Dr. Butler has over a decade of experience in the State, Corporate, and Non-Profit sectors. Her focus has been to implement and manage programs that focus on emergency response and improving access, delivery, and health equity to vulnerable and underserved populations. She is currently a Program Manager at the CDC Foundation and was formerly the Assistant Director for Medicaid Operations at the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Dr. Butler holds a BS from the University of Central Arkansas and Ph.D. in Public Health from Walden University.

Ms. Cruz is a Senior Research Analyst for RH Impact (fka NBEC). She is a birth equity researcher and patient advocate with expertise working with communities to apply evidence-based practices to benefit Black and Brown communities, implementing trauma-and-resilience informed systems to maternity care networks, and conducting qualitative research to illuminate the relationships between SDOH and birth outcomes. Ms. Cruz earned her MPH from Tulane where she is now a PhD student in Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology.

Katrina is currently a Senior Program Manager at CVS Health and a seasoned public health professional with 13 years of diverse experience across multiple sectors. Throughout her public health career, she has held various roles, including being a community health worker, epidemiologist, program evaluator, workforce development coordinator, and strategic project manager. Katrina received her MPH in Community Health Management and an MBA focused in healthcare administration.

Dr. Hendricks-Sturrup is the Research Director of Real-World Evidence at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy in Washington, DC. Her work centers on addressing implementation and ethical, legal, and social implications issues at the intersection of health policy and innovation. She is presently adjunct faculty at rural Ohio University, teaching graduate health policy courses, and has taught graduate health care innovation courses at UPenn. Dr. Hendricks-Sturrup received her BS from Chicago State University, her MSc in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Michigan State, her MA in Legal Studies from the University of Illinois, and her DHSc from Nova Southeastern University. She completed a predoctoral internship with the National Health Service in London and postdoctoral research training at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Owens is a Deputy District Director with the U.S. House of Representatives, proudly serving Alabama’s 7th Congressional District. Dr. Owens considers herself a rural strategist, specializing in connecting rural leaders and communities with innovative resources and plans to foster economic growth and development. Prior to her work with Congresswoman Sewell, Dr. Owens served as a partnership specialist with the United States Census Bureau, working to ensure a complete and accurate count for Alabama during the 2020 census. As a healthcare advocate and community strategist, Dr. Owens is dedicated to promoting evidence-based discourse around health equity and underrepresented voices in public health.

Ms. Williams is a Lecturer at Howard University where she teaches Health Science. She works as a Senior Program Officer at Jhpiego where she supports global HIV prevention projects funded by PEPFAR through USAID. She has also worked on programs, research, and policy initiatives focused on gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health, and disease prevention in the U.S and abroad. Currently, she serves as the Chair of the Young Professionals Program with the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA) and executive committee member of Women in Global Health - DC chapter. Lanice earned a B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Health Education at Howard University.