Dr. Cora Neumann
Founder of We Are Montana and Candidate for U.S. Congress from Montana
Dr. Cora Neumann is the founder of We Are Montana and a current candidate for U.S. Congress. Dr. Neumann’s family consists of several generations of Montanans and after growing up in the state, she committed her future to improving access to health care, expanding economic opportunities, and protecting access to public lands there. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, received her Master of Public Health from Columbia University, and earned a PhD from the University of Oxford. Her professional background includes extensive experience in the non-profit and development sectors. Dr. Neumann founded Global First Ladies Alliance, an organization advancing the policy work of first ladies in political parties and also served in the State Department.
Since 2015, Dr. Neumann has focused her efforts on public health and public lands projects in Montana and the Rocky Mountain West. When the pandemic began, Dr. Neumann recognized
that local health leaders needed greater support in Montana. She organized and started the non-profit advocacy project, We Are Montana, in May 2020 that assists these leaders and their efforts to strengthen access to healthcare. We Are Montana fosters collaboration between rural and native health leaders, supports essential local organizations, facilitates distribution of COVID relief funding and supplies, and deepens health networks across the state. Additionally, We Are Montana established a public health leadership pipeline focused on recruiting and developing local talent committed to accessible and affordable health care.
Thinking about the future, Dr. Neumann highlighted the challenges of addressing the mental health crises, particularly among younger populations, stemming from experiences of the past two years. She further emphasized that the long-term structure of We Are Montana is meant to last beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Neumann continues to serve Montanans and advocate for improved health outcomes.
Learn more about Dr. Cora Neumann’s work:
- We Are Montana
- Cora Neumann for Montana
- Global First Ladies Alliance
- The University of Oxford Doctoral Thesis: Examining the role of traditional health networks in the Karen self determination movement along the Thai-Burma border
- Bozeman Daily Chronicle: New nonprofit aimed at tackling COVID-19 in Native, rural communities
- LinkedIn: Cora Neumann, PhD