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National Medical Association
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

Presenter Biographies

Cedric M. Bright, M.D.

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Dr. Cedric M. Bright, physician and patient advocate, is the Associate Dean for Admissions, Professor of Internal Medicine, and the interim Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at the Brody School of Medicine in Greenville NC. Previously, he served as the Associated Dean of Inclusive Excellence, the Director of the Office Special Programs and an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medical Education at the UNC School of Medicine. He served as the 112th President of the National Medical Association from 2011 to 2012 during which time he advocated in the White House for health equity, increased diversity in clinical trials, and increasing the pipeline of students of color into health careers. He was previously an Associate Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine and Community and Family Medicine at Duke University and a staff physician at the VA Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. He started his career as a Clinical instructor at Brown University as the site director of the Notre Dame Ambulatory Center. Dr. Bright has served as a mentor for premedical and medical students and was featured in a U tube video developed by Diverse Medicine Inc. entitled “Black Male in a White Coat”. He was featured in the AAMC publication Altering the Course; Black Males in Medicine. He has spoken at the Congressional Black Caucus Health brain trust before on topics related to Veterans health, disparities within the VA system, and how to strengthen the pipeline of black males. In 2019, Dr. Bright was inducted into the Order of the Golden Fleece, the highest honor bestowed to UNC Alumni. He was elected for AOA at UNC as an alumnus and delivered the 2020 commencement keynote for the 2020 class at UNC SOM. He serves on the roundtable of Black Men and Women in STEM for National Academy of Science, Engineering and Math and has presented numerous grand rounds on the impact of Covid 19 on the black community.

 

Dr. Bright is a fellow of the American College of Physicians since 2012 and serves as a board member for the National Medical Fellowships Inc. and on the W. Montague Cobb/ NMA Health Institute. He served as the chair for the Boys and Girls Club of Durham and Orange Counties and the Lincoln Community Health Center. He is a member of Sigma Pi Phi and the Omega Psi Phi fraternities.

 

He is a dedicated clinician, community servant leader, husband, and father, as well as a mentor to many.

Maria Bright

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Maria Bright is the 85th President of the Auxiliary of the National Medical Association, Inc. (ANMA). Her platform is “Engaging Our Generations:  A Call to Action to Preserve Our Legacy”, and the focus areas are: 1) Mental Health Among the Elderly and Youth; 2) Women’s Maternal Health and Infant Mortality; and 3) Discussions on Our Differently Abled African American Population.  As a member of the Auxiliary for over 19 years, Mrs. Bright has had the opportunity to serve in both local and national leadership positions.

As a graduate of Trinity University in Washington, DC, Mrs. Bright is a task master in operational management and accounting systems services as well as an avid community volunteer. Having over 25 years of experience with some of the leading Fortune 500 companies, she has been an integral part of many successful systems implementations. Through her advocacy work, she is recognized as a sought-after parent advocate for parents of children with newly diagnosed autism. At the same time, Maria has utilized her (accounting)expertise by providing support in leadership positions with the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), Jack & Jill of America, Inc., and the Junior League of Greenville, NC.

Whenever time permits, Maria enjoys traveling to warm locations where the water is crystal clear. She and her husband, Dr. Cedric M. Bright, 112th President of the AMA, reside in Greenville, NC with their son Andrew, a high school Junior.

Honorable Chiquita Brooks-LaSure

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Chiquita Brooks-LaSure is the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where she will oversee programs including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance Marketplaces.

A former policy official who played a key role in guiding the ACA through passage and implementation, Brooks-LaSure has decades of experience in the federal government, on Capitol Hill, and in the private sector.

As deputy director for policy at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and earlier at the Department of Health & Human Services as director of coverage policy, Brooks-LaSure led the agency’s implementation of ACA coverage and insurance reform policy provisions.

Earlier in her career, Brooks-LaSure assisted House leaders in passing several health care laws, including the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 and the ACA, as part of the Democratic staff for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Committee.

Brooks-LaSure began her career as a program examiner and lead Medicaid analyst for the Office of Management and Budget, coordinating Medicaid policy development for the health financing branch. Her role included evaluating policy options and briefing White House and federal agency officials on policy recommendations with regard to the uninsured, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Virginia Caine, M.D.

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Virginia A. Caine, MD is the Director and Chief Medical Officer of the Marion County Public Health Department. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine Infectious Diseases Division. She is the Past President of American Public Health Association, President Elect of the National Medical Association (NMA), Chair of the Infectious Diseases Section, and member of the NMA and Indiana COVID-19 Task Forces. Recently appointed a member of the federal committee for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of Scientific Counselors, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases. In 2020, the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) named her as one of 40 Influential People of the past 40 years, as they celebrated 40 Years of Progress in Indianapolis.

Dr. Caine works tirelessly to promote and advance public health through innovative programs and unprecedented collaborations. Her boundless energy, vision, and drive to serve people, especially disadvantaged areas, have led Dr. Caine to have her fingerprints on numerous projects. She helped set up the first HIV/AIDS healthcare delivery system of all major hospitals in Indianapolis.

Elizabeth K. Cherot, M.D., M.B.A.

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Elizabeth K. Cherot, M.D., M.B.A. is President and Chief Executive Officer at March of Dimes. Dr. Cherot joined March of Dimes in January 2023 as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical and Health Officer and moved to the position of President/CEO in July 2023. Since joining March of Dimes, she’s successfully brought their critical mission to the forefront of both the political and media spaces to highlight the need for providing better outcomes to all moms and babies, regardless of their background. She’s been working to expand March of Dimes’ mission through vital initiatives, such as advancing doula work, expanding their Innovation Fund, and exploring new opportunities and partnerships for growth. Dr. Cherot brings to the role her inspiring vision and strategic guidance, commitment to health equity, and three decades of clinical expertise and deep knowledge of maternal and infant health. Dr. Cherot’s passion to provide the best quality of care to all has been the hallmark of her remarkable career.

Dr. Cherot, a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has more than 21 years of experience managing numerous maternal and infant health initiatives. Most recently, she served as the Chief Medical Officer for Axia Women’s Health, one of the largest fully integrated Women’s Health Care Groups in the United States, where she oversaw over 2,500 colleagues, 500 providers, and 200 patient care center locations across 5 states. Dr. Cherot holds a medical degree from The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry along with an Executive Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Johns Hopkins University. She also volunteers her time treating and providing patient care to women in a correctional facility in New Jersey.

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett

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Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett has purposefully made every decision with one goal in mind: protecting the civil liberties of those in underrepresented communities. As a public defender, civil rights attorney, State Representative, and United States Congresswoman, Jasmine Crockett dedicates her life to public service, with the goal of serving justice and ensuring equality for all.

In the midst of political turmoil, economic distress, and racial inequality, Congresswoman Crockett laced up her shoes to march for justice and run for the Texas House of Representatives. The sole Black freshman and youngest Black lawmaker in Texas during the 87th Legislative Session, Congresswoman Crockett navigated what has been marked as the most conservative session in Texas history. Despite the uphill climb, Congresswoman Crockett filed more bills than any other freshman, assembled a wide coalition to pass landmark criminal justice reforms in the House, and brought more accessibility and accountability to her office than before. She was a founding member of both the Texas Progressive Caucus as well as the Texas Caucus on Climate, Energy, and the Environment. As State Representative, she fought for economic opportunity as a member of the Business & Industry Committee, and advocated for reform on the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. Congresswoman Crockett was one of the lead architects of the 2021 Texas House Quorum Break, which brought attention to the draconian and restrictive voting measures being proposed in the legislature.

Her passion for justice and the protection of peoples’ rights led her to pursue a career as a public defender, and civil rights and criminal defense attorney. She focused on defending our most vulnerable among us from exploitation in the criminal justice system. As she began her career in the Bowie County Public Defender’s Office, Congresswoman Crockett worked tirelessly to keep children safe and out of jail. Her time there serves as a reminder that criminal justice is an insurrectional issue.

Following her service in the Texas Legislature, Congresswoman Crockett accepted the call, and won the election for retiring Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson’s congressional seat in Texas’ 30th District. Following her election, she hit the ground running and won a seat at the Leadership table as Freshman Leadership Representative, a position she will use to advocate for all Texans. As Freshman Leadership Representative, she is one of a few Black women ever elected to Democratic House Leadership. In Congress, Congresswoman Crockett hopes to continue to build on the legacy of Chairwoman Johnson, and will fight to expand access to healthcare, voting rights, economic opportunity, and dignity for all. She will fight to protect Medicare, Social Security, and expand critical social safety net programs. She will continue to be a tireless advocate for civil liberties, immigrant rights, and economic equity for women and the diverse communities across the State of Texas.

Congresswoman Crockett earned her B.A. in Business Administration from Rhodes College and her J.D. from the University of Houston. She is licensed to practice law in Texas, Arkansas, and Federal Courts. Crockett is the past Bowie County Democratic Party Chair, held various leadership positions within the legal community, is a former board member of the Dallas County Metrocare Services, and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

As a Congresswoman for all Texans, she’s looking forward to continuing our fight and ushering in the next generation of servant leadership in the halls of Congress and Washington, D.C.

Franklin L. Davis

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Franklin L. Davis is the vice president of federal government relations for the American Beverage Association (ABA), which represents America’s non-alcoholic beverage industry. In this role, he helps to lead the industry’s federal legislative agenda and drive advocacy efforts before Congress and the Biden administration. This includes working on initiatives to help communities recover from the pandemic, reduce the beverage industry’s plastic footprint and provide families with more beverage choices to support their efforts to reduce sugar in their diet. Prior to this role, Franklin served in both director and senior director of federal affairs roles since joining the association in 2012.  He has held previous positions with the American Subcontractors Association, South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and Toyota Manufacturing.  A native of Marion, S.C., Franklin received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from Clemson University and a master’s in public administration from the University of South Carolina.  He resides in Maryland with his wife, who is a talented French horn player.

Deila Davis, M.P.P., M.B.A.

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For nearly 20 years, Deila Davis has advocated on behalf of Community Health Centers at the local, state, and federal levels.  Ms. Davis is currently the Director of Policy Operations at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), a membership organization representing over 1,400 health center organizations serving 31.5 million adults and children across the U.S. and its territories. In this capacity, she oversees strategic initiatives to deepen the impact of health centers, expand services and increase health center support. Prior to joining NACHC, Deila was the Director of Government Affairs at Access Community Health Network (ACCESS), one of the largest health centers in the nation. In this role, she led their state and federal legislative and advocacy outreach — securing funding for capital projects, expanding programs to increase breast cancer screenings for the uninsured and securing federal and state funding to increase access to care. Ms. Davis also has experience leading fundraising and major giving efforts at a historically Black K–12 school missioned with preparing Chicago’s youth for successful academic careers in college. Deila launched her career as a policy analyst for Detroit City Council Member Nicholas Hood III. She is a graduate of Brown University and earned both her MPP and MBA from the University of Michigan and the University of Notre Dame, respectively.

Ramon Gardenhire

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Ramon Gardenhire, serves as the Director of Government Relations (South Region) for ViiV Healthcare. He works on federal and state healthcare legislation and policies to improve access to care, treatment and, prevention for people living with and vulnerable to HIV.

Before joining ViiV, Ramon served as a member of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s senior staff as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy (Policy Director). In that capacity, he served as one of the Governor’s top advisors. He assisted in developing key policies, coordinated the administration’s policy work with other Governor’s Office departments and over 30 cabinet level state agencies. And facilitated the administrations legislative tracking and review process making more than 4000 bill action recommendations. During his tenure in the Governor’s Office Ramon helped Illinois enact some of Illinois’ most sweeping and consequential policy and legislative achievements in decades, including enactment of a $3.5 billion renewed Hospital Assessment Program, launching the state’s Getting to Zero plan to end HIV, cannabis legalization, first in the nation expansion of Medicaid for undocumented seniors (twice, first 65 then 55), Hospital Transformation program that will be directing $150 million annually to community-driven solutions to address healthcare inequities in Black, brown and rural communities, expanding Medicaid to cover gender-affirming surgery for transgender individuals, criminal justice reform and assistance with implementation of COVID-19 testing and treatment programs.

Before joining the Pritzker, administration Ramon served as the Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC), overseeing AFC’s advocacy and policy work at the federal, state, and local levels. Gardenhire previously served as AFC’s Director of Government Relations, where he worked to expanded Medicaid coverage for half a million Illinoisans and helped enact comprehensive sexual health education for Illinois students.

He received his Juris Doctorate from Wayne State University Law School and his bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock University.

Ramon lives in Chicago with his husband (Cecil) and dog (Olive – Shui Tzu/Poodle mix), is an advent tennis fan and reader, and watches “Murder She Wrote” nightly.

Eyang Garrison

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Eyang Garrison is an accomplished public servant and advocate in Washington, D.C., with more than 15 years of experience working on issues related to food, agriculture and nutrition.

On September 11, 2023, Chairwoman Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) named Garrison Majority Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, becoming the first person of color to ever hold the position and the first Black full committee Staff Director in the U.S. Senate in two years. She has served on the Committee as Deputy Staff Director since March 2023, helping to lead efforts to write the 2023 Farm Bill.

Garrison has previously held several positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and in Congress, most recently serving in the Biden-Harris Administration as Chief of Staff to former Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Jewel Bronaugh, and Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to then-Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (OH-11). Earlier in her career, Garrison also served as an anti-hunger advocate at the Food Research and Action Center, working to eradicate child hunger in high-need areas across of the country.

Garrison is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in Political Science. In April 2023, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Oklahoma Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences.

William W. “Sam” Greenfield, M.D.

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Dr. William Greenfield is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the Medical Director for Family Health at the Arkansas Department of Health.

He received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Auburn University, a Doctor of Medicine from Meharry Medical College, and completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Dr. Greenfield has led statewide efforts to improve maternal health in Arkansas. He currently serves as Chair of the Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee and Medical Director for the Arkansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative.

Notable professional achievements include expanding access to health through the development and implementation of tele-health programs for the Arkansas Department of Health.

Dr. Greenfield is a resolute professional focused on improving health care through clinical excellence, education, innovation, and advocacy.

Shantel Herbert-Magee, M.D., M.P.H.

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Dr. Shantel Hébert-Magee, MD, MPH is the Chief Medical Officer for Medicaid at the Louisiana Department of Health. responsible for the implementation of policies, innovations, and clinical guidelines that affect the health and well-being of two million lives.  Prior to her state tenure, she has functioned in healthcare as a clinician, industry consultant, minority health strategist, and non-profit CEO. As a clinician, she has published numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts, chapters, editorials, journal articles, and white papers to eliminate health disparities. Her work in tech and innovation has led to multiple FDA-approved early-detection tools for cancer diagnostics.  She is a former Charles Barkley Health Disparities Research Fellow and Commonwealth Fund Fellow in Minority Health Policy.  Considered a steward of health justice, Dr. Hébert-Magee has been featured by both local and national outlets. A native of New Orleans, Dr. Hébert-Magee is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, Georgetown University School of Medicine, and Harvard School of Public Health.

Natalie D. Hernandez-Green, Ph.D., M.P.H.

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Dr. Hernandez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Executive Director of the Center for Maternal Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM). She received her Master of Public Health from Emory University and her Ph.D. in public health from the University of South Florida. Dr. Hernandez’s more than 17 years of research experiences and contributions to science have been dedicated to rigorous methodology using community engagement approaches to advance health equity through research and practice. Her research focuses on advancing science toward the elimination of women’s health inequities taking a multi-sectoral and multi-level translational research approach. Additionally, her research explores the integration of technology to advance women’s health and provides easy access to women’s health care. Dr. Hernandez is an R01 NIH funded researcher who has obtained diverse extramural funding to develop multiple lines of research. Most recently, she is the Principal Investigator of the inaugural NIH Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence focused on Black Maternal Behavioral Health. She is the founding Director of the MSM Center for Maternal Health Equity and has laid the groundwork for research in maternal health by establishing partnerships with local and national organizations dedicated to maternal morbidity and mortality disparities, evaluating maternal health interventions and programs, and validating effective measures of maternal mental health, medical mistrust, and psychosocial factors. She has received numerous awards for her research and dedication to community and sits on local and national maternal health organizations including but not limited to Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee and Georgia PRAMS Steering Committee. Dr. Hernandez has presented her work at various international, national, state and local conferences.

Thomas Johnson

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Thomas Johnson is the Executive Director of ASAP 340B. A native of Washington, DC, he brings 30 years of professional experience in the health care, nonprofit and association management space.

Mr. Johnson served for nine years as President and CEO of Medicaid Health Plans of America (“MHPA”), a trade association representing health plans in the Medicaid business. In his role at MHPA, he led advocacy efforts involving the Affordable Care Act, as well as other policy issues affecting the Medicaid managed care industry. Mr. Johnson was President and CEO of the DC Hospital Association. Mr. Johnson also served as the Vice President of Compliance and External Affairs with DC Chartered Health Plan, a Medicaid health plan in Washington, DC, and as Senior Advisor to the Gorman Health Group, a consulting firm focused on assisting government-sponsored health plans. Mr. Johnson was also a staff Director with the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and legislative director with the Medical Society of the District of Columbia.

Mr. Johnson has also served on a number of boards and commissions. He is currently the Chair of the Board of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Other boards he has served on include the DC Prisoners Legal Services Project, the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, and the DC Association of Health Maintenance Organizations.

Mia Keeys, M.A., Dr.P.H.(c)

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Mia Keeys is a writer, poet, and speaker on topics involving health equity, Congressional health policy, women’s health, and health innovations/artificial intelligence. She is the Director of Federal Affairs at Hologic, Inc.—the women’s health and innovation company—and was formerly the Chief of Staff and Health Policy Advisor to Congresswoman Robin L. Kelly. Mia also previously served as the inaugural Director of Health Equity Policy & Advocacy of the American Medical Association.

In April 2017, The National Minority Quality Forum recognized Mia as a 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health. Mia has been a Kaiser Family Foundation Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholar; a Fellow for the City of Philadelphia in the Deputy Mayor’s Office for Health and Opportunity; an HIV/AIDS researcher in South Africa; and a TedX speaker. Mia was also a U.S. Fulbright Fellow to Indonesia, where she lived and worked in various teaching, public health service, and research capacities for three years, while simultaneously learning the national language, Bahasa Indonesian.

Mia holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Psychology from Cheyney University, and a Master of Arts degree in Medical Sociology from Vanderbilt University, where she was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow through Meharry Medical College. She is currently a doctoral candidate of The Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University—her dissertation is about the intersection of health equity, policy, and innovation. She is also a creative non-fiction writer, with training from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Mia is originally from Philadelphia, PA and calls Washington, D.C., home. She is mother to one son.

Michael G. Knight, M.D., MSHP, Dipl. ABOM

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Michael G. Knight, MD, MSHP, Dipl. ABOM is an Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine physician and the Head of Services at IMPaCT Care, a company that supports healthcare organizations by delivering the most widely used, evidence-based community health worker model in the United States that improves health outcomes by addressing health inequity and the social determinants of health. He is also a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. He completed undergraduate studies at Oakwood University, and attended the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. He completed residency at New York Presbyterian–Weill Cornell Medical Center, and was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed a Masters in Health Policy Research. Dr. Knight is board certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. He currently practices clinically in the GW Weight Management Clinic, where he works with a multidisciplinary team to provide medical weight management through nutrition, physical activity, and medication management. Dr. Knight has been a featured medical expert on radio, television, and in print news media, and routinely speaks at events internationally and throughout the United States. Dr. Knight serves on the National Medical Association Board of Trustees, and is the founder and president of the Renewing Health Foundation. Dr. Knight has received numerous awards for his professional and clinical practice, including the American Medical Association Foundation Leadership Award, Washingtonian Magazine’s Top Doctors Award, and the Top 40 Under 40 Leaders in Health Award by the National Minority Quality Forum.

Leonard “Len” Marquez

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As senior director of government relations and legislative advocacy at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Len Marquez serves as the primary contact for congressional staff and legislators and is the lead association advocate on such issues as Graduate Medical Education (GME), Medicare and Medicaid payments, and the physician workforce. Prior to joining the AAMC in 2009, Mr. Marquez gained more than 15 years of experience in government relations at the Cleveland Clinic and The MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Ohio, and in the office of U.S. Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) in Washington, D.C. Mr. Marquez holds a B.A. in communication from Xavier University and an M.A. in journalism and public affairs from American University. Len resides in Potomac Falls, Virginia with his wife, Jennifer and their three daughters.

Gregorio Millett, M.P.H.

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Gregorio (Greg) Millett is a Vice President at amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, and the Director of amfAR’s Public Policy Office. Mr. Millett is a former senior scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as a former Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Domestic Policy Council where he helped author President Obama’s original National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

Mr. Millett is a nationally recognized expert in racial disparities who is credited with helping to expose the fundamental drivers behind HIV- and COVID-related health inequities. He has multiple first author publications in top medical, public health and policy journals, including  JAMA, Lancet, BMJ, Health Affairs, and AJPH, and has published with Dr. Anthony Fauci. Mr. Millett’s scientific achievements have been referenced in a range of publications from the National Academy of Sciences to the New York Times to amicus curiae briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In early 2020, Mr. Millett and his team provided the first national overview of COVID-19’s impact on Black and Latinx communities. These research findings were widely reported across print and televised media, including CNN, MSNBC, and Washington Post, and quoted by Dr. Ibram Kendi during the May 27, 2020 Ways and Means Committee’s hearing on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, Congressional hearings that aimed to remedy COVID-19 health inequities.

Mr. Millett is a former Congressional Black Caucus Fellow. He is an alumnus of Dartmouth College and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Edith Peterson Mitchell, M.D., MACP (London)

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Edith Peterson Mitchell, M.D., MACP, FCPP, FRCP (London), is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and is Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine and Medical Oncology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Associate Director for Diversity Programs, Director of the Center to Eliminate Cancer Disparities, and Enterprise Vice President for Cancer Disparities at Jefferson Health’s Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.

Dr. Mitchell has spent her medical career helping individuals in medically underserved areas and has demonstrated the importance of community service and outreach especially to underserved populations. Her research in breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancers and other GI malignancies involves new drug evaluation and chemotherapy,

development of new therapeutic regimens, chemoradiation strategies for combined modality therapy, patient selection criteria and supportive care for patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Dr. Mitchell served as the 116th President of the National Medical Association, is a member of the American Medical Association, National Medical Association, Aerospace Medical Association, Association of Military Surgeons, Medical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania, ECOG/ACRIN Cancer Research Group, and Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. Because of her experience in the cancer research community Dr. Mitchell served as a member of the NCI’s Blue Ribbon Panel convened to advise the National Cancer Advisory Board on then Vice President Biden’s National Cancer Moonshot Initiative. In 2019, Dr. Mitchell began service as a member of the President’s Cancer Panel and in 2020 she became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.

Among her many honors, Dr. Mitchell was awarded the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Control Award for her significant commitment to research, education, and diversity. She has received the 2010 National Cancer Care Physician of the Year Award, the 2011 Practitioner of the Year Award by the Philadelphia County Medical Society, and the 2012 Humanitarian Practitioner Award by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In 2013 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., was inducted into the National Historical Black College Hall of Fame, and also received the Octavius Catto Award for community service in the City of Philadelphia. In 2016, Dr. Mitchell was selected as the Historically Black College Alumnus of the Year and in 2017, she was inducted as an Honorary Member of the American Society for Radiation Oncology. In 2018, she received the Jefferson Health Achievement Award in Medicine and in 2019 the Ultimate Solution Award from Philadelphia Life Sciences, the Distinguished Citizen Award from Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and was honored by the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine with their Well-Being Award. In 2020 she was an honoree for the United Negro College Fund’s Mayor’s Masked Ball. In 2021 she was the Tennessee State University Black History Month Alumni Honoree and the recipient of the AACR-Minorities in Cancer Research Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship Award. In 2023 she was named recipient of the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s Distinguished Service Award.

In addition to her medical achievements, Dr. Mitchell is a retired United States Air Force Brigadier General, the first woman physician ever promoted to this rank.

Marc A. Nivet, Ed.D., M.B.A.

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Marc A. Nivet, Ed.D., M.B.A., has served as the Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement at UT Southwestern Medical Center since September 2016. A nationally renowned thought leader and highly regarded change agent, Dr. Nivet leads an extensive team which works to elevate awareness, improve engagement, and build relationships to advance the academic medical center’s mission. He is currently a full professor at UT Southwestern Medical School in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Dr. Nivet has spent over 25 years in academic medicine, developing creative program initiatives and innovative approaches in support of research, medical education, and patient care. Prior to his role at UT Southwestern, Dr. Nivet was Chief Diversity Officer for the Association of American Medical Colleges, consulting with medical schools and teaching hospitals on community engagement, diversity, and health equity. He also served as the COO and Treasurer for the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, which aligns workforce training with the dynamic needs of patients.

Dr. Nivet earned his Doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania and his Master of Business Administration degree with a focus on health care management from George Washington University’s School of Business. His research, teaching, and professional focus are informed by a personal commitment to improving health and eradicating health disparities in underserved communities.

He currently serves academic medicine on a variety of national boards and commissions and as a volunteer leader in local civil and business organizations.

Frank North, Pharm.D., M.P.A.

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Frank North, Pharm.D., M.P.A., R.Ph. is an Instructional Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, and is National President of the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA). He earned the Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Texas Southern University (TSU) in Houston, Texas.

He is a licensed pharmacist, registered in Texas and the District of Columbia and is certified in pharmacist immunization-delivery, Point-Of-Care-Testing, and Medication Therapy Management. Frank obtained a B.S. in Biology and M.P.A. from TSU, and a Certificate of Business Entrepreneurship – Technology Transfer. Dr. North worked as a community pharmacy technician then pharmacist, hospital pharmacist and founded Frank North and Associates, LLC.

Dr. North served the Texas Pharmacy Association (TPA) Board of Directors and serves the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists JEDI Task Force, American Pharmacists Association (APhA) House of Delegates – NPhA Delegate. He has completed the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacist Diplomate Pharmacy Leadership Academy, the American Society for Pharmacy and Law Diplomate program, the Houston Black Leadership Institute, Higher Education Leadership Foundation Institute, and ASHP/University of Kentucky Teaching Certificate for Pharmacists. Dr. North is a life member of NPhA, Phi Delta Chi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Dr. North is currently completing the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Urban Higher Education at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. His mission and purpose are to achieve and maintain just and equitable representation among underrepresented minoritized groups with emphasis on African Americans/Blacks and Black men. He is a 4th generation Houston, graduate of Houston’s first high school to education Black students, Booker T. Washington, a recipient of the TAMU IPER Teaching Excellence Award, TPA Distinguished Service Award, and Houston Business Journal’s 2022 40 under 40 Award.

Harold J. Phillips, III, M.R.P.

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As the director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, which is part of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Mr. Phillips coordinates the continuing efforts of the government to reduce the number of HIV infections across the United States. In addition, he oversees the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and guides the administration’s HIV/AIDS policies across federal agencies. The office emphasizes prevention through wide-ranging education initiatives and assists in coordinating the care and treatment of citizens with HIV/AIDS.

The Office of National AIDS Policy coordinates with the National Security Council and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator at the Department of State, working with international bodies to fully integrate America’s response to the global pandemic with other prevention, care, and treatment efforts around the world.

Sheila Pradia-Williams, R.Ph., M.B.A.

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Sheila Pradia-Williams is the Deputy Associate Administrator in the Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services, where she provides overarching leadership alongside the BHW Associate Administrator.

Before assuming her role in June 2022, Ms. Pradia-Williams was the Director for BHW’s Office of Strategy, Programs, and Partnerships, where she led implementation of strategic priorities and programs funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.

Ms. Pradia-Williams has a passion for HRSA’s mission to improve health and achieve health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative programs.  She previously served in leadership roles within BHW and its predecessor bureaus and with HRSA’s HIV/AIDS bureau.

Over the span of her 28-year career as an officer in the U. S. Public Health Service, Ms. Pradia-Williams served in positions across the Department. She helped to coordinate and plan the confirmations of the Assistant Secretary of Health and Surgeon General, and managed the regulatory process for blood and biological products within the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Review at the Food and Drug Administration.

Before joining the federal workforce, Ms. Pradia-Williams was a hospital pharmacist at George Washington University Hospital. She holds degrees in Biochemistry and Pharmacy from Xavier University of New Orleans and a Masters of Business Administration from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland.

Joan Y. Reede, M.S., M.P.H., M.B.A.

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Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership; Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Professor of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Dr. Reede has a lifelong passion for mentoring and supporting diversity in the biosciences. She is responsible for the development and management of a comprehensive program that provides leadership, guidance, and support to promote the increased recruitment, retention, and advancement of underrepresented minority faculty.

While at HMS, Joan created more than 20 diversity and leadership-focused programs, including founding the HMS Minority Faculty Development Program and the Biomedical Science Careers Program. Before joining Harvard, she served as the medical director of a Boston community health center and worked as a pediatrician in community and academic health centers, juvenile prisons, and public schools. She has held many advisory roles, serving on the HHS Advisory Committee on Minority Health and the Secretary’s Advisory Committee to the Director of NIH. Dr. Reede is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Reede graduated from Brown University and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She holds an M.P.H. and an M.S. in Health Policy Management from Harvard T. H. Chan School, and an MBA from Boston University.

Orriel Richardson

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Orriel L. Richardson, Esq., MPH is Vice President of Health Equity and Policy at Morgan Health.

Richardson is a health care policy expert and attorney licensed to practice in Maryland and Washington, DC.

Previously, Richardson served as professional staff and health counsel for the Committee on Ways and Means Majority, U.S. House of Representatives where she was the architect of the Committee’s racial and health equity initiatives. While on the Hill, her policy portfolio included Medicare Advantage, end-stage renal disease, Medicare program integrity, and health technology.

During her career, Richardson has gained health care expertise across academia and local, state, and federal levels of government, formerly working at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the Office of the General Counsel for the District of Columbia’s Department of Health Care Finance; the George Washington (GW) University School of Public Health; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; the State of Louisiana Office of Public Health; and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.

Since 2018 she has been a Professorial Lecturer of Health Policy and Management in the Milken School of Public Health at GW University.

In 2021, the National Minority Quality forum awarded her with the Congressional Staff Leadership Award after recognizing her in 2020 as a “40 Under 40” Minority Leader in Health.

Richardson received a Bachelor of Science (BS) in biology/pre-medicine from Howard University, a Master of Public Health (MPH) in health systems management from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and law degree from the GW Law School where she also earned a graduate certificate in International Human Rights Law from New College, University of Oxford.

Senator Bernie Sanders

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Bernie Sanders is serving his third term in the U.S. Senate after winning re-election in 2018. His previous 16 years in the House of Representatives make him the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history.

Born in 1941 in Brooklyn, Sanders attended James Madison High School, Brooklyn College and the University of Chicago. After graduating in 1964, he moved to Vermont. In 1981, he was elected (by 10 votes) to the first of four terms as mayor of Burlington. Sanders lectured at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and at Hamilton College in upstate New York before his 1990 election as Vermont’s at-large member in Congress.

The Almanac of American Politics calls Sanders a “practical and successful legislator.” Throughout his career he has focused on the shrinking American middle class and the growing income and wealth gaps in the United States. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Sanders in 2014 passed legislation reforming the VA health care system. Congressional Quarterly said he was able “to bridge Washington’s toxic partisan divide and cut one of the most significant deals in years.”

Today, Sanders remains on the veterans committee and was tapped by Senate leadership to be the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. He also serves on the Environment and Public Works Committee, where he has focused on global warming and rebuilding our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. He is a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where he has championed efforts to transform our energy system from fossil fuels to renewable power sources like solar and wind. He also sits on the Senate Budget Committee, which he was chairman of last Congress, and led the committee’s fight against corporate greed.

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

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B. Cameron Webb is a physician, lawyer and public health expert who works at the intersection of health and social justice. He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Public Health Science at the University of Virginia, where he works as a hospitalist in the Department of Medicine and serves as Director of Health Policy and Equity through the University’s Department of Public Health Science. An experienced federal health policy advisor, Webb first served across the Obama and Trump Administrations as a White House Fellow in 2016-17, and later was appointed as a Senior Advisor in the White House Office of COVID-19 Response. In his years of service in the White House, his portfolios have ranged from social justice efforts—such as President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative—to advising on public health policy, access to care and prescription drug pricing. Dr. Webb is a passionate champion for health equity and is committed to advocating for the health needs of underserved and marginalized communities. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Doctors for America, the National Medical Association’s Board of Trustees, and on the Virginia Board of Medical Assistance Services—the Commonwealth’s Medicaid Board. He received a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies as an Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia, a J.D. and health law certificate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and an M.D. from Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Lanita White, Pharm.D.

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Dr. Lanita S. White joined the Community Health Centers of Arkansas (CHCA), Inc. as Chief Executive Officer in 2022. CHCA is the state’s Primary Care Association supporting Arkansas’s Federally Qualified Health Centers/Community Health Centers. The community health centers under her purview make up the largest primary care group in the state, caring for over a quarter of a million Arkansans. Dr. White previously served at the University of Arkansas for Medical

Sciences (UAMS)College of Pharmacy as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice in Little Rock, Arkansas. Immediately before assuming the position of Assistant Dean, she was the inaugural Director of the UAMS 12th Street Health and Wellness Clinic.

She graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans in 2006 with a PharmD degree.  After graduation, Dr. White completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and a PGY2 Ambulatory Care Specialty Residency at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) in Little Rock. She served as the full-time clinical pharmacist in the Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic at the VA and Clinical Assistant Professor at the UAMS College of Pharmacy from July 2008 to July 2012.

Dr. White is a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), a board member of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association, a board member of the National Pharmaceutical Association, and a Past President of the Arkansas Association of Health-System Pharmacists (AAHP). She is the Immediate Past President of the Arkansas Medical, Dental, and Pharmaceutical Association (AMDPA). AMDPA is the state’s only interprofessional medical organization serving physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and other terminal degree medical professionals.

In 2013, Dr. White was invited for induction into the Rho Chi National Honor Society. In 2014, she was awarded the Chancellors Award for Diversity and Inclusion and, in 2015, was recognized as a UAMS Phenomenal Woman. In 2016, she was a finalist for the Arkansas Business Health Care Heroes Award in Innovation. She was awarded the Dr. Joycelyn Elders Living Legend Award by the Arkansas Medical, Dental, and Pharmaceutical Association (AMDPA). She became the first pharmacist and female to serve as President of the National Student-Run Free Clinics Faculty Association, a national interprofessional faculty association. She was awarded the 2017–2018 UAMS Chancellor’s Award for Society and Health Education Excellence, the highest award given at the university. She was appointed in 2018 by the Governor of Arkansas to the State Employees Health and Life Insurance State Board.

Dr. White’s research interests include social determinants of health and health literacy and the impact on overall health and wellness and how interprofessional education and collaboration can improve patient outcomes. She also has a deep interest in diverse healthcare workforce pipeline creation and sustainability.