Joel Austin, Founder, President & CEO, Daddy University, Philadelphia, PA

Joel Austin is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer for Daddy University Inc. and the Executive Director of The School of Parent Education, a 501 (c) 3. He is also a Certified Postpartum Doula. In this role he serves as a strong, undeniable force in propelling males and positive parenting to the forefront of the family and community agenda. Fueled by his role as a father of four, Mr. Austin is personally and professionally committed to educating and re-educating people about the importance of fatherhood. Through his leadership, Daddy University Inc. has grown into a recognized authority on fatherhood information, support, and training. As a national speaker and skilled facilitator, Mr. Austin presents to thousands across the nation; infusing his passion through audiences and empowering individuals and groups to positively impact the lives of others. Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Austin is the founder of the Tri-State Daddy Daughter Dance. In its eleventh year, it has become a tradition that changes the lives of young women everywhere. Mr. Austin is also the program developer for the Fathers Club, a free weekly fatherhood training group now at four different locations in the city of Philadelphia. He services fathers from all backgrounds, ages, and stages. His latest venture is the Doulas 4 Dads program, providing training and certification to over 10 male Doulas providing maternal and paternal care to new mothers and fathers.

Kristie Brooks is a Licensed Professional Counselor and tribal member of the Choctaw Nation. She has served rural Oklahomans in a wide variety of ways for nearly 20 years. As a proven leader in the areas of mental health and substance use disorder programming, Ms. Brooks has served on numerous federal, state, and tribal committees. She is a strong advocate for the rights of under-resourced populations at the programmatic and national policy levels. Early in her career, Ms. Brooks worked in Child Welfare for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and served as a counselor for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Ms. Brooks initial work as a therapist built a strong foundation that led to her promotion to Director of Behavioral Health Services for the Choctaw Nation, with over 200,000 tribal members. In this position, she oversaw behavioral health services for all treatment facilities and mental health clinics in the 10 counties of the Reservation. In her Behavioral Health leadership role, Ms. Brooks was instrumental in the implementation of new programs and services that provided benefits to Native Americans throughout the State of Oklahoma. Ms. Brooks also pursued and attained funding from 13 federal grants from agencies such as SAMHSA, Indian Health Service (IHS), US Department of Justice (DOJ), and National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Ms. Brooks received her BA and MS in Human Services Counseling from East Central University in Oklahoma. She is Certified as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Professional Counseling Supervisor.

DeLawnia Comer-HaGans, PhD, MS, MBA, is Director of Research and Education at Dell Medical School where she helps to ensure that Dell Med’s research agenda aligns with health equity goals. Comer-HaGans is the research mentor on a quality improvement project focused on improving eye care for patients with diabetes at a federally qualified health center. She is also part of the Travis County Forensic Mental Health Project focused on finding solutions rooted in person-centered and evidence-based care for individuals living with mental health and substance use disorders who get stuck at or repeatedly cycle through jail. Additionally, she supports efforts to integrate health equity into medical education.

Comer-HaGans previously served as the Director of Health Disparities and Public Health Policy in the Office of Public Health Policy and Performance at the Texas Department of State Health Services in Austin, TX. While there, she developed a health equity vision for public health in the state of Texas. Comer-HaGans also was the Principal Investigator on a federal grant awarded from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The grant focus addressed COVID-19 health disparities among populations at high-risk and underserved, including racial and ethnic minority populations and rural communities. Additionally, Comer-HaGans advised on an external study that looked at the impact COVID-19 had on populations that have been made vulnerable in Texas.

Comer-HaGans spent 8 years as a health disparities researcher and has expertise in diabetes and diabetes complications among individuals who have been made vulnerable. As a former Associate Professor in the Department of Health Administration at Governors State University, Comer-HaGans was a fellow at two different institutions, Meharry Medical College and the University of Arizona in Tucson. Comer-HaGans earned a PhD in Public Affairs and MS in Applied Sociology from the University of Texas at Dallas, MS in Applied Economics from the University of North Texas, MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and BA in Economics from Texas Tech University.

Ella joined the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health, Region 6 in 2020 as the Regional Minority Health Analyst. Her role includes convening local partners, establishing networks, and providing public policy and programming recommendations that best address community needs. Her portfolio includes health equity issues facing racially and ethnically minoritized peoples in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and 68 Federally Recognized tribes.

Ella has previously worked on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) at the US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, at the National Institutes of Health as a Global Health Research Analyst, and at the Peace Corps Headquarters Office. She holds a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and has published academic articles on policies and community-based programs that support access to healthy foods. She also holds a Master’s Degree from New York University focused on medical anthropology. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru and an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer in Texas. Ella and her partner are parents to two children ages six and four, and live in Dallas, Texas. They enjoy hiking with their friendly and giant dog, George.

Monica joined the US Department of Health and Human Services in May 2021 as the Women’s Health Analyst and is very excited to be convening partners, establishing networks and providing technical assistance to address the health and safety of women in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Monica commissioned as an officer in the United States Public Health Service through the Senior Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program in 2015. Monica completed her BSN in Nursing from the University of Connecticut in 2016. She was assigned to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice Federal Medical Center Fort Worth, where she worked as a staff nurse for 5 years. Monica is also an experienced American Heart Association BLS instructor. In 2020, she completed a Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education and a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Management, both from the George Washington University and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Nursing Practice, Executive Leadership.

She has excelled in her academic work, having been invited to join the Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society. In her free time, she enjoys singing in the choir at the local church. She hopes to bring to the office her passion for education, cultural experiences and, of course, some good Puerto Rican food.

Captain Tracy Gualandi graduated from Texas Woman’s University in 2001 with an MS degree in physical therapy and completed her doctorate in physical therapy in 2010. Since 2007, CAPT Gualandi has been a US Public Health Service commissioned officer. She has spent her career serving vulnerable populations, promoting public health and wellness initiatives throughout the prison system, and serving as a national advisor in her specialty areas. She transferred from the Bureau of Prisons to the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Health Workforce, in 2016 as a Region 6 Senior Public Health Analyst. She has served on numerous National Health Service Corps (NHSC) policy development workgroups and the Nurse Corps scholarship board. She is the Northeast Texas and Arkansas state lead for the NHSC program and a placement advisor for the National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps Scholarship recipients.

DSMAP is a community driven, non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating Black maternal health disparities. The organization was established to honor Wanda’s daughter, Dr. Shalon, who passed away from preventable pregnancy complications in January 2017, three weeks after giving birth to her only child. Dr. Shalon was a brilliant researcher and fierce health equity champion. In an effort to continue Dr. Shalon’s legacy, Wanda co-founded DSMAP, where she also serves as President of the Board of Directors and Acting President of the organization.
Prior to establishing DSMAP, Wanda worked in various leadership roles in federal agencies and city organizations that provided consultative services and technical assistance to nonprofits across the country. Wanda possesses years of experience in organizational development and community outreach and has led numerous strategic initiatives and programs. Wanda is now fully dedicated to the mission of DSMAP and utilizes her keen expertise to enhance organizational resources such as Believe Her, an anonymous peer support app aimed to increase awareness of the Black maternal health crisis and promote evidence-based strategies that improve health outcomes for Black birthing people and families.
Wanda is a highly sought-after health equity advocate appearing on national and influential media outlets such as NPR, MSNBC, GMA, Newsy, REVOLT, and Health Affairs, a peer-reviewed healthcare journal to name a few. To date, Wanda has appeared before numerous organizations reaching tens of thousands, with the goal of ending preventable Black maternal deaths in the United States. The work of DSMAP is based on the life mantra of Dr. Shalon Irving: “I see inequity wherever it exists. I am not afraid to call it by name and work hard to eliminate it. I vow to create a better earth.” At DSMAP we honor Dr. Shalon’s vow by working to remove barriers, biases, and disparate practices that impede access to equitable, quality care for Black women and birthing people.

Juan Irby is a male birth and postpartum doula, new parent educator, owner and founder of Dad to Dudla. His focus is to help dads be better prepared for the birth of their child or children and to help parents navigate the postpartum experience. As a doula, his work centers around the idea of inner strength as they move through the changes that parenthood brings. Juan feels that his role as a doula and educator is to support parents in finding the information, education, and support to birth and feed their babies the way they want to; in a way that works for their lives.

Juan has been married to his wife for ten years and they have two children. When he is not working with babies or families, you can find him in the kitchen-baking or cooking and spending time with his family. Juan also volunteers with Postpartum Support International and talks with Dads who are experiencing challenges in their parenting journey. He has been published in Everyday Birth Magazine and has presented at the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA) conference.

Juan believes that you don’t have to be a dud. “Let this dude help you be a Dad!”

Paige Y. Jackson is a mother, midwife, and Black Maternal-Infant Health Advocate committed to bringing historical awareness to and discussing present solutions for the Black Maternal Health Crisis in the United States. Paige is a proud native of Little Rock, Arkansas, and the great great granddaughter of Henrietta Harris, a lay midwife who practiced in the Little Rock area for 30-plus years. 

Her drive to see the eradication of this crisis is personal. Her perspective is unique becasue she has seen this crisis from many sides. First, she was a hospital employee working for 10 years on labor/delivery, mother/baby, and NICU/PICU. Then, she was a patient/parent navigating the maternal healthcare, WIC, and Medicaid systems during the premature birth and subsequent loss of her daughter, Sydney Rachel. Finally, she was an out of hospital birth worker helping to educate families on their rights/options surrounding childbearing.

Paige is currently the Vice President of Clinical Services at Abide Women’s Health Service, a non-profit located in sunny South Dallas. Abide exists to improve outcomes in communities with the lowest quality of care by providing low cost/donation based prenatal/postpartum care and other complementary services to families of Dallas County.

Shajuane Jones is a relational and innovative leader with over 14 years of experience in components of management, healthcare, and community relations. Her mission is to highlight the strengths, gaps and barriers in cross system practices that affect substance exposed infants and their families by collaboratively generating ideas to improve organizational processes which leads to strategies for improvement. Her approach is to engage family court, child welfare, mental health, recovery, and maternal-child health to examine how systems identify, refer, and engage pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorders and their infants in efforts to reduce harm. In 2018, Shajuane developed the SAFE Care Program and the use of plans of safe care under the 2016 CAPTA/ CARA Act to improve supports to substance involved families. In 2020, the program was nationally recognized by the Children’s Bureau, and she is currenting facilitating the expansion of SAFE Care to 4 counties in Alabama.

Shajuane received her Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is active with professional and civic activities in her community. When she is not working, her 7-year-old keeps her busy and she enjoys roller-skating.

Abriona Markham is the Executive Director of Topeka Doula Project, Inc. located in Topeka, KS. She graduated from Wichita State University with a Bachelor’s in general studies: Sociology. Abriona became a doula in 2022, but has always been an advocate for maternal and child health.

Abriona is a researcher at heart. Her journey started in lactation when she saw a Black woman breastfeed for the first time. When she began looking into why Black women were not breastfeeding, she found that Black women really are breastfeeding. The problem she found instead was that Black women and their babies were dying. Black maternal mortality has always been an issue in the United States. However, Abriona did not realize how big of an issue it continues to be in her home-state of Kansas. Through the Topeka Doula Project, Inc. she helps teens, incarcerated and reintegrated families, and families who qualify for Medicaid with free doula services. She also has a Mother Support Group in the only women's prison located in Kansas

When Abriona is not trekking to client visits, she is home surrounded by her two little boys, husband, and dog.

Mehran S. Massoudi, PhD, MPH was appointed Regional Health Administrator for Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Region 6, in October 2016. He is the senior federal health official representing the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Office of the Surgeon General in Region 6. Region 6 is the third most populated among the 10 HHS regions, having a large ethnic and racially diverse population and the second largest Hispanic population in the country, covering two-thirds of the US-Mexico Border.

Prior to joining OASH, Dr. Massoudi served as Branch Chief for the Applied Research and Translation Branch and the Director of the Prevention Research Centers (PRC) Program at CDC in Atlanta, GA. In addition to the PRC Program, the Branch also included the Healthy Aging and the Workplace Health Programs. Over the course of his professional career, he has served as a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer in 1994, the science advisor to the Smallpox Team at CDC, the SARS Surveillance Team Lead in CDC’s SARS Task Force, and the Associate Director for Science in several Units within CDC. From 2005 to 2007, he oversaw the development of the Afghan Public Health Institute within the Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health.

CAPT Massoudi has also completed five international deployments for CDC and the World Health Organization as part of the Polio Eradication Initiative. He has also traveled to Haiti as part of the Department’s health and medical response, and most recently, deployed as Lead for the Epi Team in Grand Cape Mount, Liberia for the Ebola Response. CAPT Massoudi holds a PhD in Epidemiology and an MPH degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Kay Matthews lives in Houston, Texas and is the Founder of The Shades of Blue Project. She graduated with a 2-year Degree in Early Childhood Development from North Harris College located in Houston, Texas and furthered her education in the mental health field by becoming a Licensed Community Health Worker. She has also received numerous awards from both her community and her peers, sits on several boards, and partners with several national organizations.

Kay wrote her first Best Seller, a Self-Help Journal: 365 Days To Recovery “Finding Your Way Out of The Darkness” as well as, Recovery State of Mind Daily Journal. Kay is actively teaching and speaking to women of all ages to help them to better understand how important it is to advocate for themselves before, during, and after childbirth. Kay is dedicated to helping women to realize that they can have a successful birth outcome and ensuring that they know about resources available for maternal mental health. To Kay, this is the most important aspect of the work she does within the community and it is the motivation that she uses to continue to educate communities worldwide.

Honour is the Director of Maternal and Infant Health Initiatives for March of Dimes in Alabama. A native of Franklin, Tennessee, Honour received her undergraduate degree in public health at the University of Kentucky. While there, she researched infant mortality among children enrolled in the state’s home-visiting program along with reproductive coercion among college students. After undergraduate studies, Honour served in the AmeriCorps setting up and providing free vision screenings in preschools around Alabama. Once she completed time in the AmeriCorps, Honour received her MPH from the University of Alabama Birmingham in Maternal and Child Health Policy and Leadership and received a certificate in social marketing. She’s worked on many different initiatives in Alabama, Tennessee and Wisconsin including Title V needs assessment and with the Alabama Perinatal Quality Collaborative. Honour serves as the chair of the Maternal Child Health/Substance Use Subcommittee of the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council. In her free time, Honour volunteers as a foster for the local humane society and spends time wrangling her Anatolian Shepherd, Augustin.

Jacqueline McLeeland is a social impact enthusiast committed to cultivating an equitable and supportive environment for women, moms, and families. Personal pregnancy experiences prompted her to begin researching the challenges that women encounter in the workplace after starting a family. The results of her research revealed the data on maternal mortality and morbidity. Recognizing that many women and families are at an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, due to limited access to care or the absence of a support system, led to the formation of Push Birth Partners (“PUSH”). PUSH is a 501(c)(3) organization with allied health professionals and essential aspects of public health rooted in its programs and services to improve experiences and outcomes for women and moms-to-be.

Prior to establishing PUSH, Jacqueline worked in the clinical research industry for over 10 years in Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs. While attending to her family on a full-time basis, Jacqueline continued her education through health and wellness programs followed by public health. She is a Patient Advocate and certified community health worker (CHW). Jacqueline holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Sociology from Texas State University, a Master of Business Administration from Texas Woman’s University, and a Master of Legal Studies from Trinity Law School.

In addition to her work at PUSH, Jacqueline leverages her experience to assist organizations with compliance and advisory services. She has recently taken on the role of Principal at Xpectancy®, an organization that partners with employers and families to create a healthier human-centered work environment for women and parents. Originally from Liberia, Jacqueline resides in Houston, Texas with her husband and two boys.

Prinscilla is the Founder and CEO of Delighted to Doula Birth Services, a non-profit organization in Dallas, Texas, aimed at improving health outcomes for black mothers during and after childbirth. Her passion for caregiving and community service is driven by her personal experiences as a wife, mother, and grandmother of all girls. She has made it her mission to educate families and equip them with the knowledge and tools they need for postpartum and infant care.

In three years, Priscila's leadership has grown Delighted to Doula from an idea into a groundbreaking community-based postpartum doula program recognized by leaders in the non-profit community. Prinscilla was selected for the all-women social innovation incubator program through United Way, Bridge for Billions and continues to be a distinguished advocate for maternal mortality issues. She currently also serves as Advisor to the Inclusive, Diversity, and Equity Delegation at Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA) and as a faculty member training new postpartum doula.

Suzanne Muir serves as an Associate Director within the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology. The majority of her career has been spent in the field of substance use primarily with marginalized individuals. The work has required extensive collaboration with various systems – healthcare, mental health, court, criminal justice, child welfare, substance use – in addition to coordination with community-based and governmental entities. She currently serves as the PI for the Comprehensive Addiction in Pregnancy Program, an integrated prenatal care and substance use treatment model serving pregnant women with substance use disorders. She holds a Master’s of Social Work Degree from Florida State University.

Heather’s empathy for women seeking long-term recovery for their families led her to Nexus in June of 2020. At a time when so much was uncertain, the one thing Heather was certain about was the need for Nexus’ services and a safe place for women and their children to turn. Heather credits her own recovery for her personal and professional successes. As a bi-racial woman, albeit one with privileges afforded to her that others may not have had, she values the importance of creating an organization where diversity, equity, and inclusion are not merely a response to a problem but at the heart of the organization’s culture. Leading Nexus into the future is her way of giving back what was given to her and continues to shape her outlook. Heather is a first-generation college graduate from the University of Richmond, and she brings a unique financial background to the role, being a CPA for nearly 20 years. But it’s her connection to the clients Nexus serves that cannot be underestimated. Her dreams include a world where her two young children can grow into the greatest expressions of themselves, knowing that their mother loves and supports them, as well as one where women suffering from substance use disorders are accepted, loved, and understood.

Jesús is a trainer, consultant, facilitator, program manager, and clinician in training. He currently serves as the Director in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. With more than twenty-five years of experience in not-for-profit management, program development and evaluation, and organizational development, Jesús has dedicated his entire professional career to promoting economic, social, and environmental justice throughout the community. He is also a Professor of Practice of Social Work at Steven Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin, and adjunct faculty in the Health Inter-Professional Education Program, which provides academic training to students from the schools of pharmacy, social work, nursing, and medicine.

A native of Venezuela, Jesús came to Texas by way of New York. In Venezuela, he worked in urban planning and different environmental justice initiatives. In Brooklyn, New York, he participated in economic development efforts to create economic justice among immigrant communities. To name a few of his past positions in Texas, Mr. Ortega was the Deputy Director at The Alamo Area Resource Center. This not-for-profit organization supports people living with HIV/AIDS and provides medical services to the LGBT community in San Antonio. He also worked as adjunct faculty at the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Jesús also held the position of Executive Director at Out Youth, an LGBTQ youth organization in Austin. He was the Assistant Director at the Austin Stress Clinic, where he focused his work to develop an innovative curriculum aimed to deconstruct masculinity and its impact on violence against women.

Jesús holds a master’s degree in Urban Planning from The City University of New York. He later earned his master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Texas in San Antonio. He also holds a degree from Columbia University School of Business on Non-profit Management. Jesús loves to dance, travel, and speak fluently in Spanish and Portuguese.

Courtney Polk is a registered nurse and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant. She is a native of New Orleans, LA but currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband and their two children. Courtney began her nursing career in labor and delivery after graduating from Southern University in 2006. She went on to earn a Master's in Nursing Education in 2012 and taught OB nursing to undergraduate nursing students. Since becoming a board-certified lactation consultant in 2015, she has helped countless families in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex areas meet or exceed their breastfeeding goals. Courtney is currently an OB Practice Consultant with Elevance Health. In this role, she is tasked with collaborating with OB providers and community partners to increase awareness and understanding of Medicaid member & provider programs, benefits, and incentives. Courtney is passionate about women’s and maternity care and continues to be an advocate for quality maternity care for all.

Tracy Russell joined Nurture KC in January 2019 as the organization’s second Executive Director. She has an extensive political background in health policy and advocacy, with previous stints at the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and Kansas Health Policy Authority. Tracy believes that broad policy change is necessary to improving health outcomes in Kansas City. Tracy has been part of the coalition that expanded Medicaid eligibility in Missouri and a successful effort this year in Kansas to extend postpartum coverage for mothers in Medicaid to one year.

Tracy received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Kansas and her Master’s Degree in Conflict Resolution from Baker University. Tracy and her husband Michael have two high school baseball-playing sons who keep them out of trouble as there is never any free time on the weekends!

Sima Ladjevardian has been appointed as Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As Regional Director, Ms. Ladjevardian serves as HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra’s representative responsible for guiding and coordinating HHS policy initiatives as they relate to state, local, and tribal governments. Region 6 is based in Dallas, Texas and serves Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as 68 federally recognized tribal nations.

Ms. Ladjevardian is a lawyer, a mother of two, a breast cancer survivor, a community and political activist. After leaving political upheaval and revolution, Sima’s family arrived in the United States and, through her journey as an immigrant, she saw first-hand the power and promise this country can provide. She has since worked extensively to ensure that hardworking families have all the opportunities to strive and be healthy. She was one of the first Iranian-American major party nominees for Congress. She ran in TX-2 on providing affordable access to health care for all.

Ms. Ladjevardian holds a bachelor's degree in business economics from UCLA and a Juris Doctorate degree from Hastings College of Law. She has actively served on the Boards of Every Texan, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Society of Iranian American Women for Education, AAPI Victory Alliance and the City of Houston Women’s Commission.

David M. Johnson, MPH is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health - Regional Health Operations. Mr. Johnson leads the Office of Regional Health Operations (ORHO), which oversees and manages the activities of the ten regional offices of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health’s (OASH). As one of the newest offices within OASH, ORHO was created to develop and implement regional priorities that support and amplify the Department’s and specifically the Assistant Secretary for Health’s goals, messages, and initiatives at the state and local level. Representing the Regional Health Administrators, the senior public health officials in each region, ORHO also serves as a central point of contact for public health activities for the regions, coordinating and partnering with other regional HHS operational division leads to support and assist with regional responses to public health and other national-level events.

Most recently, Mr. Johnson served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Population Affairs, managing the administrative and operational functions of both the Title X Family Planning and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs. Prior to that, Mr. Johnson served in multiple roles within HHS providing technical direction for a broad range public health programming, including programming focused on increasing access to healthcare for males across the lifespan, HIV/AIDS, and family planning and reproductive health care for all. Mr. Johnson joined HHS in 2003 as a member of the Office of Global Health Affairs through the HHS Emerging Leaders Program.

Mr. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Virginia and a Master of Public Health degree in International Health from The George Washington University.

Mary E. Schultheis is the Founder, President and CEO of Crescent City Family Services, Inc. (CCFS). She has worked for more than two decades in the field of maternal and child health. Her efforts have led to programs that respond to community needs reflected in high infant and maternal mortality and morbidity concerns, especially high-risk individuals and families in Jefferson Parish and across the State of Louisiana. She is a visionary, out on a mission ‘Where Family Comes First’ as the organization motto says. Recently, she has been Chair for National WIC Association Conference, member of planning committee for ROSE Conference and National Healthy Start Association. She has presented a webinar on “How to Successfully Recruit 300 Pregnant Moms.” Along with CCFS staff, she participated in the 2022 Tri-Regional Maternal Health Conference in Dallas, TX. In February 2022, Mrs. Schultheis was recognized for her efforts in the Healthy Start newsletter. She continues to augment the vision and model the leadership necessary to address inequities in maternal child health. In her words, “It is an honor to be serving a community so impacted by Hurricane Katrina and so badly in need of what we offer. It is not about being the CEO of an organization. It’s always been about the opportunity to serve.” In the last three years, apart from continuing uninterrupted onsite WIC and Healthy Start curbside services during COVID-19, she started a food pantry that continues to address food insecurity concerns in Jefferson Parish.

She believes in working together and sharing knowledge support to achieve the collective goal of improving women’s health, strengthening family health and wellness, and promoting system change. She has provided mentorship support to several students from Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, Louisiana State University, Xavier University and even organizations like Greater Harlem Healthy Start. She adds, “Taking small steps can have substantial impacts. It will not only build stronger community ties but a coalition that would benefit each other and bring about a long-term sustainable change.”

Andrea Serano's work in breastfeeding advocacy stems from her passion for addressing maternal and infant health issues, especially among communities of color. Breast feeding is a preventative strategy for combating infant mortality and the health disparities that disproportionately affect African American families.

In 2012, Andrea assisted in the coordination of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE) first breastfeeding and equity summit titled, “Reclaiming an African American Tradition.” Following the summit, she relocated from North Hollywood, California to Atlanta, Georgia and currently serves as ROSE Program Director. In her role, Andrea serves on the coordinating team for ROSE events, trainings, and program related activities. She represents the organization on a number of stakeholder advisory boards and committees addressing the needs on maternal, infant, and child health.

In addition, Ms. Serano is a Co-Founder and Treasurer for National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color (NAPPLSC), board member for the Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition, and previously served on the Board of Directors for the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC). Andrea also serves as a member of the Center for Social Inclusion (CSI) National 2016 First Food Racial Equity cohort, where she co-facilitates trainings for communities and organizations. Lastly, Ms. Serano spends her weekends supporting families as a bedside Lactation Consultant at Emory Decatur Hospital, a metro Atlanta Baby Friendly Designated hospital.

CDR Sharyl Trail serves as the HRSA Regional Administrator for HHS Region 5, Chicago, IL. Prior to that she served as the Deputy Regional Administrator and Acting Regional Administrator in HHS Region 6, Dallas, TX.

CDR Trail is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Officer in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHS). Prior to joining HRSA, she served at four Indian Health Service (IHS) duty stations (Zuni Pueblo, NM; Alamo Navajo Chapter, NM; Klamath Tribes, OR and Oneida Nation, WI). CDR Trail’s previous clinical roles include clinician; clinical supervisor; Behavioral Health Director; and Healthcare Administrator.

CDR Trail is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Officer in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHS). Prior to joining HRSA, she served at four Indian Health Service (IHS) duty stations (Zuni Pueblo, NM; Alamo Navajo Chapter, NM; Klamath Tribes, OR and Oneida Nation, WI). CDR Trail’s previous clinical roles include clinician; clinical supervisor; Behavioral Health Director; and Healthcare Administrator.

CDR Trail received her Bachelor of Arts in Family Studies from Kent State University. After completing her Bachelor’s Degree, CDR Trail worked in case management roles assisting people with developmental disabilities and was an AmeriCorps volunteer in Eastern Kentucky. She received a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Adler University in Chicago.

CDR Trail is a Founding Member of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity Advisory Group to the US Surgeon General. CDR Trail’s scholarly publications, book chapters, and presentations focus on leadership development, burn out and secondary trauma, trauma informed and integrated care, suicide and crisis assessment, and clinical supervision. She is committed in her clinical work and roles as Administrator and Public Health Officer to work toward health equity for all citizens.

Shannon Williams joined Nurture KC in 2015, as the Education and Health Promotion Coordinator for the Kansas City Healthy Start Initiative. In April of 2020, Shannon was promoted to Interim Kansas City Healthy Start Initiative Program Director and moved into the permanent position in July of 2020. She is an experienced health educator, having spent 15 years helping those in underserved populations as an employee of Johnson County Government. Shannon speaks Spanish and attained a Bachelor's Degree in Management and Human Relations, as well as a Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership, both at MidAmerica Nazarene University. She has devoted her career to helping underrepresented communities elevate their well-being through education, empowerment, and self-efficacy.

Natasha Yokley is the Program Director of Joint Interdisciplinary Programs of TN AHEC and Maternal Health in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Meharry Medical College. She also earned her Master's in Public Health in 2000 at Meharry Medical College. She manages two grant programs, including four AHEC Centers across the state of Tennessee and the maternal health project via the General Preventive Medicine and Public Health Residency Program. She serves as the chair of the Integrated Health Workforce Development Collaborative, where she works with key stakeholders to increase health workforce across the state of Tennessee. Additionally, she’s a member of three advisory boards.