Milbank Memorial Fund Welcomes its 2024-25 Leadership Program Cohorts

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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