Director

Elizabeth is the Senior Director of Health Policy and External Affairs for the Merck Vaccine Division.  She has spent seven of her nine years with Merck in the Office of Health Policy.  During this time, Elizabeth has served as business unit spokesperson to legislators, governors, staff, health departments, coalitions and health care provider associations on vaccine policy-related issues.  She manages a team across the U.S. that develops and implements policy plans in support of state and national immunization goals and the further reduction of vaccine preventable diseases.

Prior to joining Merck in 1998, Elizabeth served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal.  In Nepal, she worked in the planning, implementation and evaluation of Nepal’s nationwide polio eradication initiative.  Elizabeth trained and supported Nepali Female Community Health Volunteers whose primary focus was health education, immunization and promoting preventive health care in their communities.

Elizabeth holds a Master of Public Health degree (International Health and Development; Health Policy and Management) from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Boston College.  During her time in graduate school, Elizabeth also spent time at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention working in Measles Elimination Activity.

Elizabeth has enjoyed a long history with AMIGOS:

• 1991: Volunteer, Paraguay
• 1992: Project Supervisor, Ecuador
• 1993: Project Director, Paraguay
• 1993-1994: AMIGOS Fellow
• 1993-1994: Field Staff Representative to the Board
• 1994: Project Director, Costa Rica

Elizabeth greatly enjoyed reconnecting to AMIGOS during an alumni trip to El Salvador in 2002.

Elizabeth is married to Jay Nyman, a wonderful and supportive husband who also enjoys her love of travel.  When not traveling extensively for work and sometimes pleasure, Elizabeth enjoys gardening, swimming and biking.