Dr. Garcini is the Director of the Center for Community Health at the Kinder Institute, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, and a faculty scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and epidemiologist, and her research focuses on understanding and addressing the health needs of marginalized communities from a community-engaged approach that is culturally and contextually informed. Dr. Garcini’s commitment to advance community engagement is evident in her track record of publications, presentations, awards received, and funding allocated. Given the relevance of her research to advance policy and advocacy for marginalized communities, her work has received widespread media coverage in avenues such as Univision, Telemundo, CBS, Medical News Today, U.S. News and World Report, MSN, Global News Report, and the Oprah’s Book Club. Her contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion are also evident through her leadership, service and mentoring endeavors. She currently serves as Member-at-Large for the Board of Directors for the American Psychological Association. Also, she is an advocate for increasing diversity in higher education, and she is a graduate from San Diego State University/University of California San Diego.

Robert N. Davison, MA, LPC, is the chief executive officer of the North Jersey-based Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris, Inc, an MHA affiliate. Davison manages the overall operations of a comprehensive community mental health facility that serves the needs of more than 1,800 individuals each day.

In addition to his professional service, he maintains his interest in community issues in a variety of other ways. He was a founding board member of the Newark-based Partnership for Children of Essex County Inc., a child-welfare agency and was a founding member and past president of Advance Housing Inc., a community-based organization whose mission is to provide independent, normalized living arrangements for individuals with mental illnesses. A former three-term councilman in Caldwell, he also served as a legislative aide to Assemblyman John F. McKeon. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of The Bridge, Inc., a non-profit family service agency based in West Caldwell. A 1984 graduate of Seton Hall University, he received his master’s degree in counseling from Montclair State University in 1990.

Merrill leads inclusive policy and advocacy for Elevance Health. She works collaboratively with advocates, community leaders, and stakeholders to ensure the diversity of individual and personal experiences inform Elevance Health’s health benefits approaches and healthcare programs. Ms. Friedman advances the integration of the independent living philosophy, self-determination, lived experience, and person-centeredness along with the National Advisory Board (NAB) on Improving Healthcare Services for Older Adults and People with Disabilities six foundational principles throughout policy, programs, individual interactions, and business practices. In addition, she leads strategic partnerships with national and local organizations to advance access, health equity, and inclusive public policy.

Previously, Ms. Friedman was interim director at a nonprofit foster care agency serving children and adolescents who experienced severe neglect and abuse. She also served as president and chief executive officer of a private organization that owned and operated residential treatment facilities, group homes and home and community-based services in several states for adolescents with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Ms. Friedman has served on numerous national boards and commissions. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities and by Governor Jennifer Granholm to the MI Statewide Independent Living Council where she served as Board Chair. Currently, Ms. Friedman serves on the board of directors for the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), the Institute for Exceptional Care (IEC), and EveryLife Foundation, and is an Advisory Board member for Uplift and Advancing States’ MLTSS Institute.

Steven Chan (@StevenChanMD, www.stevenchanMD.com) is a clinical informaticist and addiction psychiatrist, Clinical Assistant Professor (Affiliate) at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and Chair of the Committee on Innovation at the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Chan’s research encompasses telepsychiatry and digital mental health, applied to underserved and minority health. Dr. Chan is a sought-after national speaker whose ideas, thoughts, and research have been featured at Google headquarters, JAMA, Telemedicine and e-Health, JMIR (Journal of Medical Internet Research), Wired, PBS, and NPR Ideastream. He serves as Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of AsyncHealth — a University of California-backed mental health startup — and he writes and podcasts at Mental Power Hacks — @mpowerhacks — a consumer guide to mental performance, productivity, & success.

Madhuri Jha, MPH, LCSW (she/hers) is a clinical social work and public health professional with experience providing leadership, training/education, research, and direct clinical practice focused on health equity, behavioral health systems strengthening, trauma and resiliency, mental health epidemiology and community capacity building. Ms. Jha is also psychotherapist specializing in trauma and stressor-related disorders, psychosis, symptom acuity, cognitive behavioral therapy, and crisis response. She has served in multiple leadership and advisory roles, including being the Director of the Kennedy-Satcher Center for Mental Health Equity at the Morehouse School of Medicine, where she led national initiatives focused on advancing equity in behavioral health outcomes. She is the founder of Thriving For All LLC, a consulting firm that operates at the intersection of clinical services, research, and policy. Ms. Jha is a 2022 NMQF 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health Awardee.

Mary is the President/CEO of Mental Health America of South Central Kansas and adjunct faculty at Friends University in Wichita, KS. With over 30 years of experience, she has developed community-based programs for individuals with mental illness. Her work includes housing development for people with severe mental illness and seniors, and expanding outpatient treatment programs for therapy, medication services, and substance use disorder treatment. She has also been a key advocate for implementing evidence-based practices to ensure the highest standards of care.

Mary has extensive expertise in accreditation and compliance, guiding organizations through the accreditation process and maintaining adherence to state and federal regulations. Recently, she has focused on policy and advocacy for behavioral health. She serves as President of the Kansas Mental Health Coalition and is a member of the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board.

Mary is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT), Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC), and holds an Approved Supervisor designation from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Her commitment to advancing mental health services continues to shape policy and improve behavioral health support in the region.

Dr. Renee Schneider is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Google, where she works on products and features that impact users’ mental health. She earned an undergraduate degree from UCLA and a doctoral degree from the University of Georgia, before completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Palo Alto VA and Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Schneider is a member of the Technology Education Panel for the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Mental Health Advisory Panel for Strong Minds, a non-profit providing therapy for women with depression in Africa, and the Expert Panel for Understood for All, a non-profit focused on supporting children and adults in the US impacted by learning and thinking differences. Prior to joining the team at Google, Dr. Schneider was the VP of Clinical Quality at Lyra Health, where she conducted research on the efficacy of evidence-based psychotherapy in the real world. Dr. Schneider lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two teenagers, and dog.

Jen Madsen, MPH, is an executive and health policy strategist with more than two decades of experience in the nation’s capital. She is a principal in Health Innovation at MITRE, a not-for-profit company that works in the public interest.

Jen’s clients span NIH, FDA and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). She currently advises the NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics for COVID-19 (RADx) “Shark Tank” program, whose impact includes authorization of the first COVID-19 test for use at home without a prescription.

Prior to MITRE, Jen was chief of staff to the CEO at Food Allergy Research and Education, and advocated for people with life-threatening food allergies. Jen led development of the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research (FASTER) Act, enacted in 2021; and raised awareness of a national shortage of epinephrine, which convinced the FDA to recognize the shortage and approve new generics, making headlines in The Washington Post and New York Times.

Previously, Jen led advocacy efforts on access to genetic testing, as policy advisor at international law firm Arnold & Porter LLP; as senior director, leading a 10-person team at the College of American Pathologists; and as vice president at the American Clinical Laboratory Association, where she led critical negotiations with FDA. She also advised healthcare clients on the ACA as a principal at the Podesta Group, a bipartisan lobbying firm.

From 2003 to 2009, Jen held several roles in a fast-growing startup, including director and member of the leadership team, at consulting firm Avalere Health and advised biopharmaceutical companies and patient advocates to prepare for the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Jen’s first job in Washington was with the Congressional Budget Office of the U.S. Congress. She earned an MPH from Yale University and a bachelor’s in biochemistry from Rice University. An Atlanta native, she lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband and two dogs.

Courtney Lang is the founder and principal of Langco + Partners, a public affairs and strategic communications firm recognized for advocacy, activism, and grassroots mobilization. Courtney advises clients on achieving health equity, access, affordability, structural racism, and the importance of systemic change amidst resilience. Courtney’s commitment to improving the human condition and identifying social needs galvanizes public conversation and coalition building. Previously Courtney served as the Senior Director of Alliance Development for Pfizer Inc. and US Pubic Affairs Liaison for Eli Lilly & Company. She determined the strategic focus for national advocacy and alliance development activities. Courtney provided expertise in legislative partnerships that support federal and state-wide priorities, including strategic guidance on policy, disease management, and care coordination. Courtney earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Pepperdine University and a Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University College of Law. She also studied Comparative Health Law and Policy at St. Anne’s College, Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Recently, Courtney has proudly served as an adjunct professor of Media Law for her alma mater Pepperdine University. She is a native of Washington, DC, and has resided in Los Angeles, CA, and Cleveland, OH.

Clare Miller is Global Mental Health Benefits Manager at Meta. She leads the company’s global mental health strategy and programs as part of employee benefits, called Life@. Life@’s mission is to take care of employees while they’re bringing the world closer together. Clare was previously the director of the Center for Workplace Mental Health at the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Before joining the APA, Clare was the manager of the Center for Prevention and Health Services at the National Business Group on Health, and prior to that, she was the director of public policy at Mental Health America. Clare has spoken publicly about her experience living with depression. She lives in Alexandria, VA with her partner Danielle and their daughter Camille.

Ben Harrington is the CEO of the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee, an MHA affiliate, and has held the position since 1994. He is actively involved in advocacy matters at the local, state, and national policy levels as well, having served on or chaired numerous boards, including the Tennessee Mental Health Planning and Policy Council and Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network. He has also served on MHA’s Affiliate Relations Committee for several years and has been a Regional Policy Council representative.

He has been honored by the United Way of Greater Knoxville with the Wayne Murdoch CEO of the Year Award and in August 2010 he received the Health Care Heroes Award for Community Service presented by the Greater Knoxville Business Journal in recognition of the Mental Health 101 and Mental Health Matters in the Workplace programs. He earned a BA in History in 1982 from Heidelberg University and his M.A. Ed in Education Counseling in 1984 from Bowling Green State University. He is married to Norma Harrington and together they have two sons, Donovan and Jackson, and two dogs, Baxter Bugtussel and Lady Violet.

Dr. Art McCoy is Superintendent Emeritus, entrepreneur, Saint Louis University’s Distinguished Fellow/Superintendent-in-Residence, and Regional Business Council STL.works Leader.

He’s Missouri’s youngest certified teacher (@19). He was Ferguson-Florissant’s first African-American and youngest Superintendent/CEO (@33), leading Harvard’s Pathways to Prosperity initiatives selected by Gov. Nixon. Later as Jennings Superintendent, graduating classes achieved 100% graduation, career/college placement featured on Fox and CNN. He founded SAGES to “Sever Attainment Gaps Existing in Society” raising $25 million+; advising corporations like Cigna, Mastercard, Daugherty, Ameren, Police & Fire Departments; creating community homeless shelters, grocery hubs, school health clinics, workforce development, mental health, diversity/inclusion/equity programs; supporting over 1 million students in the US, Canada, Dubai, and Africa.