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K-12 | Higher Education | Healthcare | Legends
K-12
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Frank Brown
CEO
Communities in Schools of Atlanta
As CEO of Communities in Schools of Atlanta, Frank Brown oversees the organization’s mission of surrounding students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. The organization offers initiatives such as emergency financial assistance for students and families and programming supporting college students, Latinx populations, and foster care youth. CIS of Atlanta has programs in 73 public schools in Atlanta and Fulton, Clayton, DeKalb, and Spalding counties, reaching 49,000 students daily. Previously, Brown was the first executive director of the Butler Street Community Development Corporation (formerly the historic Butler Street YMCA).
EDUCATION Johnson C. Smith University, University of South Carolina School of Law (JD)
INSPIRING PERSON Neal Aronson
TOUGHEST CHALLENGE Expanding CIS of Atlanta’s College/Career Alumni Program to serve 1,000 students by the year 2026
WHAT I’D TELL A RECENT GRADUATE Great leaders are great adapters.
Photograph courtesy of individual
Ron Clark
Founder, Mathematics Teacher, and Author
The Ron Clark Academy
“America’s educator” Ron Clark is the cofounder of The Ron Clark Academy, an Atlanta middle school that serves as a demonstration school for educational best practices. Clark and his staff have provided professional development for more than 100,000 educators. Ninety percent of the school’s alumni attend college. Known for his innovative teaching methods and work with children from various educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, Clark is the author of The Essential 55: An Award-Winning Educator’s Rules For Discovering the Successful Student in Every Child, a New York Times bestseller which has sold over 1 million copies.
EDUCATION East Carolina University
HOMETOWN Chocowinity, North Carolina
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Andrew J. Young International Leadership Award (2017), NAACP President’s Award (2011)
LESSON LEARNED As long as I am helping others and seeking to be a good person, what others think isn’t worth a hill of beans.
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I won the Showcase Showdown on The Price Is Right.
Elizabeth Elango
CEO and Head of School
Global Village Project
Elizabeth Elango is CEO and Head of School of Global Village Project, a school established for refugee girls from age 11 to 18 years old in Decatur. Born and raised in Cameroon and educated in the United States, Elango has traveled to over 50 countries and has worked in over 30 of Africa’s 54 countries. Previously, she was the CEO of Junior Achievement Africa where she transformed the organization’s ability to impact youth programs, developed sustainable funding models, and expanded its reach into additional countries. As her father was a history professor at Kennesaw State University, she began attending the school at 16 years old. Elango was a Fulbright scholar in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and she began her career at The Carter Center.
EDUCATION Kennesaw State University, Yale University (MA)
HOBBIES Appreciating art, buying art, making art; all kinds of art.
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I am actually a left-handed person passing as right-handed. I was forced to change as a child, and I deeply regret it.
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED From my dad: “If you can’t make a situation better, don’t make it worse.” My dad is an old, wise African man. His advice is solid gold.
Brandon P. Fleming
Founder and CEO
Veritas School of Social Sciences
An at-risk youth and college dropout turned award-winning educator, Fleming is the founder and CEO of the Veritas School of Social Sciences formerly known as the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project. Since the program’s inception in 2017, Fleming, a former teacher at The Ron Clark Academy and debate coach at Harvard University, has raised over a million dollars to enroll over 150 students of color into the Ivy League’s international summer debate residency on full scholarships. He recruits underserved youth with no prior debate experience and trains them to compete against elite debaters from all over the world. In 2018, Fleming’s students became the first all-Black team to win Harvard’s summer debate tournament. His students have now matriculated to Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and the like. Fleming’s story, which begins with a failed suicide attempt, is told in Miseducated: A Memoir, published by Hachette Books.
EDUCATION Liberty University, University of Georgia (MFA)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Commencement speaker for Western Governors University (2024), Forbes 30 Under 30 (2020), The Root 100 (2020), Atlanta Business Chronicle 40 Under 40 (2019)
F. Stuart Gulley
President
Woodward Academy
Stuart Gulley is the seventh president of Woodward Academy, among the largest college-preparatory schools in the continental U.S., with over 2,700 students. Previously he served as president of LaGrange College, and before that in several administrative capacities at Emory University, including associate vice president for university development and church relations. An ordained United Methodist minister, Gulley is the author of The Academic President as Moral Leader: James T. Laney at Emory University, 1977-1993, published by Mercer University Press.
EDUCATION Vanderbilt University, Emory University Candler School of Theology (MDiv), Georgia State University (PhD)
HOMETOWN Nashville, Tennessee
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK Education is crucial for the growth and development of individuals and communities. It is a privilege to be part of helping people and communities to become all they are meant to be.
Tori Jackson Hines
Founder and Executive Director
Lead with Excellence
Founder and Executive Director
Resurgence Hall Inc.
Tori Jackson Hines founded Lead with Excellence, a values-driven leadership development program in 2022 to empower Georgia charter school founders to lead community-based schools. Since 2022, Lead with Excellence has supported founders across eight public charter schools in Georgia. Additionally, in 2016, she founded Resurgence Hall Charter School, which has been recognized as a Title I Distinguished School by the Georgia Department of Education with over 91 percent of scholars performing at or above grade level in literacy.
EDUCATION University of Maryland, Loyola Marymount University (MA), Teachers College, Columbia University (MS)
HOMETOWN Richmond, Virginia
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I’m a novice gardener and a wannabe Lego master builder.
LESSON LEARNED Failure is not a failure if it teaches.
FAVORITE GEORGIA PRO SPORTS TEAM Atlanta United FC
Bonnie Holliday
President and CEO
Georgia Charter Schools Association
Bonnie Holliday began her new role at Georgia Charter Schools Association on July 1, 2024, succeeding Tony Roberts. Previously, Holliday served as the chief strategy officer at GCSA where she oversaw all organizational programming and service offerings. She also led GCSA’s policy and advocacy work for the last 5 years and successfully shepherded the passage of critical legislation to increase charter school funding, autonomy, and flexibility. Recognized as a leading education policy expert, she has advised top elected officials at the state level for over a decade. During the 2023-24 school year, there were 64,579 students enrolled in Georgia’s 96 charter schools. And there are 14,000 known students on waiting lists to attend these charter schools.
EDUCATION University of Georgia (MEd, PhD)
Mike Looney
Superintendent
Fulton County Schools
Mike Looney became superintendent of Fulton County Schools in 2019, having served in similar positions in Williamson County, Tennessee, and Butler County, Alabama. Under his leadership in Butler County, the school district realized significant student achievement gains, improved the graduation rate, and established its first magnet school. A public educator since 1994, Looney has also been a classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent. Prior to entering education, Looney was a finance manager and served for seven years in the U.S. Marines.
EDUCATION Jacksonville State University (EdM), University of Alabama (EdS, EdD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS) Superintendent of the Year (2016), Greenville, Alabama, Citizen of the Year (2008)
HOBBIES Skydiving, wing-walking
Angira Sceusi
Executive Director
redefinED atlanta
Angira Sceusi began her new role on October 1, 2024, following the retirement of redefinED atlanta’s executive director, Ed Chang. A public education nonprofit that engages communities, advocates for equity, and funds critical work to drive systemic level improvement in K-12 public education, redefinED atlanta was founded in 2016 by Chang, and Sceusi joined as the second employee not long after its launch. redefinED atlanta is the culmination of a series of gatherings in 2015 that included Chang and many of Atlanta’s education champions seeking to promote positive, equitable, and lasting change within Atlanta’s schools and districts. Since then, the organization has grown to 13 staff members and has expanded its impact to include Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Henry counties. Prior to stepping into the role of executive director, Sceusi was the vice president and chief of staff for redefinED atlanta. Sceusi began her career as a fixed income analyst and spent 10 years in energy finance. Additionally, she serves on the board of Horizons Atlanta and is a member of the Junior League of Atlanta.
EDUCATION Carnegie Mellon University (MISM), The Broad Center at Yale School of Management (MEd)
HIGHER EDUCATION
Raheem Beyah
Dean, College of Engineering and Southern Company Chair
Georgia Institute of Technology
Cofounder
Fortiphyd Logic
Raheem Beyah is the dean of the College of Engineering and Southern Company Chair at Georgia Tech. In this role, he works with the associate deans and chairs for each of the college’s eight schools while providing leadership to more than 500 faculty members and more than 17,000 students. Prior to this role, Beyah served as vice president for interdisciplinary research, executive director of the online masters of cybersecurity program, and as a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. An internationally recognized expert in the areas of cyber-physical systems security, network monitoring, and network security, Beyah is also cofounder of Fortiphyd Logic, an industrial cybersecurity company. A native Atlantan and a graduate of Atlanta Public Schools, Beyah is also a graduate of Leadership Atlanta.
EDUCATION North Carolina A&T State University, Georgia Tech (MS, PhD)
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I’m a huge fan of mindfulness meditation.
TOUGHEST CHALLENGE The myth of meritocracy
HOBBIES Weight training
M. Brian Blake
President
Georgia State University
M. Brian Blake was named Georgia State University’s eighth president in June 2021. He came to Georgia State after serving over six years combined as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at George Washington University and Drexel University. His research has received more than $12 million in funding, and he is an author of more than 200 scholarly publications in the areas of software engineering and internet computing. The first Black president in the university’s 112-year history, Blake is a member of Leadership Atlanta’s class of 2024. Blake grew up in Savannah and attended Benedictine Military Academy. He and his wife, Bridget, have two sons, Brendan and Bryce.
EDUCATION Georgia Tech, Mercer (MA), George Mason University (PhD)
FIRST JOB My first full-time role was a software engineer at Lockheed Martin.
FAVORITE MOVIE Inception
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION Miami
BUCKET LIST Trip to Scotland to explore the wonders of single malt
Rosalind “Roz” Brewer
Interim President and Chair Emerita
Spelman College
Roz Brewer is a renowned corporate executive celebrated for her visionary leadership, transformative impact, and unwavering dedication to advancing positive change in global business. As one of the few Black women to reach the C-suite in a Fortune 100 company, her groundbreaking career has cemented her status as one of today’s most influential figures. As president and CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, she redefined the company’s strategic direction, guiding it through the complexities of the Covid-19 pandemic and expanding access to essential healthcare services. Brewer also served as chief operating officer of Starbucks and president and CEO of Sam’s Club. As a limited partner in her hometown team, the Atlanta Falcons, the Spelman College graduate is one of only three Black women with an ownership stake in an NFL team, reflecting her far-reaching influence across corporate and community arenas.
Ángel Cabrera
President
Georgia Institute of Technology
In 2019 Ángel Cabrera became the 12th president of the Georgia Institute of Technology, one of the leading and most research-intense public universities in the nation. During his first year as president, he steered the institution through the Covid-19 pandemic and produced a new strategic plan focused on impact, access, and inclusive innovation. Previously Cabrera served a seven-year stint as president of George Mason University. From 2004 to 2012 he was president of the Thunderbird School of Global Management, which is now part of Arizona State University. Born in Madrid, Cabrera is the first native of Spain to serve as president of an American university.
EDUCATION Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Georgia Tech (MS, PhD)
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK Education is the best tool we have to shape the world for the better. I have always been an educator at heart and have always known I would be in education one way or another.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Carnegie Corporation of New York Great Immigrant (2017), Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow (2008), Businessweek Star of Europe (2004)
Gregory L. Fenves
President
Emory University
In 2020 Gregory L. Fenves became the 21st president of Emory University, joining the school from the University of Texas at Austin, where he had served as president for the previous five years. During Fenves’s 12 years in leadership at UT Austin, including a stint as dean of the engineering school, the university recruited world-class faculty while retaining an impressive network of current faculty, broadened cross-disciplinary research, and significantly increased extramural research funding. As president, Fenves strengthened graduate education and resources; 48 graduate programs at UT Austin are now ranked in the top 10 nationally.
EDUCATION Cornell University, University of California, Berkeley (MS, PhD)
FIRST JOB My first real job was as a computer programmer in 1974, back when computers took up the entire room.
FAVORITE MOVIE Annie Hall
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION Paris
FAVORITE ATLANTA PODCAST Buried Truths on WABE, hosted by Emory’s own Hank Klibanoff
George T. French Jr.
President
Clark Atlanta University
In 2019, George T. French Jr. became the fifth president of Clark Atlanta University, the largest United Negro College Fund institution in the country. Prior to his appointment, French served for 13 years as the president of Miles College. A nationally recognized leader in higher education and educational policy, French has served three secretaries of education under two presidents as a congressional appointee to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. He is a three-term board member for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges.
EDUCATION University of Louisville, Miles Law School (JD), Jackson State University (PhD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Under French’s leadership Clark Atlanta University has exponentially exceeded all fundraising records in the history of the university; maintained stable enrollment in the midst of the global pandemic; and developed corporate and community relationships to position the university for unprecedented growth. His awards include Birmingham Spotlight Man of the Year, NAACP Man of the Year, and the Higher Education Leadership Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Dan Immergluck
Professor, Urban Studies Institute
Georgia State University
Dan Immergluck, a professor in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, is the author of five books, more than 120 journal articles, book chapters, and research reports. An expert on housing, neighborhood change, real estate, and community development, he’s been a consultant to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Justice, testified several times before Congress, and served as a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. His latest book is Red Hot City Housing, Race, and Exclusion in Twenty-First Century Atlanta.
EDUCATION Northwestern University, University of Michigan (MPP), University of Illinois at Chicago (PhD)
HOMETOWN Detroit, Michigan
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK I have a passion for making cities more just and equitable.
TOUGHEST CHALLENGE Raising teenagers
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I once wrote a press release for Illinois state senator Barack Obama.
FAVORITE ATLANTA PLACE TO VISIT Buford Highway
Kevin James
President
Morris Brown College
In 2020, Kevin James became president of Morris Brown College, a historically Black college founded in 1881, where he had been interim president since 2019. James, the college’s 19th president, is responsible for the leadership and management of all aspects of college operations and for the college’s strategic direction. A native of Columbia, South Carolina, James has served in various executive-level roles in higher education and within the nonprofit sector. Immediately prior to joining Morris Brown, he was interim CEO of 100 Black Men of America, whose mission is to improve the quality of life and enhance educational and economic opportunities for all African Americans. Additionally, James was named an Atlanta Business Chronicle Most Admired CEO in 2023.
EDUCATION South Carolina State University, Winthrop University, Troy University (MS), Nova Southeastern University (EdD)
FIRST JOB Cook at McDonald’s
FEW PEOPLE KNOW As an avid motorcycle rider, I rode my Harley-Davidson motorcycle from South Carolina to California alone.
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED If possible, find a way to say yes.
Michael L. Lomax
President and CEO
UNCF
Since 2004, Dr. Michael L. Lomax has served as president and CEO of UNCF, the nation’s largest private provider of scholarships and other educational support to African American students. Under his leadership, UNCF has raised more than $4 billion and helped more than 200,000 students earn college degrees and launch careers. Annually, UNCF’s work enables 50,000 students to go to college with UNCF scholarships and attend its 37-member historically black colleges and universities. Before joining UNCF, Dr. Lomax was president of Dillard University in New Orleans and a literature professor at UNCF-member institutions Morehouse and Spelman Colleges. He also founded the National Black Arts Festival, was a founding member of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and served as chairman of the Fulton County Commission in Atlanta, the first African American elected to that post.
EDUCATION Morehouse College, Columbia University (MA), Emory University (PhD)
NONPROFITS Lomax serves on the boards of The Handshake Foundation, the KIPP Foundation, Cengage Group, and Teach for America.
Linda A. McCauley
Dean
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University
A global leader in environmental health, Linda A. McCauley is the dean of Emory University’s Woodruff School of Nursing. For decades, McCauley has spearheaded innovative research on children’s environmental health, vulnerable workers and occupational health, environmental justice, and the impact of climate change on human health. In 2020, McCauley joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee and was named an honorary fellow in the Royal Academy of Nursing. She was also elected to serve on the National Academy of Medicine’s Governing Council and received the academy’s David Rall Medal, which is awarded to members who demonstrate distinguished leadership as chair of a study committee, in 2024.
EDUCATION University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing (MSN), University of Cincinnati (PhD)
Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD
President and CEO
Morehouse School of Medicine
Valerie Montgomery Rice is the sixth president of Morehouse School of Medicine and the first woman to hold the position. Before joining Morehouse in 2011 as executive vice president, Montgomery Rice was founding director of the Center for Women’s Health Research at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, one of the nation’s first research centers devoted to studying diseases that disproportionately affect women of color. An infertility specialist and researcher, she was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2016. In 2022 Montgomery Rice was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve on the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science.
EDUCATION Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard Medical School (MD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Atlanta Business League Visions of Excellence Award (2018), Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Horatio Alger Award (2017), Trumpet Awards Foundation Vanguard Award (2015)
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Jere W. Morehead
President
University of Georgia
Jere W. Morehead became the University of Georgia’s 22nd president in 2013. Previously he held other key administrative roles, including senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. Morehead has been a faculty member of the Terry College of Business since 1986, coauthored several books, and published scholarly articles on legal topics ranging from export controls to jury selection. He was an assistant U.S. attorney from 1980 to 1986.
EDUCATION Georgia State University, University of Georgia School of Law (JD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Chief Executive Leadership Award, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education District III (2021); William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Learning, National Society for Experiential Learning (2019); Josiah Meigs Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Georgia (2001); Teacher of the Year Award, Terry College of Business (1998, 1988); Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, University of Georgia (1995)
Justine Norman Boyd
Assistant Vice President
Regional Development
UNCF
Prior to joining UNCF in 2014, Boyd was president of her own nonprofit consulting firm. She has served as CEO of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta, vice chair of the Atlanta Housing Authority, and president of the Atlanta Fulton County League of Women’s Voters. She was appointed by Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox to the Georgia Voting Commission and is a former chair of the UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Advisory Board, a former member of the Georgia 4-H Foundation, the Boy Scouts of America Atlanta Area Council, the Coalition of 100 Black Women Advisory Board (Chair), the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the DeKalb Convention and Visitors Bureau. She is a lifetime member of the NAACP, the APEX Museum, the Atlanta Business League, and a Junior League sustainer.
EDUCATION Georgia State University
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Some of her most recent awards include the 2011 Atlanta Dream Inspiring Woman Award presented by SunTrust; 2011 High Heels in High Places from the Trumpet Awards Foundation; 2009 Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys
Kathy “Kat” Schwaig
President
Kennesaw State University
Kat Schwaig was named the sixth president of Kennesaw State University in March 2022, following her tenure as interim president. Under Schwaig’s leadership as president, KSU has embarked on a comprehensive student success initiative, established new graduate degrees for in-demand fields such as financial technologies and computer science, formalized a targeted strategy for enrollment growth, created a dynamic campus communication plan, and impactfully invested in the university’s research infrastructure. Schwaig is also a professor of information systems where her research focused on the strategic and ethical implications of computer technology. Additionally, Schwaig is the proud mom of her high school daughter, Emma Grace.
EDUCATION Baylor University (MBA), Johns Hopkins University (MLA), University of South Carolina (PhD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Cobb Chamber of Commerce Mack Henderson Public Service Award (2023), Oscar Burnett Award for Distinguished Achievement in Business from the Morris Brown College Foundation, the Cobb Executive Women’s Glass Ceiling Award, and Atlanta magazine’s Women Making a Mark Award
Victoria Seals
President
Atlanta Technical College
Victoria Seals became the sixth president of Atlanta Technical College in 2016. Under her leadership, the college has established effective industry partnerships and student success initiatives—boasting a 98 percent job placement rate. Her service and leadership were recognized in 2020 by the Association of Community College Trustees, who named her Southern Region CEO of the Year. The Atlanta Business Chronicle has twice recognized her as one of their Who’s Who in Education and as a Most Admired CEO in 2020. One of Atlanta Business League’s Top 100 Women of Influence, she has received the South Fulton Chamber Educator of the Year and the Year Up Atlanta Urban Empowerment Awards. She has also been honored by the Urban League of Greater Atlanta.
EDUCATION Spelman College, University of Georgia (MA, EdS, EdD)
HOMETOWN Norwood, Georgia
HIDDEN TALENT I am a grill master.
Jagdish N. Sheth
Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Business
Emory University Goizueta Business School
Jagdish N. Sheth is the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Business at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. The author or coauthor of numerous books and hundreds of scholarly papers, Sheth is known globally for his work in consumer behavior, relationship marketing, competitive strategy, and geopolitical analysis. His latest book, India’s Road to Transformation: Why Leadership Matters, coauthored with late Gyanendra Singh, was released in 2024. He has over 60 years of combined experience in teaching and research, including at the University of Southern California, Columbia University, and MIT. Sheth and his wife, Madhu Sheth, established the Sheth Family Foundation to support charities in the U.S. and India. In 2020 Sheth received the Padma Bhushan award, one of the highest civilian honors bestowed by the Indian government.
EDUCATION Loyola College, University of Pittsburgh (MBA, PhD)
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK I chose the field of marketing and consumer behavior because I was very interested in what motivated consumers to buy certain products and brands. I was also interested in globalization and the impact of geopolitical dynamics on markets, trade, and investments.
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David A. Thomas
President
Morehouse College
In 2018 David A. Thomas became the 12th president of Morehouse College. Since his arrival, Thomas has overseen a fundraising acceleration which has generated more than $200 million— more than any other president in the history of the college. Additionally, Morehouse has expanded its profile as a national center for thought leadership on civil rights. With more than 30 years of experience in the business of higher education, Thomas has served as a professor and executive leader at mostly Ivy League institutions. In 2023 Georgia Trend included Thomas, who is a member of the Atlanta Committee for Progress, in its list of 100 Most Influential Georgians. In 2024, Thomas announced his retirement, effective June 30.
EDUCATION Yale College, Columbia University (MA), Yale University (MPhil, PhD)
HOMETOWN Kansas City, Missouri
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Nationally known for his research on managing diversity in the workplace, Thomas has written two books and numerous academic articles.
Paula S. Wallace
President and Founder
Savannah College of Art and Design
Paula Wallace founded the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1978; and as president has led the university’s expansion to locations in Atlanta and Lacoste, France, and pioneered SCADnow, which provides virtual instruction. Wallace founded the university’s collaborative design studio, SCADpro, and leads one of the foremost community service studios, SCAD SERVE, which harnesses the university’s expertise to address the world’s most pressing social challenges. In 2021, with the opening of the Lofts of Pulaski in Savannah, SCAD SERVE provides affordable workforce housing for frontline workers in its community. Additionally, Wallace created the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the world’s largest university-run film festival. Widely respected as an author, filmmaker, and podcast host, she is also the founder of four teaching museums including: the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta, and SCAD FASH Lacoste in France. In 2024, the Atlanta Business Chronicle named Wallace one of the city’s Most Admired CEOs.
Leocadia I. Zak
President
Agnes Scott College
Leocadia I. Zak was appointed the ninth president of Agnes Scott College in 2018. Under her leadership, the school has achieved record enrollment and fundraising, launched graduate programs and expanded graduate programs to include those with a focus on medical sciences, established the Sophomore Class Atlanta Leadership Experience (SCALE), and been recognized for seven consecutive years as the most innovative liberal arts college in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Zak has an extensive background in international economic development and international project finance and served as an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University School of Law. In 2010 she was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
EDUCATION Mount Holyoke College, Northeastern University School of Law (JD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Atlanta Business Chronicle Power 10 in Education (2023), YWCA of Greater Atlanta Academy of Women Achievers (2022)
HEALTHCARE
Photograph courtesy of individual
Kevin Brown
President and CEO
Piedmont Healthcare
Kevin Brown joined Piedmont Healthcare as president and CEO in 2013. Through an operating model that places the patient at the center of decision-making, Piedmont has produced outcomes that rival some of the best in the country. Under Brown’s watch, Piedmont has frequently earned more A grades from the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit industry watch dog that rates hospitals on quality, than any other system in Georgia. He has been an advocate of transparency. Piedmont was the second hospital system in the nation to publish unedited patient reviews on physician profiles. Since 2013, the Piedmont system has nearly quadrupled in size, now serving over 3.4 million Georgians in more than 1,400 locations across the state. During his tenure, net revenues have gone from $1.5 billion to an expected $6.5 billion in FY 2023. Piedmont has also provided $1.4 billion in uncompensated care and community benefit programming over the past five years. He serves on boards for the Buckhead Coalition, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, and the Holy Innocents Episcopal School.
Robert H. Bunch
President
Anthem BlueCross BlueShield of Georgia
Robert Bunch was named president of Anthem BlueCross BlueShield of Georgia in 2022. He had joined Anthem, Inc. in 2001 and most recently served as chief operating officer and chief client officer for Anthem National Accounts. Previously, he was the regional vice president of sales and account management, where he was responsible for profitable membership growth for the individual and small group market and the state of Georgia health benefit plan. Throughout his career at Anthem, Bunch has held various leadership positions including sales, account management, and product development; government and regulatory compliance; systems integration; and business migration activity, along with responsibility for various systems and application programming teams. Before coming to Anthem, Bunch was a consultant in the government and public services sector, working with multiple state Medicaid agencies. He also previously worked as an application programmer in the banking and credit card industries.
EDUCATION Columbus College, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University (MBA)
Carol H. Burrell
President and CEO
Northeast Georgia Health System
Under Carol Burrell’s leadership, Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, the system’s flagship hospital and one of the state’s six Level I trauma centers, has garnered state and national acclaim, including recognition by Healthgrades as one of the country’s 50 Best Hospitals. Burrell also led the construction of NGMC Braselton, the acquisition of NGMC Barrow, and worked to save rural hospitals in Lumpkin and Habersham Counties. Georgia Trend named her its Most Respected Business Leader in 2017 and, for 10 years in a row, has placed her on a list of 100 Most Influential Georgians. In 2024, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle and announced her retirement.
EDUCATION Georgia Southern University, Emory University, Central Michigan University (MHA)
HOMETOWN Carl, Georgia
FIRST JOB Teaching private piano lessons
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED Sometimes in life, you are going to have to choose between doing something that will make people like you or respect you. Always choose respect.
Nkem Chukwumerije, MD
President and Executive Medical Director
The Southeast Permanente Medical Group
Nkem Chukwumerije, MD, MPH, FACP, serves as president and executive medical director for The Southeast Permanente Medical Group (TSPMG). TSPMG is one of Georgia’s largest multi-specialty medical groups, with more than 900 clinicians caring for more than 300,000 Kaiser Permanente members. Services are delivered through a network of 27 medical offices and specialty centers and four contracted hospitals—Emory University Midtown, Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Northside Hospital, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Chukwumerije also serves as national physician leader for equity, inclusion, and diversity for the Permanente Medical Groups. Chukwumerije has been active in leadership of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas and has also served as president of the University of Nigeria College of Medicine Alumni Association, North America.
EDUCATION University of Nigeria (MD), UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (MPH)
NONPROFITS Faith Alive USA and the Isuochi Progressive Union, organizations providing medical care and support to underserved areas of Nigeria
Carlos del Rio, MD
Executive Associate Dean, Leon L. Haley Jr., MD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
Carlos del Rio is a distinguished professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and a professor of global health and epidemiology at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health. Additionally, del Rio is codirector of the Emory Center for AIDS Research and co-principal investigator of the Emory-CDC HIV Clinical Trials Unit and the Emory Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit. A past president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Del Rio serves as the international secretary of the National Academy of Medicine and chair of the PEPFAR Scientific Advisory Board.
EDUCATION Instituto Cumbres, Universidad La Salle (MD)
HOMETOWN Mexico City, Mexico
INSPIRING PERSON Dr. Bill Foege, whose advice throughout my public health career has been invaluable
FAVORITE MOVIE Casablanca
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION Paris
NONPROFIT Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Douglas Graham, MD, PhD
Chief, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Douglas Graham is chief of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. A physician scientist with clinical expertise in the treatment of leukemia, he has been actively involved in the design of clinical trials for pediatric cancer. One of the drugs developed by Graham’s research team has advanced into clinical trials for children with relapsed and refractory leukemia. He is a past president of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and was recently elected to the Association of American Physicians. As leader of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Graham is committed to developing a comprehensive program that will provide outstanding clinical care for children in Georgia and throughout the Southeast. He is responsible for recruiting cancer and hematology clinicians and researchers who will be able to improve the outcomes for children with cancer and blood diseases.
EDUCATION Wake Forest University, University of North Carolina (MD, PhD)
HOMETOWN Carthage, North Carolina
Andre Greenwood
Market Lead, Georgia Interim CEO
Aetna Better Health of Georgia
Andre Greenwood serves as market leader and Georgia interim CEO for Aetna Better Health of Georgia, a diversified, multibillion-dollar healthcare enterprise that provides a portfolio of services to government-sponsored healthcare programs. Most recently, he held the role of chief operating officer at Aetna Better Health of Louisiana. He has significant experience in healthcare operations for both the insurance and provider sides of the industry. He previously held the role of vice president of Field Network Management at Centene Corporation. He led the network’s contracting and expansion strategies for Georgia, including identifying and cultivating strategic alliances and building new network models with over 35,000 provider organizations to ensure that the healthcare needs of Centene members were met. Prior to joining Centene he was executive director of Managed Care for WellStar Health System in Atlanta, where he was responsible for 11 hospitals and over 2,500 physicians. He has also held multiple leadership roles with WellCare of Georgia and Humana. Outside of professional interests, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Naima, and their daughters, Ava and Aubree.
EDUCATION Florida A&M University (BS), Georgia State University (MBA)
Gulshan Harjee, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Clarkston Community Health Center
Gulshan Harjee is the chief medical officer at Clarkston Community Health Center, a nonprofit free health clinic serving the immigrant, refugee, and uninsured populations of metro Atlanta. Following three decades in private practice, Harjee cofounded CCHC in 2013 and committed herself to it fully in 2016. The clinic has since had more than 10,000 patient visits, provided free mammograms, insulin, and dental care to asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants, and offered educational experiences to hundreds of area medical and nursing students. Harjee oversees clinical operations and quality of care while forging new collaborations with medical training programs and spearheading a capital campaign. With a recent $2.5 million pledge from a Texas philanthropist, the center now plans to build a larger facility just south of Clarkston. Additionally, Harjee is a 2023 AARP Purpose Prize fellow and received $10,000 and a year of support from AARP to help broaden the scope of her work.
EDUCATION Morehouse School of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine (MD)
HOMETOWN I was raised on a sisal farm in a Karanga village of 500 about an hour from the town of Moshi, Tanzania.
Photograph courtesy of individual
John M. Haupert
CEO
Grady Health System
As CEO of Grady Health System since 2011, John Haupert leads the safety-net healthcare system that serves DeKalb and Fulton Counties and operates the primary Level I trauma center and burn center for metro Atlanta. Previously chief operating officer at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, Haupert began his career in healthcare management at Dallas’s Methodist Health System, where he became president of one of the system’s hospitals and executive vice president for corporate services and business development. On the national level, Haupert served on the board of the American Hospital Association from 2018 to 2020 and is immediate past chair. Also, in 2023, the Atlanta Business Chronicle named him one of the city’s Most Admired CEOs.
EDUCATION Trinity University (MS)
HOMETOWN Fort Smith, Arkansas
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, recipient of the ACHE Regent’s Award, 2018-2019 board chair of the Georgia Hospital Association, former board chair of America’s Essential Hospitals
Monica A. Hum, MD
CEO
Piedmont Rockdale Hospital
Monica Hum is a pioneering colorectal surgeon who became CEO of Piedmont Rockdale Hospital in 2023. She previously served as chief medical officer, successfully improving the hospital’s quality and safety scores. During her time as managing partner of ATL Colorectal Surgery, a specialized practice she founded in 2007, she was the first woman elected as president of the medical staff of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital dating to its founding in 1905. A native of New York, Hum began practicing in Atlanta in 2003 after fellowship training at the Cleveland Clinic Florida and general surgery residency at Saint Luke’s–Roosevelt Hospital.
EDUCATION Boston University, Emory University Goizueta School of Business (MBA), State University of New York Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine (MD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS The first in Atlanta to perform transanal endoscopic microsurgery in 2008 and first in Georgia to implant an Interstim sacral nerve stimulator for bowel leakage in 2011
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK During my freshman year in college, my mother quit smoking. A year later, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and died during my senior year.
Donna W. Hyland
President and CEO
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Donna Hyland has overseen monumental growth and achievement at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, first as chief financial officer, then as chief operating officer, and now as president and CEO. She was instrumental in the 1998 merger of Egleston Children’s Health Care System and Scottish Rite Children’s Medical Center, the additions of Hughes Spalding Hospital, Marcus Autism Center, Center for Advanced Pediatrics and, most recently, the opening of Arthur M. Blank Hospital, creating what is now one of the preeminent and largest pediatric healthcare systems in the country. Under Hyland’s leadership, Children’s and Emory University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics has achieved top five ranking in federal research grant dollars from the National Institutes of Health since 2018.
EDUCATION Western Kentucky University
FIRST JOB An intern for a judge
FAVORITE BOOKS Anything on personal growth, either mental or physical
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION Mountains or beach
WHAT I’D TELL A RECENT GRADUATE Try new experiences and push yourself to keep learning. Build relationships.
Kim H. Jones
Executive Director
NAMI Georgia
Kim H. Jones is the executive director of NAMI Georgia and, more importantly, the proud mother of a child with a mental health condition. NAMI is the largest grassroots advocacy organization representing people affected by mental health conditions. Jones is also a cofounder of the Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership. Appointed to the state’s Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Committee by late Speaker of the House David Ralston, her expertise drives policy and legislative reform efforts statewide, including the landmark passage of the Mental Health Parity Act. Previously Jones was part of the senior-level management team of Goodwill of North Georgia. Jones has more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit management, education, training, marketing, and business development.
EDUCATION University of Georgia
HOMETOWN Dunwoody, Georgia
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED What gets measured gets done.
Kathryn Lawler
CEO
Saint Joseph’s Health System
Kathryn Lawler is CEO of Saint Joseph’s Health System and Mercy Care, Atlanta’s federally qualified health center. In 2024, Mercy Care, Pennrose, and project partners celebrated the grand opening of McAuley Station Phase I, delivering 170 mixed-income apartments adjacent to the Mercy Care campus in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta. The $50 million development is part of the comprehensive mixed-use McAuley Park master plan, which is named after Sister Catherine McAuley, who opened a shelter for homeless girls and women in 1827 leading to the founding of the Sisters of Mercy in 1831. Lawler came to Saint Joseph’s Health System from the Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement, where she had served as executive director since 2017. She is known for helping both health systems and local organizations remain agile and relevant in their service delivery. With a background that integrates strategic planning, partnerships, and policy, she is implementing a strategy that addresses both the direct needs of clients and communities and social determinants of health.
EDUCATION University of Notre Dame, Harvard University’s J. F. Kennedy School of Government (MPP)
Joon S. Lee, MD
CEO
Emory Healthcare
Joon S. Lee joined Emory Healthcare as the CEO in July 2023 after a 27-year career at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) as a clinician, clinical researcher, academic leader, and physician executive. While there, Lee’s scope of responsibility continuously increased, culminating in his position as the executive vice president, UPMC, and president, UPMC Physician Services. He was responsible for more than 5,200 employed physicians, including all clinical faculty of University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and over 3,500 advanced practice providers. As a full-time faculty member, he served as the vice dean for Clinical Affairs at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His scope included all aspects of care delivery, including quality of care, patient experience, patient access, clinical informatics, pharmacy service line, and digital transformation.
EDUCATION Dartmouth College, Duke University School of Medicine (MD)
FAVORITE MOVIE E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK My father is a physician, which drove me to and made me wary of medicine at the same time. While my father’s profession had some influence, I was always interested in science.
Jayne Morgan, MD
Vice President of Medical Affairs
Hello Heart
Owner and Creator
The Stairwell Chronicles
Jayne Morgan is a cardiologist and the vice president of Medical Affairs at Hello Heart, a digital leader in preventive heart health. Most recently, Morgan was the executive director of Health and Community Education at Piedmont Healthcare where she played a pivotal role in addressing health literacy and disseminating information both within the organization and to external stakeholders. Widely recognized for her exceptional skills in interpreting complex medical data, Morgan created the popular social media series, The Stairwell Chronicles, through which she delivers scientific and medical information in a brief and easy-to-understand format to a multitude of followers. She covers topics from Covid, to cardiology, to women’s health, to clinical trials, and more. A recognized medical expert for several media outlets including CNN and Scripps News, with over 500 media appearances in recent years, she is also an adjunct associate professor at Morehouse School of Medicine.
EDUCATION Spelman College, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MD)
HOMETOWN Atlanta
WHO’D PLAY ME IN A BIOPIC I should play myself. Or Zoe Saldana—she’s pretty good.
Myron Keith Phillips
Director of Operations
Centene Corporation
As director of operations for Centene Corporation, a healthcare enterprise, Myron Keith Phillips manages a team of 10 managers and 25 supervisors to support Marketplace, Medicaid, and Medicare lines of business. Additionally, Phillips oversees five facilities in Atlanta; Little Rock, Arkansas; San Antonio, Texas; Tucson/Tempe, Arizona; and Orlando, Florida. He established the company’s first bilingual, 120-seat affordable care call center in Orlando.
EDUCATION Florida A&M University
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I was a professional roller skater.
FAVORITE MOVIE The Color Purple
FAVORITE GEORGIA PRO SPORTS TEAM Atlanta Hawks
BUCKET LIST Almost ready to retire! Once that happens, hopefully I’ll get more involved with my fraternity and get hired by the Atlanta Hawks to welcome fans to the game. That would be my dream come true after-retirement activity.
Robert Quattrocchi
President and CEO
Northside Hospital
Robert Quattrocchi is president and CEO of the Northside Hospital health system, which provides care to nearly 5.3 million patients annually; Quattrocchi oversees a system reaching across 25 counties with five acute-care hospitals, over 300 outpatient facilities, 3,700 providers, and 29,000 employees. In 2017 the Atlanta Business Chronicle named Quattrocchi one of the area’s Most Admired CEOs, and he was included in a list of the country’s top 100 CEOs in the 2019 Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards. He was also one of the best CEOs for diversity in 2022, ranked by employees of color across large companies, on the career website Comparably. Quattrocchi has been part of Northside Hospital’s senior management team since 1987; prior to assuming the top job in 2004, he served as chief operating officer and executive vice president of finance and administration, chief financial officer, and director of fiscal services.
Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD
Executive Director
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Dr. Suresh Ramalingam serves as executive director of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Georgia’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Additionally, Ramalingam serves as associate vice president for cancer of Woodruff Health Sciences Center. Ramalingam is past president of the Georgia Society of Oncology and a member of the board of Georgia CORE. He is a fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar. The Chennai, India, native’s present research involves developing immune checkpoint inhibitors and improving outcomes for patients with EGFR mutation. He has authored more than 350 scientific publications. He serves as editor-in-chief of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
EDUCATION Kilpauk Medical College, India (MBBS)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Developed new treatment options for lung cancer
MOST INSPIRING PERSON Mahatma Gandhi
LESSON LEARNED No success is everlasting, and no setback is permanent.
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION Alaska
Photograph courtesy of individual
Candice L. Saunders
President and CEO
WellStar Health System
Beginning her career as a critical care nurse, Candice L. Saunders is now president and CEO of the Marietta-based Wellstar Health System. The nonprofit health system she leads has 32,000 team members with 11 hospitals, two Level I Trauma Centers, more than 300 primary care, urgent care and specialty locations, and a robust telehealth network that supports 15 rural hospitals. Her leadership has resulted in Wellstar Health System being recognized as one of Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work and Georgia’s largest provider of charity and uncompensated care while spurring healthcare innovation through Catalyst by Wellstar. Additionally, Saunders has forged partnerships with high schools, colleges, and universities to meet the increasing need for future generations of clinicians.
EDUCATION University of South Florida, University of Alabama at Birmingham (MBA, MHA)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Atlanta Business Chronicle Most People-Focused CEO (2022), Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders (2019), Georgia Hospital Association W. Daniel Barker Leadership Award (2017), National Association of Female Executives Healthcare Champion (2015)
Pam Shipley
Senior Vice President of Health Plan Performance & Services, National Health Plan
Regional President (Georgia)
Kaiser Permanente
Pam Shipley is senior vice president of Health Plan Performance & Services for Kaiser Permanente’s National Health Plan. In this role, she is responsible for the performance and affordability of Kaiser Permanente’s markets outside of California. She works with the markets to ensure top performance and streamlined critical health plan functions align with the organization. Shipley joined Kaiser Permanente in January 2022 as regional president in Georgia, a position she continues to hold. In this role, Shipley oversees care delivery and health plan operations in the Georgia region, which operates 27 medical centers and has more than 330,000 members. Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, Shipley served as chief operating officer of Sharecare Health & Wellness in Atlanta. Prior to Sharecare, Shipley had a 12-year career with Centene Corporation, where she served in various operating and enterprise roles, including senior vice president with oversight of more than 15 markets and executive leader for Centene’s digital transformation.
EDUCATION Chestnut Hill College, Washington University
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT Atlanta Business Chronicle Most Admired CEO (2023)
Bassam Tomeh, MD
CEO
First Medical Care
Bassam Tomeh became the CEO of First Medical Care after acquiring the practice from his mentor, Dr. Gulshan Harjee. Tomeh, whose practice serves refugees and immigrants from Middle Eastern, African, and Asian countries with cultural sensitivity and care, has a special interest in disease prevention and primary care for ages 15 and up. An Atlanta native, Tomeh served as an active voting member on the Emory Healthcare Board of Managers and DeKalb Physicians Hospital Organization board and is an active member and a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and a member of the National Arab American Medical Association. He was an assistant professor at Mercer University School of Medicine.
EDUCATION Emory University, Medical College of Georgia (MD)
INSPIRING PEOPLE My father, Dr. Mohammed Tomeh, and Dr. Gulshan Harjee. These two invaluable public servants taught me that it is vitally important to be an active part of our patients’ lives, and that compassion and commitment should be foremost in our daily work.
NONPROFITS Al Farooq Masid of Atlanta and RAKSHA, which advocates for the South Asian community
Kathleen E. Toomey, MD
Commissioner and State Health Officer
Georgia Department of Public Health
As commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, Kathleen E. Toomey oversees 159 county health departments in 18 health districts and helped lead the response to the coronavirus pandemic in Georgia, fostering critical partnerships with hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare organizations, business leaders, the agricultural community, and statewide public health and community organizations. Formerly, she was director of Fulton County’s Department of Health and Wellness. She is an epidemiologist and board-certified family practitioner with a long career in national and global public health, including a stint as Botswana country director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
EDUCATION Smith College, Harvard Medical School (MD), Harvard School of Public Health (MPH)
Jonathan Watkins
President and CEO
City of Hope Atlanta
Watkins joined Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Atlanta, now City of Hope Atlanta, in 2019. In his role, Watkins provides strategic guidance for the hospital while working closely with leadership across the City of Hope Comprehensive Care Network. In 2022, Watkins played a pivotal role as CTCA and City of Hope joined forces to build a national, integrated cancer research and treatment system with a focus on democratizing cancer care. Prior to joining City of Hope, Watkins served as CEO at Broward Health Imperial Point, a 200-bed acute care facility in Broward County, Florida. He serves on the board of directors for the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Newnan-Coweta Chamber.
EDUCATION Tennessee State University (MPA)
Sandra L. Wong, MD, MS
Dean
Emory University School of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer
Emory Healthcare
An accomplished surgical oncologist and researcher, Sandra L. Wong joined Emory University School of Medicine as dean in March 2024. Wong, who is the first female medical school dean at Emory, also serves as the chief academic officer for Emory Healthcare. Prior to joining Emory, Wong was the chair of the Department of Surgery at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. During her tenure at Dartmouth, she developed an interest in studying and eliminating rural health disparities, and her efforts helped spur the creation of the federally funded Center for Rural Health Care Delivery Science, which provides infrastructure to train junior investigators focused on solving challenges associated with the provision of equitable health care. As a surgical oncologist specializing in the management of soft tissue sarcomas, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers, Wong is among the most widely recognized health services researchers in academic surgery.
EDUCATION University of California Berkeley, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (MD)
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED Adopt a mindset of curiosity.
LEGENDS
James Curran, MD
Curran was formerly dean of Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health. Previously, he spent 25 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reaching the rank of assistant surgeon general. In 1981, he was tapped to lead the investigation into the first cases of AIDS. The author of nearly 300 scientific publications, Curran led the CDC’s research in response to the worldwide HIV/AIDS pandemic. In 2009, the Rollins School’s dean of public health position was named in his honor.
Walter J. Curran Jr., MD
Curran is the former executive director of Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, the first and only cancer center in Georgia designated by the National Cancer Institute; Curran was also the first radiation oncologist to serve as director of an NCI-designated cancer center.
William Foege, MD, MPH
Considered a titan of epidemiology, Foege was instrumental in the successful campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s. At Emory University, he holds the title of Presidential Distinguished Professor Emeritus of International Health, in addition to being a Gates Fellow and former Carter Center leader.
David Satcher, MD, PhD
A renowned physician, public health leader, and scholar, Dr. David Satcher is best known for serving as the 16th U.S. Surgeon General. Prior to that, he was director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He is the founding director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine.
Alana Shepherd
Shepherd and her husband Harold cofounded Atlanta’s Shepherd Center in 1975. The facility has grown from a six-bed unit to a world-renowned hospital specializing in research, medical treatment, and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord and brain injuries and other neurological conditions.
Louis W. Sullivan, MD
With the exception of his four-year tenure as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which ended in 1993, Sullivan was president of Morehouse School of Medicine for more than 20 years. He also founded the Sullivan Alliance (now part of the Association of American Medical Colleges), which aims to increase the numbers of ethnic and racial minorities in health care, and is chairman of the Georgia Global Health Alliance.
Beverly Tatum
A noted scholar, teacher, author, administrator, and race relations expert, Tatum was the ninth president of Spelman College. Tatum is a licensed clinical psychologist with an MA and PhD from the University of Michigan, as well as an MA in religious studies from Hartford Seminary, and is the author of the acclaimed 1997 book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations about Race.
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