Tonya Vidal Kinlow, M.P.A., is Vice President of Community Engagement, Advocacy & Government Affairs at Children’s National Hospital. She leads local and national advocacy and education efforts under the umbrella of the Child Health Advocacy Institute. In this role, Ms. Kinlow leads the hospital’s mission to advance policy and systems changes to achieve health equity for all children. She also works with federal and local government stakeholders to ensure that the needs of children are kept in the forefront of the development of policies and regulations.

Prior to joining Children’s National in 2014, Ms. Kinlow was the vice president of Government Affairs for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in the National Capital Area. Her career has been focused on leading and managing government relations for associations and health care payers including the District of Columbia Hospital Association, the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., and the National Medical Association.

As a prominent community leader, Ms. Kinlow has held elected and volunteer leadership positions with Washington, D.C., metropolitan area community organizations. Her advocacy on behalf of children extends beyond her work inhealth care. Ms. Kinlow is a former member of the D.C. Board of Education and was the first ombudsman for D.C. Public Schools. In both roles, she fought to makesure all District children had access to quality, free public education. Currently, she is the 1st Vice Chair of the DC Chamber of Commerce, Chair of Strategic Partnership for if, a Foundation for Radical Possibilities and co-chair of the Federal CityAlumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Educational Development Committee. She has served on the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum and the Greater Washington Urban League boards.

Ms. Kinlow received her master’s degree in public administration from American University and her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Loyola University of New Orleans, LA.