Vice Admiral (Ret.) Raquel “Rocky” Bono joined the Council of Directors as its Chair in 2024. She culminated her military career as the Director of the Defense Health Agency, where she oversaw management of a $50 billion worldwide healthcare enterprise comprised of 50 hospitals, 300 clinics, and care for 9.5 million beneficiaries. Since her military retirement in 2019, she has held numerous leadership and board positions, including Director of the Washington State COVID-19 Health System Response Management effort, Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and current CEO of MedicaliSight. Her clinical career was as a trauma surgeon for the Navy.

Ms. Sid Ashworth recently retired from Northrop Grumman Corporation where she was the Vice President of Government Relations. She brings more than 25 years of experience in legislative and executive branch relations to HJF’s Council of Directors. Additionally, she is a Senior Adviser for the Center for Strategic and International Studies; has been a guest lecturer at Indiana University, The Brookings Institute, Georgetown University; and was a Senior Executive Fellow at Harvard University’s JKF School of Government. Ms. Ashworth is Chair of HJF’s Council of Directors Compensation & Governance Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.

Lieutenant General Ronald R. Blanck, D.O., (U.S. Army, retired) is a partner and Chairman of the Board of Martin, Blanck & Associates, which provides health care consulting for the private sector and the government. He retired as the President of the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth June 30, 2006. As president, Dr. Blanck headed an academic health center that includes the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, and School of Health Professions.

Dr. Blanck began his military career in 1968 as a medical officer and battalion surgeon in Vietnam. He retired 32 years later as the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command. Dr. Blanck is a member of HJF’s Council of Directors Executive Committee and Compensation and Governance Committee.

Debbie James joined HJF’s Council of Directors in 2025. Ms. James is, the CEO of Cranial Technologies, a pioneer in cranial orthotics, has been at its helm since 2018. She has more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience, ranging from private equity-backed organizations to Fortune 500 companies. Ms. James has extensive industry expertise in healthcare with functional experience spanning Finance, Operations, P&L, Strategy, and Sales and Account Management. Additionally, she has been active in grassroots efforts to increase healthcare benefits for our military service members.

Marine Corps General John “Jay” Paxton, Jr., Ret., joined the Council of Directors in 2017. He served as the 33rd Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps before retiring in 2016. As the second-highest ranking officer in the Marine Corps, he played a critical role in ensuring the health and wellbeing of Marines. With deployments to locations worldwide, he emphasized, advocated and recommended priorities for the Marine Corps. He is a member of HJF’s Council of Directors Executive Committee and Audit Committee.

Mr. Weston retired as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of ECS Federal, LLC, which is based in Fairfax, Virginia. ECS is a leading provider of advanced technologies and solutions in the cloud, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and IT modernization areas. Mr. Weston led all accounting and finance initiatives for the company and had a key role in driving the strategic direction of ECS through both organic growth and a focused mergers and acquisitions program. Mr. Weston also oversaw the contracts, procurement and corporate facility functions at ECS.

Prior to his work at ECS, Mr. Weston was Executive Vice President, CFO, Treasurer and Secretary of Acentia, LLC. In addition to his services with HJF, Mr. Weston is a member of the Board of Directors of both NeoSystems, LLC and MAG Aerospace, where he also serves as the chairman of the audit committee. Mr. Weston is Chair of HJF’s Council of Directors Audit Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.

U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker has represented the state of Mississippi in the U.S. Senate since 2007. In addition to the Senate Armed Service Committee, he serves on the Helsinki Commission, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Environment and Public Works Committee, and the Rules and Administration Committee.

From 1995 to 2007, Wicker served in the U.S. House of Representatives. He started his career in public service in the Mississippi Senate representing Lee and Pontotoc counties. Senator Wicker also served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, retiring from the reserve in 2004 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed has represented the state of Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate since 1996. In addition to the Senate Armed Service Committee, he serves on the Appropriations Committee, the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Select Committee on Intelligence.

From 1991 to 1997, Reed served in the U.S. House of Representatives. He started his career in public service as State Senator from 1985 to 1991. Senator Reed graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1971, he received an active-duty commission in the Army. Over the course of his military career, he earned the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Ranger Tab, Senior Parachutist Badge, and Expert Infantry Badge. He later earned a master’s in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1982.

Representative Scott DesJarlais has represented Tennessee's fourth congressional district since 2011. In addition to the House Armed Services Committee, he also serves on the House Agriculture Committee and as Chairman of the House Armed Forces Strategic Forces Subcommittee. He is also a member of the House Freedom Caucus as well as the GOP Doctors Caucus and Border Security Caucus.

Rep. DesJarlais earned degrees in chemistry and psychology from the University of South Dakota and went on to receive his M.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine.

Representative Salud Carbajal has represented California’s 24th congressional district since 2017. In addition to the House Armed Services Committee, he also serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Marine Transportation.

Before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives, he served on the Board of Supervisors for Santa Barbara County from 2004 to 2016. Rep. Carbajal also served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve for eight years. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and Fielding Graduate University, where he earned a master’s in organizational management.

Dr. Jonathan Woodson is President of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Prior to this position, he was a Lars Anderson Professor in Management and Professor of the Practice at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. From 2010-2016, Dr. Woodson was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Before his appointment to the DoD by President Obama in 2010, Dr. Woodson was a professor of Surgery and Associate Dean for Students, Diversity, and Multicultural Affairs at Boston Medical Center.

Dr. Woodson is a graduate of the City College of New York and the New York University School of Medicine. He received his postgraduate medical education at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He also holds a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

Chairman Philip A. Odeen retired in 2002 as Chairman and CEO of TRW Inc., an aerospace, defense and automotive company that merged with defense contractor Northrop Grumman. Previously, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of BDM International Inc., an IT firm acquired by TRW. Before joining BDM, Odeen was Vice Chairman of Management Consulting Services at accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand. He has served on several Department of Defense advisory boards.

Earlier in this career he served in senior positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council. Since retiring, he has served on and chaired a number of public company boards.

The Honorable John H. Dressendorfer retired as Vice President of Government Affairs at L-3 Communications Corp. Previously, he was Vice President of Government Relations for Titan Corp., which L-3 acquired in 2005. Prior to working with Titan Corp., he was Vice President of Government and External Affairs for the American Forest & Paper Association. He was President and Founder of the lobbying firm Dressendorfer Laird. He also served as a Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs under President Reagan and was an Assistant to Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird during the Nixon administration.