Daniel J. Hilferty is President and Chief Executive Officer of Independence Blue Cross, one of the nation's leading health insurers. Mr. Hilferty's vision is to lead the transformation of health care in America, seeking innovative technologies and new models of care that will increase the quality and lower the cost of care.
He led the creation of the Independence Blue Cross Center for Health Care Innovation and launched Tandigm Health, a unique joint venture that arms primary care physicians with the tools and data needed to better manage chronic conditions and deliver more personalized care. He has built business collaborations with world-renowned institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania to conduct cutting-edge research and partnered with Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans and other leaders in health care to purchase dynamic health care companies. He is among a select group of nonpartisan health care leaders called upon by government leaders for advice on implementing health care reform.
Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, the 20th Surgeon General of the United States, was sworn into office by Vice President Mike Pence on September 5, 2017. Dr. Adams, a board-certified anesthesiologist, served as Indiana State Health Commissioner from 2014 to 2017. Dr. Adams, a Maryland native, has bachelor’s degrees in both biochemistry and psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a master of public health degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and a medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine.
Dr. Adams was also an associate professor of clinical anesthesia at Indiana University School of Medicine and a staff anesthesiologist at Eskenazi Health, where he was Chair of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. He has served in leadership positions at a number of professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the Indiana State Medical Association and the Indiana Society of Anesthesiologists. He is the immediate past Chair of the Professional Diversity Committee for the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
As Health Commissioner, Dr. Adams presided over Indiana’s efforts to deal with the state’s unprecedented HIV outbreak. In this capacity, he worked directly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as with state and local health officials and community leaders, and brought the widest range of resources, policies and care available to stem the epidemic affecting that community.
He also helped with the successful launch of Indiana’s state-based, consumer-driven alternative to Medicaid expansion and worked with the state legislature to secure more than $10 million to combat infant mortality in high-risk areas of the state.
Dr. Adams’ motto as Surgeon General is “better health through better partnerships.” As Surgeon General, Dr. Adams is committed to maintaining strong relationships with the public health community and forging new partnerships with non-traditional partners, including business and law enforcement.
He has pledged to lead with science, facilitate locally led solutions to the nation’s most difficult health problems, and deliver higher quality healthcare at lower cost through patient and community engagement and better prevention.
As Surgeon General, Dr. Adams oversees the operations of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, which has approximately 6,700 uniformed health officers who serve in nearly 800 locations around the world to promote, protect and advance the health and safety of our nation and our world.
Luke Gorman is a person in long term recovery from opioid addiction and the co-founder of The Flock, an on campus organization at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. The Flock’s mission is to support anyone on campus affected by substance use disorder and to spread awareness of substance use disorders and recovery at SJU through an open dialogue and provides a supportive environment and a safe zone for anyone impacted by substance use disorder.
Luke is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School and after getting sober completed his undergraduate degree in English Literature at SJU.
Born and raised in Drexel Hill Luke has four older brothers as well as one younger sister, is a proud uncle to seven nieces and nephews, and newly a dog dad to a chocolate labradoodle named Cato. Luke currently works full time in a sales capacity in the medical device industry, and has past experience in both the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Luke is deeply rooted in the recovery community in Philadelphia and is passionate about helping others achieve and maintain long term sobriety. Luke is also an avid reader, cyclist, and fan of classical music.
Charlotte Sutton is the Health and Science editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she directs the paper’s award-winning coverage of medical issues for both print and online. She joined the Inquirer in March 2015 from the Tampa Bay Times, where she was health and medicine editor.
As a reporter and editor for nearly 30 years, she has covered a wide range of topics, from politics to consumer issues to the arts.
She completed her master’s degree in public health at the University of South Florida in 2014, focusing on health management and policy, particularly Medicare. She is a board member of the Association for Health Care Journalists.
Steve Fera is senior vice president of public affairs at Independence Blue Cross (Independence). In this role, Mr. Fera leads federal and state government affairs, the Independence Political Action Committee, and community affairs areas. He also oversees the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, a $70 million charitable organization. The IBC Foundation aims to further Independence’s community leadership by leading sustainable solutions to improving the health and wellness of our neighborhoods that can be replicated on a national scale.
Since joining Independence in 1990, Mr. Fera has held executive level positions responsible for Medicare Products, CHIP, and other products assisting the low-income and uninsured. Additionally, he has led the development of key community programs.
He is a member of the Public Affairs Council Board of Directors, Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) Board, and the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation Board.
Mr. Fera is also a Fellow with America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and graduate of its Executive Leadership Program.
He has a bachelor of science and master of business administration degrees in finance, both from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.
Lorina Marshall-Blake serves as the president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, where she leads the Foundation’s strategic, programmatic, and operational efforts to fulfill its mission of leading sustainable solutions to improving the health and wellness of our neighborhoods that can be replicated on a national scale. This includes overseeing grantmaking work for the $73 million Foundation.
Outside of work, Marshall-Blake is devoted to her church and community. She serves as an associate minister at the Vine Memorial Baptist Church in Philadelphia. In addition, she is affiliated with more than 30 professional and civic organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, the United Negro College Fund, and is the past president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
She also serves on 25 non-profit boards and committees of local, state, and national organizations including Albright College, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association — Corporate Responsibility Committee, Pennsylvania Conference for Women, the Urban Affairs Coalition, and the Urban League of Philadelphia.
In 2016, Marshall-Blake was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing as an honorary fellow and received an appointment to the National Advisory Council on Nursing Education and Practice in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Marshall-Blake graduated from Antioch College with a B.A. in Human Services and holds an M.A. in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. She also received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Albright College.
My career has always been in the customer service arena, most recently as a Sr. Business Analyst at PECO for the past 10 years. My personal life has always been in an environment of addiction. I am the adult child of an alcoholic, the sister of a recovering benzodiazepine addict and the mother of a recovering heroin addict.
Being the loved one of an addict, throughout all phases of my life, was an experience of fear on a variety of levels. The fear of someone finding out you have addiction in your family. The fear of what new problem would surface day in and day out. The biggest fear, wondering if they could be hurt, jailed or found dead of an overdose.
Living through my son’s active addiction was the most difficult; going to work each day, suffering in silence, never talking about what was happening at home. Frantic phone calls while trying to focus on job responsibilities. Never wanting anyone to know or wanting anyone to give a look of disgust should they find out my son was an addict. I knew he was a good person, and that he was caught in a disease of despair. But the stigma associated with addiction caused people to have a much different perception of those impacted by the disease.
When my son went into rehab I attended a program designed for loved ones of addicts. It was there I learned it wasn’t my fault. I learned coping skills, the “3 C’s — I didn’t cause it, I can’t control it and I can’t cure it”.
I wanted to find a way to help others, and to share what I had learned so someone else could find the peace I did and realize this is a disease we are fighting.
I returned to work and spoke with a colleague, who was going through a similar situation. We talked about starting a group for employees, that would provide support for both those suffering from addiction, as well as their loved ones. Our mission is to educate people and provide resources while taking steps to remove the stigma associated with addiction.
Through the efforts of a dedicated group of employees and with the support of the company’s executive leadership team, our vision became a reality and “Stomping The Stigma employees offering education, awareness and support for the disease of addiction” was created.
Today, we have created a network of individuals who shared their experiences, strength and hope to others. We have become a support group for those going through the same situation. People know they are not alone, and we are educating others and slowly reducing some of the stigmas associated with addiction.
There is much more we plan to do and we will continue; one day at a time, stomping the stigma, while shining the light on recovery.
Devin is a person living in recovery since 2007. He is a community organizer and grassroots advocacy leader. Devin has worked on the expansion of access to the lifesaving medication Naloxone, implantation of 911 Good Samaritan policies, and the development of youth oriented systems. He wants to build constituencies of consequence that will lead to meaningful public health policy changes around substance use disorders. Devin is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Coalition (PAHRC).
The mission of PAHRC is to promote the health, dignity, and human rights of individuals who use drugs and communities impacted by drug use. Recognizing that social inequity, criminalization, and stigma silence those affected most, we advocate for policies that improve the quality of life for people who use drugs, people in recovery, and their communities.
Devin received a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice with a focus on community and organizational change and has a BA in Human Services from Lynn University. Devin also serves on the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force and the Board of Directors for the Association of Recovery Schools.
Rich Snyder is senior vice president and chief medical officer at Independence Blue Cross (Independence). In this role, he is the company’s chief clinical spokesperson, and he has overall corporate responsibility for medical, quality, and pharmacy management, and all clinical policies and programs.
Dr. Snyder currently leads Independence’s efforts to improve the access to well-coordinated high quality affordable patient care by transforming care delivery to patient-centered care through patient centered medical homes, participation in CPC+, and the Facilitated Health Network approach to value based care delivery.
Dr. Snyder is active in a variety of state and professional advisory committees. He chairs the National Council of Physician and Pharmacy Executives at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and serves on the boards of HealthShare Exchange of Southeastern Pennsylvania, a regional health information organization (HIO). He also serves on the board of directors for the American Heart Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Great River Affiliate.
He is a member of the American Medical Association, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians.
Dr. Snyder is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College and the Medical College of Pennsylvania. He is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.
Born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Ms. DiGiorgio immigrated to the United States in the mid-1980’s. Her family relocated to Southern New Jersey where she was raised. Ms. DiGiorgio graduated from Rutgers University – Honors College where she majored in Political Science and minored in Psychology and Spanish. She attended the University of Valencia, Spain during her third year where she studied translation, art history and international law. Upon graduating, with honors she pursued her law degree at Rutgers University School of Law — Camden.
Ms. DiGiorgio then served as a one-year judicial clerk for the Hon. George L. Seltzer of the State of New Jersey, Superior Court, Appellate Division, where she drafted appellate advisory legal memoranda on civil and criminal matters. Upon completion, Ms. DiGiorgio joined the law firm of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP. As a member of Stradley Ronon’s Business Practice Group and Spain and Latin America Practice Group, Carolina focused her practice on banking, real estate, commercial finance, and nonprofit organizations. Ms. DiGiorgio was also a member of the firm’s Diversity Group and served on the Hiring Committee and Associate Business Development Committee.
Formerly, Ms. DiGiorgio served as Montgomery County’s Director of Commerce where she was responsible for managing all County economic development and workforce development initiatives. In her former capacity, Ms. DiGiorgio oversaw the functions of three (3) economic development organizations, as well as the County’s Workforce Development Board. As a direct report to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, she served as a liaison between these organizations and the County, as well a connection on behalf of the County to the community, business leaders and individuals.
She currently serves as a Commissioner for the Pennsylvania Women’s Commission under the leadership of Governor Tom Wolf. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia School Advocacy Partnership, a 501(c)(4) organization focusing on education reform. From 2012 to 2014, she served on Governor Tom Corbett’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs which focused on the education, economic development and civic engagement of Latinos across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
In addition, Ms. DiGiorgio served as Chair of the Board of Directors of Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc. In this capacity, she also oversaw the governance functions of Pan American Academy Charter School, which Congreso founded. She served as a board member for seven (7) years in various capacities, concluding her service as Chair of the Board in October 2016.
Carolina has been recognized as a Top Lawyer of Color and has been asked to speak at numerous women’s advancement and minority mentorship events. She has advocated for equal opportunity, economic development growth, workforce development and comprehensive immigration reform.
She resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Valentino, their two sons, Julian Francis and Dominic Francis, and her three step children, Emily, Valentino and Olivia.
Since 2011, Dr. Jean Bennett has served as the Philadelphia-based Regional Administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration responsible for federal Region III, which includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, DC, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
As Regional Administrator for SAMHSA, Dr. Bennett chairs the HHS Region III Federal Interagency Opioid Task Force, is overseeing 25 stakeholder-led opioid related projects, has served on the Philadelphia Mayoral Opioid Task Force, and is an enthusiastic advocate for improving behavioral health outcomes and policies. Jean leads programmatically-focused regional learning collaboratives on Interprofessional addiction education, expanding access to medication assisted treatment, suicide prevention, Naloxone and Harm Reduction, and Peers. In addition, Dr. Bennett has been a prolific convener of her region’s medical schools, schools of social work, and dental schools. Jean has partnered with leaders from the city of Philadelphia and the its five medical schools for whom she convenes quarterly in-person meetings, and with whom she is collaborating on projects about streamlining access to treatment, identifying clinical placement sites for students, and evaluating curricular change related to medical student core competencies to care for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.
In addition to her three HHS roles for HHS, Jean has served a diverse array of organizations including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Children Hospital Boston, Northeastern University, Sentara, and an Internet startup. Jean retired from the Navy Nurse Corps at the rank of Captain, has earned four academic degrees including a PhD in organization and management, and co-authored a July 2018 article entitled “The Federal Response to the Opioid Crisis.”
As Vice President of Medical Services and Medical Director at Caron Treatment Centers, Dr. Joseph Garbely oversees all medical treatment at Caron’s Pennsylvania facility including detoxification and medicine related interventions. He collaborates on medical research, Caron’s Older Adult Program, as well as, Caron’s Chronic Pain and Healthcare Professionals Programs. Dr. Garbely also oversees the Spiritual Care team at Caron.
Dr. Garbely previously served as the Associate Medical Director at Caron and has been in the field of addiction medicine for more than 10 years. Dr. Garbely received his board certifications through the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and the American Board of Addiction Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Garbely has an extensive background in treating addicted individuals, including healthcare professionals, executives, and pilots who suffer from substance use disorders. He has also worked to develop innovative treatment programs for psychiatric patients involving a 12-Step philosophy.
Dr. Garbely considers it a critical part of his personal and professional mission to remain a fixture in medical school classrooms and has been involved in medical education for 25 years. During his tenure at Caron, Dr. Garbely has spearheaded a high-level initiative to educate and train doctors about addiction treatment. He works closely with The Addiction Medicine Foundation and established the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program, partnering with Reading Hospital, Department of Family and Community Medicine. As the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Director, Dr. Garbely is eminently involved in educating the next generation of addiction treatment professionals. Dr. Garbely is a member of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Directors Association.
Dr. Garbely is a Clinical Associate Professor at Penn State College of Medicine as well as a member of the medical staff at Reading Hospital. Dr. Garbely has won multiple teaching awards on the local and national level, including the American Psychiatric Association’s Helen Ruske, MD Award for Excellence in Medical Student Teaching.
Dr. Malone's tenure at the NLN has been marked by a retooling of the League's mission to reflect the core values of caring, diversity, integrity, and excellence and an ongoing focus on advancing the health of the nation and the global community. She was ranked amongst the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare magazine in 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2017. In 2016, Dr. Malone moved up the ladder to claim 39th place in the field of leading policy-makers, activists, health care professionals and corporate figures in the health care, insurance and pharmaceutical industries. Additional recognition in 2016 includes the Florence Nightingale Award and induction into the Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) Hall of Fame, an honorary doctorate from Georgetown University; and induction into the Nursing Hall of Fame from Tuskegee University in Alabama. In 2017, she received the Fellowship Ad Eundem of the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery from the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland. She has also been recognized as one of the top 25 women in Healthcare.
In 2018, Dr. Malone was presented with a citation from the American Psychological Association for her outstanding leadership in advancing excellence in health care for the nation and global community and named one of the Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare magazine.
Within the last several years, Dr. Malone was elected to the Institute of Medicine and tapped to join the board of the Kaiser Family Foundation. Her distinguished career has mixed policy, education, administration, and clinical practice. Dr. Malone has worked as a surgical staff nurse, clinical nurse specialist, director of nursing, and assistant administrator of nursing. During the 1990s she was dean of the School of Nursing at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. In 1996, she was elected to two terms as president of the American Nurses Association (ANA), representing 180,000 nurses in the USA. In 2000, she became deputy assistant secretary for health within the US Department of Health and Human Services, following four years of service on President Bill Clinton’s Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Healthcare Industry.
Just prior to joining the NLN, Dr. Malone was general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the United Kingdom's largest professional union of nurses, from June 2001 to January 2007. She also served between 2002 and 2006, as a member of the UK delegation to the World Health Assembly; of the Commonwealth Nurses Federation (CNF); and of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). During that time, Dr. Malone was also vice chair of the Brussels-based European Federation of Nurses Association (EFN).
Cherri Gregg is the Community Affairs reporter for KYW Newsradio, the most listened to of all news radio stations in Philadelphia. She reports on a variety of grass roots issues and events and you can hear her on KYW Radio, see her on CBS3-TV and read her work on KYWNewsradio.com. Cherri is also producer and host of Flashpoint, a public affairs show that airs on 1060AM Saturday nights at 9:30 and Sunday mornings at 8:30. She also produces KYW Flashpoint Podcast, with exclusive material, that can be subscribed to on ITunes or wherever you get your podcasts.
At KYW, Cherri puts her law degree to work, providing legal analysis on decisions by the US Supreme Court, as well on critical civil rights issues like mass incarceration, immigration rights, and voting.
She also stays active in the community by moderating town halls and by providing coverage of everyday heroes who are changing lives of those in need. An award winning journalist, Cherri is a graduate of Boston University, Howard University School of Law and Temple University School of Media and Communication. She is the immediate past president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists.
Justin Minyard — Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired — was forced to retire early due to debilitating chronic pain. He first developed back pain as a result of being a first responder at the 9-11 Pentagon attacks when moving huge pieces of rubble and concrete to help find others, which caused a severe back injury. To make matters worse, he fell 20 meters during a combat mission — further compounding his injuries. As a result, Justin struggled for years with serious chronic pain and developed a dependence on the opiate pain meds that were provided as treatment. Finally, when Justin was offered the opportunity for Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), he seized the opportunity.
Following his successful SCS trial and subsequent implant Justin was able to overcome years of opiate dependency and find a balanced treatment algorithm to provide lasting relief, an increase in functionality and a return to a quality of life he thought impossible. “Being able to manage my pain has allowed me to serve as the founder of Operation Shifting Gears, a non-profit dedicated to serving injured or disabled veterans, and act as the spokesperson for RaceAgainstPain.com, a community of chronic pain sufferers. I take it upon myself to personally encourage veterans and others suffering from chronic pain to explore options outside of opiate pain relief, such as Spinal Cord Stimulation.”
As an advocate for chronic pain treatment accessibility and reform, Justin is often invited to travel internationally to engage with thousands of Interventional Pain Management Specialists and patients, seeking to encourage a shift in the standard paradigm of care.
With the understanding that chronic pain care is an international issue that extends beyond the walls of medical practices, Justin has been invited to deliver keynote speeches and participate as a panel member for The North American Neuromodulation Society, The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, AdvaMed, and The Michigan Association of Treatment Court Professionals.
Justin has also collaborated with The National Institute of Health, The Department of Defense, members of The United States Congress, and The United States House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs to promote the advancement of cutting edge medical technology, medical device policy, and improved access to patients and providers.
Honorable Michael J. Barrasse is in his second ten-year term as a Judge in the 45th Judicial District of the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Prior to taking the bench, President Judge Barrasse was elected three terms District Attorney for Lackawanna County. He previously served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Special Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and Senior Trial Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia. President Judge Barrasse received his B.A. and M.A. in History from the University of Scranton and his J.D. from Dickinson School of Law.
President Judge Barrasse's responsibilities include President Judge 45th Judicial District, Administration of the Criminal Docket, and the handling of Treatment Courts (Adult, Family, D.U.I., Veterans, and Co-Occuning). He serves as Chairperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, representing over 3,000 courts, wherein he teaches for the National Drug Court, and served on the National Drug Comi Institute Veterans Curriculum Committee. He joined the faculty of the National Judicial College in 2003. Judge Barrasse serves as the Judicial Outreach Liaison for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. He is presently Chairman, Child Advocacy Center (20 years). In 2016, Judge Barrasse was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf to the Comi of Judicial Discipline where he will preside until 2020.
President Judge Barrasse has previously served on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Board Hearing Panel, the original Pennsylvania Supreme Court Advisory Board for Adult Treatment Comis, the National District Attorneys Association Board of Directors, and the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the U.S. Department of Justice. He served as Chairperson for the Mental Health Panel from the Pennsylvania Joint State Commission Advisory Committee on Geriatric and Seriously Ill Inmates and as President of Pennsylvania Drug Court Professionals. He is a past Member of the Board of Directors of the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services (20 years); the Northeastern Red Cross (5 years), Salvation Army (14 years), and the National Judicial College Center of Health and Justice National Judicial Leadership Systems Initiative. Additionally, he served as Chairman of the Pennsylvania DUI Oversight Committee and Member of the Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission Advisory Committee on Addiction Treatment Services.
President Judge Barrasse is a recipient of the Pennsylvania Trial Judges Award for Efficient Caseload Management (Golden Crowbar Award); the 2006 Pennsylvania Psychological Association Public Service Award; the John J. Baldi Award for excellence in program evaluation and review, which is awarded to promote the enhancement and development of service and support for persons with mental disabilities. He received the Women's Resource Center Public Service Award and awarded the Pennsylvania National Alliance on Mental Illness Public Servant of the Year Award and the National Kevin Quinlan Award for DWI Court Leadership.
Sharmain Matlock-Turner is the President and CEO of the Urban Affairs Coalition. She began her tenure in March of 1999, with the special distinction of being the first woman to lead the Coalition. The Urban Affairs Coalition, formerly GPUAC, unites government, business, neighborhoods, and individual initiative to improve the quality of life in the region. In partnership with a diverse Board of Directors, made up of business, nonprofit and community leaders, Ms. Matlock-Turner and her team of managers and more than 350 employees create partnerships and build consensus to help families reduce poverty and reach the middle class. The organization’s efforts are focused in four areas: improving life chances for youth and young adults; building wealth in low income communities; forging strategic partnerships and strengthening the nonprofit sector through fiscal sponsorship. The organization has successfully managed more than $1B in social capital over its 48 year history.
Ms. Matlock-Turner is co-founder and chair of the twenty-year-old West Oak Lane Charter School. In addition, she serves on the following boards and committees: Peirce College Board of Trustees; the Regional Federal Reserve Bank’s Economic and Community Advisory Council; Entrepreneur Works, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia; Uplift Solutions; Philadelphia Council for College and Career Success; Foundations National Advisory Board, Street Soccer PHL; The Philadelphia Foundation’s On the Table Steering Committee; Cranaleith Spiritual Center President’s Council; the PNC Advisory Committee; and Mayor Kenney’s Workforce Development Steering Committee. She chairs the Fashion District Economic Opportunity Oversight Committee and serves on the Comcast Innovation Center Economic Opportunity Oversight Committee. She was recently appointed to the Independence Health Group Advisory Board for Consumer and Business Affairs and The United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. She is a founding member of the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors.
Ms. Matlock-Turner has received numerous awards and is often asked to speak to local, regional and national organizations. She is a regular guest commentator on 6abc's public affairs television program Inside Story.
Ms. Matlock-Turner holds a BS degree in Education from Temple University. In 2005, she was one of three Philadelphia nonprofit leaders selected to receive a scholarship to the Harvard Business School’s nonprofit leaders' summer program. In 2014 she received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Peirce College. She is a Senior Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.
She is a Philadelphia resident and is married to Anthony “Tony” Turner with two grown daughters, Ayanna Matlock and Naima Turner and is the grandmother of Joshua Matlock Hale.
Sister Mary Scullion has been involved in service work and advocacy for homeless and mentally ill persons since 1978. She was a co-founder, in 1985, of Woman of Hope, which provides permanent residential and support services for homeless, mentally ill women. In 1988, she founded the first Outreach Coordination Center in the nation, an innovative program coordinating private and public agencies doing outreach to chronically homeless persons living on the street.
In 1989, Sister Mary and Joan Dawson McConnon co-founded Project HOME, a nationally recognized organization that provides supportive housing, employment, education and health care to enable chronically homeless and low-income persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. Under their leadership, Project HOME has grown from an emergency winter shelter to over 700 units of housing and two businesses that provide employment to formerly homeless persons. Project HOME also prevents homelessness in a low-income neighborhood in North Philadelphia. This initiative includes economic development, homeownership for the working poor, and the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs — a 38,000 square foot, state-of-the-art technology center that offers comprehensive educational and occupational programming.
In 2015 Project HOME opened the Stephen Klein Wellness Center. The Stephen Klein Wellness Center is a model for integrated health care including primary care, behavioral health, dental, a YMCA, pharmacy and wellness services. It serves those that are homeless and is located in the second poorest zip code in Philadelphia.
Sister Mary is also a powerful voice on political issues affecting homelessness and mentally ill persons. Her advocacy efforts resulted in the right of homeless persons to vote as well as a landmark federal court decision that affects the fair housing rights of persons with disabilities.
Sister Mary has received numerous honorary doctorates for her leadership in the City of Philadelphia. She was named 2011 Citizen of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer and selected by Time Magazine as one of the “World’s Most Influential People in 2009”. In addition, Sister Mary and Joan Dawson McConnon received the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame in 2011. She was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship in 2002 as well as the Distinguished Alumnus Eisenhower Award in 2010.
Sister Mary serves on the Board of Trustees of St. Joseph’s University and the Board of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. She also chaired the Hunger and Homelessness Committee for Pope Francis’s visit to Philadelphia in 2015.
Dr. Glenn Sterner is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at The Pennsylvania State University, Abington Campus. His main research agenda is focused on the application of social network analysis in understanding illicit, illegal, and covert networks. Dr. Sterner has been awarded over $1.5 Million in local, state, and federal grants to study and address the opioid epidemic, including the National Institute of Justice. His work includes the examination of opioid abuse networks, illegal opiate distribution, networks of legitimate opioid distributors and overdose deaths, hot spots of opioid availability, and stigma associated with opioid substance use disorders. Dr. Sterner has presented his work locally, nationally, and internationally to organizations including opioid treatment and support organizations, Centre County HOPE, The Bucks County Together We Can Convention, The Wolf Administration’s Opioid Command Center, The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, The American Society of Criminology, The Stockholm Criminology Symposium, and the International Network of Social Network Analysts.
Dr. Sterner has worked extensively with the Independence Blue Cross Foundation to address stigma associated with the opioid epidemic, coordinating the Share Your Opioid Story initiative, on which the Independence Blue Cross Foundation’s Someone You Know campaign is based. Through this initiative, Dr. Sterner has involved the Wolf Administration through the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to expand these efforts across our entire Commonwealth. Through this work, he has provided the opportunity to open up the conversation on stigma, helping to ensure that all individuals associated with the opioid epidemic are supported in our communities. This partnership between Penn State University, Independence Blue Cross Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Business Journal through their Faces of Philanthropy. For his work on the opioid epidemic, Dr. Sterner has been recognized by the Independence Blue Cross Foundation as a Future Leader of Community Health.
In addition to his extensive work on the opioid epidemic, he is also actively engaged in research on the networks of human sex trafficking. He is a dedicated scholar in community engagement. He is also actively engaged in research to improve student learning for students in higher education. He received his PhD from The Pennsylvania State University and an M.A. and B.S. from Michigan State University.