We are always looking for enthusiastic new volunteers to join the Advocacy Day Volunteer Committee!
The Advocacy Day Committee is comprised of a group of exceptional and dedicated volunteers. The goal of the Committee is to advance RESOLVE’s Federal Advocacy Day, an annual event focused on patient advocacy for access to care for all people challenged in their family building. It is the Committee’s mission to ensure the success of Advocacy Day; virtually and in-person, for the patient community and, in partnership with RESOLVE staff, is responsible for everything, from pre-event preparations to post-event planning. Committee Volunteers work on a variety of different initiatives and projects including but not limited to event marketing, communications, recruitment, State Captain program, patient outreach and engagement, and more!
Volunteers consist of a broad network of individuals including those on their family building journey, those who are resolved, family members, family building and healthcare professionals, and advocates. Click on the tabs below to learn about the Committee and ways to get involved.
Meet the 2023 Co-Chairs
Ryan Ferrante
Ryan Ferrante has been active with RESOLVE Advocacy Day since 2019, previously serving as the Subcommittee Lead for the State Captain Program, helping to recruit, train, and support the largest cohort of State Captains in RESOLVE history. In 2023, it will be Ryan’s fifth time participating in Advocacy Day.
Ryan is a Reproductive Law attorney with a unique perspective on the intersection of infertility, gestational surrogacy, and the law. His practice is focused on the representation of intended parents, gestational surrogates, and donors in all collaborative reproduction matters. Twice an intended father himself in a gestational surrogacy arrangement, Ryan has an intimate awareness of the challenges each of his clients faces when trying to have a family. His own family’s infertility experience led him to RESOLVE for support, which he found in the collective voices of volunteer advocates from all walks of life and every corner of the country, asking for help in the form of real change.
Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Ryan is a proud graduate of Ohio University and earned his J.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. He is a professional member of RESOLVE, the American Bar Association, and the Chicago Bar Association. Ryan resides in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, with his wife Lyndsie, son Eddie, and daughter Josie.
Lisa Rosenthal
Lisa Rosenthal has been active with RESOLVE Advocacy Day since 2016, previously serving as the Subcommittee Lead for the Underrepresented States Taskforce and helping to recruit advocates from all 50 states to attend Advocacy Day for the first time in RESOLVE history. In 2023, it will be Lisa’s eighth time participating in Advocacy Day.
Lisa has over thirty years of experience in the fertility field. After her six-and-a-half-year infertility journey, she wanted to give back to the community and help improve the accessibility of affordable, comprehensive services. Determined to help others undergoing fertility treatment, Lisa started her patient advocacy journey with RESOLVE and continues to work for various patient advocacy groups. Professionally, Lisa has been with Illume Fertility for fifteen years, where she serves as a Patient Advocate and Senior Content Strategist. Ms. Rosenthal serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors at Resolve New England and is a member of the Affordable Families Coalition and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
Lisa is also the teacher and founder of Fertile Yoga, a research-based program designed to support all people on their quest for their families through gentle movement and meditation. Lisa has had research accepted by ASRM three times, twice as the principal investigator, including in 2021-research on how successfully patients’ needs were met and feelings were taken into account during COVID-19. Lisa has authored over 1,400 blogs on the topic of reproductive health.
Lisa resides in Connecticut with her husband and two combative kitties.
Structure of Volunteer Committee
The Volunteer Committee has two Chairs who provide leadership, delegation, and coordination efforts for the full Committee. Co-Chairs also assist as the official liaisons between the Committee, RESOLVE and ASRM staff members.
The Committee is divided up into specialized sub-committees for marketing, recruitment, State Captain Program management, letter campaign management and more! Sub-committees and the size of the Committee may change from year to year based on the needs and tasks for Advocacy Day.
We are always looking for enthusiastic new volunteers to join the Committee! Each year in the Fall, we host a Volunteer Committee Informational Webinar where RESOLVE, ASRM, and Committee Co-Chairs provide information on opportunities available for individuals, time expectations for roles, and additional details. After the webinar, you will be invited to complete a volunteer application, which will be reviewed by Co-Chairs and staff.
Applications for 2023 Volunteer Committee and Mentor Programs is open
Note: You can apply to be a Volunteer Committee Member or Mentor and a State Captain.
Volunteer Committee Member Application – Open to any volunteer who would like to help with 2023 Advocacy Day event tasks that can include recruitment, outreach, State Captain program support, letter campaign, attendee engagement and more. No prior advocacy or committee experience needed.
Mentor Application – Mentors are experienced volunteers who have previously served on the committee and are available to provide support and guidance to a new Committee member that they will be paired with.
State Captain Application – Experienced advocates who have previously attended either a RESOLVE/ASRM Federal or State Advocacy Day. State Captains help to organize, support, and train their state delegation for their meetings with their Members of Congress. Application is rolling. Will close when spots are filled. Apply early to secure your spot!
If you have additional questions and would like to express your interest in volunteer opportunities, please email info@resolve.org.
