Rachel M. Bond, M.D.

Rachel M. Bond, MD, FACC is a board-certified attending cardiologist who has devoted her career to the treatment of heart disease through early detection, education, and prevention. She is the System Director of Women’s Heart Health at Dignity Health, in Arizona. Dr. Bond is the Co-chair of the Women in Cardiology Committee, as well as Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the Arizona Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. She also serves on the Women in Cardiology Section Leadership Council for the National Chapter of the American College of Cardiology and was most recently appointed the Co-Chair of the Women and Children Committee for the Association of Black Cardiologists. She holds a faculty position as Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Creighton University School of Medicine.

Dr. Bond earned a bachelor of science degree from the seven-year accelerated medical program at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and earned her medical doctorate from NYU School of Medicine. She completed her training in internal medicine at NYU School of Medicine and in cardiovascular disease at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York.

Dr. Bond is the author of several review papers referencing maternal health, sex and gender differences and cardiovascular conditions that predominantly affect women, along with opinion pieces aimed at addressing health equity, reducing health disparities, and promoting the professional development of women and minorities in the health-science profession. She has a passion for advocacy of education and mentorship and has advised as an expert source through news and media outlets. Her clinical interests include prevention, maternal health, cardio-oncology and lipid disorders. Her research interests currently include the heart-mind connection, cardio-rheumatology and gender disparities in valvular heart disease.

Dr. Bond is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a member of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology, Association of Black Cardiologists, and the American Heart Association, where she is a national spokesperson for the “Go Red for Women” campaign and sits on the board of directors.

Matthew Brothers, M.D.

Dr. Matthew Brothers is a pediatric cardiologist at Novant Health in Charlotte, NC. He has a passion for taking care of infants and children with congenital heart disease. In addition to his role as a physician, he has a strong interest in electronic medical records and serves on the Dimensions Optimization and Innovation team as an Epic Physician Builder. He has worked with the pediatric subspecialties in the organization to improve patient quality of care and provider satisfaction with the electronic medical record. Dr. Brothers is the current present of the Charlotte Medical, Dental, & Pharmaceutical Society. He is an adjunct faculty member at Campbell University School of Medicine and enjoys teaching medical students. Dr. Brothers completed his residency and fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, GA and received his MD from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Haywood Brown, MD

Dr. Haywood Brown received his undergraduate degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State University in Greensboro and his Medical Degree from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in Knoxville, Tennessee, followed by subspecialty fellowship training in Maternal and Fetal Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine/Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Brown has a distinguished career as an academic leader in education, clinical care and research for more than three decades. Dr. Brown served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina from 2002-2016; a position that he held for nearly 14 years. Most notable during his tenure as Chair Dr. Brown established a Global Women’s Health Program as a component of the Duke Global Health Institute.

Dr. Brown has served in numerous local and national leadership positions including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In 2017-2018, Dr. Brown served as the 68th President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

In addition, Dr. Brown has previously held leadership positions as Chair of Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG), the Board of Directors for the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine and Past President of SMFM. He is past President of the American Gynecological Obstetrical Society (AGOS). He has also served as a Director of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Brown leadership extends further and includes the NIH DC Initiative on Infant Mortality and the HSRA Perinatal and Patient Safety Collaboration as well as the FDA Advisory Council. He is Past Obstetrics and Gynecology Section Chair for the National Medical Association.

Dr. Brown is especially committed to the care of women at high risk for adverse pregnancy outcome, particularly those marginalized and the impact on racial and economic disparity in maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. His ACOG Presidency focused on disparity and women health equity and Redefining the Postpartum Period: The Beginning of Lifelong Health.

In July 2018, Dr. Brown was named Vice President for Institutional Equity at the University of South Florida, and the Associate Dean in the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida where is serves as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine.

Doris Browne, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. Browne is the 118th President of the National Medical Association (NMA) and President and CEO, Browne and Associates, LLC (BAI), a health consulting company that manages programs addressing national and global health disparities. As President of the NMA, Dr. Browne’s program theme focused on a Collaborative Approach to Health Equity entitled “The Urgency of Now: Creating a Culture for Health Equity”. She tirelessly champions many causes that have significantly contributed to improving the health status of vulnerable population. She has achieved both national and international recognition as an expert educator and speaker. She has been either featured or quoted in many news articles and Op-Eds to include the Army Times, US Medicine, Ebony, Essence, Washington Post, PBS News Hour, and ePolitico to name a few. She specializes in and is passionate about women’s health, cancer, environmental justice, sickle cell, HIV/AIDS and radiation casualties. Dr. Browne has made numerous briefings before senior executive government, congressional and White House officials. Her public health background includes health education programs on environmental health, substance abuse, sex education, cancer, sickle cell disease, HIV/AIDS, and community health education programs, including participating in an international disaster preparedness and humanitarian assistance program for 17 West African Nations following the Ebola epidemic of 2015. She retired as a Colonel from the U. S. Army, Medical Corps where she was the Director for Medical Research and Development at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. She also retired from the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute where she managed the breast cancer portfolio in the Division of Cancer Prevention. Dr. Browne is a graduate of Tougaloo College (BS), University of California at Los Angeles (MPH), and Georgetown University (M.D.) and completed an internship, residency, and fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Hematology-Oncology. She is member of Trinity Episcopal Church, numerous professional organizations, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and recipient of plentiful awards including the NIH Merit Award and the 2018 Top Blacks in Healthcare award.

David M. Carlisle, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. David M. Carlisle has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in the Watts-Willowbrook area of Los Angeles County since 2011. Dr. Carlisle is a published author in health policy, quality of care, medical education diversity and eliminating health disparities. A board-certified Internal Medicine specialist, President Carlisle received his B.S. from Wesleyan University, his MD from Brown University and his M.P.H. and Ph.D. in Health Services from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. President Carlisle served as Director of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development for eleven years (2000-2011) under three governors. Under his leadership, OSHPD released its first-ever health disparities report and increased scholarship and loan repayment opportunities for health providers committed to practice in underrepresented, under-resourced and underserved communities.

In 2007, he became a Senior Fellow at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs and presently is a member of the Advisory Council of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. In 2018 he was appointed as a member of the California Future Health Workforce Commission to help the state develop a plan to close the gap between the health workforce we have and the workforce we need. In 2018, he was appointed to the Board of Trustees for the California Health Care Foundation and is a member of the founding Board of Directors of BioscienceLA.

Chelsea Clinton

As vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, Chelsea Clinton works alongside the Foundation’s leadership and partners to help create economic opportunity, improve public health, and inspire civic engagement and service across the United States and around the world. In particular, Chelsea focuses on promoting early brain and language development through the Too Small to Fail initiative, and uplifting/empowering female entrepreneurs and women-led businesses around the world through initiatives like the Caribbean-focused Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE) Network. She also serves on the boards of the Clinton Health Access Initiative and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

In addition to her Foundation work, Chelsea also teaches at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and has written several books for young readers, including the #1 New York Times bestselling She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World as well as She Persisted Around the World, She Persisted in Sports, Start Now! You Can Make a Difference; Don’t Let Them Disappear; and It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going. She is also the co-author of The Book of Gutsy Women and Grandma’s Gardens with her mom Hillary Clinton and of Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why? with Devi Sridhar.

Chelsea holds a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford, a Master of Public Health from Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, and both a Master of Philosophy and a Doctorate in international relations from Oxford University. She lives with her husband Marc, their children Charlotte, Aidan and Jasper, and dog Soren in New York City.

Debra Fraser-Howze

Debra Fraser-Howze is the Principal of D. Fraser Associates, a consulting firm that works with clients to establish successful partnerships that result in improved health outcomes for underserved populations while driving corporate value and revenue growth. She is also the Founder of Choose Healthy Life, a sustainable, scalable and transferable approach to address public health disparities through the Black Church.

Before launching D. Fraser Associates, Ms. Fraser-Howze was the Senior Vice President, Government and External Affairs at OraSure Technologies, a leader in the development, manufacturing and distribution of oral fluid diagnostic and collection devices and other technologies designed to detect or diagnose critical medical conditions.

While at OraSure Technologies, Ms. Fraser-Howze played a critical role in launching the Company’s OraQuick Rapid Ebola Test (2015), OraQuick In-Home HIV Test (2012) and the OraQuick Rapid HCV Test (2010).

Prior to joining OraSure, Ms. Fraser-Howze served for 21 years as the President/CEO of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (NBLCA), an organization she founded in 1987. Ms. Fraser-Howze has been widely recognized for more than three decades of global leadership to communities of color regarding teenage pregnancy, social welfare, and HIV and AIDS. She advised two U.S. Presidents while serving on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS from 1995-2001.

In 2009, she was the recipient of the National Medical Association’s (NMA) highest honor, the Scroll of Merit, and in 2010 she was inducted into the Hunter College Hall of Fame for distinguished achievement. Ms. Fraser-Howze is currently a member of the board of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

Terry Fulmer, Ph.D., R.N.

Terry Fulmer, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, is the President of the John A. Hartford Foundation in New York City, an organization dedicated to improving the care of older adults.  Established in 1929, the Foundation has a current endowment of over $560 million and is world-renowned for philanthropy devoted exclusively to the health of older adults.  She serves as the chief strategist for Foundation giving and is also the chief spokesperson for advancing the Foundation’s mission.

Dr. Fulmer is nationally and internationally recognized as a leading expert in geriatrics and is best known for conceptualization and development of the national NICHE program and research on the topic of elder abuse and neglect, work that has been funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Nursing Research. Her recent effort with the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative in partnership with IHI is a potential game changer for how we think about care for older adults.

Debra Furr-Holden, Ph.D.

Dr. Debra Furr-Holden is the Associate Dean for Public Health Integration, C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health, and Director of the Division of Public Health at Michigan State University. She is also the Director of the Flint Center for Health Equity Solutions, funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. She is an epidemiologist and classically trained public health professional with expertise in behavioral health equity and health disparities. Dr. Furr-Holden has worked extensively with a wide range of partners including community-based organizations, local municipal officials, and policy makers. Her research has supported legislative efforts to impact state- and national-level legislation to promote behavioral health equity. Dr. Furr-Holden’s community-based, action-oriented research has been well received by community stakeholders and driven multiple policy interventions to address some of the nation’s greatest public health challenges, especially among racial and ethnic minorities and in racially- and economically-segregated communities. Dr. Furr-Holden’s research is grounded in the rubrics of epidemiology and consistent with principles and practices for understanding social determinants of health and health equity. Dr. Furr-Holden attended the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (BA Natural Sciences and Public Health, 1996) and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (PhD, 1999).

Phillip S. Gardiner, Dr.P.H.

Dr. Gardiner is a Public Health activist, administrator, evaluator and researcher.  For the past 25 years, he has worked on studies ranging from Hypertension, Multiculturalism and AIDS, to Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Diabetes and Smoking.   For the past 20 years, Dr. Gardiner has lectured around the country on African American health disparities generally and menthol smoking in the Black Community, particularly.  Dr. Gardiner recently retired as the Senior Program Officer for the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP), University of California Office of the President, a position he had been in since 1997.  Dr. Gardiner is currently the Co-Chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC), a group of Black professionals dedicated to fighting the scourge of tobacco impacting African American communities both in California and Nationally.

J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., MSCE

Dr. J. Nadine Gracia is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Trust for America’s Health, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public health policy, research, and advocacy organization in Washington, DC.

Dr. Gracia has extensive leadership and management experience in federal government, the nonprofit sector, professional associations, and academia. Dr. Gracia served in the Obama Administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and Director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She provided leadership on administration priorities, including the Affordable Care Act and My Brother’s Keeper. Previously, she served as Chief Medical Officer in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, where her portfolio included adolescent health, emergency preparedness, environmental health and climate change, global health, and the White House Council on Women and Girls. Prior to that role, she was appointed as a White House Fellow at HHS and worked in the Office of the First Lady on the development of the Let’s Move! initiative to solve childhood obesity.

A first-generation Haitian-American, Dr. Gracia is active in many organizations, including the Aspen Global Leadership Network, the Dean’s Council at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, the Governing Board of the Council on Black Health, the National Social Action Commission of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and Women of Impact. Dr. Gracia is a past Postgraduate Physician Trustee on the National Medical Association Board of Trustees and a National President Emeritus of the Student National Medical Association.

Linnie M. Golightly, M.D.

Dr. Linnie Golightly is an Associate Professor in Medicine, Microbiology & Immunology and Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at Weill Cornell Medicine. Raised in the U.S. Midwest, she attended Wayne State University before receiving her MD degree from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. She trained in Internal Medicine at Harlem Hospital, serving as Chief Resident, followed by a fellowship in the Harvard Combined Infectious Disease Training Program and post-doctoral research fellowship at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Specializing in infectious diseases, Dr. Golightly has attended at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and currently the New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Her research focus is infectious diseases endemic to low and middle income countries, with an emphasis on malaria. She is active in pipeline building through teaching and training. Dr. Golightly has served as Infectious Disease Fellowship Program Director, as well as Director of the infectious disease module and Ben Kean Course in Tropical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. She has lectured and trained undergraduates, medical students and fellows both from the U.S. and abroad, including those from Haiti, Ghana, Brazil, Israel and Qatar.

Dr. Golightly is a member of the National Medical Association (NMA) Council on International Affairs and has served on several ASTMH Committees including the Ben H. Kean Travel Fellowship, and the Committee on Global Health. She is a current member of the ASTMH Nominating Committee. As Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at Weill Cornell Medicine, she directs programs to enhance community and a diverse environment. She serves as an institutional representative to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Diversity and Inclusion (GDI).

Cheryl Holder, M.D.

Dr. Cheryl L. Holder, Fellow in the American College of Physicians, has dedicated her medical career to caring for low wealth populations. She has served as a National Health Service Corp Scholar, as Medical Director of Jackson memorial Hospital’s north Dade Health and as a participant on NIH and CDC health advisory and programmatic review panels.

Since 2009, as faculty at Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University, she focuses on teaching the impact of social determinants of health, addressing diversity in health professions through pipeline programs, increasing awareness of HIV prevention and health impact of climate change. Most recently, TED Talk selected her 2020 “The link between climate change, health and poverty” as one of 25 Editor’s Pick.

Sonja Johnson Hughes, M.D., M.H.A.

Sonja Johnson Hughes, MD, MHA, FACOG Dr. Sonja Hughes is a board-certified OB/GYN who practiced for over 20 years before changing the focus of her career to include health care quality improvement. She joined CVS Health/Aetna in January 2021 as the Vice President of Strategy and Service Excellence. Leading Service Excellence, Dr. Hughes drives a holistic view of quality, compliance and operational reporting, while implement quality improvement projects that support regulatory requirements, equitable health care, and population health management. Service Excellence also focuses on improving employee engagement and solving member and provider pain points encountered during care delivery.

Dr. Hughes, a native of Fort Worth, TX, graduated from Oklahoma State University before attending medical school at Meharry Medical College. She completed her OB/GYN residency training at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Hughes also has a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from Trinity University.

Dr. Hughes enjoys teaching Children’s Church, attending sporting events, reading and traveling. She serves as the health care chairperson for the Infant Mortality Association, and she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. As an advocate for foster children, Dr. Hughes supports the social impact platform, Fostering Fashion, which was created by her teenage daughter. Dr. Hughes lives in Oklahoma City with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.

Sonja S. Hutchins, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H.

Dr. Sonja Hutchins is a Preventive Medicine Physician, practicing for the past 34 years in the federal and academic settings. She is board certified in that medical specialty by the American Board of Preventive Medicine and has been a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine for several decades. Currently, she is the Director of the Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency Program at Morehouse School Medicine and Professor in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine. Dr. Hutchins recently retired (in 2017) from the US Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a Captain (or Medical Director) after more than 30 years of service in preventing and controlling infectious diseases through vaccination, directing public health emergency preparedness and response of the most vulnerable populations in the society, and advancing health equity. During her CDC service, she also held several leadership positions, received numerous honor and service awards, such as the Outstanding Service Medal, and authored approximately 90 peer-reviewed publications.

Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., Founder and President of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, is one of the foremost civil rights, religious and political figures of our time. For nearly 50 years, he has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for peace, civil rights, empowerment, gender equality, and economic and social justice the world over. A testament to the breadth and depth of his works can best be expressed by two of the greatest honors he has received. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Reverend Jackson; and, in 2013, the South African government bestowed upon him their highest civilian honor, their National Order, the Companions of OR Tambo.

Reverend Jackson has been called the “Conscience of the Nation” and “the Great Unifier,” challenging America to be inclusive and to establish just and humane priorities for the benefit of all. He is known for bringing people together on common ground across lines of race, faith, gender, culture, and class.

In 1984, Reverend Jackson founded the National Rainbow Coalition, a social justice organization based in Washington, D.C devoted to political empowerment, education and changing public policy. In September of 1996, the Rainbow Coalition and Operation PUSH merged to form the Rainbow PUSH Coalition to continue the work of both organizations and to maximize resources.

He has continued to be a leading advocate for a variety of public policy issues, including universal health care, equal administration of justice in all communities, sufficient funding for enforcement of civil rights laws, and for increased attention to business investment in under-served domestic communities (a theme that the Clinton administration picked up as the “New Markets Initiative”).

Reverend Jackson also supports a broad range of policies to improve education, eliminate poverty, and remind everyone that we are a “One-Big-Tent-America,” with room for all, and none left in the margins. A current campaign is “Restructure Loans, Don’t Foreclose on Homes,” tackling today’s housing crisis and the economic crisis gripping the world.

One of the best-renowned orators of our time, Reverend Jackson’s activism is unparalleled and he has received countless honors recognizing his lifelong work in human rights, civil rights, and the promotion of nonviolent social change. In 1991, Reverend Jackson became only the second living person in history to have his likeness placed on a pictorial postal cancellation of the US Post Office. Starting in the 1970s, he has been on the Gallup List of the Ten Most Respected Americans more than a dozen times. Among the many honors that he has receive in for his decades of work, Reverend Jackson, a Lifetime member of the NAACP, was particularly honored to have become the recipient of the most prestigious that this organization bestows, the Spingarn Medal.

Mitch Landrieu

Mitch Landrieu is an American Politician, Lawyer, author, speaker, nonprofit leader and CNN political commentator. He served as the 61st Mayor of New Orleans (2010–2018). Landrieu gained national prominence for his powerful decision to take down four Confederate monuments in New Orleans, which also earned him the prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. In his best-selling book, In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History, Landrieu recounts his personal journey confronting the issue of race and institutional racism that still plagues America. He recently launched E Pluribus Unum, an initiative in the South created to fulfill America’s promise of justice and opportunity for all by breaking down the barriers that divide us by race and class. Prior to serving as Mayor, Landrieu served two terms as lieutenant governor and 16 years in the state legislature. He also served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Leon McDougle, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. McDougle is the 1st African American Professor with tenure in The Ohio State University Department of Family Medicine and he’s the 1st Chief Diversity Officer ‘Aka Chief Collaborating Officer’ for the OSU Wexner Medical Center. A graduate of the University of Toledo and OSU College of Medicine, he completed the family medicine residency at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, California, and earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Management and Policy.

Dr. McDougle has been recognized as being among the top 10 percent of physicians nationally for patient satisfaction. He has been a member of the National Medical Association since completion of family medicine residency training in 1992. Other highlights include service as Chair of the NMA Aerospace, Military and Occupation Health section, Chair of the Committee on Administrative and Financial Affairs (CAFA) and election to serve as Treasurer and President-elect.

Dr. McDougle is a past Chair for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Diversity and Inclusion. He has provided service for the AAMC as faculty for the Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program, Minority Faculty Leadership Seminar, and Mid-Career Minority Faculty Leadership Seminar. In addition, he directs several workforce diversity programs including the MEDPATH Postbaccalaureate Program.

He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine and Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. McDougle is a member of the Rhema Christian Center. He is a member of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. A native of Sandusky, Ohio, Leon and his wife, Natasha Jones-McDougle, M.Ed. are the proud parents of Peri and Autumn.

Dan Morhaim, M.D.

Dan Morhaim, M.D. brings a unique perspective: Physician, state legislator, academic, author, consultant. As an emergency medicine physician, he’s been on the front lines of health care for over 40 years, including 13 years (1981-1994) as Chair of EM at Franklin Square Hospital (Baltimore). After his election to the Maryland General Assembly in 1994, he joined the ER Team at Sinai Hospital (Baltimore) where he continues on staff. He was a volunteer physician (1 day/week for 3 years) at a homeless clinic and served on its board. He served in the Maryland legislature for 24 years (1995-2019), enacting 139 bills on a broad range of topics with a focus on healthcare, environment, and procurement reform. He has been and continues to be on numerous boards and public health committees including serving currently as Chair of Baltimore County Behavioral Health Advisory Council. He brings a clinical perspective to EagleForce, a health IT company, and he is the medical director for commercial ambulance companies. His research while faculty at Hopkins School of Public Health (16 years) on advance care planning led to numerous articles and two books: the first book in 2011 and his second Preparing for A Better End.

Kameelah Mu’Min Rashad, Psy.D.

Dr. Kameelah Mu’Min Rashad is the Founder and President of Muslim Wellness Foundation (MWF) and the founding co-Director of the National Black Muslim COVID Coalition, an initiative launched in collaboration with Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative to address need for effective planning, preparedness and organizing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Rashad, who previously served as University of Pennsylvania’s Muslim chaplain, now serves as the Fellow for Spirituality, Wellness and Social Justice and advises the Black Muslim student organization. Dr. Rashad’s clinical and research areas of interest include: diversity, religious identity and multicultural issues in counseling, healing justice and faith based activism, racial trauma and healing, identity and emerging adulthood, psychological impact of anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Blackness, and Black Muslim intersectional invisibility. Dr. Rashad has degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, the International Institute for Restorative Practices, and earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA.

Katrina Rhodes, M.D., M.S.

Katrina Rhodes MD, MS, FACPM is a board-certified preventive medicine physician specializing in population health and health equity. Dr. Rhodes has over fifteen years of experience with patient care, health technology, environmental health, medical communication, and healthcare regulations. Dr. Rhodes is a Medical Director with Advanced Health Management Group LLC, and has previously been a Medical Officer with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an Evaluation Co-Chair with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated’s National Asthma Prevention Initiative, and a Health Advisor with the U.S. Peace Corps in Madagascar, Africa.

Dr. Rhodes currently serves as the National Medical Association Community Medicine and Public Health Section Chair, and a Member of NMA Council on Medical Legislation, NMA Commission on Environmental Health, and Journal of NMA Editorial Board. Dr. Rhodes is a former Co-Chair of NMA Post-Graduate Section, and past recipient of NMA Top 40 Physicians Under 40 Award and NMA Internal Medicine Section NIH Travel Grant to NMA Annual Convention for research on health disparities and African-American women.

Dr. Rhodes is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and University of Maryland Preventive Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Rhodes is a Member of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health Steering Committee and a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine.

Maria J. Small, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. Small is an Associate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University Health System. Dr. Small received her undergraduate degree from Brown University and completed her medical degree at East Carolina University. In addition to a residency from Temple University, Dr. Small received her fellowship training in Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Master in Public Health from Yale University.

Dr. Small has an interest in adverse maternal outcomes, and community health. She has expertise in designing care for women with high-risk gynecological and obstetrical conditions. Dr. Small’s work in global health includes projects in Haiti, Ghana, Tanzania, and Rwanda. She spends part of the academic year in Rwanda as part of the Human Resources for Health Program. Dr. Small has extensive community connections and successful community engagements with multiple organizations. Dr. Small is actively involved in efforts to reduce maternal mortality and serves on the NC maternal mortality review committee. Dr. Small is actively involved in teaching and welcomes opportunities to mentor and assist medical students and residents.

Rani E. Snyder, M.P.A.

Rani E. Snyder, M.P.A., is Vice President, Program at The John A. Hartford Foundation. Ms. Snyder has over 25 years of experience working with preeminent health care institutions across the nation improving the care of older adults, identifying and guiding health care programs that have set the standard for medical best practices, increased medical education opportunities, and maximizing resources to improve health care broadly. She brings that experience to The John A. Hartford Foundation where she coordinates initiatives that foster collaboration among academic institutions, hospitals and health care providers to build Age-Friendly Health Systems, support family caregivers, and improve serious illness and end-of-life care. She is also chair of the board for Grantmakers in Aging, a membership organization comprised of philanthropies with a common dedication to improving the experience of aging, a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and previously served as a Volunteer Long-Term Care Ombudsman for the State of Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division.

Erwin J. Tan, MD

Erwin J. Tan MD is a physician and with fellowship training in geriatric medicine and integrative medicine. He is a nationally recognized thought leader on healthy longevity, volunteering and the health effects of perceptions on aging. He has held leadership positions in the academic, public and nonprofit sectors. Dr. Tan is the Director of Thought Leadership Health at AARP. In this role, he provides strategic vision, leadership and technical expertise to identify emerging provocative ideas, curating cross-sector collaborations and driving bold solutions to change systems and promote healthy longevity.

Erwin previously served as the Director of Senior Corps at the Corporation for National and Community Service. From 2004 to 2010, he served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine where he was an attending physician in the Division of Geriatric Medicine. He was also a co-investigator in the Baltimore Experience Corps Study. From 2003–2004, Erwin was a White House Fellow serving as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Before coming to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, Erwin was a faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, where he was the Medical Director for the High User Case Management Program and served as Geriatric Medicine Fellow and a Primary Care Medicine Resident.

Erwin was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserves. He received a bachelor’s from Brown University where he attended the Tougaloo College exchange program. Dr. Tan graduated from New York University School of Medicine as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. Erwin was born in Indonesia and is a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Trevonne M. Thompson, M.D.

Dr. Trevonne M. Thompson is an emergency physician and medical toxicologist at the University of Illinois Chicago. He attended college at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans. After graduating summa cum laude with a degree in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Spanish, he attended medical school at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. He served his emergency medicine residency at Cook County Hospital (now Stroger Hospital of Cook County). After serving as Chief Resident in Emergency Medicine, he completed a Medical Toxicology fellowship at the Toxikon Consortium in Chicago. Dr. Thompson is a tenured associate professor of Emergency Medicine and Medical Toxicology at the University of Illinois Chicago. He is also the director of the Division of Medical Toxicology within the Department of Emergency Medicine. He directs the medical toxicology consultation service at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System. He is a consultant to the Illinois Poison Center and is an associate program director for the Toxikon Consortium Medical Toxicology Fellowship.

Dr. Thompson is the Associate Dean for Admissions for the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He is a past chair of the Emergency Medicine Section of the National Medical Association. He actively conducts research in emergency medicine, medical toxicology, and medical education and has published dozens of peer-reviewed manuscripts and textbook chapters.

Elise Marie Tolbert, M.P.H.

Elise Marie Tolbert is an Environmental Health Scientist and Public Health Practitioner who currently works as the Deputy Director of Partner Engagement at the Climate Action Campaign. In her role, she leads highly visible, highly effective campaigns and activities that engage Black-American, Faith, Environmental Justice, and Youth based organizations to demand action and legislation on the global climate crisis. At an early age, she developed a deep passion for the natural environment, which later molded her career interest in the environmental field. Elise received her B.S. in Environmental Science from Tuskegee University and Masters of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Michigan. Ms. Tolbert’s interests in public health lie at the intersection of climate change, environmental health policy, and environmental and social justice. She has employed her interest working as a Program Manager at Tuskegee University’s Water Quality Outreach and Testing Program and as an Environmental Health Fellow at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Elise is also the Founder and CEO of Next Step Up, a non-profit organization that empowers high school students to pursue their dreams by providing mentoring and tutoring. Ms. Tolbert lives by motto “Blaze your own trail,” which reminds her of her responsibility to follow her heart and create a path for others.

Congresswoman Lauren Underwood

Congresswoman Lauren Underwood serves Illinois’ 14th Congressional District and was sworn into the 116th U.S. Congress on January 3, 2019. Congresswoman Underwood is the first woman, the first person of color, and the first millennial to represent her community in Congress. She is also the youngest African American woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives.

Congresswoman Underwood serves on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and the House Committee on Appropriations. Congresswoman Underwood co-founded and co-chairs the Black Maternal Health Caucus, which elevates the Black maternal health crisis within Congress and advances policy solutions to improve maternal health outcomes and end disparities. She also serves on the House Democratic Steering and Policy  Committee. Rep. Underwood is a member of the Future Forum, a group of young Democratic Members of Congress committed to listening to and standing up for the next generation of Americans, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the LGBT Equality Caucus. As a strong supporter of addressing the gun violence epidemic, Congresswoman Underwood is a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

Prior to her election to Congress, Congresswoman Underwood worked with a Medicaid plan in Chicago to ensure that it provided high-quality, cost-efficient care. She served as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human   Services (HHS), helping communities across the country prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters, bioterror threats, and public health emergencies. As a career public servant at HHS, she helped implement the Affordable Care Act — broadening access for those on Medicare, improving health care quality, and reforming private insurance. Congresswoman Underwood also taught future nurse practitioners through Georgetown University’s online master’s program.   Congresswoman Underwood is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins University. She graduated from Neuqua Valley High School and is a lifelong Girl Scout. She resides in Naperville, Illinois.

Todd A. Walker, Ph.D.

Dr. Todd A. Walker is the director and high school principal of Columbus Africentric Early College (CAEC) PK-12 campus in Columbus City Schools. In this position, he serves as PK-12 oversight of the Elementary, Middle and High School, focusing on process improvement, program alignment, and advancing the program vision of “high achievement and early college for each student while affirming the positive leadership of AfricanAmericans to benefit the global community.”

As an educator for 21 years, Dr. Walker has served as high school English teacher, Adjunct professor, instructional coach, principal and director.

Todd has published in several academic journals. His recent work includes Fulfilling the Promise of Brown, published in the Journal of Negro Education, and Recasting the Vision for Achieving Equity, published the Journal of Education and Urban Society.

Dr. Walker earned his Bachelor of Arts, Master’s degree and Doctorate in Education Policy and Leadership from The Ohio State University. Currently, he is completing his Juris Doctorate at Capital University Law School.

His greatest desire is to empower people to transform systems.

Todd resides in the Columbus area, is married to Dr. Kenyona Nicole Walker and together they are raising a son and daughter, Daniel and Terilyn.

Stephaun E. Wallace, Ph.D., M.S.

Dr. Stephaun E. Wallace is a research epidemiologist, public health and business consultant, and an internationally recognized public health/social justice leader. He has more than two decades of experience in public health and human services (HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases) and social justice efforts, and more than a decade of experience conducting public health research globally.

He is the Director of External Relations for the Fred Hutch-based COVID-19 Prevention Trials Network (CoVPN) and HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), a Staff Scientist in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at Fred Hutch, a Clinical Assistant Professor in Global Health at the University of Washington, and Director of the Office of Community Engagement in the UW/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS Research. Dr. Wallace, a US Army veteran, has earned master’s degrees in management and organizational leadership, and a Ph.D. in public health epidemiology. Dr. Wallace holds membership in, and serves on the board of, numerous regional, national, and international organizations.

Cameron Webb, M.D., J.D.

Dr. Cameron Webb currently serves as Senior Policy Advisor for Equity on the White House COVID-19 Response Team. Previously, Dr. Webb was an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences, and Director of Health Policy and Equity at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. A general internist, Dr. Webb has worked clinically in the University’s COVID unit since the beginning of the pandemic. Additionally, he is the founding director of UVA’s Health Equity, Law and Policy Research (HELPR) Laboratory and is a core faculty member at the University’s Equity Center, an initiative for the redress of inequity through community-engaged scholarship. Prior to joining the faculty at UVA, Dr. Webb spent a year as a 2016 White House Fellow in the Obama-Biden administration’s Office of Cabinet Affairs, where he served on the My Brother’s Keeper task force and the White House Healthcare team. A born and raised Virginian, Dr. Webb received his B.A. from the University of Virginia, his M.D. from Wake Forest School of Medicine, and his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Kichelle Webster

Kichelle has served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the office of Congresswoman Alma S. Adams (NC-12) since July 2018.  In addition to assisting Rep. Adams with the Congressional Caucus on Black Maternal Health, she is responsible for a policy portfolio that includes healthcare, financial services, taxes, housing and small business issues. Previously, she worked for US Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) for 6 years.  She graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Biomechanical Engineering and is a proud native of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

Portia Reddick White, J.D.

As Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), Portia Reddick White leads the Department of Strategic Partnerships. Her major focus is to build, cultivate and sustain relationships with a broad range of organizations including with the health community, organizations concerned about youth, youth advocacy and with communities disproportionately or otherwise impacted by tobacco use. CTFK’s Department of Strategic Partnerships reflects a commitment to expand the role and capability of our partnership work and our vision for engaging a wider range of partners. As a leader in strategy, outreach and political engagement, Portia has lead efforts previously with the National Education Association (NEA), Majority Leader Harry Reid, Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), the 2016 Democratic National Convention and AARP including roles as speaker, writer, organizer, lobbyist and activist.

Jahi Wise, J.D.

Jahi Wise is the Senior Advisor for Climate Policy and Finance in the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, where he focuses on domestic climate finance, clean energy deployment, economic development and environmental justice. Prior to joining the Office of Domestic Climate Policy, Jahi served as Policy Director for the Coalition for Green Capital where he helped lead development of policy and strategy to establish a National Clean Energy Accelerator. Previously he was General Counsel and Head of New Markets Strategy for BlocPower, a social enterprise focused on building electrification, and an attorney in the Energy and Infrastructure Projects practice at Skadden Arps. Jahi received his JD and MBA from Yale and his BA from Morehouse College.