The American Academy of Pediatrics, an organization of 62,000 pediatricians, has hired Ami Gadhia as an assistant director in its department of federal affairs, where she will work on a variety of child health issues.

Fast facts about Gadhia:

• She was previously a senior policy counsel for Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, where she focused on auto, food and product safety issues.
• Part of Gadhia’s role at Consumers Union was to testify before congressional committees, such as the House Energy and Commerce Committee on policy issues within her purview.
• Some of the issues that Gadhia will focus on at AAP include preventing child abuse and neglect, improving the foster care and adoption system, and addressing toxic stress.
• Gadhia is gearing up for the reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, which she hopes Congress will take up next year.
• She started work at AAP in early July.

Gadhia says her work at Consumers Union prepared her well for work on a broad portfolio of issues at APP: “[I’m] used to juggling different agencies, different committees and jurisdictions.”

A profile of Gadhia appeared in the Sept. 29, 2014 issue of CQ Weekly.