Tonya Vidal Kinlow
Vice President of Community Engagement, Advocacy & Government Affairs
Child Health Advocacy Institute
Tonya Vidal Kinlow, is Vice President of Community Engagement, Advocacy & Government Affairs. She leads Children's local and national advocacy and education efforts under the umbrella of the Child Health Advocacy Institute. She also works with federal and local government stakeholders to ensure that the needs of children are kept in the forefront of the development of policies and regulations.
Prior to joining Children’s National, Ms. Kinlow was the Vice President of Government Affairs for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in the National Capital Area. She has spent 25 years leading and managing government relations for associations and healthcare payers including the District of Columbia Hospital Association, the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., and the National Medical Association.
As a prominent community leader, Ms. Kinlow has held a number of elected and volunteer leadership positions with Washington, DC, metropolitan area community organizations. Her advocacy on behalf of children extends beyond her work in health care. Ms. Kinlow is a former member of the DC Board of Education and was the first Ombudsman for DC Public Schools. In both roles, she fought to make sure all District children had access to quality, free public education. She currently holds board membership roles with the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, Greater Washington Urban League, and Providence Health Foundation.
Ms. Kinlow received her Master’s in Public Administration from American University and her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Loyola University of New Orleans, La.