Denise Hyater-Lindenmuth is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of leadership experience at the intersection of public health, social impact, and nonprofit management. She has successfully led organizations through complex transitions using a people-centered, performance-driven approach grounded in the “storming, norming, performing” model. Her career reflects a deep commitment to health equity, with a focus on HIV/AIDS, women’s health, brain injury, and underserved populations.
As Executive Director of the National Women’s Health Network, Denise repositioned a legacy organization to reclaim national relevance in women’s health policy. She modernized board governance, reduced operating costs by 25%, and led the team through operational storming into a high-performance culture of alignment and impact. Her public health advocacy included amplifying reproductive injustices, leading policy development, and expanding coalition engagement across legislative and scientific communities.
Previously, at Brain Injury Services, Denise advanced statewide visibility and operational excellence for brain injury care. She restructured internal operations, digitized service delivery, and enhanced community outreach—achieving a 50% reduction in costs and a 30% increase in client satisfaction. Her leadership elevated case management for both adults and children, while her veteran outreach initiative expanded the organization’s impact across Northern Virginia.
Her public health foundation was built through critical early roles, including her leadership at Whitman-Walker Clinic, where she served as Director of Education during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. There, she led HIV prevention, peer education, and culturally competent outreach in marginalized communities. Denise continued this work nationally at the American Cancer Society, overseeing a $10M portfolio and leading efforts that raised over $52M to combat cancer disparities, with a focus on health access and equity.
In addition to her programmatic expertise, Denise is a recognized leader in health communications and strategic outreach, having held senior roles at Ogilvy, Ketchum, and Children’s National Medical Center. She has led large teams, managed complex budgets, and built partnerships across government, corporate, and community sectors.
Denise holds an MBA, an MA in Community Health Education, and is currently completing her Doctor of Public Health at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is an alum of the Harvard Business School Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program and a graduate of the Interim Executive Academy.
A proven organizational architect, Denise moves teams from turbulence to traction—turning mission into measurable results through inclusive leadership, public health strategy, and a lifelong commitment to equity.
LinkedIn: Denise Hyater Lindenmuth