Joseph LaMountain is President of SparkLight Comunications which develops and implements advocacy, media relations, communication and marketing campaigns for a range of clients. Since launching the firm in 2006, LaMountain has worked with most of the nation’s leading patient advocacy organizations to generate public support for their respective causes. Prior to founding SparkLight, LaMountain served as Vice President of the Vision Council of America. At VCA he created the “Check Yearly” awareness campaign that delivered more than 200 million messages to consumers. He also generated approximately $25 million in earned media coverage, secured 190 congressional cosponsors of vision care legislation, and helped enact ten state laws to improve vision care.

LaMountain also served as National Director of Advocacy for the American Diabetes Association. At ADA he created a grassroots advocacy program, recruited 100,000 “Diabetes Advocates” and collected 3.2 million signatures on a petition in support of greater research funding. During his tenure more than 40 state laws were enacted, federal research funding grew $100 million more than projected and discrimination in schools and the workplace ended. LaMountain currently serves on several boards and committees, including those of VoteHealthCare.org, American Diabetes Association DC chapter, Campagna Center and University Club of Washington, DC. He is the founder of the MV Big Flea, which has raised nearly $40,000 for childhood education initiatives, and managed the successful Friends of Mimi Carter School Board campaign in Alexandria, Virginia. Before joining ADA he was an Associate with the Health and Medicine Counsel of Washington, a lobbying firm, and Common Cause. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a B.A. in history and resides in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and two daughters.