James G. Hodge, Jr., JD, LLM
Serves as the Peter Kiewit Foundation Professor of Law and Director of the nationally-ranked Center for Public Health Law and Policy at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University. Through scholarship, teaching, and projects, Professor Hodge delves into multiple areas of health law, public health law, global health law, ethics, and human rights. Since September 2010, he also serves as Director, Western Region Office, Network for Public Health Law (funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). To date The Western Region Office has assisted public health lawyers, officials, practitioners, students, and others across 11 states and nationally on over 4,750 claims.
Benjamin Feist, JD
Currently serves as Interim Executive Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota (ACLU-MN). He is also the organization’s Chief Programs Officer, directing and managing the overall strategy for the ACLU-MN’s legal, legislative, and community outreach programs. He previously served as the ACLU-MN’s Legislative Director. Prior to joining the ACLU, Mr. Feist practiced law in both the public and private sectors, focusing on the areas of complex litigation, consumer protection, government investigations, and immigration law. He received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law.
Zeke J. McKinney, MD, MHI, MPH, FACOEM (he/him)
He grew up in North Minneapolis and completed all of his medical training here in the Twin Cities. He practices clinical occupational and environmental medicine in the Twin Cities, and he is one of few clinicians in Minnesota who evaluates work and community-related environmental toxicologic exposures. He is also the Program Director in the OEM residency program where he trained, an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and a clinical investigator for the HealthPartners Institute. Most notably, he is a co-investigator for the Oxford University/Astra-Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine trial for which the HealthPartners Institute is a site. Following his work on this trial, he has engaged in addressing COVID-19 misinformation and vaccine hesitancy in communities of color, including helping to initiate a longitudinal vaccine clinic as part of the Shots at the Shop national initiative to support engagement within local barbershops, impairment/disability and increasing the health literacy of patients and communities.