Heather R. Lawson, JD '01
Heather R. Lawson, Esq. is a Civil Rights Analyst at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR). As a Civil Rights Analyst, Ms. Lawson serves as a subject matter expert in statutory and regulatory provisions prohibiting health care discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. In 2015, she accepted an invitation to join The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of Marketplace Eligibility Appeals to serve as a federal hearing official. In this role she presided over Affordable Care Act appeals hearings and, through the application of appropriate laws, rules and regulations, rendered fair and impartial decisions on Federally-Facilitated Marketplace eligibility determinations.
Most recently, Ms. Lawson was awarded the HHS Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service in recognition of an exemplary team effort to promulgate the first major new civil rights regulation of the 21st century to advance non-discriminatory health care and reduce health disparities under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
She is the Chairwoman for the Ebony Horsewomen, Incorporated (EHI), a non-profit youth development organization in Hartford, CT, whose mission is to encourage and empower inner-city and at-risk youth toward successful lives through horsemanship training and agricultural programming. Ms. Lawson is also the founder of Petal Share, a charitable organization that has shared over 45,000 recycled flowers which have been previously enjoyed at special events, such as weddings, banquets, and foreign embassy events. Petal Share helps individuals – and their caretakers – in nursing homes, hospitals, mental health facilities and shelters serving battered women, homeless youth, and homeless veterans.
Of her service, Ms. Lawson said, "I'm hard wired for service. It's literally just the way I'm built. I was raised to understand the importance of service to others and the great responsibility that lies with each of us to use our talents, gifts, and resources to improve our local communities and our world. GW Law and The GW Milken Institute School of Public Health nurtured my drive for servant-leadership through a supportive and uniquely experienced network of faculty, students, administrators, and career counselors. Thanks to my world-class education in both programs, there was always room for my values to thrive alongside my ambitions. I never had to choose between doing good and doing well."
Ms. Lawson graduated from GW Law, where she served as president of the Black Law Students Association. She holds a master's in public health from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Hirsh Health Law and Policy Program, where she studied Health Policy and Child and Maternal Health.