Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Officers
As Global Medical Affairs Leader, HIV and Health Equity for Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Dr. Bryan Baugh is responsible for monitoring projects in sexually-transmitted Infections and therapeutics in respiratory infections; and leading the clinical-commercial optimization of product development and life cycle management strategies and plans in the field of infectious diseases and vaccines. Prior to this position, he was the US Medical Director for PREZISTA, an HIV Protease Inhibitor used to treat HIV, and SIRTURO, the first TB therapy in 40 years and first-approved medicine to treat multi-drug resistant TB, at Janssen Therapeutics, the Infectious Diseases franchise of Johnson & Johnson. As Medical Director, Bryan’s primary responsibility was to support the implementation of clinical affairs strategies for PREZITA and SITURO in the US and globally. In both positions at Janssen Therapeutics, he provides clinical affairs support across brands, coordinates and supervises research committee meetings and advisory boards, and is the key company contact for safety issues.
Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Baugh was employed by Roche Pharmaceuticals as a Virology HIV Medical Liaison. His territory included Washington, DC; and regions in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. In this role he helped to coordinate and support investigator-initiated studies and provided HIV background and training to Roche internal and external audiences. Prior to that, he was the Director of HIV Services and a staff physician at the Max Robinson Center of the Whitman Walker Clinic in Washington, DC. At Whitman Walker, he provided healthcare to a large number of HIV-infected patients and implemented new patient care initiatives including a walk-in men’s STD clinic.
Dr. Baugh earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. He earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Chemistry at Howard University in Washington, DC.
Dr. Baugh’s clinical interests include studying medical conditions and issues that adversely affect disenfranchised populations, bridging health disparity gaps, and developing strategies/technologies to combat illnesses in developing countries. He is an active member of the J&J affinity groups, the Gay & Lesbian Organization for Business & Leadership (GLOBAL), and the African American Leadership Council (AALC). He is an active member of the Board of Directors for the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation and Life Ties, Inc.
Bryan Baugh, MD
Chair
Global Medical Affairs Leader, HIV and Health Equity, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine
Dr. Cedric M. Bright is the former Associate Dean for Admissions, Professor of Internal Medicine, and Interim Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, Brody School of Medicine at the Brody School of Medicine in Greenville NC. He served as President of the National Medical Association from 2011 to 2012, advocating in the White House for health equity, increased diversity in clinical trials, and increasing the pipeline of students of color into health careers. He recalls, “Serving as the president of this great organization, was one of the great highlights of [his] professional career, an awesome honor coupled with a tremendous responsibility.”
He is a member of AOA, the Order of the Golden Fleece and serves on the boards of the National Medical Fellowship Inc. as well as the W. Montague Cobb Health Policy Institute.
He serves on the roundtable of Black Men and Women in STEM for the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine and has presented numerous grand rounds on the impact of COVID-19 on the black community.
Cedric M. Bright, MD, FACP*
Vice-Chair
Formerly the Associate Dean for Admissions, Professor of Internal Medicine, and Interim Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, Brody School of Medicine
As chief of staff at the AAMC, Jennifer M. Schlener supports and serves the president and CEO in his role of leading the AAMC to advance its mission. As a member of the Leadership Team, she champions and supports the implementation of the AAMC’s strategic plan and other initiatives.
Serving as an advisor on governance matters, she is responsible for the work of the Governance, Nominating, and Leadership Development Committee of the AAMC Board of Directors. She has spoken nationally on governance matters such as executive compensation, the imperative for board assessment, and continuous board improvement.
In her executive role, she oversees the functioning of the Office of the President, which includes the AAMC’s strategy and innovation development function and internal audit function. Her team supports the president and CEO, the work of the AAMC Board, the effective functioning of the Leadership Team, the association’s presidential awards program, and internal executive searches. She drives and champions the alignment of culture, strategy, and leadership, and she facilitates and provides leadership to internal organizational development activities.
She is a highly rated speaker nationally, an expert facilitator of strategic and organizational development retreats, and a certified trainer of Crucial Conversations and Crucial Accountability.
Prior to joining the AAMC in 2007, Schlener worked at Penn State University for seven years, last serving as the director of development and alumni relations for health affairs at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine. She began her career as a development and alumni relations professional at her alma mater, Franklin & Marshall College, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Schlener is the vice chair of the board of directors of Physicians for Peace; a member of the board of directors of National Medical Fellowships; a member of Franklin & Marshall College’s Leadership Council; and a past board member of the American Heart Association – Lancaster Division, Ephrata Performing Arts Center, and Hershey Area Playhouse.
Jennifer Schlener
Secretary
Chief of Staff, Association of American Medical Colleges
Dr. Efrain Talamantes is an internal medicine physician who is dedicated to serving historically underinvested communities and advancing health equity. He leads initiatives throughout the country to enhance leadership and diversity in the healthcare workforce. As the Chief Operating Officer of Health Services at AltaMed Health Services, Dr. Talamantes shapes the AltaMed experience across the entire health care delivery system spanning more than 40 clinics throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. He oversees every aspect of day-to-day care and incorporates patient-centered solutions to address social determinants of health.
Prior to becoming the Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Talamantes served as Medical Director for the AltaMed Institute for Health Equity and Medical Education, leading health services and community-partnered research and training to advance health equity and medical education. Cultivating the next generation of physicians remains a cornerstone of Dr. Talamantes’ work. His vision led to the creation of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited Family Medicine Residency program and pipeline programs throughout AltaMed that focus on advancing health equity and recruiting a new generation of health professionals dedicated to improving access to care.
Prior to joining AltaMed, Dr. Talamantes co-founded MiMentor, a nationwide mentoring network connecting thousands of members with health professional mentors. The organization's mission is to develop and support innovative and inclusive mentorship opportunities that will inspire the next generation of diverse healthcare leaders for underserved communities. He also served as Associate Director for the University of California, Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program, and co-directed the Center for a Diverse Healthcare Workforce (CDHW).
Dr. Talamantes currently serves as the Chair of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, he is a board member of the National Medical Fellowships, University of California, Riverside School of Medicine and the Chicago School of Psychology.
Efrain Talamantes, MD, MBA, MSc, FACP*
Treasurer
Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Health Services, AltaMed Health Services Corporation
Michellene Davis assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of National Medical Fellowships, Inc., (NMF) in May of 2021.
Davis is named among Modern Healthcare magazine’s Top 25 Most Influential Minority Leaders in Healthcare and Becker's Hospital Review's Top113 Great Leaders in Healthcare 2022 and 75 Black Healthcare Leaders to Know 2022. The National Association of Health Services Executives awarded her their 2021 Senior Health Care Executive Award.
Davis most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at RWJBarnabas Health, the largest academic medical center system in New Jersey and one of the largest in the nation. She founded Social Impact and Community Investment, an equity-centered, policy-led community health practice addressing the social and political determinants of health. She was the first African American in state history to serve as Chief Policy Counsel to former New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine, the first African American and only the second women to serve as New Jersey State Treasurer. She was the youngest person to serve as CEO of the New Jersey Lottery and also served as a senior policy advisor in the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
She co-authored Changing Missions, Changing Lives: How a Change Agent Can Turn the Ship and Create Impact, published by ForbesBooks in 2020, which provides a blueprint for those committed to leading systems change within organizations.
Ms. Davis began her legal career as a trial litigator, is an Honors graduate of Seton Hall University and holds a Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall School of Law. She holds Executive Education Certificates in Corporate Social Responsibility from the Harvard Business School and in Social Impact Strategy from the Wharton School of Business.
Michellene Davis, Esq.
President & CEO
Members
Kweku A. Awotwi is currently the Board Chairman of United Bank for Africa (Ghana) Ltd, the Multimedia Group Ltd in Ghana, and the non-profit sports for development organization, Playsoccer Ghana which he co-founded in 1999. He has been the past Board Chairman of Stanbic Bank (Ghana) Ltd (2012 – 2018), Ghana’s Volta River Authority (2017-2021), and a Board member of several energy and mining organizations across Africa.
An electrical engineer by training, Kweku started out his career designing integrated circuits for ITT and GE/RCA respectively between 1984-1988. He worked for Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation between 1990-1998, where he left as Business Manager of the Primary Aluminum Business Unit; served as Managing Director, Strategic Planning & New Business Development for Ashanti Goldfields Company from 1998-2004; Chief Executive of Ghana’s Volta River Authority (2009-2013); and most recently, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Tullow Oil plc (UK) and Tullow Ghana Ltd, respectively from 2018- 2020.
In between these corporate assignments, he has been involved in a number of entrepreneurial ventures in energy and mining across Africa. These include a US$1 billion 375 MW independent power project, Cenpower Generation, which he co-founded and developed, and which reached commercial operation in 2019; a start-up oil and gas exploration company, Midway Resources, where he was CEO and laid the foundation of several licence and asset acquisitions in East and West Africa; an electricity meter factory in Kaduna, Nigeria which became operational in 2021; and a South African gold mining company reverse listed into a Hong-Kong listed public company.
Mr. Awotwi has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford, California, and a B.S in Electrical Engineering, Economics and Political Science from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Kweku Awotwi, MBA, DSc
Chair, UBA Bank, Chair, Multimedia Group, Chair/Co-Founder, PlaySoccer
Dr. Gary Butts is currently Executive Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Mount Sinai Health System, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System and Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy and Community Affairs for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
In these roles, Dr. Butts is responsible for oversight, management and integration of all aspects of diversity programs and policies for the Mount Sinai Health System to ensure diversity and inclusion as an integral core institutional value and resource across the health system, including the medical and graduate schools, graduate medical education and the Mount Sinai Hospitals Group.
Dr. Butts holds joint appointments as professor with tenure in the Departments of Pediatrics, Medical Education, and Preventive Medicine and has been an integral member of the senior leadership team at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai since 1998. He has spent over 3 decades providing health care services to East and Central Harlem residents and the past 15 years developing and spearheading efforts to improve and sustain racial, ethnic and gender diversity across all levels of education, training, and faculty for the School of Medicine.
Since 2004, he has directed the Center for Multicultural and Community Affairs (CMCA), which has been recognized as a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Center of Excellence for Minority Health. Under his leadership, the medical school has become one of the most diverse student bodies among U.S. private medical schools and Mount Sinai has doubled the percent of Black and Latino faculty and housestaff. Dr. Butts has held regional and national leadership positions with the Association of American Medical Colleges and Associated Medical Schools of New York, among other professional organizations and as trustee for the Jewish Home Lifecare System, chairs their diversity committee.
He has been acknowledged for his leadership and service by the Network Journal Top Black Doctors in New York Metro Area recognition on several occasions; by the National Association of Minority Medical Educators with the Distinguished Service to Health Award; and by the National Hispanic Health Foundation for Leadership for Improving the Health of Hispanic Communities.
Gary Butts, MD*
Executive Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Mt. Sinai Health System, Dean of Diversity Programs, Policy, and Community Affairs, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai
Jon S. Corzine is the founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of the JDC-JSC Opportunity Fund, a global macro/event driven hedge fund. Prior to founding JDC-JSC, he managed his family office, actively investing and overseeing his philanthropic activities. He served the State of New Jersey as a United States Senator from 2001-2006 and as its 54th Governor from 2006-2010. Prior to entering public service, he served as the Senior Partner of Goldman Sachs from 1994-1999, transforming it from a private partnership into a public company. He began his career at Goldman Sachs in 1976 as a bond trader and became co-manager of the Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities Division. In 1980, he was named partner. He joined the Management Committee in 1984 and served as the CFO from 1991-1994. Governor Corzine served as the Chairman and CEO of MF Global from March 2010 until October 2011.
Governor Corzine served on the University of Chicago’s Board of Trustees and as an ex-officio member of Princeton University’s Board of Trustees. He was the J.L. Weinberg Visiting Professor of Public Policy at Princeton in 2010 and 2011. He is currently working with Fairleigh Dickinson University to establish the graduate School of Public and Global Affairs as Chairman of its Advisory Board while also serving as a visiting lecturer on politics and public policy at the University’s UK Wroxton campus.
Governor Corzine has served on several civic boards, including the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the New York Philharmonic, the New York Child Study Center and the NYC Partnership. He has served as Co-Chair of the National Commission on Capital Budgeting under President Clinton, Chairman of the Treasury’s Government Borrowing Committee and Chairman of the Public Securities Association. He is currently a member of the International Board of Covenant House.
Governor Corzine received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois in 1969, graduating Phi Beta Kapa, and earned his MBA from the University of Chicago in 1975. He served in the United States Marine Corps (R) from 1969-1975. He has served on the Board of The Fund for New Jersey since 2018.
The Hon. Jon Corzine, MBA
Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer, JDC-JSC Opportunity Fund, Former U.S. Senator, Former New Jersey Governor, Prior CEO, Goldman Sachs
Pamela Miller, Esq. serves as the President & CEO at Summit Global Strategies. Prior to this role, she was Medco’s Vice President, Market Strategy and Development; and as Vice President, Policy, Strategy and Solutions for Medco.
Career highlights include serving as vice president, enterprise planning and quality for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and as Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Health Services for the New York City Department of Health.
Pamela is a Commissioner of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority; and a Board member of the Women’s Association of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. She has been honored by many organizations including: the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce; the Garden State Bar Association with its highest award for professional achievement and community involvement. She holds a BS in natural science from Saint Peter’s College and a Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law and is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and to the United States Supreme Court.
Pamela T. Miller, Esq.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Summit Global Strategies, Ltd.
From his early childhood in Washington Heights in New York City, Miguel Alexander Pozo,Esq., the son of immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, was taught about the importance of having big dreams. More significantly, he learned the importance of speaking up and helping others to achieve their dreams— open windows if you cannot open doors.
Over his nearly 25 years in the legal profession, he has devoted himself to addressing healthcare equity, educational disparities, and social justice issues by serving as a board member of various organizations, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark, the New Jersey Law and Education Empowerment Project (NJ LEEP), Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the Sanneh Foundation, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, to name a few.
In June 2021, Miguel became the SVP, General Counsel, and Compliance Officer for Minnesota Community Care (MCC), with oversight for all legal and compliance matters. MCC’s mission – to strengthen the well-being of the community through healthcare for all – resonates deeply with Miguel’s personal ethos. Indeed, as a 50-year-old non-profit, MCC serves the medical, dental, and holistic needs of the greater St. Paul, Minnesota community from 17 area locations. With an annual budget of over $40 million, it is at the forefront of addressing healthcare disparities, and is the largest Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) in the State of Minnesota.
Prior to joining MCC, Miguel was a partner in the Newark and Minneapolis offices of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor. Before that he served as Deputy General Counsel and Head of U.S. Litigation (then Acting General Counsel) for Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUA) in Atlanta. Miguel represented MBUSA while he was a partner in the Roseland and Washington, DC offices of Lowenstein Sandler LLP. Miguel began his legal career at Lowenstein as a summer associate in 1996 until leaving 17 years later to join MBUSA in June 2015.
A Life Member of both organizations, Miguel has the distinction of being the first New Jersey lawyer to lead the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey (HBANJ) (30th President; 2009-10) and the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) (36th President; 2013-14). He has also served on the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Joint Task Force on Reversing the School-to-Prison Pipeline and on the ABA’s Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice (COREJ). He is also a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF). Miguel’s work in the legal profession has received numerous awards and accolades, including “Professional Lawyer of the Year,” a “Lifetime Achievement,” from the New Jersey law Journal, “Top Latino Lawyer” in the U.S., two “Top Lawyer Under 40” Awards, and two honorary degrees, among others. He is a graduate of Rutgers Law School – Newark and is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Georgia, Minnesota, and New Jersey. He resides in Minneapolis with his wife, Julia, and sons, Alexander, and Nico. Miguel enjoys traveling (pre-pandemic), playing chess with Alexander, and reading books to Nico. An avid music lover, he enjoys dancing salsa with Julia.
Miguel Alexander Pozo, Esq.
Member, Cozen O’Connor
One of the most sought-after minds in strategic communications, Rakia Reynolds is a thought leader, taste maker and branding expert who advises name brands on creative strategy. Her guiding principles as an intriguing storyteller focus on distilling equity in messaging, and her ability to navigate the ever-increasing complex cultural and social media landscapes are only some of the reasons Rakia has successfully created her own distinct brand of authenticity and expertise for over 15 years. Rakia has been named by Inc. Magazine as one of the 27 Business Leaders Aiming to Change the World, was listed as one of the 25 Most Socially Influential Tastemakers on Dell’s “Inspire 100” list, and recently was also profiled by Forbes on their “Next 1000” list.
Rakia serves as Founder and Executive Officer of Skai Blue Media (SBM), a non-traditional communications agency that proudly hosts an eclectic group of storytellers, brand experts, and strategists. Rakia continues to be a key influencer in the creative business industry as she works with her team to launch, brand, re-brand, and revitalize lifestyle, technology, non-profit and entrepreneurial clients. This list includes Airbnb, Comcast, Dell, Serena Williams, Morgan Stanley, Jill Scott, and more. Rakia’s portfolio includes #FanofYourBrand(tactical business tools), clothing brand EVRYDAY Jane, and an ethical intelligence platform set to launch in 2021.
As a thought leader and proven authority in marketing, creative strategy and business development Rakia regularly contributes her expertise to the pages of Forbes, Inc.com, HuffPost, Fast Company, and more. Onstage, she captivates audiences across many industries as her talks span branding, media, multicultural business, economic development, and the entrepreneurial journey, all of which are more than relevant to the recent challenging and changing times. Rakia is recognized for her innovative approach and commitment to authenticity and has spoken at TEDx, SXSW, Inbound, and others. More than a keynote speaker, Rakia is often called upon to moderate panel discussions due her in-depth knowledge of a wide range of topics affecting the business community.
Rakia Reynolds
Founder and Executive Officer, Skai Blue Media
Carmen Sachiko Villar is the Vice President of ESG and Corporate Citizenship at Gilead Sciences.
Prior to joining Gilead, Carmen was Vice President of Social Business Innovation at Merck & Co. She also has served as Chief of Staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Carmen led the agency through both the West African Ebola and the Zika emergency responses. Her leadership was critical in providing coordination across the agency and with other US government counterparts and earned her the honor of the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award. She worked in both Nigeria and Zambia, providing leadership and oversight to CDC’s programs as part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). As a key health advisor to the US Ambassadors in Nigeria and Zambia, she also provided expert advice in critical public health areas such as Polio and Tuberculosis.
Carmen started in government as a Presidential Management Fellow focusing on policy and program planning for HIV, STD, and TB prevention. Carmen has also overseen multi-site domestic and international HIV research projects in the areas of drug use, prevention of mother to child treatment, and vaccines. Prior to joining the CDC, she was the Policy Affairs Coordinator at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and had also served as a Legislative Aide in the California Assembly.
Carmen holds a Master’s in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor’s in Anthropology from UC Berkley.
Carmen Sachiko Villar, MSW
Vice President, ESG and Corporate Citizenship, Gilead Sciences
Dr. Calvin Wheeler is the Kaiser Permanente Northern California medical director of undergraduate & graduate medical education. He also serves on the Regional Community Health Governance and Contributions Committees, as well as the National Equity, Inclusion & Diversity council at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. He leads and supports programs to improve this nation’s and local communities’ health and the diversity of the physician and healthcare professions pipeline.
Dr. Wheeler served as the physician-in-chief for Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers in Fremont and the Greater Southern Alameda Area for eighteen years. During that time, he served as a member of the board of directors and the Operations Management Group of The Permanente Medical Group. Dr. Wheeler joined Kaiser Permanente in 1984 as a staff pediatrician and neurologist in Hayward and Walnut Creek.
Dr. Wheeler graduated from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and the University of California-Irvine College of Medicine. Following medical school, he completed a six-month American Hepatic Foundation Fellowship at King’s College Hospital in London, England. He then did residency training in pediatrics at Boston City Hospital and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. His residency was followed by a fellowship in pediatric neurology at Boston City Hospital and the Boston University Combined Neurology Program, where he also served as a clinical instructor. Dr. Wheeler then completed a fellowship in Epilepsy/ EEG and the Houston Merritt Fellowship in Cerebral Palsy at the Children’s Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School, where he also served as a clinical instructor.
After moving to the Bay Area, Dr. Wheeler became a clinical instructor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Division of Neurology at University of California-San Francisco. His research interests are in the areas of anti-epileptic medications and alternative epilepsy treatments.
A founding member of the Kaiser Permanente African American Professionals Association (KPAAPA) in Northern California, Dr. Wheeler twice served as president. He completed the KP Advanced Leadership Program at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School in 1997. He completed the California Health Care Foundation Leadership Fellowship between 2003-2005.
Dr. Wheeler has served on the board of trustees of the California College of the Arts for eighteen years, where he sits on the committee on trustees and chairs the Academic Committee. Dr. Wheeler has been a member of the NMF Board of Directors since 2017 and is chair of the Bay Area Council. He and his wife, Sarajane, co-own an art gallery and design business.
Calvin Wheeler, MD*
Assistant Professor of Clinical Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Kweku A. Awotwi is currently the Board Chairman of United Bank for Africa (Ghana) Ltd, the Multimedia Group Ltd in Ghana, and the non-profit sports for development organization, Playsoccer Ghana which he co-founded in 1999. He has been the past Board Chairman of Stanbic Bank (Ghana) Ltd (2012 – 2018), Ghana’s Volta River Authority (2017-2021), and a Board member of several energy and mining organizations across Africa.
An electrical engineer by training, Kweku started out his career designing integrated circuits for ITT and GE/RCA respectively between 1984-1988. He worked for Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation between 1990-1998, where he left as Business Manager of the Primary Aluminum Business Unit; served as Managing Director, Strategic Planning & New Business Development for Ashanti Goldfields Company from 1998-2004; Chief Executive of Ghana’s Volta River Authority (2009-2013); and most recently, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Tullow Oil plc (UK) and Tullow Ghana Ltd, respectively from 2018- 2020.
In between these corporate assignments, he has been involved in a number of entrepreneurial ventures in energy and mining across Africa. These include a US$1 billion 375 MW independent power project, Cenpower Generation, which he co-founded and developed, and which reached commercial operation in 2019; a start-up oil and gas exploration company, Midway Resources, where he was CEO and laid the foundation of several licence and asset acquisitions in East and West Africa; an electricity meter factory in Kaduna, Nigeria which became operational in 2021; and a South African gold mining company reverse listed into a Hong-Kong listed public company.
Mr. Awotwi has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford, California, and a B.S in Electrical Engineering, Economics and Political Science from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Kweku Awotwi, MBA, DSc
Chair, UBA Bank, Chair, Multimedia Group, Chair/Co-Founder, PlaySoccer
Dr. Lynda Decker is a Physician Entrepreneur, passionate about excellence and accessibility in healthcare delivery at all levels of the income spectrum. Over the past 30 years in clinical practice, my personal brand has revolved around a patient-centric/customer-centric service approach driven by values of human dignity and excellence.
Franklyn Medical Services, since 2007 has created a sought after bespoke, patient-centric and high-touch clinical model of General Clinical and Specialist care with Medical concierge services. She is driven by influencing positive change in the Healthcare industry in Ghana and within the West African subregion – improving access to quality care, diagnosis and interventions to preserve life.
Dr.Decker is a board member and Vice Chair /CEO of the Healthcare Federation of Ghana, Executive Member of the West African Private Healthcare Federation, a Global Partner National Medical Fellowships (US), and a member of the Ghana Medical Association.
Lynda Decker, MD
Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare Federation of Ghana
Anne Evans Estabrook is the Owner and Chairman of Elberon Development Group, a family-owned real estate holding company in northern New Jersey.
Most of the properties are industrial with the remainder serving commercial and retail tenants. Ms. Estabrook is also Chairman of David O. Evans, Inc., a property management and construction management company. For many years, Anne has been instrumental in redevelopment in Elizabeth, one of New Jersey’s largest cities, with Prologis, LLC, a worldwide publicly traded REIT (real estate investment trust). Elberon has a strong affiliation with F. Greek Development Co., a well-respected, New Jersey-based full service real estate company. Elberon and its affiliates currently have three redevelopment projects underway.
A prominent member of New Jersey’s business community, Ms. Estabrook was appointed by Governor Corzine to The New Jersey Economic Growth Council in September 2006. From 2003 to 2005, she served as Chairman of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, the first woman to ever hold that position in the 92-year-old history of the organization. She was the 2001 National Chairman of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), a real estate trade organization with approximately 15,000 members.
Anne is also a director of the Federal Home Loan Bank-New York and a member of its executive, corporate governance and housing committees. Thereafter, she was a director of United Jersey Bancorporation and its successor, Summit Bancorp, and its subsidiary. Until December 2011, she chaired the National Audit Committee Chairs Council and is a member of the New Jersey American Water Company Board of Directors.
For several years, Anne was a director of National State Bank-Elizabeth, which subsequently became Constellation Bank, a subsidiary of Constellation Bancorp, and served on the executive, loan review, and audit committees. She also served on and chaired the compensation committee. She was on the Board of New Brunswick Savings Bank after it was purchased by Constellation Bancorp and was instrumental in negotiating the sale of Constellation to Corestates Bancorporation in 1994. Thereafter, she was a director of United Jersey Bancorporation and its successor, Summit Bancorp, and its subsidiary, Summit Bank, serving on the loan, executive, audit, and trust committees, until it was sold in 2001 to FleetBoston Financial.
As Chairman of E’town Corporation, a New York stock exchange company, and its subsidiaries, Elizabethtown Water Company, E’town Properties, Inc., and Applied Wastewater Management, Anne was responsible for negotiating the sale of the company to Thames Water, a British Water Company, subsequently acquired by RWE, a German utility company. She was a member of the Thames Water International Advisory Council from 2001 until mid-2006. She chaired the New Jersey Advisory Council of Thames Water Co. from 2001 through 2004.
A strong advocate for education, Ms. Estabrook served as a member of the Lay Board of Trustees for Delbarton School (Morristown, New Jersey) for 15 years, and chaired for five years. In April 2011, she was selected to serve on Governor Chris Christie’s New Jersey Council on Higher Education as its Vice Chair.
A graduate of Cornell University with a BS degree and MBA degree, Anne served on her alma mater’s Board of Trustees for 10 years, was a member of its Executive Committee, and chaired its Buildings and Properties Committee. Currently, she is a Trustee Emeritus and Presidential Councillor. She continues to serve Cornell as an Overseer of the Medical School Board, its International Affairs Committee, Real Estate Renovations & Facilities Planning Committee, and other committees.
Ms. Estabrook was Vice Chairman of the Rutgers Business School Board of Advisors from 2003 through 2005, and at Kean University, she is currently a member of the President’s Council and Wenzhou-Kean University Board, Vice-Chair. Up until 2013, Anne was a member of the Liberty Hall Museum Board of Directors, and in October 2012, she became a member of the Institute of Women’s Leadership (IWL), Rutgers, the State University, Advisory Board. In February 2014 she was inducted as a Director to the Board of Directors of Y Homes, Inc., (CHDO) a division of The Gateway Family YMCA.
Enhancing the communities in New Jersey where she lived and/or worked until December 2002, Ms. Estabrook served on the Archbishop’s Finance Council in the Archdiocese of Newark for 14 years, and in January 2012, was once again appointed for a five year term. Until December 2010, Anne was a member of the Metuchen Diocesan Finance Council and the former Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities, a member of its executive committee, and chaired its finance and buildings and facilities committees. In December 2008 she became a Member of the Board of Overseers of Immaculate Conception Seminary. In 2009 she became a Trustee of St. Barnabas Health Care System, now known as Barnabas Health; in 2010 she became a member of its Audit Committee and is a member of its Nominating & Governance Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Monmouth Medical Center, Chairman of its Children’s Hospital Committee. Until July 2009 she was a Trustee of the New Jersey Network (NJN) Foundation and she is a past Presiding Chair of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Conference for Community & Justice (NCCJ) – New Jersey Region, now known as American Conference on Diversity.
Ms. Estabrook has served in a leadership capacity with numerous organizations committed to economic development and opportunity. Several years ago she served as a Board Member and officer of the Elizabeth Development Co. and from 1994-2000 was a member of the Governing Boards of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the Corporation for Business Assistance. In 2001, she was a member of Governor McGreevey’s BEST Commission (Budget Efficiency Savings Team). In 2005, Anne served as a member of Governor Corzine’s Transition Advisory Group and his Budget Committee, and in 2001, she was appointed a member of Acting Governor DiFrancesco’s Homeland Security Commission.
Ms. Estabrook’s achievements and work have been recognized by many organizations and publications. In March 2014, she received the NJ Biz First Lifetime Achievement Award for her many years of service. In October 2012, she was chosen by New Jersey Monthly Magazine as one of its Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs. In May 2011, Anne was honored with The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children’s “Vitae Discimus Award.”
In September 2010, Anne was honored in NJBIZ Magazine as one of “The 50 Most Powerful People in New Jersey Real Estate,” and in December 2009, she was honored with the NJBIZ Hall of Fame Award. In November 2009, she received the National Association of Industrial & Office Properties (NAIOP) “Iron Lady Award.” In April 2009, she became a member of the New Jersey Business Hall of Fame (sponsored by Junior Achievement, NJBIA, The Star Ledger) honoring New Jersey’s business leaders and role models to today’s youth. In January 2008, she was awarded the 2007 Garden State Magazine Corporate Woman of the Year Award; she was honored in May 2007 by the Partnership in Philanthropy, and in March 2007, she was named one of NJ BIZ 2007 Best 50 Women in New Jersey Business.
Anne Estabrook, MBA
Owner and Chairman, Elberon Development Group
Dr. Golightly received her BA degree in Biology from Wayne State University and her MD degree from Cornell University Medical College. She subsequently trained in Internal Medicine at Harlem Hospital where she also served as Chief Resident. She obtained her Infectious Disease training at the Harvard Combined Infectious Disease Training Program (Beth Israel Hospital, Brigham & Women's Hospital, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) and post-doctoral research training in molecular parasitology at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Golightly served as a medical attending and infectious disease specialist at the Beth Israel Hospital while on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. She subsequently returned to New York and established a research laboratory at the Weill Medical College. Dr. Golightly is active in training the next generation of physician-scientists. She has served as program director for the Infectious Disease Fellowship Training Program, Director of the second year medical student Basis of Disease (BOD) course in Infectious Diseases and the Ben Kean Course in Tropical Medicine. She is an active teacher in Global Health at the Ithaca Campus and is a member of the International Committee, which provides oversight for WCMC international electives. She attends on the infectious disease consult service as well as in the WCMC Travel Clinic.
Linnie Golightly, M.D.
Associate Dean of Diversity and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College
Rosalind Kainyah, MBE is an authority and trusted advisor on Sustainability and responsible business with over 30 years of combined legal, international, executive and board level experience. She has advised companies across a variety of sectors including the extractives industry, energy, private equity, financial services, healthcare, agriculture, consumer goods, logistics, manufacturing, and technology.
Rosalind has worked with companies and organizations including Linklaters, Anglo American Corporation of South Africa, De Beers, Tullow Oil plc, the United Nations Environment Programme, University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Unit, and ERM. She has worked on projects across Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the South Pacific.
Rosalind is also an experienced non-executive director. She currently serves on the boards of discoverIE plc, Gem Diamonds Limited, CalBank Plc, Lekela Power and BTE Renewables. In the not-for-profit sector, she is Vice Chairperson of the Africa Gifted Foundation and a Board member of Results for Development (R4D). She has previously served on the Boards of Aker Energy, the Ghana Food & Drugs Authority, The Africa-America Institute and was the founding President of the Ghana Chapter of the International Women’s Forum.
Rosalind was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to corporate social responsibility for the benefit of young people in Africa. She was recognized as a 2021 Women Who Make A Difference by the International Women’s Forum. Rosalind was nominated as one of the top 50 leading female professional Women to Watch by the Cranfield School of Management Female FTSE Board Report in 2019. In 2016 she was names by Forbes Afrique Magazine as one of the 100 influential women on the African continent and in 2008 as one of Britain’s most influential people of African and Caribbean heritage by the Power List.
Rosalind holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Ghana, a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of London and a Master of Laws degree from University College, London. She is a member of the Bar of England and Wales and of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Rosalind Kainyah, MBE
Board Director, ESG Lawyer
Born in the Dominican Republic, Reynaldo Ortíz-Minaya's areas of research reflect colonization's indelible impact on his land of birth and on surrounding islands in the Caribbean. His research includes world-historical structures of slavery (particularly in the Spanish-Caribbean); social regulatory processes; political economy; and ethno-racial labor formation. He examines the ways that systems of forced labor fluctuated and served as precursors to modern forms of penal punishment.
His forthcoming manuscript, "From Plantation to Prison: Visual Economies of Slave Resistance, Criminal Justice, and Penal Exile in the Spanish Caribbean, 1820-1886", explores the relationship between the expansion of slavery in Cuba and the rise of prisons in Puerto Rico as a means to incorporate the Spanish Caribbean into the world-market during the nineteenth century.
As a U.S. Fulbright Specialist, his additional research examines the historical relationship between forms of confinement (penal in particular) and the accumulation of profits under varying economic systems.
He serves on the board of directors for various international organizations focusing on penal reform and rule of law and has conducted research in Pakistan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Jamaica, South Africa, the Palestinian Territories, and throughout the Caribbean region.
Reynaldo Ortíz-Minaya, PhD
Professor of Sociology, Howard University
Dr. Justice Duffu Yankson is a practicing medical doctor and lawyer (attorney). He also holds an MBA from the University of Ghana Business School. Dr. Yankson has vast experience in fund management (especially pension fund management) as well as investment, corporate law, and governance.
Dr Yankson is a product of St. Augustine’s College - Cape Coast, University of Ghana, Legon and the Ghana School of Law.
Justice Yankson, MD, MBA, Esq.
Vice President, Ghana Medical Association
Emeriti Members
*NMF Alumni