Marie Waldron

Maria Waldron is a highly accomplished and equity-minded principal-level leader with over 25 years of experience in California state government, public administration, and strategic communications. Proven Subject Matter Expert in state and federal legislative and regulatory processes, particularly impacting healthcare access, Medicaid, and related behavioral health, SUD treatment and criminal justice reform.

As a California State Assemblywoman, Marie served as Vice Chair of the Assembly’s Health Committee, where she advocated for patient access to treatment, and as Vice Chair of the Select Committee on Infectious Disease in High‑Risk Communities. She served on the Mental Health Caucus, the Mental Health Systems Prevention Support Team for the North Inland Community Prevention Program, and the Select Committee on Health Care Delivery and Universal Coverage, and previously served on the San Diego County Opioid Task Force. She authored the H.O.P.E. Act (AB 182, Heroin & Opioid Public Education Program) in 2017–18 and wrote the legislation updating CMS protocol to allow those incarcerated to be covered by state Medicaid prior to release. She has been recognized as Behavioral Health Chapmpion by both the Behavioral Health Action Network and the Steinberg Institute.