The ‘Comings & Goings’ column chronicles important life changes of Blade readers.

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].

Benjamin Jake Lubbehusen

Congratulations to Benjamin Jake Lubbehusen who is the new membership intern at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.

Lubbehusen is a student at the University of Maryland, College Park and is pursuing a double degree in Broadcast Journalism and Government & Politics. He regularly hosts and contributes to an evening news and entertainment show called “Drop the Pop” for WMUC, the university radio station. Lubbehusen is a member of the university’s Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law chapter, various SGA committees and the school’s longest running all-male a capella group, the UMD Generics.

He was born and raised in Howard County, Maryland. He began his college career at Howard Community College where he found his passion for public speaking and communications, through his position as a student ambassador for the college’s Welcome Center.

Upon being notified of the internship Jake said, “It is an honor to intern at an organization that works on behalf of such critical members of the community and I couldn’t be more excited to see where this opportunity with NLGJA takes me.”

Congratulations to Jeremy Leffler, who has a new position as executive director, Policy-Private Markets with Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC). He said, “I will be representing the largest consumer-owned insurance company in the country and fourth largest insurer overall, on private market health plan and pharmacy/prescription drug issues.” The position’s responsibilities are diverse. They include policy research, subject matter expertise, legislative and regulatory analysis as well as internal stakeholder discussion on the development of key enterprise policy positions. Jeremy hopes the development and dissemination of those positions will be central to shaping the federal policy landscape. He will be collaborating with key stakeholders and trade associations.

Prior to joining HCSC, he was director of Public Policy for Sanofi-Aventis and COO and head of government affairs for BayBio. He also worked for Eli Lilly & Company as manager of Federal Public Policy. His association experience includes a stint as assistant director of federal affairs with the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Leffler also served as an ANC commissioner in D.C. from 2012-2014.

Jeremy Leffler

Finally, congratulations to Robert “Bo” Shuff who recently began his new position as executive director of DC Vote. He previously was on staff as director of advocacy.

Shuff is a results-oriented professional with experience in campaign and organization management, public and media affairs, development and fundraising and staff recruitment, training, and development. DC Vote is the leading organization in the District of Columbia fighting for statehood.

Shuff is well known in D.C., having served as campaign manager for Muriel Bowser’s successful mayoral campaign. He has worked for Five Corners Strategies, and was National Field Director, Program Manager for FieldWorks Consulting. Prior to that he served as director of education and public policy for Equality Ohio and had worked as associate field director for the Human Rights Campaign. He attended George Washington University.