Ellen Cartmell

Ellen Cartmell is a native of Maysville, Kentucky and is the executive director of United Way of Mason County. She is also the public health policy advocate for the Buffalo Trace District Health Department. Ellen holds a Bachelor’s in French from Centre College, as well as a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in Community Development and Nonprofit Management. Passionate about international development, humanitarian aid, and health equity, Ellen’s MPA research focused on U.S. refugee resettlement policies and maternal health programs for at-risk women in Bangladesh, India, South Africa, and Appalachia. Prior to joining United Way of Mason County, Ellen was a French interpreter for General Electric (GE), worked in volunteer management at the American Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C., and at the health department of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) at its global secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. Ellen remains a board member and active volunteer for the American Red Cross and was the 2016 recipient of the Clara Barton Award for Meritorious Volunteer Leadership, the highest award the organization bestows on volunteers. Ellen is the founder and chair of the Maysville Young Professionals Network, a member of the City of Maysville Commission on Human Rights and an elder for First Presbyterian Church of Maysville. She is also the youngest member of the Mason County Democratic Executive Committee, the secretary of the Kentucky Young Democrats, the vice president of the Buffalo Trace Young Democrats, and a 2018 graduate of New Leaders Council – Kentucky.