Qiana Cressman is a nationally recognized healthcare and philanthropy executive, celebrated for her transformational leadership, innovative strategy, and unwavering commitment to health equity. With over two decades of experience spanning nonprofit, public health, and maternal health sectors, Qiana began her distinguished career as a clinical laboratory scientist and has spent more than a decade partnering with major healthcare systems and medical practices. She has successfully raised more than $75 million through strategic fundraising initiatives, spearheaded groundbreaking campaigns, and significantly improved lives and communities nationwide.

Before joining the Centering Healthcare Institute, Qiana served as Executive Director of the American Heart Association in Tampa Bay. In this role, she introduced the region's first maternal healthcare initiative focused on hypertension management and nutritional security, establishing partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and leading hospitals. Her strategic leadership has driven remarkable outcomes, including achieving a 75% reduction in blood pressure among underserved populations, pioneering innovative donor programs, and generating substantial organizational revenue growth.

At Centering Healthcare Institute, Qiana brings bold vision and strategic insight to disrupt inequitable systems and enhance maternal health outcomes. A sought-after thought leader and mentor, she regularly speaks on leadership, equity, and innovation in healthcare. Her impact and dedication have garnered national recognition, including being honored as Woman of the Year by the YWCA and named one of Pennsylvania’s Top 20 Power Players in Healthcare.

Dr. Tisha S. Adams is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of leadership experience in human resources, risk and compliance, and operations, spanning both for-profit and nonprofit sectors. She has led high-performing teams in Fortune 1000 financial institutions, healthcare organizations, and mission-driven enterprises, building scalable systems, streamlining processes, and aligning operations with strategic priorities to deliver measurable outcomes.

As COO of the Centering Healthcare Institute, Dr. Adams directs strategic goal execution, enterprise risk management, and operational performance, ensuring the organization operates with efficiency, compliance, and accountability. Her advanced business expertise, coupled with deep practical experience, enables her to apply proven principles and data-driven strategies that strengthen governance, optimize resources, and amplify CHI’s mission to improve maternal health outcomes.

A respected educator and practitioner, Dr. Adams has taught master’s-level students the fundamentals of organizational leadership and operations—experience that informs her ability to translate complex challenges into actionable solutions. Her leadership ensures CHI remains a trusted partner for funders, healthcare providers, and communities, driving systemic change and expanding access to equitable, culturally responsive care.

Katherine oversees the delivery of Centering Healthcare Institute's services to healthcare partners across the country, including leadership of program implementation, sustainability, quality assurance and improvement, training and customer service teams. Since coming to CHI in 2019, Katherines work has spanned direct client engagement through training and consulting service to leadership over diversifying our training offerings. Katherine brings nearly two decades of organizational leadership, program development and capacity building through experience in non-profits, governmental public health and social justice/change movements. She is galvanized by working to create a world where people get the care they need, in ways that affirm who they are, that leads to healthier communities.

As the Senior Vice President of External Engagement, Lisa is responsible for leading the External Engagement team through growth and expansion of Insurance Payer Relationships and Philanthropy across the United States. Lisa comes to CHI with over 25 years of experience in healthcare working with independent physician practices, hospitals and health insurance payers. She has a strong background and understanding of Healthcare systems, Physician practice management, revenue cycle management, government reporting for outcome measures, Insurance Payer relationships and Government Entity relationships. Lisa is passionate about helping practices to promote health equity and cultivate communities by bringing solutions to access to care for their patients and disrupting inequitable healthcare systems through the Centering Model of care.

Deanna serves as Vice President of Health Systems, Strategy and Partnerships where she leads strategic initiatives to advance equitable, evidence-based models of group care across the maternal health landscape. In this role, she oversees partnerships with health systems, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and community organizations to scale and sustain Centering models within enterprise-level strategies for maternal and child health.

With more than 20 years of experience spanning international business, strategic operations, and organizational leadership, Deanna has spent over a decade focused on implementing and scaling evidence-based models across complex health systems. She drives CHI’s efforts to integrate Centering into broader system transformation initiatives that improve outcomes, strengthen care delivery, and enhance both patient and provider experience.

Deanna is a wife and mother to two girls. As a dedicated advocate for women’s rights and leadership, she extends her commitment to equity and empowerment beyond her professional role. She has volunteered for over a decade with the Girl Scouts of America, fostering inclusivity, community service, and leadership opportunities for young girls in the Jersey Shore area.

Victoria Vacaro is the Vice President of Innovation at Centering Healthcare Institute, where they lead the organization’s innovation and product strategy. With a background spanning healthcare systems and nonprofits, Victoria brings deep expertise in healthcare delivery innovation, digital health and systems transformation.

Prior to CHI, they led large-scale innovation initiatives at Kaiser Permanente, including open innovation challenges that engaged over 6,000 employees. At Massachusetts General Hospital’s Healthcare Transformation Lab, they spearheaded the development of digital tools—apps, games and more—to support patients navigating complex health journeys.

Victoria has forged strategic partnerships with accelerators and venture firms like MassChallenge HealthTech and secured significant funding to advance health equity and innovation. They are driven by a commitment to disrupt inequitable systems and make healthcare more collaborative, community-driven and people-centered.

Edward Wu (he/him) born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, is married and has one child. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys cooking and traveling. Ed is a seasoned technology leader with over 20 years of experience adept in digital product development, IT governance, and digital transformation. Expertise spans guiding organizations through technological advancements, optimizing digital strategies, and ensuring effective governance frameworks. Skilled in navigating complex digital landscapes to drive innovation and maximize operational efficiency.

Cherelle brings over 20 years of experience in human resources to her role as Vice President of Human Resources at CHI. Since joining the organization in 2020, she has held several key positions—each with a focus on leading and strengthening the HR function. In her current role, Cherelle oversees the Human Resources department, guiding strategy and operations to support CHI’s mission and staff. Her deep expertise and leadership continue to shape a positive and supportive workplace culture across the organization.

Outside of work, Cherelle is the proud mother of two fantastic children and enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends.

As the eldest child of retired physicians, it is no accident that Arianne Graham has spent her entire career in healthcare. She is currently Director of Innovation for Healthworx, the innovation and investment arm of CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield. In this role, she and her team aim to solve the most pressing problems in the sector while expanding and transforming CareFirst's core health insurance business. Prior to Healthworx, Arianne held numerous strategy and commercial leadership roles spanning the non-profit and for-profit sector, including positions at March of Dimes, Peer Health Exchange, Quartet Health, Kyruus, and patientslikeme. She has co-founded nonprofits Not One More Life and Samara Collective, a worker-owned consultancy that specializes in empowering organizations and movements such as labor unions and progressive community coalitions through digital organizing, web development, press and training.

LaTese Briggs, Ph.D., is the chief philanthropy officer of The Raben Group, where she brings her analytical thinking and rigorous methodology to the world of philanthropy to create strategic,effective, and sustainable giving strategies.

LaTese has served as a trusted advisor to an array of philanthropists and foundations and has helped partners channel their wealth, talent, network and influence to create positive social impact. She began her career as a leading scientist at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. LaTese then co-founded a highly successful philanthropic advising practice at the Milken Institute, which later became the Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy (CSP). For over eight years, she managed CSP’s overall growth, operations, strategic direction, and human talent. LaTese also led the expansion of CSP’s consulting services and expertise to markets in the Middle East, Asia and Europe.

After earning her doctorate in Biochemistry and Structural Biology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, LaTese completed her postdoctoral training at Harvard University, where her work focused on early drug discovery.

Christine's work experience has mainly been derived within the higher education sector and for mission-based organizations throughout her career. With over twenty years of extensive and diverse business administration, management, finance, and accounting experience, she has leveraged this experience to aid organizations through change and transformation. Distinct expertise includes strategic planning, leadership development, process improvement, team building, and change management. Additional expertise includes financial oversight and analysis, budgeting and forecasting, management of grants and contracts, compliance, and professional education program design and development.

She has experience analyzing and assessing departmental workflow designs and assisting with programming software and systems to ensure efficiency. She has supported team direction during programmatic and technology rollouts and engaged in training design and development. She has assisted in data-driven decision-making through systems, processes, and metrics to support planning, forecasting, reporting, evaluation, and assessment.

Christine is passionate about serving and supporting the growth of all individuals by creating opportunities for dialogue. Her experience in leading interventions to support organizational alignment has expanded her philosophy and methodologies for aiding organizations in reaching their goals. She respects the need for diverse thought and is skilled in conflict resolution. Christine plans to continue researching and pursuing different technics and models to support organizational alignment and cohesion. In addition, seeking new ways to engage with conflict and friction.

In 2021, Christine started Farmstead Heights, LLC. because she is passionate about the future of our survival and understands that agriculture and food systems play a significant role in sustaining and growing our communities. Her organization's mission is to support BIPOC farmers and individuals in urban, suburban, and rural spaces through outreach, education, awareness, and consultation.

Eva is the Chief Financial Officer for GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders) a non-profit legal organization and is responsible for operations and finance. She has over 25 years of combined experience in public accounting and non-profit management in wide-ranging capacities including: CFO, controller, treasurer, consultant, auditor, trainer, manager and coach. Eva is a Rockwood Leadership alumnus and participated in the inaugural cohort of the 21st Century Pipeline project; a year-long leadership training program designed to retain & support leaders of color in the LGBT movement. She has also served as a volunteer board member of the Provincetown Film Society, The Theatre Offensive, Elizabeth Stone House, Victory Programs, and Casa Myrna Vasquez.

Michelle Proser is currently Vice President of Research, Quality and Performance at Medicaid Health Plans of America, where she is responsible for developing, overseeing, and implementing MHPA’s research and analytics strategy to inform policy and drive quality. Previously, Michelle worked at the Financial Health Network, where she worked with payers, providers, and financial services partners to improve health by improving financial wellbeing. As part of her role, she provided subject matter expertise in social drivers of health and cross sector collaboration. Michelle also worked at National Association of Community Health Centers where she was Director of Research and the National Project Director for PRAPARE, a multi-organization effort to implement and scale social risk screening for action. She earned both a Doctorate and a Master of Public Policy degree in health policy from The George Washington University.

Dr. Strickland is an Associate Professor at Wake Forest Department of Family and Community Medicine where she practices the full scope of family medicine including both inpatient and maternity care. She earned a Master’s of Public Health degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and is an active member of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. She has been a long time advocate of Centering, joining the CHI Board of Directors in 2008. She has experience as a Centering provider and has implemented group visit programs in several residency programs. Locally, Dr. Strickland leads the North Carolina CenteringPregnancy Consortium in partnership with Northwest Community Care Network of Community Care of North Carolina.

Crysta Meekins is a Program Manager for the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity (IFDHE) at the American Hospital Association (AHA), where she supports hospitals and health systems at the national level on their health equity journey. She earned a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from Tulane University and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Mercer University’s DrPH program, with a concentration in Diverse Populations & Health Equity. Her public health interests include maternal and infant mortality, reproductive health, and health equity. Her future aspirations are to contribute to existing work to dismantle the structural and institutional barriers contributing to the ongoing maternal health crisis.

Jen is a nonprofit leader and strategic innovator for NGOs, start-ups and banks. She has a progressive background in business, financial management, human relations and information technology systems.

A take-charge, action-oriented team leader strong in community relations, inspiring others to see her point of view. A financial and investment manager specializing in organization performance for over 25 years.

During the last several years, Jen has implemented various systems to streamline financial reporting to comply with regulator's directives and has served in various finance and accounting-related roles.

Sonya Williams-Stanton is a finance professional with over 25 years of experience in the private sector and higher education. She currently serves as a teaching professor at Villanova University where she teaches Corporate Finance to both undergraduate and graduate students and sits on the University’s Budget Committee.

She also serves as a consultant to small businesses and nonprofits. Previously she studied the impact of bank regulation on bank lending policies, consulted with the International Monetary Fund, and served on the audit committee of a credit card bank. Her finance career started in commercial lending in NYC. She first joined CHI as a member of the Finance Committee.

Dr. Williams-Stanton earned her bachelor’s degree from Brown University in Mathematical Economics and MBA and PhD from the University of Michigan.

Digital Solutions Director, Enterprise Data and Analytics

Carelon Digital Platforms, Elevance Health

Tracy I. Wang, MPH serves as Digital Solutions Director for Enterprise Data and Analytics of Carelon Digital Platforms at Elevance Health. In this role, she is responsible for the delivery of

whole health management analytics that aggregate public and member data to provide insights on members’ clinical risks and health related social needs, as well as the community they live in,

to inform health disparities. Prior to her current role, Tracy served as Clinical Programs Director for Clinical Quality Strategy, where she was responsible for directing member and community health programs that measure and improve patient safety and population health. She works closely with key business units and collaborates with industry leaders to advance health care initiatives, including award winning Patient Safety First…a California Partnership for Health program.

Tracy currently serves on the Gravity Project Operating Committee and Family Keepers International Board. She also serves on the University of California at Riverside (UCR) Foundation Board of Trustees and Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) Parent Advisory Council (PAC). Previously she served on the Patient Safety Committee for the National

Quality Forum (NQF), as well as California Maternal Data Center Steering Committee for the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC). Tracy received BS and MPH degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). She completed America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Minority Management Development (MMD) Program and Harvard University Health Equity by Design Certificate Program.

Evelyn Gallego, MBA, MPH, CPHIMS, is the CEO and Founder of EMI Advisors LLC, an 8(a) certified Small Minority-Owned Business dedicated to human-centered digital transformation across the government and commercial sectors. Evelyn launched EMI to deliver innovative and value-driven advisory services in digital health interoperability and health IT policy.

Evelyn brings specialized expertise in aligning regulatory, technical, and business requirements to facilitate the effective adoption and utilization of cutting-edge technology. She is a recognized thought leader in critical domains such as care coordination, social care integration, health IT policy analysis and development, health information exchange, interoperability, and standards development.

Evelyn co-founded the Gravity Project, a leading national public collaborative focused on developing data standards for Social Determinants of Health (SDoH). She also serves as a Subject Matter Expert on numerous national and state-level data interoperability initiatives, contributing her insights and leadership to advance health IT. Evelyn’s commitment to driving systemic change extends to her volunteer leadership in mission-driven, non-profit organizations, including IHE USA, United Community, and the Centering Healthcare Institute. Evelyn holds a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Schulich School of Business and a Master in Public Health (MPH) from George Washington University.