Speakers

Dr. LaShawn McIver is the Director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Office of Minority Health. She is a proven public health leader with experience in driving successful health initiatives and public policy efforts aimed at promoting health equity,  improving health outcomes, increasing access to care, and promoting health system reform. She provides leadership, vision and direction to address CMS minority health and health disparity goals, participates in the formulation of CMS goals, policies and strategies, implements activities to monitor CMS health equity programs, and consults with Federal agencies and external organizations to address health equity. 

Under her leadership, the CMS Office of Minority Health has initiated an Agency-wide approach  to health equity across all CMS programs. This includes implementation of the Executive Order  on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities to ensure our  populations voices are represented in all aspects of the agency’s work. Partnering with  community leaders to reach minority and underserved populations, Dr. McIver has been a  consistent partner and voice for health equity, including expanding the equity footprint, defining  health equity, COVID-19 outreach, vaccinations, and more across webinars, virtual events, live  streaming, and radio shows to relay the importance and safety of vaccinations. 

Before joining CMS, Dr. McIver led Government Affairs & Advocacy (GA&A) efforts at the  American Diabetes Association (ADA) as its Vice President of Public Policy & Strategic  Alliances and later as its Senior Vice President of all GA&A. During her 9-year tenure with the  ADA, she provided strategic direction and oversight of the ADA’s advocacy activities which  focused on increasing federal and state funding for diabetes research and programs; eliminating  diabetes disparities; diabetes prevention; and improving the availability of accessible, adequate,  and affordable health care. She has also served as the inaugural HIV/AIDS fellow for the  Congressional Black Caucus’ Center for Policy Analysis and Research and as a program director  at the Baltimore City Health Department.

Dr. McIver earned a Medical Degree in International Health & Medicine through the Medical  School for International Health in Collaboration with Columbia University’s Medical Center and  a master’s degree of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of  Public Health.

Dr. Tecumseh (Seh "Shay") Welch (Tribal Affiliation Blackfeet), received her PhD in Public Health from Kent State University in Ohio, MBA in Finance, and a MBA in Health Care Administration from InterConntinential University, Chicago. Dr. Welch attended the University of Illinois, Chicago, School of Public Health, where she was a Kellogg International Health Leadership Fellow.

For over 25 years, she has worked with and for Tribes, Indian Health Service, Administration for Native Americans, Health Resource Service Administration, National Institute of Health and is currently the Senior Policy Advisor at the Center for Global Health, Division of Global HIV & TB at CDC. 

True to her culture and native communities, Dr. Welch advocates for diversity, inclusion, and services that take into consideration the whole being, and the relationship to others. Seh is known to be genuine bridge builder, community organizer, resilient, and an international diplomatic. Dr. Welch currently serves as the President of the CDC American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian Coalition. Dr. Welch has received numerous awards and most recently the Center for Global Health at the CDC Health Equity Award.

Ms. Kamala T. Green, MA serves as the new Program Manager for Social Drivers of Health for National Government Services(NGS).  She oversees Health Equity and Social Drivers of Health efforts for NGS federal business.

Before coming to National Government Services, Ms. Green served as the Director of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in the Office of Chronic Disease at the Baltimore City Health Department. She oversaw the Health Department’s efforts for Tobacco Prevention, Use, Cessation and Enforcement; Tobacco and Cancer Coalition; Diabetes Coalition; Baltimarket’s Virtual Supermarket and Nutrition Education.  She has over 20 years of public and mental health experience monitoring, health education/promotion, policy development and implementation and fiscal administration. She has raised and managed over 10 million dollars in program funds. She received her public health training through the American Cancer Society and the Institute of Health Care Improvement. 

She is a trained as a Mental Health Therapist specializing in Crisis Intervention through National Organization of Victims Assistance, child, marriage family therapy through the Gottman’s Institute. 

She earned her Master of Counseling Psychology from Bowie State University in 2000 and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hood College in 1994.

Her prize accomplishment is being the proud mom of one thriving teenage son, Joseph. She enjoys reading, putting together jigsaw puzzles, hiking, serving in her church, cooking and traveling to historical sites. 

She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.

Alex Treadway, Associate Publisher, Route Fifty