Nina Ahmad, Ph.D., is an At-Large member of Philadelphia City Council, where she made history as the first South Asian American, first Muslim woman, and first immigrant in recent history to serve citywide. A scientist by training, Councilmember Ahmad brings a data-informed approach to policymaking while championing public health, equity, and economic opportunity for all Philadelphians.

As Chair of City Council’s Public Health and Human Services Committee, Councilmember Ahmad has advanced legislation to protect youth from illegal vape sales; expand access to electric vehicle charging in underserved neighborhoods; strengthen oversight of the City’s child welfare system; and prevent workplace discrimination against employees experiencing menstruation, menopause, and perimenopause.
Her recent legislative wins include: (1) a voter registration bill that requires landlords to provide voter registration information to renters at lease signing or renewal, expanding access to the ballot for tens of thousands of Philadelphians; the bill passed Council unanimously and was signed into law by Mayor Cherelle Parker on October 29, 2025, making it one of the only voter registration measures of its kind in Philadelphia’s recent history; and (2) a bill expanding membership on the City’s Economic Opportunity Review Committee (EORC) to include the Asian American Chamber of Commerce and the LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, ensuring those communities have a direct voice in how public dollars are spent.
Since joining City Council, she has secured more than $1.5 million in City funding to support healthy food access through The Food Trust’s Food Bucks program; expand direct, community-based healthcare services through Greater Philadelphia Health Action; and provide implicit bias training for perinatal and neonatal healthcare teams through Once Upon A Preemie. She also secured $500,000 for a 2026 anti–human trafficking awareness campaign focused on prevention, education, and survivor-centered outreach.

A former Deputy Mayor for Public Engagement and a President Obama appointee to the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs, Dr. Ahmad holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. She has two daughters and lives in Mount Airy with her husband and their dog, Oscar.

Catherine Hicks was born and raised in Philadelphia’s Mt. Airy neighborhood and educated through the city’s public school system. Her passion for communications began in high school, where she made daily announcements and later studied communications at LaSalle University. Catherine launched her career in marketing and radio production before becoming an entrepreneur, co-founding HDA (Hicks Dry-Cleaning Association) and Impress Dry Cleaners, operating four successful locations across Philadelphia.

Her career expanded into healthcare communications with leading providers HMA and Keystone Mercy, and later as Director of Project Management and Communications for the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office, where she oversaw media relations, community outreach, and public education campaigns on foreclosure prevention and homeownership. In 2012, she joined the Philadelphia Sunday SUN as Public Relations Consultant, cultivating relationships with civic, business, and political leaders and co-producing the radio show Freedom Quest. She became Publisher and Co-Owner in 2015, continuing the paper’s legacy of empowering Black voices and advancing community journalism.

In 2021, Catherine was elected President of the Philadelphia Branch NAACP, becoming only the second woman to lead the nation’s oldest civil rights organization at the local level. Under her leadership, the branch has focused on expanding membership, strengthening community partnerships, and addressing issues of racial equity, education, voting rights, and economic empowerment. Catherine is committed to upholding the NAACP’s mission of ensuring political, educational, social, and economic equality for all people. She also serves with numerous civic and professional organizations and finds her greatest joy in her family—her two daughters and five grandchildren—who continue to inspire her lifelong dedication to service and justice.

Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr. is a board-certified forensic pathologist and is proud to serve as the 126th President for the National Medical Association, the oldest and largest group representing Black physicians in the country. He recently served as the President of Howard University Hospital one of the most historic hospitals in the nation. Prior to his time as President, Dr. Mitchell was a tenured Professor of Pathology and Chief Medical Officer for the Faculty Practice at Howard University where he worked on issues related to quality, safety, and the physician enterprise.

Dr. Mitchell served as Chief Medical Examiner for Washington, DC performing and managing thousands of autopsies and death scenes. At one point, he was the youngest chief medical examiner in the country. At the end of his tenure as chief in DC, he was appointed as Interim Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice where he developed programs and policy for violence prevention.

He is the co-author of the book entitled Death in Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do About It, published by John Hopkins Press. He recently served on the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Advancing the Field of Forensic Pathology: Lesson Learned from Death in Custody Investigations. He is the co-host of the recent NAACP Image Awards nominated podcast entitled Official Ignorance – The Death in Custody Podcast.

Mitchell attended undergraduate studies at the Howard University, medical school at Rutgers – New Jersey Medical School, pathology residency at the George Washington University Hospital, and forensic pathology fellowship at Office of the Chief Medical Examiner – New York City.

Tony serves as the Senior Fellow within the Center for Health Equity at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, where he leads national initiatives aimed at eliminating health disparities and advancing health equity. In this role, Tony provides strategic leadership on key projects and leverages his expertise in chronic disease prevention, exercise, and physical activity to support healthier outcomes in historically underserved communities.

Prior to joining the NAACP, Tony was a Senior Research Associate at the Georgia Health Policy Center, where he served as the Technical Assistance Lead for projects supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. There, he provided guidance to rural communities across the U.S. to enhance capacity and improve health outcomes through innovative, community-centered approaches.

Tony is passionate about collaboration and connection, often acting as a bridge between partners and resources to maximize impact. He currently serves as a member of the Georgia State University Alumni Association Board of Directors and as the Strategic Advisor - Mission Delivery and member on the national Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the Arthritis Foundation. He is also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), committed to advancing accessible and inclusive health education.

Health Commissioner for the Department of Public Health. Dr. Raval-Nelson has worked for the department since 1996 when she began her career as a public health sanitarian. Prior to her appointment as Health Commissioner in 2024, she served as Deputy Health Commissioner. This followed her tenure as a supervisor, manager, administrator, and director of Environmental Health Services.

Dr. Raval-Nelson also serves as adjunct faculty at Drexel University's School of Public Health and Temple University. She teaches environmental and occupational health, as well as vulnerable populations and the environment. She has presented many papers at NEHA, PPHA, and APHA, and has had several publications in the National Journal of Environmental Health. In 2008, she published her first book, Breast Cancer Politics: An Evaluation of the Current Funding Policies. She has graduated from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute.

Dr. Raval-Nelson has her B.S. in Biology from Temple University, her M.P.H. from MCP Hahnemann University (graduating with the distinguished Hiega Society Award), and her Ph.D. in environmental health and policy from Drexel University. She is a member of the Delta Omega National Public Health Honor Society. She was recognized in 2006 by the Society of Women Environmental Professionals as an outstanding woman environmental professional for the Delaware Valley.

Dr. Raval-Nelson is deeply committed to working with vulnerable populations and being a voice for marginalized communities to ensure equity and environmental justice. She has been a civil servant for 28 years and believes in helping people.

Darrell M. Gray II, MD, MPH is President and CEO of Wellpoint Maryland, the largest Medicaid managed care organization in Maryland and wholly owned subsidiary of Elevance Health. In this role, Dr. Gray works to ensure Wellpoint’s members have access to high-quality care, have an exceptional consumer experience, and achieve equitable, whole health outcomes.

Dr. Gray previously served as the inaugural chief health equity officer of Elevance Health, during which time he successfully led the execution of the enterprise’s first comprehensive strategies to advance health equity through a whole-health approach (addressing physical, behavioral, social and pharmacy needs) across Elevance Health’s tens of millions of members. Notably, his efforts led to Elevance Health attaining the full, three-year National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Equity Accreditation for 22 of their Medicaid health plans in 2022 and Health Equity Plus Accreditation in 2023 including Wellpoint Maryland, an industry-first.

Prior to joining Elevance Health, Dr. Gray was an associate professor of medicine at The Ohio State University, where he served as a practicing gastroenterologist and medical director of healthy communities for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, as well as deputy director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. His work leveraged meaningful partnerships across public and private sectors in Ohio and nationally to reduce health inequities and address health-related social needs among diverse populations.

Additionally, Dr. Gray is co-founder of the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists and a member of the Founding Advisory Board for Meharry School of Global Health. He has published widely, including high-impact peer-reviewed journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Reviews, Lancet, and Cancer. Dr. Gray has also been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, and Forbes. He’s received numerous awards including the National Minority Quality Forum 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health Award, the Ohio Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Health Equity and Awareness Award, and the Healio Disruptive Innovators Health Equity Award. Nonetheless, he cites his roles as husband to Brittney and father to Harper, Ella, Noah, and Zoë as his crowning achievements.

Dr. Gray is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and graduate of Morehouse College and Howard University College of Medicine. He completed his residency at Duke University Medical Center and gastroenterology fellowship at Washington University, subsequently earning a master’s degree in public health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as a Commonwealth Fund Fellow.

Andrew K. Sanderson II, MD, MPH, FASGE is a board-certified Gastroenterologist with 18 years of clinical experience. Dr. Sanderson was named Associate Dean for Health Equity at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in April 2025.

Prior to this role, he served as Chief Medical Officer for the Water Environment Federation (WEF) where he led efforts to develop and deploy health operational and safety protocols on behalf of more than 35,000 skilled North American water treatment professionals.

Dr. Sanderson also served as the senior medical officer with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health; and as Division Chief of Gastroenterology, associate program director and associate professor at Howard University Hospital and College of Medicine. He continues to serve as an adjunct professor for Howard University’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program.

He is a founding board member for ElevateMeD, a non-profit organization focused on training diverse medical students to be physician leaders; and served as elected vice president for the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Alumni Association.

Bryan O. Buckley, DrPH, MPH, MBA, CPCHE, ACC, is a leader focused on health and system-oriented approaches. As the Head of Public Health at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Dr. Buckley spearheads the strategy for advancing and achieving better health outcomes for the people and communities in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and the Northern Virginia regions. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Georgetown University, mentoring graduate students in community partnerships and change management. With over 15 years of experience, Dr. Buckley is a dedicated public health practitioner who blends frontline experience with educational insights, leading transformational initiatives in organizational development, process improvement, health delivery system redesign, performance improvement, and change management.

Dr. Buckley's academic credentials include a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, focusing on management, strategy, and organizational change. Additionally, he earned an Executive MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology, a BS in Microbiology, and an MPH with a concentration in Infectious Diseases and Administration from Michigan State University. As a certified ICF coach, Dr. Buckley is deeply involved in public health leadership, serving as a former Executive Board Member at the American Public Health Association and on the National Board of Creating Healthier Communities. Locally, he contributes as a Board Member of the American Heart Association’s Greater Washington Region and Food & Friends, showcasing his commitment to community health and well-being.

Curtis Peoples, Jr is a Physician Associate with over 10 years of experience in orthopedic spine surgery, specializing in spine care and sports medicine. He is a proud graduate of Alabama A&M University and Hofstra University. Curtis practices with one of the largest and leading orthopedic groups in the region, where he provides comprehensive care for patients with a wide range of spinal conditions, from sports-related injuries to complex chronic spine disorders.

Curtis is deeply committed to a holistic approach to health, recognizing that mental health is an essential component of overall wellness—particularly for individuals living with chronic pain. His approach to care emphasizes compassion, education, and evidence-based treatment strategies that address both the physical and psychological challenges of long-term pain. Through patient advocacy, community engagement, and health education, Curtis is passionate about empowering individuals to take an active role in their health and recovery.

Patrice Willoughby is Chief of Policy and Legislative Affairs at the NAACP, advancing the NAACP’s racial equity mission after two decades in government and the private sector.

Patrice served as Chief of Staff and Counsel to the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH-11), the first Black woman to serve on the tax writing House Ways and Means Committee. As Counsel, Patrice guided legislation to enhance retirement security and expand SBA lending programs. Following the 2008 death of Congresswoman Tubbs Jones, Patrice served as Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus under Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), supporting passage of the Recovery Act, Dodd-Frank Financial Reform, and the Affordable Care Act.

Following Capitol Hill, President Obama appointed Patrice to be Deputy Associate Administrator of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the General Services Administration. She later entered the private sector, leading the government relations practice at Signal Group in financial services and technology.

Patrice earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Case Western Reserve University, a Master of Arts from the University of Cincinnati, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a board member of the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER), N Street Village (housing and recovery services for women), and Fort Dupont Ice Arena in Southeast Washington, D.C.

Patrice was awarded “Washingtonian Magazine” 500 Most Influential in Policy, 2025, “The Hill” Top Lobbyists in multiple years, and in 2022, Lifetime Achievement by the Washington Government Relations Group of Black government affairs professionals.

Patrice is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church of Washington, D.C.