Vice President and Executive Director of Heartland Health Outreach, Inc.

Ms. Nelson is responsible for program development, funding support, advocacy on behalf of the populations served by Heartland Health Outreach, and representing Heartland Health Outreach at the local, state, and national level.

Previously, Ms. Nelson was with Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago where she served in a number of administrative roles, including Assistant Vice President, Assistant Vice President for Support Services and Director of Professional Services.

Currently, Ms. Nelson is the Chair of the Board of Managers of the Alliance of Chicago Community Health Services, an integrated service delivery network of community health centers in Chicago. She serves on numerous other local committees and councils that address health issues related to homelessness and poverty. She is a member of the local district health council, and is on the board of the Chicago Continuum of Care, and the board of the national Communities Advocating for Emergency AIDS Relief Foundation. Ms. Nelson also serves as adjunct faculty at Northwestern University, where she teaches health policy.

Ms. Nelson received her masters degree in health services administration from the University of Michigan School of Public Health in 1985, and remained in Ann Arbor for two years as the Fellow in Academic Medical Center Administration at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Her bachelors degree is in Community Health Education from the University of Illinois.