Keynote Speaker for Training Day

Dr. Serena Lowe

Dr. Lowe has spent the past twenty years focused on furthering public policies that promote the socioeconomic empowerment of low-income working families, individuals with disabilities, seniors, children, immigrants, refugees, and other at-risk populations. In 2009, Dr. Lowe launched AnereS Strategies LLC, a dynamic government relations consulting enterprise that worked with private industry, community based organizations, national nonprofit entities, and state/federal government agencies on various initiatives aimed at improving the socioeconomic advancement of individuals with multiple barriers to the economic mainstream. This critical work included developing innovative public policy strategies and sophisticated systems-change initiatives focused on improving the quality and outcomes of publicly-financed long-term supports and services for at-risk populations. During this time, Dr. Lowe also served as the first Executive Director of the Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination (CPSD), a coalition of national disability organizations and state associations committed to developing innovative policy strategies for reforming America’s long-term care system for youth and adults with disabilities so as to promote inclusive education, competitive integrated employment, independent living, and full participation in all aspects of typical community life. From 2012-2019, Dr. Lowe has served as a Senior Policy Adviser for both the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), and more recently at the Administration for Community Living within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. While serving at both agencies, Dr. Lowe was responsible for leading a number of cross-agency systems-change initiatives focused on improving the quality of life outcomes for individuals with disabilities, the aging, low-income working families, immigrant populations, and other at-risk populations. Dr. Lowe has recently relaunched AnereS Strategies LLC (in January 2020) upon her transition from public service in the federal government. Additionally, Dr. Lowe took an interim role as Executive Director of TASH, an international disability rights organization focused on inclusive and equitable communities for all people. In less than 90 days, Dr. Lowe was able to help the organization solidify new leadership and secure a new five-year federal contract averaging $350,000 annually in additional funding for the organization’s core programs. Earlier in her career, Dr. Lowe served in a variety of leadership roles in the field of federal government relations, working for a Fortune 100 global biopharmaceutical company, a top 20 national lobbying firm, and two former Members of Congress (focusing on budgetary and policy priorities related to health care reform, entitlement restructuring, rural community revitalization and economic development). Dr. Lowe has also lived for short periods of time in three countries outside of the United States and has held policy positions working for leaders within the British House of Commons and the Israeli Ministry of Health. Dr. Lowe received the Winston Churchill Scholarship to attend Westminster College in 1993, and completed a B.A. in International & Public Affairs in 1997. During this time, Dr. Lowe was also the 1995-96 recipient of the Cranshaw Scholarship, which she used to study at an academic program in England jointly led by Cambridge University and the London School of Economics. Dr. Lowe was later awarded the prestigious Harry Truman National Scholarship in Public Service, which she used to complete a joint-graduate degree (M.P.H. in International Health Policy and M.A. in International Development Policy) from George Washington University. Dr. Lowe also holds a PhD in Public Administration from American University, and teaches part-time on the faculty of Rutgers University’s School of Public Affairs and Administration. She has held several volunteer leadership positions for the American Red Cross and has served on the governing boards and in a variety of advisory roles for several local and national non-profit organizations.

ClIck Here for Agenda and Registration