West Virginians For Affordable Health Care Welcomes New Executive Director

(CHARLESTON, WV) – West Virginians for Affordable Health Care (WVAHC) is pleased to announce Ellen Allen as its new executive director, effective August 15, 2023. Allen brings over 35 years management and leadership experience to WVAHC.  

“I am honored to be working alongside experts in the field of healthcare to advance public policy that gives West Virginians a voice in healthcare choices,” said Allen. “I look forward to continuing in the tradition of West Virginians for Affordable Healthcare to promote public policy that makes for better informed and healthier families.”

Allen most recently served as Executive Director for Mountain State Spotlight, a nonprofit newsroom. She provided executive leadership at Covenant House, a Charleston based non-profit, for over 10 years.

Allen’s tenure at Covenant House included advancing housing rights and opportunities that prevented homelessness, improved food security, and improved access to high quality and affordable health care for persons experiencing homelessness, low wage workers, and people living with HIV/AIDS.

“We are very excited to have Ellen at the helm of our organization,” said WVAHC Board President, Sharon Carte. “Our local community is already familiar with Ellen’s leadership as former director of Covenant House in Charleston, where she had to meet many healthcare challenges for the people served there.” 

Under Ellen’s tenure, Covenant House received the 2017 Non-Profit Award of Excellence.

West Virginians for Affordable Health Care brings a consumer voice to public policy so that every West Virginian has quality, affordable health care and the opportunity to lead an informed, healthy and productive life. It achieves its mission by working with partners to identify and advocate for positive public policy change, developing and coordinating innovative public education programs, protecting and preserving programs that serve its mission, and assisting individual consumers in navigating the healthcare system. 

“We are confident Allen’s experience and dynamic leadership will build an even stronger organization to continue promoting sound health policy and improving quality, affordable health care for our citizens,” said Carte. “We look forward to what this future phase of our work will look like.”

Allen, a lifelong West Virginian, is a graduate of Concord University and holds an MBA from Averett University. She has a 29-year daughter, Sarah, and is married to Sue Julian.