Angela Owens Clark

Business and Community leader

Melissa Clarke M.D.

Physician and Health Educator

Dr. Melissa E. Clarke is a pioneering leader in population health and patient advocacy. A Harvard-educated Emergency Medicine physician, she works at 3M as a Physician Consultant for Healthcare Transformation. Dr Clarke is an author, health empowerment speaker, and medical contributor on nationally syndicated radio, who is using her platform for health equity, community education and advocacy in the COVID 19 epidemic and beyond.

Reverend Dr. Kendrick E. Curry

Pastor, The Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, Washington, DC

Reverend Dr. Kendrick E. Curry has pastored the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church (PABC) in Washington, DC for 17 years. He earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor. He also earned a Master of Divinity from Virginia Union University, and has completed advanced studies in theology at Northern Theological Seminary. Rev. Curry has a passion to transform challenged East of the River communities and the DC at-large. As such, he has partnered MBI Health Services to deliver a day-treatment, mental health program at PABC. Additionally, he serves on Board of Directors for the DC Water and Sewer Authority, Education Forward DC, and AARP DC State Office, where he is currently the State President. Rev. Curry is married to Rev. Karen Curry and they have two children, Keyona and Kendrick II.

Joni Eisenberg, MPH

Public Health Advocate, Community Radio Host  WPFW 89.3FM Jazz & Justice

Joni Eisenberg, MPH, a lifelong public health advocate, has hosted and produced a weekly program on WPFW 89.3FM Jazz & Justice Pacifica Radio (“To Heal DC”)  since 1992.  She’s been active in DC community health issues for 40 years, has worked in DC’s health department for decades and served on the front lines at the height of DC’s AIDS epidemic with Dr Reed Tuckson. She is passionate about encouraging participation  from cross sections of the community (youth, musicians, poets, seniors, labor, health professionals, low income, healthy food advocates) to mobilize for health equity. As a young person, she helped coordinate the national office of Medical Committee for Human Rights (MCHR) in Pittsburgh, where she was mentored by the legendary physician Dr Paul Cornely (HU), and other medical workers committed to health justice.

Ambrose Lane Jr

Public Health Activist and Community Leader

Ambrose Lane, Jr. is a known long-time activist and community builder in the District of Columbia.  Over 25 years of leadership experience as an effective organizer and executive, working directly with youth, elected officials, community leaders and businesses. He is an institution builder and specialist on organizational development, including board development, infrastructure analysis and organization, program assessment and strengthening, entrepreneurship strategies, and development.  He is the original author of legislation creating the DC Youth Advisory Council, was instrumental in creating the youth non-voting position on the school boards of Washington, DC and Howard County, MD, is the founder and creator of DC’s largest youth advocacy organization, the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates, is a former COO of the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization, and in 2014, was the Campaign Manager for the DC Council At-large candidate Rev. Graylan Hagler. In late 2013, Mr. Lane organized and founded the Health Alliance Network, a.k.a. the Ward 7 Health Alliance Network, the strongest and largest DC community health advocacy group, to advocate for residents of poor and low-income communities in Wards 5, 7 & 8, the issues of health equity, population health policy, chronic disease prevention strategies and the need for a “change in community health culture” to bring about healthy and thriving communities.  He has assisted in the writing of past DC Council health legislation and current pending legislation on Health Impact Assessments (HIA’s). In 2019, Mr. Lane was again selected by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to serve a second term as a Commissioner for the DC Commission on Health Equity. He was recently named the Health Committee Chair for the DC Democratic Black Caucus.  Mr. Lane is a current Master Trainer for both of Stanford University’s Diabetes and Chronic Disease Management Programs, is a past Chairman of the DC Department of Health’s (DOH) Chronic Disease City-wide Collaborative, and is involved in the Healthy Youth and Schools Commission, the Cancer Action Partnership, and the recently formed Birth to 3 Coalition. Born in Pittsburgh, PA, Mr. Lane attended Howard University, is a Ward 7 resident, is the father of four children, and is married to Dr. Nura Green Lane.

Minister, Global Health Consultant

Reverend Adora Iris Lee is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ where she co-authored the landmark study, Toxic Wastes and Race and served as the denomination’s first Minister of Environmental Justice. She is a Yale-educated public health specialist with over 30 years of experience implementing HIV/AIDS, women's economic empowerment and community health initiatives in the United States and Southern Africa.

Joe Leonard, Jr., PhD

Director, Howard University Community Association

Leonard's life has been a commitment to social justice concerns.  He has worked in various capacities for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the Black Leadership Forum, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Obama administration at USDA. Recently, he has worked for the executive office of the Mayor of Washington, DC, and currently, Leonard is the Director of the Howard University Community Association.  The unifying thread is his career is direct social advocacy on behalf of the most vulnerable persons in American society.

Rubin Patterson PhD

Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Howard University

Dr. Rubin Patterson is Dean of Howard University's College of Arts and Sciences.  He is a sociologist and an environmental justice scholar and advocate.

Reverend Frank D. Tucker

Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in the District of Columbia,

Reed Tuckson M.D.

Former Commissioner of Public Health for The District of Columbia

Reed Tuckson M.D. is a multigenerational Washingtonian who was privileged to serve as his hometown’s Commissioner of Public Health during the height of the HIV/Aids epidemic where he learned to respect the importance of collaborating with community
leaders and residents to advance health.