Ep. 51: Elliot Regenstein is a Chicago-based partner at Foresight Law + Policy. Elliot has extensive experience in state-level policy and advocacy, with a particular focus on early learning; he has also consulted with more than two dozen states on a wide range of education policy topics. Much of his work focuses on how decision-making occurs in state education and early education systems: who is responsible for which decisions, what information they have to support those decisions, and what incentives are acting on key stakeholders. He is a frequent author and speaker on topics including accountability, governance, state data systems, and the connections between early learning and K-12.

In 2022 Rowman & Littlefield published Elliot’s first book, Education Restated: Getting Policy Right on Accountability, Teacher Pay, and School Choice. In 2026 Harvard Education Press published Elliot’s second book, Readiness: Preparing State Early Childhood Systems for a Brighter Future.

Elliot was one of the chief architects of Illinois' 2006 Preschool for All program, and co-chaired the Illinois Early Learning Council from 2004 until April 2009. He served as chair of the Illinois Early Learning Council’s Data, Research, and Evaluation Sub-Committee from 2009 to 2022, and from 2015 to 2021 he served as Chair of the Illinois Longitudinal Data System Governing Board. In 2017 he chaired an Illinois State Board of Education workgroup that developed a recommendation for a P-2 indicator to be included in the state’s education accountability plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act. In 2019 he was appointed by Governor Pritzker to Illinois’ Early Childhood Funding Commission, on which he chaired the Funding Mechanics working group.

Listen now, and learn how Elliott is an innovative leader in early childhood policy and advocacy.

For more about the Health Fund: https://healthfund.org/

Ep. 50: Robert became the chief executive officer of Community Care Network of Kansas in June 2025. Throughout his career, he has focused on advancing local solutions, building strong partnerships, and championing advocacy efforts at the state, community, and local levels.

In his role at CCNK, Robert works to support the needs of clinics serving communities across Kansas, helping ensure access to quality health care for all Kansans. His leadership is guided by a commitment to creating healthy communities where individuals can live, learn, work and play while achieving their highest possible level of health.

Listen now, and learn how Robert is an innovative leader in Kansas.

For more about the Health Fund, visit https://healthfund.org/

Ep. 49: Sherman Smith is the editor in chief of Kansas Reflector, which he founded in 2020. A three-time Kansas Press Association journalist of the year, he writes about things powerful people don't want others to know.

Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

Listen now, and learn how Sherman is an innovative leader in Kansas.

For more about the Health Fund, visit: https://healthfund.org/