Speakers
Melanie Adams
Program Director of Friends of the Children-Chicago
Melanie Adams, Program Director of Friends of the Children-Chicago, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Northern Illinois University. She earned her Master of Education degree with an emphasis on Youth Development Leadership from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and was trained in Mediation and Conflict Resolution at Northwestern University – School of Professional Studies. Ms. Adams is dedicated to uplifting the community through youth development, family enrichment and education. Her mission is to share her gifts of intellection, optimism, and inclusiveness to cultivate self-awareness in the lives of children and families. She has previously served as a College Coach, Foster Care Family Worker, Lead Teacher and Mentor. Through the lens of a culturally responsive leader, her aim is to impact lives by encouraging self-respect, introspection, and empowerment. Ms. Adams strives to build meaningful relationships with her youth and families and is guided by the words of the inspiring Dr. Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Prior to assuming the role of Program Director, Melanie was a Professional Mentor and Program Manager at Friends of the Children-Chicago.
Jeremy Allen, MPA
Assistant Lecturer, Sociology PhD candidate, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Jeremy Allen is an Assistant Lecturer and Sociology PhD candidate at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale who specializes in race, specifically structural racism. Jeremy has taught Sociology 108: Introduction to Sociology, Sociology 215: Race and Ethnic Relations in the U.S. and Sociology 303: Sociology of Deviance, and has provided multiple speaking engagements to further the knowledge and awareness of the same content. He is set apart from other subject matter experts in that he not only utilizes his academic training in stratification, race, criminology, research methods, and analysis, but also incorporates his decades of lived experience; having lived both in the United States and UK, he utilizes his experience to further reinforce the uniqueness of race and ethnic relations in the US. As an educator and presenter, Jeremy does not seek to make content palatable, but rather creates opportunities for learners to incorporate new perspectives into their own worldview, to replace misinformation with historical accuracies, and to recognize and question systemic racism.
Mosilda Asanji, PhD
Director, Dean’s Office – College of Nursing, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Dr. Mosilda Asanji is a higher education professional with extensive experience in departmental operations and management and will enhance operations in the Dean’s Office related to partnership activities, nursing accreditation and regulatory affairs, public relations and communications, grants, and back-office operations.
Mosilda previously worked at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, where she managed faculty hiring, onboarding, and development, and served as the liaison between the faculty senate and the leadership team. Prior to that, she had oversight of departmental operations at North Park University in Chicago, working with several healthcare agencies maintaining clinical partnerships, handling faculty evaluations, supporting accreditation activities, and serving as the conduit between the School of Nursing, the university, and the public at large.
Dr. Asanji earned a PhD in Leadership in Higher Education in 2022 from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her research focused on practitioner faculty perception of preparedness to teach in the wake of COVID-19. Additionally, she earned an MBA and BA in Organizational Management from North Park University, and a BA in Mass Communication from the University of Yaoundé II in Cameroon.
Most recently, she has been instrumental in the successful launch of the Nursing INSPIRE program overseeing logistics and coordinating program activities with faculty, staff, local hospitals, institutions of higher learning, Lake County Workforce Development and Lake County Board of Health.
Dr. Asanji enjoys research, writing, public speaking, and traveling. She is fluent in French.
Todd Belcore
Executive Director, Social Change
Todd Belcore is a six-time national award-winning lawyer, mediator, advocate, law lecturer and non-profit co-founder with over 20 years of experience fighting for economic, social, and racial equity worldwide. Todd is the Executive Director of Social Change-a national non-profit committed to liberation, amplifying community voices, and disrupting legacies of systemic injustice through storytelling, organizing, and direct action. In addition to the disruptive liberation work Todd engages in at Social Change, Todd also consults organizations, businesses, and government entities on ways to ensure their modus operandi promotes economic, social, and racial equity inside and outside of the workplace. Todd also makes an impact in the equity space by mediating disputes (resolving everything from small claims in the courts to claims of discrimination against large financial firms) and teaching students how to transform systems to make them equity-centered via a class entitled, “The New Jim Crow” (taught at Northwestern Law and University of Chicago Law School).
To date, Todd has been able to:
- Lead or assist in efforts to pass 30 measures in multiple states relating to policing, prison reform, increasing government transparency and accountability, equity in the cannabis industry, and access to justice, well-paying jobs, housing, education, and business ownership
- Provide legal assistance to over 1,000 men and women
- Train over 1,000 attorneys, advocates, and community members nationwide on their civil rights (and how to protect them), how to impact the systems that impact their lives, and how to access the new legal remedies advocated for by Social Change and beyond that increase access to justice, opportunity and business ownership
- Write various works relating to promoting equity and increasing access to justice and opportunity that have been published in places like the Huffington Post and the White House blog
- Host 14 International Social Change Film Festivals enjoyed by over 10,000 worldwide.
As a result of Todd’s commitment to transforming lives and communities, he has received 23 honors, including the ABA’s National Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year and the White House’s Champion of Change.
Marc Bell
Retired Master Sergeant, Illinois State Police
Marc E. Bell is a retired Illinois State Police Master Sergeant with 29 years of dedicated service. He was born in Chicago and graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and Chicago State University. Marc was the 2018 Democratic Nominee for State Representative of the Illinois 99th District. He was a 2020 Gubernatorial Appointee to the Illinois Gaming Board. Marc is an executive board member for the Land of Lincoln Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Dollhouse Project Corporation. He is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and has been president of the Mu Delta Lambda Chapter three times. Marc was the first and current president of the Mu Delta Lambda Charitable Foundation (MDLCF) which was established in 2007 to promote higher education, healthful living and affordable housing. After several of our fraternity members were stricken with serious health issues Marc established the “Take Your Butt to the Doctor” health initiative. This initiative encourages men to have yearly checkups and to be screened for potentially life threatening diseases.
Obari Cartman, Ph.D.
President, Chicago Association of Black Psychologists
Dr. Cartman is a father, son, brother, uncle, thinker, writer, therapist, photographer, drummer, and grassroots mental health advocate. He is a Chicago native, where his cultural and educational foundations were cultivated by several African-centered institutions. He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Hampton University and a Ph.D in clinical & community psychology from Georgia State University. His recent work includes being a trauma focused clinician, restorative justice coach and program evaluator with H.E.LP., LLC (Healing Empowering and Learning Professions).
Dr. Cartman has served as a professor of psychology at Georgia State University and the Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies at Northeastern University. Dr. Cartman recently created a male rites of passage curriculum called MANifest that is being implemented in juvenile detention centers, schools and other community settings across the country. Dr. Cartman is the former program director for Real Men Charities, Inc. where for three years he facilitated weekly men’s wellness and African drumming circles and was the associate editor of the South Side Drive magazine. Dr. Cartman is the current President of the Chicago Association of Black Psychologists and curator of a directory of Black mental health providers. He is also currently a national training coordinator for CARES Mentoring organization.
As a consultant Dr. Cartman facilitates trainings for adults and workshops with youth about maintaining good mental health, critical analysis of hip-hop and media, racial and cultural identity, developing authentic manhood, and healthy relationships. Learn more: www.DrObariCartman.com
Lisa Cotner, MS
Grant Compliance Specialist, Illinois Department of Public Health
Lisa Cotner is a Grant Compliance Specialist at the Illinois Department of Public Health with over 10 years of experience managing grants for state government agencies. Previously, she worked for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as the Chief Accountability Officer where she participated in the working groups that developed the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act Administrative Rules. In her current role, she assists IDPH grant managers and grantees with technical issues in the EGrAMS system, acts as the subject matter expert on Indirect Cost Rates, and has been instrumental in the recent development in grant management standard operating procedures. Lisa has a Master’s Degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana and a Grant Management Certificate from Management Concepts. She lives in Niles, Illinois with her husband and two young daughters, Aubrey and Eleanor. On her free time, she enjoys hiking, bicycling, and taking the kids to nature centers and visiting the zoo.
Aneela Dean
Trauma Release Facilitator
Aneela has been guiding clients for over several decades in releasing trauma. Using untherapy methods: breathwork, somatic/yogic body movements, sound, The Silva Method, and Introspective Hypnosis, Gong Reiki, Astrology, Akashic Records, Intuitive Coaching, and Guided Meditation as well as leading TRHT racial healing circle and co-creating community agreements for communities and organizations. These modalities are designed to take you deeper into deeper levels of your mind and body to clear out old, outdated programming that is slowing down your creativity, prosperity, and abundance. A transition in life such as the end of a career and or career path, the end of a relationship, the death of a parent or partner, the end of a career phase, completion of a life cycle are all gateways to your Evolution Portal. You are ready to birth a higher version of yourself. Humanity is evolving the work of returning to our own individual wholeness is the crucial key to our collective evolution. Aneela began her career in the IT corporate world, working with many Fortune 500 companies. A career that began with helping people understand their needs and facilitating the best solutions. After 20 years in corporate, she moved forward to understand the human body and trauma, and the journey of helping people continues.
Sydney Edmond, MHA
Projects Administrator, Office of Health Equity in All Policies, Chicago Department of Public Health
Sydney Edmond (she/her) is a social justice advocate who leads cross-sector initiatives to eliminate health and racial inequities. She is part of the Health Equity in All Policies team at the Chicago Department of Public Health where she works with partners to embed equity into decision-making and practices. Her expertise in racial justice, health equity, community care practices, and process improvement provides her with the foundation to create systems change through community-government partnerships. Sydney earned a master’s degree in health administration from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In her spare time, Sydney embraces creativity by expressing herself through various art forms.
Macy Ferguson, LCSW
Senior Advisor – DEI/Health Equity Behavioral Health Therapist, Quincy Medical Group
Macy received her Bachelor of Science degree from Culver-Stockton College in 2013 and her Master of Social Work degree from Saint Louis University in 2017 with an emphasis on providing quality care to diverse populations. Macy has experience in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). She is currently working toward certification from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to serve the transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming population.
Macy is an inclusive and affirming therapist who values the client and their therapeutic relationship. She has experience in treating adolescents, those within emerging adulthood, and the adult population. Her areas of interest include: the LGBTQ+ community and other historically excluded populations, mood/anxiety disorders, and student-athletes.
Luanna Flagg
Community Health Worker, Quincy Medical Group
Coming from Chicago where social determinants of health are highly recognized, Luanna knew she wanted to help individuals become the best healthiest version of themselves. With knowing this, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Education and Sociology. After receiving her Bachelors, she received her Master of Public Health (MPH) from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale with an emphasis in Health Education revolving around social determinants of health, maternal health, sexual health, health equity, and working around all topics revolving women’s health. Luanna is passionate about serving others and teaching individuals about the different types of behaviors that can promote health and wellness and identify preventable diseases/situations which led to her becoming a community healthcare worker at Quincy Medical Group to address social determinants of health along with eliminating health disparities. Luanna enjoys developing strategies to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities.
Wayne Fricks
Assistant Pastor, No Cross No Crown Fellowship Church On The Move
Michael Gaines, MPA
Correction Coordinator, Division of Infectious Diseases HIV/AIDS Section , Illinois Department of Public Health
Michael Gaines is the Correction Coordinator for the Division of Infectious Diseases HIV/AIDS Section with Illinois Department of Public Health. He reviews and creates literature for best practices around the state associated with linkage to care from correctional facilities to HIV Care. Assess current status of how local jails deal with HIV care upon release. To ensures compliance of State and Federal laws associated with HIV with correctional facilities and county jails. Michael Gaines received his bachelor’s in criminal justice from Grambling State University, Louisiana and his Masters in Public Administration at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Michael Gaines also serves as past Board Members for Illinois Literacy Volunteers, Executive member of Springfield NAACP, the Springfield Boys and Girls Club and Springfield Urban League. Michael is also a mentor and Board member with the Youth Service Bureau. Michael has been awarded Community Re-entry Campion, and Outstanding work in the field of Correction re-entry with his work with Illinois Department of Correction, the Forty under Forty-Leadership Award from the Springfield Business Journal, Springfield Citizens Award from Springfield Visitors Bureau and the Walk the Talk award form Men against Violent Crimes against Women.
Tara Gill, PhD
Psychologist, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Tara Gill is a psychologist at an academic medical center and has provided clinical, community, and research focused work for over 15 years. Specifically, in youth voice and workforce development, she has worked in community engaged and hospital focused youth development for over ten years. Dr. Gill’s work focuses on school mental health, empowerment of youth voice, and advocacy for equity and reduction of health disparities.
Her early career development was marked by working with high school and undergraduate students at a historically black university on a National Institute of Mental Health training grant. In this experience, she guided two cohorts of both age groups in conducting research and navigating a pathway toward a career in STEM and to achieve their doctorate in those fields.
While at Lurie Children’s, Dr. Gill has worked with a youth civic organization to cultivate youth participatory action research skills, guiding youth to serve as co-investigators in COVID-19 research of youth experiences during the pandemic, developing a youth-centered presentation on trauma, and teaching mental health awareness. Lastly, within Lurie’s workforce development framework, Dr. Gill and colleagues have utilized the HEAL Program to introduce youth to skill building experiences in preparation for working in healthcare, while also identifying ways in which knowledge about mental health and public health can enhance their success. Throughout these experiences a common thread has been serving youth-serving institutions who prioritize working with minoritized youth and equipping them with tools to foster resilience despite systemic barriers that typically impact BIPOC healthcare providers, patients, and families.
Joe Golden, MPH
Program Coordinator, St. Ambrose University
Joe Golden is a recent graduate of the Master of Public Health program at St. Ambrose where he interned with a local organization, the Project of the Quad Cities. He continues to work on a number of projects including publishing a qualitative report on LGBTQ+ health needs and assisting with a systematic review on gun violence prevention. Joe is keen to continue working with community health initiatives. He is currently the Program Coordinator for the MPH Program at St. Ambrose University.
Whitney Greger, MPH
CHES Director of Wellness & Health Promotion, Champaign-Urbana Public Health Dept.
Whitney currently holds the position of Director of Wellness & Health Promotion at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District in Champaign, IL. With a wealth of experience, she showcases commitment to community well-being and health equity. Her primary role is to implement health education programs aimed at addressing vital public health issues while ensuring accessibility and equitable distribution of resources. In her leadership role, Whitney plays a pivotal part in molding the community health landscape, with a specific emphasis on ensuring health services and education are accessible to all members of the Champaign-Urbana community. Her work not only makes a substantial and lasting impact on the health and well-being of the area but also prioritizes health equity, ensuring that people and communities facing barriers and made vulnerable by inadequate systems and policies have equal opportunities to access essential health resources and information.
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Ph.D.
Researcher, Education Development Center
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, PhD, is an evaluator and researcher specializing in community-engaged and participatory approaches. She has collaborated with diverse organizations and community partners across Chicago to conduct mixed-methods research, culturally responsive and developmental evaluations, program development and coordination, community health assessments, and dissemination. Dr. Hernandez leads evaluation projects that focus on evaluation capacity building and improving equity in health and education. Her recent areas of work include substance use services and recovery, trauma-informed work, and health equity in education.
Jose Iniguez, Ph.D., LSW, LCPC, NCC, CADC, BC-TMH, CGIP, MBA
Program Director, Pilsen Wellness Center
Hello/Hola! I am a bilingual/bicultural (Spanish/English) Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). I completed my Bachelor of Science in Family Social Services and Master of Science in Education with an emphasis in Counseling (school and clinical) from Northern Illinois University (DeKalb), a Master of Education (Higher Education) from Loyola University at Chicago, a PhD in Community Psychology and Master of Business Administration from National-Louis University, and a Master of Social Work (clinical) from University of Illinois at Chicago from the Jane Addams College of Social Work. I am also a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), a Certified Grief Informed Professional (CGIP), and the Board Certified – Telemental Health Provider (BC-TMH). I practice from the perspective that humans have the capacity to change by processing and understanding their everyday challenges that can lead to center themselves to make better life decisions. Empathy, Love, Respect, Acknowledgment, and Openness are some key words to support each individual during their process to develop a healthy life style by facing their challenges. I believe that each individual should take over their own process with the support of a therapist who will provide the empathy, love, space, and support/challenge to offer a healthy way to change. I am a psychotherapist who provides interventions from a person-center approach and trauma-informed perspective. I am an experienced clinician with over fourteen years working with children, adolescents and adults through individual/family/couples/ and group psychotherapy. I endorse and support working with the Undocumented/Immigrant community, people who identify as first generation in the United States, and LGBTQ+ community (I received a Certificate of Graduate Study-LGBT Studies from Northern Illinois University).
Rev. Nilsa Irizarry
Senior Equity Officer, Office of Racial Equity and Belonging, Chicago Department of Public Health
Rev. Nilsa Irizarry (she/her/Ella) is a faith-based, human rights activist, and a passionate leader in public health and social services with two decades of experience working with complex communicable disease prevention and control programs. She serves as the Chicago Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) first Senior Equity Officer and oversees the Office of Racial Equity and Belonging. Her office has partnered with staff across the department and manages the CDPH’s first-ever Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP) project aimed at improving racial equity outcomes in each department’s core work. She is cultivating an intentional culture of belonging, promoting civility, and centering employee holistic well-being in the workplace. Rev. Nilsa holds a Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary. She is an ordained clergywoman with Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) and a volunteer associate pastor at Church4Me, MCC, Chicago. As a jewelry artist, she creates necklaces and earrings as a faith practice—pieces that dance with the spirit, and to bring joy to others. The loves of her life are her three adult children and six grandchildren. She values sharing cultural traditions, creating memories, and building a legacy of service with them.
Robert Jelks, Sr.
Bob was born in Decatur, IL on June 10th, 1945. He’s a lifelong Decatur resident who graduated from Stephen Decatur Highschool in 1963 as a three-sport athlete: Football, Basketball, and Track. Bob has been married to his wife Wanda for 57 years and has 2 kids Bob Jelks Jr. and Christopher Lamont. Bob is a prostate cancer survivor since 1997 and prostate cancer advocate since 2000. Bob is a Hospice Volunteer for 8 years now and Chaplain Volunteer for 5 years. He has been involved in the prison ministry at Graham Correction Center in Hillsboro, IL for 5 years.
M. Omar Khaium
PhD candidate, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
M. Omar Khaium is presently engaged in the pursuit of a Ph.D. in Community Health and Preventive Medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds a Master of Public Health degree from Birmingham City University. His research interests are preventable diseases and mental health conditions, their associated risk factors, and their impact, primarily among children. In addition, he has conducted extensive research on COVID-19 and post-COVID conditions, with a focus on disease burden, progression, and associated effects.
Sandra Larson, PhD, CRNA, APRN, FAANA
Founding Dean, College of Nursing, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Dr. Sandra Larson is Founding Dean of the College of Nursing and Vice President for Clinical Partnerships at Rosalind Franklin University (RFU). She is a nurse and policy analyst with expertise in nursing practice, nursing education, higher-education administration, partnership development, and scope of practice regulation. She joined RFU in 2011 as the Chair, Program Director of the Department of Nurse Anesthesia and prior to her current role, served as Vice President for Partnerships. In 2018, she led the President’s Nursing Task Force that recommended the university’s future strategy for nursing.
She earned her BSN from the University of Illinois in 1979, MSN in Nurse Anesthesia from Rush University in 1983, and PhD in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Illinois in 2004. Her clinical expertise includes nearly 35 years of full-time practice, first as an intensive care nurse and later as a nurse anesthetist, in both major academic medical centers and community hospitals.
In 2021, her research contributions to cardiac anesthesia, safety in nurse anesthesia practice, and scope of practice regulation earned her the distinction of being selected for the inaugural group of Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. She is the first nurse anesthetist to lead author research published in the Journal of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Anesthesia and findings of this research contributed to the nation-wide transition to fast-track cardiac anesthesia techniques. In addition, Larson’s research investigation of the nearly 23 million-dollar, high-politics, lobbying campaign to influence the Opt-Out federal regulation concerning nurse anesthetists’ scope-of-practice contributed new knowledge to the social and political science literature on the role of the regulatory process in shaping how professions develop.
A major focus of her current work involves co-creating RFU’s College of Nursing with a broad network of Lake County organizations focused on building a highly-educated, diverse nursing workforce to serve Lake County, and on building an equitable, longitudinal, educational pathway to serve Lake County’s youth. Dr. Larson also serves as a member of the Lake County Board of Health and on the Lake Forest Hospital Community Engagement Advisory Council.
Chisom Madukonam, MPH, SAS
Senior Research Associate, Charleston Area Medical Center
Chisom is a former Graduate Public Service Intern for the Center for Minority Health Services at the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). She interned at IDPH while obtaining her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Illinois at Springfield. She also holds a graduate certificate in Epidemiology and a bachelor’s degree in human anatomy. She is currently working as a Senior Research Associate at the CAMC Institute for Academic Medicine. As a health researcher, her interests are in the realms of minority health, health disparities, and health outcome research.
Jennifer Martin, MSW
Injury and Violence Prevention Project Manager, Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Health Promotion, Division of Emerging Issues
Jennifer Martin, MSW, serves as the Injury and Violence Prevention Project Manager. She has coordinated unintentional and intentional injury projects for over twenty years for the Illinois Department of Public Health. Through these initiatives, Ms. Martin facilitated work around community awareness, data improvement, education, evaluation, gatekeeper training strategic planning, system change and training. She currently oversees the State Injury Prevention Project. She manages funding for the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System and State Unintentional Drug Overdoes Reporting System. Ms. Martin also oversees several nationally and state funded projects supporting firearm safety, hospital-based violence intervention, motor vehicle data linkage, and trauma response to support students and educators. Ms. Martin is the state designee to the Safe States Alliance and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Prior to her work in injury prevention, she worked in the fields of community organizing and case management. Ms. Martin received her degree in Criminal Justice from the Illinois State University and Master of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign.
Pedro X. Medina Cuevas
Oral Health CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellow, Illinois Department of Public Health
Pedro X. Medina Cuevas is a second-year Oral Health CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellow at the Illinois Department of Public Health. His academic journey includes a BS in microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Arecibo, and an MPH in epidemiology from the UPR Graduate School of Public Health. During his graduate studies, Pedro conducted research on COVID-19 and oral HPV in individuals living with and without HIV. Currently, he focuses on maintaining the Illinois Oral Health Surveillance System, analyzing opioid prescribing practices among dental professionals, and examining emergency department visit for non-traumatic dental care. In his leisure time, Pedro finds joy in hiking, traveling, and line dancing.
Tamela Milan-Alexander, MPPA
Community Engagement Director, EverThrive II
In 1997, Tamela Milan-Alexander lived in the shadow of one of Chicago’s iconic sports landmarks. Her five children were in state welfare custody. She struggled with a long-standing opioid use disorder and began another high-risk pregnancy. The LCFS Intact Family Services program provided support and ensured my pathway to reunification when I bore baby number six and entered the program. The encouragement of her infant daughter’s case manager provided and care coordination with programs like Healthy Start was the needed support for a new path. Tamela Milan-Alexander is currently the Community Engagement Director with EverThrive of IL in Chicago. Founder of Bridges to Bond LLC She completed her master’s degree in public policy and administration from National Louis University (NLU) and is pursuing a Doctorate in Community Psychology at NLU (Currently on break).
Mrs. Milan-Alexander reunited her family, moved from public housing into a townhome, and completed college and eventually a master’s degree. She has worked for 20 years in the Maternal and Child Health field as a parent advocate, peer educator, developmental screener, community health worker, and case manager. Mrs. Milan-Alexander was the first family advocate appointed to the National Healthy Start Association (NHSA) Board of Directors.
She has continued her advocacy for community equity. Ms. Milan “has been on both sides of the fence” and has learned the value of respecting the people with whom you work. Mrs. Milan-Alexander’s inspiring journey gives hope and underscores the importance that a supportive relationship with a pediatrician and community agencies can have.
Kemba Noel-London, PhD, MAT, ATC
Senior Epidemiologist, Illinois Department of Public Health
Dr. Kemba Noel-London is the Senior Epidemiologist in the state-funded programs of the CDC Foundation. She primarily works for the Center for Minority Health Services at the Illinois Department of Public Health. She is a health equity researcher with an interest in exploring the social determinants of health and policy-level impacts on minority health. As a social epidemiologist, she strives to support the work of the division by understanding the social characteristics that influence the pattern of disease and health, particularly that of COVID-19. She also uses spatial analysis to examine how geography, societal context, and public policy drive health disparities in minority communities.
Ugochi Nwaogwugwu
Founder, Spirit Speaks, Inc.
Ugochi Nwaogwugwu is a multidisciplinary creative. An internationally renowned poet, singer, writer, poetry instructor and founder of Spirit Speaks, Inc., Ugochi has executive produced, written and co- arranged three album projects; African Buttafly, A.S.E. and Love Shot. Chicago Music Awards named Ugochi and her band African Soul Ensemble (A.S.E.) “Best African Entertainer in 2005 & 2022.” Her poems have been published in “Storm Between Two Fingers” & “Too Young, Too Loud, Too Different,” both international anthologies released in the UK. She is also featured in “Golden Shovel Anthology,” honoring Gwendolyn Brooks, “The Eternal Year of African People,” and “Wherever I’m At” released nationwide. Ugochi is a beloved member of her poetry community in Chicago and a member of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen in London, England. Ugochi has created an original pan African poetry form called, “Ike,” (pronounced EE-kay) #Ikepoem, paying homage to her Igbo heritage of Nigeria and fostering black appreciation worldwide. She has also written newsworthy blogs and essays for publication including, “Not My President” published by Third World Press in 2017. She has also just released her first book of poetry & prose entitled “Seasons of Separation,” in 2023. In addition, Ugochi is a playwright, activist, Racial Healing Practitioner with Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT), Treasurer of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and Recording Academy Chicago Chapter Governor.
Jen Patterson, MS
Co-Founder, CEO, Principal Consultant, Mango Consulting
Jen is a seasoned nonprofit executive with 25 years of experience and a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management. Throughout her career, Jen has engaged in nearly all aspects of mission-inspired organizational development, from fundraising, communications, and community engagement to volunteer management, internal operations, strategic planning, and program development. Driven by her passion to advance equity and social justice, Jen is a creative problem-solver by nature and tireless in her pursuit to build connections and capacity with the communities and organizations she is honored to serve. Jen jumpstarted her own consulting practice after a 3-year stint with Harmony Project, a Columbus based arts, education, and community service organization dedicated to creating a stronger, more inclusive community. There, she served in a variety of capacities—including as Director of Development + Communications and Director of Programs + Grants Management. Retaining Harmony as a client, Jen has also been proud to support the missions of new clients including Action for Children, the Columbus Fashion Alliance, Communities In Schools of Ohio, Healing Broken Circles, the Ohio Federation for Health Equity + Social Justice, We Amplify Voices (WAV) and more. Jen is originally from Indiana but claims Chicago as the hometown of her heart, having moved there after receiving her Bachelors in Communications and Sociology from Manchester University.
Phillip Pittman, MS, MPH
Chronic Disease Epidemiologist , Illinois Department of Public Health
Philip is an Epidemiologist with the Illinois Department of Public Health, in the Office of Health Promotion, Division of Chronic Disease. He works under the CDC grants for prevention and control of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes. Philip has been with the State of Illinois since 1996 and with IDPH since 2003. He spent 15 years as the agency’s Geographic Information Systems Manager, focusing on geospatial analysis of public health concerns across the agency, including infectious disease outbreaks, access to healthcare, environmental health, and many other projects where an understanding of the geography and demographics of Illinois was critical in determining the most appropriate interventions and responses. He then spent two and a half years in the IDPH Office of Preparedness and Response, where he was a member of the State’s response team to the COVID-19 pandemic. And he has spent the past three and a half years in his current position. Philip lives in Springfield with his son, Diego and his dogs, Florence and Angus.
Janae Price, MPH, B.S.
Senior Epidemiologist, Illinois Department of Public Health
Janae is a Senior Epidemiologist within the Immunizations section at the Illinois Department of Public Health. Mrs. Price retired as a Commander from the U.S. Public Health Service with 23 years of service. Throughout her career she has led multi-disciplinary programs with an emphasis on performance monitoring, quality improvement, and public health surveillance within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She worked as a clinical and research laboratory technician within the U.S. Air Force, and she earned a B.S. in Health Science from Purdue University and a MPH in Epidemiology from Indiana University School of Public Health.
Marissa Radcliffe, LCSW
Community Health Worker, Quincy Medical Group
Marissa Radcliffe is a Quincy, Illinois native, proudly representing the Northwest Community. She has deep roots in the community, and along with her husband, have chosen to raise their 5 children here! Marissa is a Licensed Minister that officiates services such as weddings and end of life services. She is the Executive Director of Jackson-Lincoln Swimming Complex, a non-profit community pool nestled in the northwest community of Quincy. Marissa became an official Community Health Worker at Quincy Medical Group in May of 2023, where she just has continued to do the work of being a liaison to the community that she was informally serving in that capacity. Her past experience at the Madonna House of Quincy, as support staff was definitely the teaching that led her to her present-day work. She always serves on the Quincy Partnership for Unmet Needs. Marissa is an entrepreneur, operating her own business from her home and hopes to open a brick-and-mortar location in the near future.
Jessica Ramos, BA, MHP
Mental Health Professional Intern, The Project of Quad Cities
Jessica Ramos is a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Western Illinois University – Quad Cities. She is currently interning at The Project of the Quad Cities, in Moline, Illinois. Anticipated graduation is Spring 2024.
Steven Richie
63 year old, Steven Richie resides in Springfield Il. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2023 and completed surgery and treatment in August 2023. The married father of 4 attributes early detection, his unwavering faith in Jesus Christ and family support in helping him recover and is now considered cancer free.
Maggie Rivera, Ed.D
President/CEO, Illinois Migrant Council
Dr. Magdalena Rivera: Daughter of a late Farmworker, working on 3rd Master’s degree, holds Bi-National PhD in Education, LULAC member 30yrs, Human rights advocate since age 16. CEO non-profit organization. Has worked in many different fields, from crop picking in the fields to government, mental health clinics, banking and other public and non-profit institutions. Helps husband manage the family businesses. Recipient of many special awards and recognitions. Mother of a daughter and grandmother of four.
Soma Saha, MD, MS
Executive Lead, Wellbeing In the Nation (WIN) Network
Soma is Executive Lead of the Wellbeing In the Nation (WIN) Network and President and CEO of Well-being and Equity (WE) in the World, a collaboration of change agents working globally. For the last five years, she has served as Founder and Executive Lead of the 100 Million Healthier Lives initiative, a global network reaching more than 500 million people to address boundary-spanning approaches to creating health, well-being and equity, and continues to serve as a major implementation lead in that network. Deeply committed to improving the health and wellbeing of underserved people and communities, she was previously Vice President, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a primary care doctor for over 15 years, in global health for over 20 years, Vice President for Patient Centered Medical Home Development at Cambridge Health Alliance, and leader of a nationally awarded whole system transformation in the Triple Aim of better health, better experience and lower cost. In 2012, she was awarded the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Young Leader Award for her contributions to improving the health of the nation. With her daughter, Shohini, she also founded Raising Peacemakers, a grassroots, parent-child program that helps children (and their families!) develop the attitudes and skills to make a meaningful difference in the world.
Samantha Saini, MPH
BRFSS coordinator, Illinois Department of Public Health
Sami is the BRFSS coordinator for IDPH working on survey research, specifically the BRFSS program. Sam collaborates with IDPH programs, other state agencies, and researchers to support custom analyses of BRFSS data in meaningful ways that are useful to specific programs. She has worked at all levels of public health including county (in New Jersey), state (in New York and Illinois), federal (in HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau), and internationally (with the World Health Organization in India).
Robert L. Santos
Director, U.S. Census Bureau
Robert L. Santos is the 26th director of the U.S. Census Bureau. His career spans over 40 years in survey research, statistical design and analysis and executive-level management. He previously served as vice president and chief methodologist at the Urban Institute, where he directed its Statistical Methods Group.
Santos has held leadership positions at top survey research organizations, including the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center; the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research; and Temple University’s Institute for Survey Research. His research expertise includes quantitative and qualitative research design, program evaluation, needs assessments, survey methodology and survey operations. He also has research experience with demographic and administrative data, decennial censuses, social policy research as well as equity issues.
Santos received the American Statistical Association’s Founder’s Award (2006); the American Association for Public Opinion Research Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement (2021); Mexico’s Ohtli Award (2022) recognizing contributions to the Mexican community; and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s Excellence in Community Service Award (2023).
He has a bachelor’s in mathematics from Trinity University in San Antonio and a master’s in statistics from the University of Michigan. In 2023, he was bestowed honorary degrees by North Carolina State University and San Antonio College.
Viminda Shafer, BA
Community Relations & Development Coordinator, The Project of Quad Cities
Viminda Shafer has been connected to the field of education for over 20 years. She spent the bulk of that time working with middle and high school students in special education programs. In her current role as The Project of the Quad Cities’ community relations and development coordinator, Viminda’s passion for education and social justice work comes together allowing her to push for equality and in providing the community access to resources. Viminda is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and resides in a small country village in Illinois with her wife and daughter.
Anne Scheer, PhD
Assistant Professor, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Dr. Scheer is a children’s sociologist at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine’s Department of Population Science and Policy (PSP) in Springfield, Illinois. In her current role as Assistant Professor, Dr. Scheer’s work focuses on elevating the views and voices of young people in research and policy. Since 2020, Dr. Scheer has been leading efforts in Alton, IL, to transform the city into a UNICEF-recognized Child Friendly City (CFCI). Building on her previous research with children and youth, which includes a focus on punitive school discipline and racial disparities in urban education; trauma-informed practices and their role in creating more equitable school climates; or rural students’ perspectives on health, nutrition, and well-being, Dr. Scheer’s work around the Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) in Alton seeks to engage young people, their families, and communities in identifying priorities for action and solutions that are both locally feasible and sustainable on our path to creating a city in which all children are happy, healthy, safe, and respected. Further supporting this work, Dr. Scheer leads “Engaging Alton for Equity,” a local coalition of 14 stakeholder organizations funded by the CDC/IDPH, which works to improve health equity. Dr. Scheer also collaborates with local law enforcement and community-based organizations to address high rates of youth violence, and explores innovative, low-barrier responses that leverage the value of people with lived experience to better support young people and their communities.
Jessica Slover, LCPC, LMHC, TCT
Behavioral Health Clinician, The Project of Quad Cities
Jessica is a licensed counselor in both Illinois and Iowa. She typically works with individuals 12 years and older and has a strong emphasis and passion in helping with matters around self-acceptance/self-worth, LGBTQI+ (specifically gender identity and transitioning), healing trauma, relationships and attachment, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and healthy sexuality. Jessica earned a Master of Science degree in Counseling Education from Western Illinois University and is a Certified Transgender Care Therapist (TCT). She has advanced training in Internal Family Systems Theory (IFS), Choosing Life: Empowerment, Actions, Results (CLEAR), Crisis Intervention and Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence counseling. She is also a Veteran of the United States Army.
Tracey Smith, DNP, PHNCS-BC, MS
Director of Community Health and IPHA CHW Capacity Building Center, Illinois Public Health Association
Dr. Tracey Smith is the Director of Community Health and Programs at Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA) and the Director of the IPHA CHW Capacity Building Center. She received her Doctorate in Nursing Practice with a focus on health literacy and a masters in community health nursing with a minor in multicultural nursing. She worked for an academic institute where she achieved the rank of Associate Professor and was a healthcare provider at a Federally Qualified HealthCare Center for over 22 years before transitioning to IPHA. She currently lives in Springfield, IL and enjoys her family including two daughters and her husband of 30 years and a dog who runs the house. Tracey grew up on a dairy farm in a small central rural town in Illinois. Her parents did not have insurance and her father completed only 6th grade so much of her passion for this career has been built off those early years of her life.
Tracey has been involved in healthcare in numerous roles over the past 30 years allowing her to build skills to engage multiple types of health care providers and customers. She has led programs providing support services to local police systems, local health departments, federally qualified health care clinics, health care systems, schools, and community-based organizations (CBOs) through the integration of community health workers into interdisciplinary teams. She has received over $90 million dollars in grant funding to advance the profession of CHWs in Illinois. She also was instrumental in developing one of the first CHW training programs in downstate Illinois.
Since joining IPHA Tracey has been involved in developing a CHW 101 training program at IPHA that has trained over 900 CHWs in the past three years, with over 60% of them employed at CBOs and was the developer of the IPHA CHW Capacity Building Center. The Center also provides numerous CHW upskilling opportunities and consultation services to systems looking to integrate CHWs into their programming. The Center is currently funded through HRSA and Congressional District Funding.
Her CHW training skills are built off her experience as a CHW for 10 years and as a program developer of CHW programs in Central and Southern Illinois for 9 years. She has presented locally, statewide, and nationally on CHW training, programming, and funding over 60 times in the past 10 years.
Tracey has served on the board of a Critical Access Hospital, a rural school board, and numerous CBO boards and is passionate about improving the health and education of Illinois residents. She is currently a member of the Illinois Community Health Worker Review Board.
Mariana Thomas
Program Manager, Black Organizing Program, Planned Parenthood of Illinois
Mariana Thomas is a proud Chicago native. She is a graduate of Hope College where her organizing roots began as she advocated for inclusion of students of color on her campus. She then went on to Princeton Theological Seminary to earn her Master of Divinity. While at Princeton, she studied the intersections of faith and social justice issues such as reproductive healthcare and LGBTQIA+ rights. Mariana is currently the program manager for the Black Organizing Program at Planned Parenthood Illinois Action. At Planned Parenthood, she has led advocacy campaigns to improve Black Maternal Healthcare in Illinois as well as to keep abortion and gender affirming healthcare safe and legal in Chicago. As a result of her successful campaigns, she recently became a member of the 2024 class of the Black Bench Chicago, a training program for Chicago’s next generation of Black civic leaders. As the 2024 election season begins, Mariana looks forward to continuing to do advocacy work in Chicago and throughout Illinois to keep the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare safe, legal and affordable for all Black people in Illinois.
Doris Turner
48th District State Senator, IL State Senate
State Senator Doris Turner, a lifelong resident of Springfield, was appointed to represent the 48th Senate District in February 2021 following a long and productive tenure on the Springfield City Council and Sangamon County Board. Prior to serving in the Illinois Senate, Turner worked for the State of Illinois for 33 years, spending 22 of those years with the Illinois Department of Public Health. As a devoted member of the community, Senator Turner has spent her life working to enhance the lives of those around her serving on a number of boards in the Springfield area. She and her husband, Cecil, have three children, ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Genese Turner, MIPS
Director, Health Equity and Strategic Partnerships, Chicago Department of Public Health
Genese (Genny) Turner, she/her, is Director of Health Equity and Strategic Partnerships at Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), where she supports the office of Community Health and Equity Zones. Her team leads the City’s community health assessment and improvement planning processes and our hyperlocal approach to combatting health inequities through the Healthy Chicago Equity Zones. Along with her team, she establishes/deepens relationships with various stakeholders to explore, suggest and implement new community-led programs, partnerships, and other initiatives. Genny’s commitment to fighting inequities started in her early days in corporate America and continues now in her passion to shift power to people most affected by inequities. She is graduate of DePaul University with a Master’s in International Public Service, B.S. from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University’s Engineering Technology program and holds a Master Certificate in Project Management.
Sameer Vohra, MD, JD, MA
Director, Illinois Department of Public Health
Sameer Vohra, MD, JD, MA, was appointed as the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, effective August 1, 2022, by Governor JB Pritzker.
Dr. Vohra is a general pediatrician who holds degrees in law and public policy. He is a cross- disciplinary leader in state and national health policy formulation, and his recent focus has been on improving health outcomes in Central and Southern Illinois. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Vohra was the Founding Chair of the Department of Population Science and Policy, a practicing primary care pediatrician, and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Public Health, Medical Humanities, and Law at the Southern Illinois University – School of Medicine (SIU-SOM) in Springfield, Illinois, where he also served the State of Illinois as the Interim Chair of the Children’s Mental Health Partnership.
A graduate of the University of Chicago, where he earned a Master of Arts in public policy, Dr. Vohra completed his medical residency in pediatrics at the University of Chicago. He holds a medical doctorate from SIU-SOM; a juris doctorate from SIU School of Law graduating first in his class; and a Bachelor of Arts in political science and science in human culture with honors from Northwestern University.
Dr. Vohra previously served on the Illinois State Board of Health, the Illinois Medicaid Advisory Committee, the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council, the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund Steering Committee as well as national committees for the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Medical Association, and on the Board of Trustees for the Illinois State Medical Society and Chicago Medical Society.
He has received numerous honors including a United States Fulbright Scholarship in 2009, an American Medical Association Foundation’s Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award in 2014 and was named an Edgar Fellow in 2016 as one of 40 emerging political and policy leaders in Illinois. In 2020, he was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar, chosen by the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Clinton Presidential Center, the George and Barbara Bush Foundation, and the LBJ Foundation.
Dr. Vohra resides in Springfield with his wife, Tasnim, and two children.