LINDA E. TARPLIN

Linda E. Tarplin served in senior positions in the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services under two Republican Presidents. Tarplin was Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs to President George H.W. Bush, serving as the White House liaison to the Congress on health care issues. Prior to that, she served under both Presidents Bush and Ronald Reagan in both legislative and policy positions in the Department of Health and Human Services. Tarplin served in the Office of Legislative Affairs as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislation overseeing legislative policies affecting the Department. Before joining the Reagan Administration, Tarplin oversaw health care legislation for former Representative Bill Frenzel, a Republican member of the Ways and Means Committee. In 1993, Tarplin was a founding principal of the OB-C Group (founded as O’Brien & Calio) and has built and managed their health care practice until the formation of the new firm.

RAISSA H. DOWNS

Raissa H. Downs joined the firm from the Republican lobby shop of Barbour, Griffith and Rogers and brings the combination of nearly 10 years of Congressional and Executive branch experience. Downs had served as Subcommittee Staff Director to now-Chairman Mike Enzi of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. She then joined the Administration’s legislative team at the Department of Health and Human Services in 2002 as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislation, finishing her tenure after a promotion to Principal Deputy. While her portfolio captured all of the programs under the HHS jurisdiction, she spent a significant amount of time on implementation of the new Medicare Modernization Program and other major regulatory matters before CMS and FDA.

JENNIFER B. YOUNG

Jennifer B. Young most recently served as the Assistant Secretary for Legislation at the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as Senior Counselor to Secretary Mike Leavitt. She was an integral part of the Administration’s efforts during the development, passage and implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act and oversaw all legislative efforts on behalf of HHS. Prior to joining the Administration, Young was on the staff of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. In addition to her federal experience, Young also headed the health care team at the National Governor’s Association.

ISAAC A. FORDJOUR

Isaac A. Fordjour joined Tarplin, Downs, & Young, LLC in February 2007. He was most recently the Director of Federal and State Legislative Affairs for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). Prior to joining NMDP, Fordjour worked in the office of the Tennessee House Speaker Pro Tempore where he assisted the legislative effort to establish TennCare. Fordjour is also co-founder of Legacy PAC, a bipartisan political action committee focused on supporting emerging political leaders. He serves on advisory committees for numerous organizations including the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the National Conference of Black Mayors, and the Democratic National Committee.