Executive Director
At his core, Joe believes the desire for good health is the closest thing our society has to a universal goal, making the promise of health equity an incredible call to action for Coloradans as we work to create a state where everyone thrives. For nearly two decades, Joe has been working as a community organizer, policy advocate, and thought leader to push for equitable policy changes that correct the injustices and systemic oppression that are at the root of society’s health and economic inequities. This work has taken him to migrant farmworker camps in rural Colorado and Mexico, coffee farms in Nicaragua, neighborhoods burdened by environmental racism in Seattle, and exploited labor camps in rural Washington State. As Executive Director, his work at Center for Health Progress maximizes his great talents as a relationship-builder, researcher, and communicator, to engage and mobilize Coloradans in the movement to reimagine how Colorado defines health care, and pushing the health care system to take more responsibility in advancing health equity. Joe is currently a national fellow in the Interdisciplinary Research Fellows Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a Livingston Fellow. He has served on several boards and committees for community-based organizations and currently serves on the National Advisory Committee of the Community Solutions to Health Equity initiative. Joe earned bachelor’s degrees in biology and computer science at the University of Denver and holds a master’s in public health from the University of Washington. He has two young children and an urban farm in North Denver, both of which keep him and his wife extra busy. He has been a part of the Center for Health Progress team for over ten years. See what Joe has to say in his blog posts.
Contact Joe Sammen (he/him/his):
- 720.987.9570
- joe.sammen@centerforhealthprogress.org
- @joemsammen