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Portland, ME, January 23, 2024 – Defend Our Health is proud to announce the hiring of Emily Carey Perez de Alejo as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the nonprofit public health and social justice organization. The organization’s founder and outgoing executive director, Mike Belliveau, will move into a new staff role as Founder and Senior Strategist.

Carey Perez de Alejo comes to Defend as a highly accomplished environmental public health professional with more than 15 years of experience spearheading complex policy, strategy, and process improvement projects in healthcare, academia, non-profit, and governmental settings. 

“Emily Carey Perez de Alejo will bring a wealth of experience and fresh perspective to Defend Our Health, helping to advance our mission with her deep knowledge and passion for equity-focused programs to protect public health and the environment,” said Mark Hyland, chair of the board of directors of Defend Our Health. “With Emily’s hire, we are significantly strengthening our executive leadership and long-term sustainability.” 

Most recently, Emily served as the program director for partnerships and strategic development at the Rutgers Cancer Institute. In that role, she created and led a statewide cancer screening program in New Jersey that served more than 60,000 residents and resulted in significant improvements in morbidity and mortality for disadvantaged communities.

Emily graduated with highest honors from Rutgers University with a B.S. degree in Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior & Political Science, with a minor in Public Health. She’s currently pursuing an M.S. in Business Management and Leadership.

Her first day on the job at Defend Our Health will be February 5, 2024.