Milbank Memorial Fund Welcomes its 2024-25 Leadership Program Cohorts

Expert state and local leadership are essential to advancing population health and nonpartisan evidence-based health policy in the United States. Each year, the Milbank Memorial Fund invests in the development of state and county leaders who are committed to advancing population health and health equity through its Milbank Fellows Program (MFP) and Emerging Leaders Program (ELP).  

“These leadership classes represent the best of health policy and population health leadership from across the country.” said Morgan McDonald, National Director of Population Health and Health Equity Leadership at the Fund.  “They bring exceptional expertise from the executive and legislative branches of state government and across the political spectrum.”

MFP is a 10-month leadership program, now in its fourth year, for senior executive branch and legislative state leaders who are committed to improving the health of their communities. Convened by the Milbank Memorial Fund, MFP aims to equip participants with new knowledge and evidence-based approaches to specific population health issues, expand their personal insight and leadership capacities, and create meaningful connections with a network of colleagues from across the country.  

This upcoming session reflects the eighth cohort of the Milbank Memorial Fund’s ELP. This 10-month program engages early and mid-career legislative and executive branch state and large-county government officials who are committed to bringing a health equity lens to their work to improve population health. Like MFP, ELP focuses on development of personal insights, hands-on leadership skills, sharing of best practices from public health and leadership experts, and the opportunity to connect with colleagues across states. ELP is facilitated in partnership with nationally recognized academic and leadership consultant Rich Callahan.  

Congratulations to the members of this year’s cohorts for both MFP and ELP, who are listed below.  

Milbank Fellows Program

	Lisa Asare, President & Chief Executive Officer, New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority
	Palav Babaria, Chief Quality Officer & Deputy Director of Quality and Population Health Management, California Department of Health Care Services
	Kyle Brown, State Representative, Colorado General Assembly
	Rebecca Buhner, Deputy Director & Chief of Staff, Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction
	Colleen Burton, State Senator, Florida Senate
	Christopher Chen, Medical Director, Medicaid, Washington State Health Care Authority
	Ebony Sloan Clarke, Director of Behavioral Health, Oregon Health Authority
	Kelly Crosbie, Director, Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities & Substance Use Services, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
	Donald Douglas, State Senator, Kentucky General Assembly
	Cindy Friedman, State Senator, Massachusetts Legislature
	Ashley Goss, Deputy Secretary for Public Health, Kansas Department of Health and Environment
	Scott Holcomb, State Representative, Georgia General Assembly
	Kirsten Johnson, Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
	Lee Johnson, State Representative, Arkansas House of Representatives
	Elizabeth Kromm, Director, Prevention and Health Promotion Administration, Maryland Department of Health
	Matthew Lesser, State Senator, Connecticut General Assembly
	Chimene Liburd, Chief Medical Officer, Washington D.C. Department of Health Care Finance
	Missy McGee, State Representative, Mississippi Legislature
	Joseline Peña-Melnyk, State Delegate, Maryland General Assembly
	Amy Paulin, Assemblymember, New York State Assembly
	Jennifer Plumb, State Senator, Utah Senate
	Wayne Salter, Commissioner, North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services
	Patricia Tilley, Associate Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
	Puthiery Va, Director, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Emerging Leaders Program

	Heather Bagnall, State Delegate, Maryland House of Delegates
	Liz Boldon, State Senator, Minnesota Senate
	Vanessa Caston LaFleur, State Representative, Louisiana House of Representatives
	Maria Cervania, State Representative, North Carolina General Assembly
	Ken Clouston, State Representative, Wyoming Legislature
	Sydney Davis, State Senator, South Dakota Legislature
	Kristen Dubay, Chief of Population Health, NC Medicaid, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
	Rueben Hampton,Director, Office of Health Equity, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
	Khalil Hassam, Primary Care Office Director, DC Health
	Sarah Hatton, Deputy of Administration and Coverage, Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services
	Taban Herrington, Chief of Staff, Kentucky Department of Public Health
	Bonnie Kwok, Medical Consultant, California Department of Health Care Services
	Katye Magee, Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary, Louisiana Department of Health
	Kaylee McGuire, Deputy Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services, New Jersey Department of Human Services
	Elisa Neira-Hamada, Senior Director, Health Equity & Social Determinants of Health, Connecticut Office of Health Strategy
	Cynthia Parsons, Director Behavioral Health and Long Term Care Services, West Virginia State Medicaid Agency
	Stacey Pietropaolo, Director of Policy and Project Management, Vendor Drug Program, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
	Malinda Southard, Deputy Administrator, Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services
	Emma Spencer, Division Director, Florida Department of Health
	Melanie Stinnett, State Representative, Missouri House of Representatives
	Zakiya Summers-Harlee, State Representative, State of Mississippi
	Michelle Taylor, Director & Health Officer, Shelby County Health Department
	Kina White, Office Director, Community Health Improvement, Mississippi Department of Health
	Renee Williams Clark, Chief Pharmacy Officer, TennCare
	Ben Wormser, Medical Director, Maternal & Child Health Bureau, Maryland Department of Health
	Rachael Zukus, Director of Strategy, MassHealth