NAMI-NYC Director of Policy and Advocacy Kimberly Blair Named to City & State’s Who’s Who in Government Relations List

New York, NY, July 24, 2023–NAMI-NYC’s Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, Kimberly Blair, MPH, has been recognized and named to City & State’s prestigious Who’s Who in Government Relations list. 

“We are thrilled to see Kimberly Blair receive this well-deserved recognition. Her dedication, expertise, and tireless advocacy work have been instrumental in decriminalizing mental illness and increasing access to mental health care for all New Yorkers,” said Matt Kudish, NAMI-NYC CEO. 

As the Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for NAMI-NYC, Kimberly Blair plays a crucial role in recruiting, training, and leading a group of over 200 Ambassadors in grassroots advocacy efforts. Her dedication and leadership have been instrumental in various initiatives, including the decriminalization of mental illness. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring my lived experience to this role and lead major advocacy actions, including advocating against NYC’s involuntary hospitalization directive,” Kimberly Blair shared.  

Through rallies, testimonies, and coalition-building efforts with organizations such as the Treatment Not Jails coalition, Correct Crisis Intervention Today-NYC (CCIT-NYC), and SHOUT-NYC for supportive housing tenants, Kimberly has made a lasting impact on New York’s mental health policy landscape. 

Kimberly has an extensive background in advocacy, having managed grants and implemented advocacy trainings and grassroots campaigns in countries such as Iraq, Colombia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has also been a passionate advocate for reproductive rights, menstrual equity, and black maternal health justice at the federal and state levels. 

With her Master’s in Public Health in Health Policy and Maternal Health from Boston University’s School of Public Health and a Bachelor’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies from Georgetown University, Kimberly brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. 

City & State’s inaugural Who’s Who in Government Relations recognizes accomplished individuals handling government relations at various businesses, trade associations and advocacy organizations as well as notable executives of lobbying firms and standout staffers within city and state government. 

For more information about NAMI-NYC and their advocacy efforts, please visit www.naminyc.org/advocacy.