Dr. Ronny Bell is chair of the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy and the Fred Eshelman Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy. His research focuses on health disparities in cancer as well as a concentration in chronic disease disparities with an emphasis on rural and underserved populations. As an enrolled member of the Lumbee tribe of eastern North Carolina, and Chair of the North Carolina American Indian Health Board, he is particularly interested in factors that contribute to health disparities in American Indian populations. He also co-leads the Southeastern American Indian Cancer Health Equity Partnership (SAICEP), a partnership between the Community Outreach and Engagement programs at the NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers at UNC, Duke and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, designed to engage North Carolina tribal communities in cancer research, outreach and education. Dr. Bell holds a PhD in Foods and Nutrition from University of North Carolina at Greensboro, an MS in Epidemiology from Wake Forest University, and a BA in Public Health and Nutrition from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Rev. Jennifer Butler is a social justice leader, dedicated to empowering individuals and communities through liberative spirituality. She founded Faith in Public Life in 2005 to amplify progressive faith voices and build multi-racial, multi-faith coalitions for justice. During her tenure as CEO, she mobilized faith-based campaigns to secure the Affordable Care Act, defeat fraudulent religious freedom bills and oppose rising authoritarianism and racism. Today, Rev. Butler is the Founder in Residence of Faith in Public Life, advising religious and secular social change leaders. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, she studied public policy and community organizing and graduated with a Master’s in Social Work from Rutgers University. She is also a graduate of the College of William and Mary.

Jeanette Contreras is a prominent health policy advocate with over 20 years of experience dedicated to improving health outcomes for underserved communities in the U.S. Before establishing OLHA, Jeanette founded the Latina Health Collab, a consulting firm to engage diverse stakeholders in public policy advocacy. Jeanette has held leadership roles in several national nonprofits, including the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza), the National Consumers League, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Jeanette began her career in the legislative office of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, culminating in over a decade of public service in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She serves on the board of directors for the Hispanic Society for Rare Diseases (Sociedad Hispana de Enfermedades Raras) and HealthyWomen. Jeanette holds a Bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Master’s degree in public policy from American University in Washington, D.C.

Deanna Darlington is an advocacy relations professional with more than 25 years of experience in government and external affairs, patient advocacy, policy, reimbursement consulting and other related fields. She serves as president of Links2Equity consulting firm and specializes in engaging patient advocacy organizations on access and policy issues which includes a focus on health disparities for vulnerable patient populations. Darlington works closely with advocates on key policy issues that support dialogue and engagement to patient access to quality care and value. She holds a B.A. from the University of Rochester.

Shawn Gremminger, known for his wide-ranging policy expertise and government relations experience, is the President and CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. He brings to the National Alliance a successful record of working with coalitions, employers and other health care purchasers, policymakers and industry stakeholders toward the mission of achieving high-quality, affordable, and equitable health care. Shawn was most recently Senior Vice President at Reservoir Communications Group, where he led communications and public affairs strategy and execution on a range of relevant issues, including 340B and the drug supply chain, employer-sponsored insurance regulations and Medicare payment. He has a strong history of health care advocacy and public affairs with employers, plans, hospitals and consumer organizations. Shawn was previously director of health policy for the Purchaser Business Group on Health, a member of the National Alliance, where he ran efforts to improve quality and affordability for consumers and health care purchasers through federal policy. He has held senior leadership roles at Families USA and America’s Essential Hospitals, and began his career as a lobbyist for the Children’s Hospital Association. He achieved a Master of Public Policy from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mary Washington.

Steven A. Grossman, JD, is President of HPS Group, LLC, a policy and regulatory consulting firm,  and author of  “FDA Matters: The Grossman FDA Report” (subscribe for free at https://www.fdamatters.com).

Mr. Grossman co-founded and later served as Executive Director of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA. This multi-stakeholder coalition has helped grow the FDA’s appropriated budget from $1.6 billion to $3.5 billion and deepened public understanding of the agency’s expanding responsibilities and budget needs. Under his direction, and as a response to the pandemic’s diminished public presence of senior FDA leaders, the Alliance ran more than fifty stakeholder webinars between 2021 and 2024.

Mr. Grossman’s advocacy is rooted in public service, having spent six years as Counsel and Health Staff Director on the Senate HELP Committee and four years as a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health at HHS.

While in the Senate, he was one of the chief Senate negotiators on the Orphan Drug Act (ODA) and the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act (known as  Hatch-Waxman).

In recognition of his advocacy and policy leadership, he was awarded the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA’s  Innovations in Regulatory Science Award in December 2024.

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Dr. Susan Hassmiller, RN, PhD, FAAN is Co-Founder, Principal, and an ICF certified individual and group coach for Sulu Coaching and Consulting, with a practice focused on galvanizing the skills and expertise of health care leaders. Hassmiller has devoted her career to strengthening the nursing profession, improving population health, and advancing health equity. She is a Professor of Nursing at Florida State University and adjunct faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and serves on numerous boards. During her quarter century at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, she served as the Senior Adviser for Nursing and led the effort to advance the landmark National Academy of Medicine recommendations for both Future of Nursing reports. Hassmiller has held numerous leadership positions at the American Red Cross, receiving the Florence Nightingale Medal from the International Red Cross for her courageous contributions to the profession. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, where she holds the Living Legend status and most recently, the 2025 Nell J. Watts Lifetime Achievement in Nursing Award from Sigma Theta Tau International. She lives in Cary, North Carolina, with her husband and co-founder of SuLu Coaching and Consulting.

Nina Hill serves as a Senior Advisor to Reservoir Communications Group, and a member of the External Advisory Board of the Multi Regional Clinical Trial Center (MRCT) of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University. She is the former Vice President of Innovation Policy, Global Policy at Pfizer, which places the advancement of human health at the center of global life sciences policy development. She was a member of the Pfizer Bioethics Advisory Panel and was the founding editor of the Value of Medicines publication at Pfizer.com. Her work addressed unmet policy needs in clinical trials, compassionate access, precision medicine, vaccines, rare disease, oncology, anti-microbial resistance, intellectual policy and Medicare. Nina also previously led social policy research with the National Council on Disability that helped secure the passage of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, as a former leader of the March of Dimes in NYC, she worked to advance maternal and infant health by advocating for expanded Medicaid coverage and SCHIP. Nina holds a Ph.D. in Speech Science from Columbia University and she earned an MIT Certificate in Artificial Intelligence Business Strategies. She is a published author and a graduate of the Executive Program in the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and the Harvard Business School Pfizer Leadership Development Program.

Michelle Nealy brings more than a decade of deep experience as a reporter, communications specialist and digital strategist. As a Vice President at Reservoir Communications Group, she helps clients advance communications and advocacy goals through alliance development, stakeholder engagement, public affairs and strategic communications. Before coming to Reservoir, Michelle served as Vice President of Communications and Digital Strategy for Faith in Public Life, where she oversaw communications strategy and digital engagement for a wide range of social justice issues. Prior to this, she drove rapid response and crisis management campaigns at the N.A.A.C.P. Previously a reporter for the Associated Press, Michelle has chronicled some of the most important political issues of the 21st century. Michelle holds a B.A. in Journalism from Howard University and a Master’s in Communications from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Gillian Parrish has been working in health care communications since 2004, with specialized experience in narrative development, brand content and third-party engagement. She brings a passion for writing and storytelling to all aspects of her work. Over the years, Gillian has served nonprofit foundations, HMOs, health systems, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, drug distributors, trade associations and technology corporations. Her areas of focus include medical research, venture philanthropy and alliance development. She previously served as the Communications Director at medical research think tank FasterCures and as a Vice President on the health care team at Edelman. Gillian has a B.A. in Public Relations & Strategic Communication from American University and an M.A. in Global Marketing from Emerson College.

Katy Spangler is a principal at Spangler Strategies, a consulting firm focused on health policy, advocacy and coalition building. She advises clients on how to achieve their goals by successfully navigating Capitol Hill and the Executive Branch. Spangler excels in building coalitions of very diverse stakeholders to demonstrate bi-partisan support for key policy goals. She is frequently quoted in both the national and benefits media on health care topics and is often a featured speaker on health care policy. She also serves on the Advisory Board to The University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design. Spangler earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from The University of Tulsa.

Tammy Boyd is a strategic advisor, relationship builder, and government affairs expert with extensive experience in building high-impact coalitions, shaping transformative policies, and championing legislative initiatives that address systemic inequities. Throughout her career, Tammy has worked tirelessly to close health disparities, advance health equity, and empower underserved and under-resourced communities.

As Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Strategic Alliances for the Association of Black Cardiologists, Tammy leads efforts to improve cardiovascular health outcomes in underserved populations. Her career includes leadership roles with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, National Medical Association, Black Women’s Health Imperative, TKB Global Strategies, DaVita, Inc., and Johnson & Johnson. She also served as Legislative Director for the late Congressman John Lewis, driving healthcare initiatives in the Ways and Means Committee and contributing to the establishment of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Tammy holds a Juris Doctor from Washington College of Law at American University, a Master in Public Health from Emory University, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tuskegee University. She has also earned credentials in Public Leadership and Digital Health from Harvard University.

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Aimée Thorne-Thomsen is an experienced reproductive justice advocate who focuses on empowering women, communities of color, immigrants, LGBTQ people and young people. She leads Guerrera Strategies, LLC, a woman-of-color led strategic consulting firm. Prior to that, she served as the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Advocates for Youth, where she oversaw and coordinated the development, implementation and evaluation of Advocates’ strategic partnerships with youth activists and organizations in allied social justice movements. Aimée received her B.A. in Latin American Studies from Yale University and a Master of Public Policy from the City University of New York.

Loribeth Weinstein serves as the CEO Emerita of Jewish Women International (JWI), where she was CEO from 1999 to 2020. Under her leadership, JWI created dozens of innovative programs and philanthropic initiatives to end violence, ensure economic security and spotlight leadership and mentoring. Weinstein has dedicated her professional life to empowering women and families through her non-profit leadership, strategic consulting and political advocacy. Lori is a graduate of Tufts University and Goddard College Graduate School of Social Change.

Dr. Richard Allen Williams is considered an international expert on hypertension, healthcare disparities, dyslipidemia, diabetes, obesity, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. He is the Founder and President of the Minority Health Institute, 117th President of the National Medical Association, and Founder of the Association of Black Cardiologists. Dr. Williams was honored by the American Heart Association from which he received the prestigious LifeSaver Award. He has also received the Scroll of Merit and Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Medical Association, their highest honor. Dr. Williams has authored nine books, including the ground-breaking Textbook of Black-Related Diseases (McGraw-Hill, 1974) and the critically acclaimed Healthcare Disparities at the Crossroads of Healthcare Reform (Springer, 2011). Dr. Williams served as the Assistant Medical Director at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital where he secured a $3 million dollar grant to establish the King-Drew Sickle Cell Center, and served as Chief of the Heart Station and Head of the Cardiology Department at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University, received his MD degree from the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, and performed a cardiology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Chrystine Zacherau is a passionate public health leader whose unique blend of clinical nursing, opinion research, and strategic planning drives real change in healthcare. With a career built on active listening and evidence-based insights, she empowers communities by elevating underrepresented voices and advocating for patient-centered care.  

As a trusted advisor to global health companies, health systems, and nonprofit organizations, Chrystine has a proven track record of turning complex data into actionable strategies and content that improve health outcomes. A founding member of APCO Insight, she established a robust health-focused research capability that continues to inform industry best practices.  

Beyond her professional achievements, Chrystine remains deeply committed to service. She volunteers as a nurse in Guatemala with Mayanza—a group dedicated to enhancing the health of school-aged children and their mothers—and actively supports her local public health department by staffing vaccine clinics.  

Chrystine’s academic background is as diverse as her experience: she holds a B.A. in Political Science from Marist College, a B.S. in Nursing from George Mason University, an M.A. in Survey Research Methodology from the University of Connecticut, and a Public Health Certificate from Rutgers University. This multidisciplinary expertise uniquely positions her to drive innovative, sustainable improvements in public health and make a lasting impact on communities.

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