advocating for policy at the state and local level - including domestic violence and state budget and tax policy. Her work is informed by Heartland Alliance’s service-based expertise, with the belief that effective policy change occurs when based on realities at the direct service level. Nadeen holds a Masters in Social Work from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, and a B.S. in Business Administration from the School of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Contact Nadeen

Lucy Mullany - Senior Policy Associate

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Lucy works on asset building policy for Heartland Alliance and serves as the Coordinator of the Illinois Asset Building Group (IABG). In this position, Lucy leads state efforts to advance public policy that builds the stability and strength of Illinois communities through increased asset ownership and asset protection. Prior to joining Heartland Alliance, Lucy worked with the Center for Economic Progress where she served as the Government Relations Manager for the National Community Tax Coalition. Lucy has over 5 years of experience advocating for federal and state policy - including asset building policy, consumer protections against financial products and practices, and progressive tax reforms. Lucy also spent 3 years community organizing with LIFT Communities on Chicago's north side. Her work continues to be grounded in community organizing strategies and the belief that change happens locally. Lucy holds a Masters in Social Science from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola University Chicago.  Contact Lucy

Patty Pensa - Policy Aide

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Patty began her internship at Heartland Alliance in August. She has helped organize this summer's three public hearings of the Illinois Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. She will continue to work on issues related to the Poverty Commission. In addition, she will focus on the minimum wage and domestic work rights. Patty is a former newspaper reporter with nine years of experience writing about government, health care and education. She is completing her Masters in Public Policy and Administration at Northwestern University.  Contact Patty

Samantha Tuttle - Associate Director of Policy & Advocacy

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As a member of the Policy and Advocacy team, Sam helps guide the team’s efforts to identify systemic barriers experienced by vulnerable populations and to advance effective solutions through administrative and legislative change, especially as they relate to economic security, health, and human services. Prior to joining the Heartland Alliance, Sam was an attorney in the housing unit at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law where she advocated on behalf of low-income individuals and families living in or in need of public, subsidized, or affordable housing, as well as families affected by foreclosure.  Between 2009 and 2011, Sam led successful efforts to pass legislation that provides crucial protections for Illinois homeowners and tenants affected by foreclosure.  A graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Sam began her legal career representing low-income families in a wide-variety of legal matters as a staff attorney with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago.  Contact Sam