Kathy Sessions, Coordinator

Kathy Sessions is HEFN’s Coordinator and has served in that role since its inception in 1999.  Sessions is a Trustee and the Secretary of the Barbara Smith Fund.  From 2002–2004 Sessions also coordinated the Climate & Energy Funders Group, another CGBD-sponsored funder group.  She has worked on a variety of issues (including environmental health, sustainable development, climate and energy, civil society, and poverty) for a range of philanthropic, nongovernmental, and multilateral organizations.  She holds an M.P.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton (1990), and an A.B., magna cum laude, in Social Studies from Harvard (1983).

Karla Fortunato, Deputy Coordinator
Karla Fortunato joined HEFN’s staff as Deputy Coordinator in September 2004.  Fortunato previously served as Associate Director of Policy at Health Care For All, a statewide health advocacy organization in Massachusetts.  She also provided strategic guidance in the planning and establishment of the Public Policy Institute, an organization committed to building the infrastructure and skills set of social justice organizations.  She holds a B.A. magna cum laude, from Randolph-Macon Woman's College, and is currently completing a Master of Business Administration at the George Washington University.

When she's not thinking about health and the environment or attending classes, Karla enjoys yoga, reading, and spending time with the loves of her life: her husband Logan, her cats Clark and Fuzzy, and her mastiff pup Chewbacca.

Ramtin Arablouei, Program Assistant

Ramtin Arablouei joined the HEFN staff in December of 2007 as a Program Assistant. Previously, Ramtin served as Executive Assistant at the Children’s Law Center (Washington D.C.) and Coordinator of the St. Mary’s Votes project in Southern Maryland. He holds a B.A. in History & Psychology, Cum Laude, from St. Mary’s College of Maryland (2005).

In his free time Ramtin loves to write, play basketball, work as a sound engineer, and play drums/percussion in his band Drop Electric.

Cindy Chang, Summer Intern

 Cindy Chang joined HEFN in the June 2008 as a summer intern.  After graduating from Tufts University with degrees in Environmental Studies and Sociology, she worked at the Union of Concerned Scientists. She is a co-founder and Board member of Conscious Consuming, a Boston-based non-profit that seeks to increase awareness of the impact of buying decisions on our health, happiness, and environment. She also administers the Tufts Social Justice Fund, providing small grants to student campus activism, social justice projects, and community organizing. Cindy is currently a graduate student at the Yale School of Management and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

Cindy enjoys visiting farmer’s markets, participating in social movements, and lavishing way too much attention on her two cats.

Meghan Beach, Summer Intern

Meghan Beach joined the HEFN staff in June of 2008 as a summer intern.  Previously, Meghan served as an Executive Board Member for the University Students Acting Against Cancer, an intern for the D.C. Environmental Network at Friends of the Earth and a outreach and advocacy volunteer at the HIV/AIDS Resource Center in Michigan.  She just graduated from the University of Michigan with high honors and a bachelors degree in Sociology and Health. 

When she is not applying to jobs in the health and environmental field, Meghan enjoys outdoor adventure sports such as hiking, camping, rock climbing, skydiving, white water rafting, kayaking and snowboarding. In addition, she likes to cook, go to concerts and explore museums.