Office of Policy, Performance, and Evaluation (OPPE)

Laurie Ishak, JD, MA is the Acting Director for the Office of Policy, Performance, and Evaluation (OPPE).  Laurie previously served as the Deputy Director, Office of the Associate Director for Policy and Strategy from October 2019 to December 2022.

Prior to her time in OADPS, Laurie served as Deputy Director for the World Trade Center Health Program within NIOSH, a national monitoring and treatment program for 9/11 responders and survivors. In this role, she led a Division of over 80 employees, oversaw an annual budget of $500 million, and was responsible for a broad variety of administrative and operational components of the program, including policy development and implementation, contract management, medical coverage and claims, pharmacy benefits, member services, regulatory compliance, communication and training, technical solutions, and quality assurance. She served as a liaison to numerous external stakeholders, including the 9/11 responder and survivor steering committees.

Before her role as Deputy Director for the World Trade Center Health Program, Laurie held a number of different leadership positions at NIOSH. She was the lead for member services and communication development within the World Trade Center Health Program, helping set policy for program enrollment, denials, and appeals. She was the team lead for the Information Resources and Dissemination Branch, and a communication specialist within the Division of Compensation Analysis and Support. Laurie also served as a White house intern in the Vice President’s communication office, as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Department of Justice and as a law clerk for the Issacs-Ramsey Law Firm while in law school.  Laurie received her BS (International Relations) from Middle Tennessee State University, her MA (Communication) from Wichita State University Elliott School of Communication, and her JD from the University of Tennessee College of Law.