Health Matters 2013 Conference Speakers Bios

PRESIDENT CLINTON

Founder, William J. Clinton Foundation; 42nd President of the United States

William Jefferson Clinton was the first Democratic president in six decades to be elected twice – first in 1992 and then in 1996. Under his leadership, the country enjoyed the strongest economy in a generation and the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, including the creation of more than 22 million jobs.

After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the William J. Clinton Foundation with the mission to improve global health, strengthen economies, promote healthier childhoods and health and wellness, and protect the environment.

In addition to his Foundation work, President Clinton has served as the top United Nations envoy for the Indian Ocean tsunami recovery effort and as the UN Special Envoy to Haiti. Today, the Clinton Foundation is supporting economic growth, capacity building, and education in Haiti.

President Clinton was born on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas. He and his wife Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have one daughter, Chelsea, and live in Chappaqua, New York.

CHELSEA CLINTON

Board Member, Clinton Foundation, Clinton Global Initiative, Clinton Health Access Initiative; Special Correspondent, NBC News

Chelsea Clinton was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1980, and has lived in Washington, Palo Alto, Oxford, New York and London. She holds a B.A. from Stanford, a MPhil from Oxford and a MPH from Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health.

Chelsea is a special correspondent for NBC News and is currently pursuing a doctorate at Oxford. Chelsea also works at New York University, the Clinton Foundation and with the Clinton Global Initiative. She previously worked at McKinsey & Company and Avenue Capital.

Chelsea serves on the boards of the Clinton Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, the School of American Ballet, Common Sense Media and the Weill Cornell Medical College.

She and her husband, Marc, live in New York City.

REED ALEXANDER

Actor and Celebrity Food Chef

Reed Alexander, star of Nickelodeon’s iCarly and celebrity food chef has taken the culinary world by storm! In creating and launching his popular online destination KewlBites.com – an interactive hub of content, 100+ healthy and delicious recipes, fitness information, and more – he has revolutionized the word “wellness” and has inspired millions of people to make feeling great satisfying, easy, and fun. Reed serves as a Champion for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and as part of the Alliance’s exclusive Celebrity Chef Program. Reed has just created and recently launched a special menu of healthy school lunch recipes that, in early 2012, were “kid-tested” and resoundingly “kid-approved” in nine public school districts across the country. Today, Reed’s recipes are being cooked and served in approximately 15,000 public schools’ cafeterias nationwide in all 50 U.S. states, available to more than 30 million students everyday.

KELVIN BAGGETT

Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Tenet Healthcare Corporation

Dr. Kelvin A. Baggett is Tenet Healthcare Corporation’s senior vice president, clinical operations and chief medical officer. Dr. Baggett is the chief clinical officer and strategist, responsible for efforts to improve clinical outcomes and the efficiency associated with achieving those outcomes in all Tenet inpatient and outpatient settings. For the past 10 years, Dr. Baggett has been at the forefront of an effort to improve clinical quality and outcomes.

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Baggett completed his training in internal medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine. He completed dual fellowships as a general internal medicine fellow at the Duke University School of Medicine and as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the Johnson Hopkins University School of Medicine. His work during fellowship focused on improving the quality, safety, and efficiency of clinical care.

DONALD M. BERWICK

Former President and CEO, Institute for Healthcare Improvement; Former Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Dr. Donald M. Berwick is the former president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), an organization that Dr. Berwick co-founded and led for 18 years. He is one of the nation’s leading authorities on health care quality and improvement. In July 2010, President Obama appointed Dr. Berwick to the position of administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which he held until December 2011. A pediatrician by background, Dr. Berwick has served as clinical professor of pediatrics and health care policy at the Harvard Medical School, and professor of health policy and management at the Harvard School of Public Health. He served on President Clinton’s Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Healthcare Industry. Dr. Berwick is the author or co-author of over 160 scientific articles and four books. He is at present a lecturer in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

DAN BUETTNER

Founder, Blue Zones

Dan Buettner is an internationally recognized researcher, explorer, New York Times bestselling author and National Geographic fellow. He founded Blue Zones®, a company that puts the world’s best practices in longevity and wellbeing to work in people’s lives. Dan’s National Geographic cover story on longevity made him a finalist for a National Magazine Award. His books The Blue Zones and Thrive appeared on many best-seller lists. In 2009, Dan and his partner, AARP, applied principles of The Blue Zones to Albert Lea, Minnesota and successfully raised life expectancy and lowered health care costs by some 40 percent. He’s currently working with Healthways to implement the program in the Beach Cities of Los Angeles and the entire state of Iowa. Their strategy focuses on optimizing the environment for health instead of individual behavior change.

CAROLYN CALDWELL

CEO, Desert Regional Medical Center

Carolyn Caldwell serves as president and chief executive officer for Desert Regional Medical Center overseeing the strategic, operational and clinical activities for the 387-bed tertiary hospital and related outpatient clinics in Palm Springs and La Quinta, California.

Prior to joining Desert Regional Medical Center, Carolyn served as president and chief executive officer for Centerpoint Medical Center. She also served on the executive team at a number of hospitals, including: chief executive officer at Lee’s Summit Medical Center, vice president and chief operating officer and interim chief executive officer at the Medical Center of Arlington, and chief operating officer and interim chief executive officer at Dallas Southwest Medical Center.

Carolyn is a registered medical technologist through the American Society for Clinical Pathologists and is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

DEEPAK CHOPRA

New York Times Bestselling Author; Founder, The Chopra Foundation; Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, The Chopra Center for Wellbeing

As a global leader and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, Deepak Chopra transforms the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. Known as a prolific author of more than seventy books with 21 New York Times best sellers in both fiction and non-fiction, his works have been published in more than 85 languages. Chopra’s medical training is in internal medicine and endocrinology, and he is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. He serves as: founder of the Chopra Foundation, co-founder and chairman of the board of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, founder of The Chopra Well on YouTube, adjunct professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, adjunct professor at Columbia Business School, Columbia University, and senior scientist with The Gallup Organization.

TOM COLICCHIO

Chef and Owner, Craft Restaurants & 'wichcraft

Born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom Colicchio made his New York cooking debut at prominent restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill, Rakel, and Mondrian. He opened Gramercy Tavern with Danny Meyer in 1994. In 2001, he opened the critically acclaimed Craft. Ten years later, there are Craft restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas; Craftsteak in Las Vegas and Foxwoods, Connecticut; Craftbar in New York and Los Angeles; Colicchio & Sons and Riverpark in New York; and ‘wichcraft sandwich shops in New York, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. In September 2012, he opened inn and restaurant Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton. In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation’s coveted “Outstanding Chef Award,” the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

TIM FINCHEM

PGA Tour Commissioner

Tim Finchem began his 19th year as commissioner of the PGA TOUR in June 2012. From the time Tim joined the TOUR management team in 1987, he has played a key role in strengthening the PGA TOUR’s position as one of the most successful and well-respected sports organizations in the world, and his leadership has helped foster the growth of the game, both domestically and internationally.

Tim has greatly expanded the earnings opportunities for PGA TOUR players. The TOUR, through its tournaments and sponsors, has dramatically escalated tournament purses and grown total revenues at an unprecedented rate. The PGA TOUR and its tournaments have raised more than $1.5 billion for charitable organizations in its history.

Initiatives under Tim’s leadership since June 1, 1994, include: the formation of the International Federation of PGA Tours, the World Golf Foundation, The First Tee, the Presidents Cup, the World Golf Championships, the FedExCup and Playoffs, and the Charles Schwab Cup on the Champions Tour.

EDUARDO GARCIA

Mayor of Coachella

Mayor Eduardo Garcia, a lifelong resident of the city of Coachella, was elected to the City Council in November 2004. He was elected to his fourth term in November of 2012.

Since joining the City Council, Mayor Garcia has been a strong advocate for the renovation and expansion of city parks, repairing and resurfacing streets, and building a better infrastructure throughout the city. During his tenure as mayor, investment in public works projects in these categories has exceeded $100 million. This year is leading the effort to implement an aggressive capital improvement list of projects that totals $35 million dollars.

Mayor Garcia graduated from Coachella Valley High School and then attended College of the Desert prior to earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Riverside, and recently completed his Master’s Degree from the University of Southern California.

LORENA GARCIA

Restaurateur, TV Host and Author

Venezuelan-born chef, restaurateur, TV host and author Lorena Garcia is one of the country’s leading Latina chefs. A judge on NBC’s “America’s Next Great Restaurant” and a guest chef on of Bravo’s “Top Chef All-Stars,” she’s a competitor on season four of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters.” In addition, Lorena is bringing her gifts and talents to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation by doing what she does best – cooking up delicious meals. Lorena has prepared recipes for school meals and has spent countless hours in the kitchen developing resources for and providing training to school nutrition professionals. Lorena was selected as a contestant on the popular Top Chef Masters currently airing Wednesdays on Bravo. She chose to compete on behalf of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and raised $27,500 toward programs that work to reverse the trend of 1 in 3 children in America being overweight or obese.

GLEN GRAYMAN

Physician and President of Desert Healthcare District & Health Assessment Resource Center

Glen Grayman is the retired medical director of the Richards Emergency / Trauma Center at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California. Dr. Grayman is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and is Board Certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine, the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Medical Management, and the American Board of Medical Quality. He previously served as Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine.

Currently, Dr. Grayman is president of the board of directors of the Health Assessment Resource Center (HARC) based in Palm Desert and is a publicly elected director and board president of the Desert Healthcare District and Desert Healthcare Foundation. Dr. Grayman is certified by the State of California in mediation and dispute resolution, and now serves as a mediator in the Riverside County Superior Court.

VINOD GUPTA

Managing General Partner, Everest Group

Vinod Gupta brings decades of business experience and acumen to the private equity, venture capital, and management consulting firm that he founded with his family in 1987. Everest Group specializes in minority ownership or acquiring companies outright and has supported the development of start-ups with funding, relevant contacts, and management expertise. Everest Group also offers advice on strategic planning, and handles an array of business transactions, including IPOs, mergers, and acquisitions. Vinod completed over 45 acquisitions while at Infogroup, a company he founded in 1972 and took to $760 million through successful acquisitions until the company was sold in July 2010 for $680 million.

Vinod was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Monterey Institute of International Studies and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Nebraska and IIT Kharagpur. He was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a trustee on the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

KAY HAZEN

Vice President, Desert Healthcare Foundation

A longtime advocate for health promotion, the environment and the arts, Kay Hazen spent more than 20 years in hospital administration before joining private developer Mine Reclamation Corporation as vice president for public/government affairs.

President of her own Palm Springs, California-based firm since 2000, Kay’s career experience in health care, management, marketing, strategy and planning allows her to provide a full range of strategic advice and counsel to her clients.

An active and engaged civic leader, Kay has served as chairwoman of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, president of the American Heart Association Desert Division and the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, and was a founder of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership. She is currently vice chair and secretary of the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation and vice president of Friends of the Desert Mountains.

CAROLYN JACKSON

CEO St. Christopher's Hospital for Children

Carolyn Jackson is chief executive officer of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. Jackson received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware in Newark and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and was recognized as one of the Dallas Business Journal’s 2010 “40 under 40.” She was also recognized as one of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2012 “Women of Distinction” and an “Emerging Executive of the Year” as part of their Healthcare Innovation Awards. She serves on the Board of Governors of the Federation of American Hospitals; the Board of Drexel University College of Medicine; the Board of Directors of Health Partners; the Board of Trustees of St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children; and as the delegate from the Section of Maternal and Child Health to the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board for Region 2.

RAYMOND W. KELLY

Commissioner, New York Police Department

Raymond W. Kelly was appointed New York City police commissioner in January 2002. He also served as police commissioner from 1992 to 1994. Commissioner Kelly was formerly senior managing director of Global Corporate Security at Bear Stearns; commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service; under secretary for Enforcement at the U.S. Treasury; and director of the International Police Monitors in Haiti. He is a 44-year veteran of the NYPD and a combat veteran of the Vietnam War who retired as a colonel from the Marine Corps Reserves after 30 years of service. He holds a BBA from Manhattan College; JD from St. John’s University School of Law; LLM from NYU’s Graduate School of Law; and an MPA from Harvard University.

JEN KESSY

U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist, Beach Volleyball

Jen is an Orange County, California native and graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in history where she was a standout member of the volleyball team for all four years (1995-1998). She was an All-American in 1998. Jen and her teammate, April Ross, won the Silver Medal at the London Olympics and are consistently one of the top-ranked teams in the world. A face of Covergirl at the London Games, Jen is a wellness enthusiast who enjoys yoga, traveling, and is currently in the Pinterest phase of a home remodel.

MICHAEL B. McCALLISTER

Chairman of the Board, Humana Inc.

As Humana’s chief executive officer from February 2000 until his retirement on December 31, 2012, Mike McCallister led Humana to a leadership position in the health care industry. He was appointed the company’s chairman of the board in 2010 and continues in that role.

During his CEO tenure, Humana gained a reputation as the industry’s leading people focused innovator, leveraging products, processes and technology to help individuals take control of their own health. Humana became a FORTUNE 100 company under Mike’s direction and quadrupled its annual revenues. The company now has 12 million medical plan members and 7 million specialty members nationwide.

Beyond Humana, Mike plays a leadership role in key business organizations. He is currently on the boards of Fifth Third Bank and Bellarmine University, and chairs the Workplace Wellness Alliance, a consortium of 150 global CEOs representing five million employees worldwide.

GARY MENDELL

Addiction Health Advocate

In 2012 Gary Mendell began the formation of a national organization related to substance abuse. He retained industry leading behavioral economists, behavioral psychologists, and experts in prevention and treatment to help develop the business plan and expects to launch in 2013.

In 2002, Gary founded HEI Hotels and Resorts, which currently has 45 hotels, approximately $650m in revenues, approximately $2.5b in real estate and approximately 6,000 associates. In 2012 he launched a Wellness Program centered on “Commitments to Action” and was recently awarded Gold Fit Friendly status by the American Heart Association. Prior to HEI, Gary was president and a board member of Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

Gary’s memberships include: Charter Member of President Obama’s Better Building Challenge, Industry Real Estate Finance Advisory Council and The Real Estate Roundtable. Recognition includes Cornell University Hospitality Innovator Award. Gary received his BS from Cornell University and his MBA with distinction from the University of Pennsylvania.

C. NOEL BAIREY MERZ

Director, Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center; Director, Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center; Women's Guild Chair in Women's Health

C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, holds the Women’s Guild Endowed Chair in Women’s Health, and is director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center and the Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center in the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute where she is a professor of medicine. Dr. Bairey Merz’s research interests include women and heart disease, mental stress and heart disease, the role of exercise and stress management in reversing disease, and the role of nutrition in heart disease. Dr. Bairey Merz has appeared frequently in the media, recognized as an authority on the subject of heart disease and stress. Her television appearances have included Good Morning America, NBC Dateline, and 20/20. She has also been interviewed for articles published in the New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, US News & World Report, and Working Woman Magazine, to name a few.

JILLIAN MICHAELS

America’s Health and Wellness Expert

Jillian Michaels is one of the leading health and wellness experts in the country, educating, inspiring, and motivating millions through her best-selling books, fitness DVDs, video games, award-winning Podcast, hit TV shows, regular television appearances and more. As a fitness expert and wellness coach for over 20 years, Jillian has established an impressive media empire.

She has authored numerous New York Times best-selling books including Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life, Master Your Metabolism and Making the Cut. Her newest book, Slim for Life: My Insider Secrets to Simple, Fast, and Lasting Weight Loss will be released in February 2013.

Her DVDs are consistently top sellers, with her newest title, Jillian Michaels Hard Body releasing in March 2013. Jillian will also be returning to NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” in January 2013.

SENATOR CHRISTOPHER MURPHY

US Senator, Connecticut

Christopher S. Murphy is a United States Senator for Connecticut. Elected in 2012, Senator Murphy serves on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Murphy served Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District for three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Prior to his service in the U.S. Congress, Murphy served for eight years in the Connecticut General Assembly. While in the State Senate, he served as the Chairman of the Public Health Committee.

Senator Murphy grew up in Wethersfield, Connecticut, and attended Williams College in Massachusetts. In 2002, he graduated from University of Connecticut Law School in Hartford, Connecticut.

DEAN ORNISH

Founder and President, Preventive Medicine Research Institute

Dean Ornish is founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF. He directed the first randomized trials proving that lifestyle changes may reverse heart disease and stop or reverse the progression of early-stage prostate cancer.

He was appointed by President Clinton to the White House Commission on Complementary Medicine and by President Obama to the White House Advisory Group on Prevention & Health Promotion. He chaired the Google Health Advisory Council and is Medical Editor of The Huffington Post. The Ornish diet was rated #1 for heart health by U.S. News in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

He was honored as “one of the 125 most extraordinary University of Texas alumni in the past 125 years”; by LIFE magazine as “one of the fifty most influential members of his generation”; and by Forbes magazine as “one of the seven most powerful teachers in the world.”

GARY PLAYER

International Ambassador of Golf

Gary Player, often referred to as the Black Knight, is one of the century’s greatest golfers. A champion in every sense of the word, he has won 165 professional tournaments worldwide and through the philanthropic efforts of The Player Foundation over $50 million dollars has been raised for the education of underprivileged children. He is one of only five golfers to ever win the Grand Slam, doing so at the age of 29, and he is the only golfer to ever win the Grand Slam on both the PGA Tour and the Senior or Champions Tour. Gary has, to date, won nine major championships on the regular PGA Tour and nine on the Senior or Champions Tour.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Gary has become widely recognized as The World’s Most Traveled Athlete™ after journeying over 15 million miles, circling the globe in pursuit of sporting events. An avid physical fitness practitioner, Gary embraces a lifestyle focused on diet, health, and fitness, and is seen as the “father of golf fitness” after being the first professional golfer to develop a weight and resistance regime to strengthen his game.

CHRISTY PORTER

Founder and Executive Director, Hidden Harvest

Christy founded Hidden Harvest, a produce “rescue” or gleaning organization, in 2001 with a desire to bring fresh, healthy produce to the hungry. Hidden Harvest “rescues” over one million pounds of produce each year, over 13 million pounds to date – while hiring the working poor to pick the produce that would otherwise go to waste.

All produce is delivered free of charge to over 60 food banks, pantries and soup kitchens from Desert Hot Springs to Blythe, serving nearly 50,000 people each month.

Christy and the Hidden Harvest team have received many honors and awards for their work, including twice receiving the Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award from World Hunger Year. Under Christy’s leadership, Hidden Harvest placed 2nd among over 600 worldwide entries in the 2009 Peter F. Drucker Awards for Nonprofit Innovation.

STEVE POUGNET

Mayor of Palm Springs

Steve Pougnet was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. A graduate of Michigan State University, Pougnet is a former vice president of the Colorado School of Mines and held the position of associate director, National Corporate Leadership Program for the United Way of America in Alexandria, Virginia.

He was first elected to the Palm Springs City Council in 2003 and was elected Mayor in 2007. Mayor Pougnet has spearheaded the Downtown Revitalization Plan and other important programs that have led to the city’s renaissance over the past five years, including a Sustainability Master Plan.

Mayor Pougnet is married to Christopher Green and they are the parents of 6-year-old twins. An avid marathon runner and proponent of fitness and healthy living, Mayor Pougnet founded the hugely successful “Mayor’s Healthy Planet, Healthy You, 1K, 5K, 7 mile Race and Wellness Festival” to fight childhood obesity, now in its second year.

APRIL ROSS

U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist, Beach Volleyball

April Ross is an Orange County, California native. She attended the University Southern California and led the Trojans to back-to-back NCAA Titles (2002-2003). With a degree in International Relations, April finished her career among USC’s all-time career record-holders, ranking in the top six in eight statistical categories. April and her teammate, Jen Kessy, won the Olympic silver medal in London and are consistently one of the World’s top ranked Beach Volleyball teams. As the youngest USA Beach Volleyball medal winner from London, and USA Volleyball’s 2011 Beach Athlete of the Year, April is considered the future of USA Beach Volleyball and has her sights set on gold in Rio in 2016.

DAVID SATCHER

Director, Satcher Health Leadership Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine; 16th Surgeon General of the United States

David Satcher, MD, PhD is director of The Satcher Health Leadership Institute which was established in 2006 at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Satcher was sworn in as the 16th Surgeon General of the United States in 1998 and served until 2002. He also served as the 10th Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services making him only the second person in history to have held both positions simultaneously. His tenure of public service also includes serving as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He was the first person to have served as director of the CDC and then Surgeon General of the United States. Dr. Satcher has held top leadership positions at the Charles R. Drew University for Medicine and Science, Meharry Medical College, and the Morehouse School of Medicine.

KRISTIN ARMSTRONG SAVOLA

2x Olympic Gold Medal Cyclist

Kristin Armstrong is the most decorated female road cyclist in American history. She has two Olympic gold medals, two World Titles, and five National Championships. Perhaps more impressive than Kristin’s accolades is her amazing story. After taking gold in the Women’s Time Trial at the Beijing Games, Kristin retired in 2009 to enter motherhood, giving birth to her son Lucas in September of 2010. Six weeks after giving birth, the 38-year-old hopped back on her bike, with her sights set on returning to the Olympic podium with her baby boy in her arms. Suddenly, the dream seemed shattered when Kristin broke her collarbone at the Exergy Tour just before Olympic qualifying. Courageously, Kristin got back on her bike only a week later. Her amazing determination paid off – with her son in her arms and the gold medal draped around her neck – Kristin completed one of the most improbable comebacks in Olympic history.

HARRIS R. SCHWARTZBERG

The Schwartzberg Companies

Mr. Schwartzberg is the co-founder of The Schwartzberg Companies (“TSC”). TSC is an investment firm with a primary focus on health care services companies and health care real estate. The TSC portfolio of operating companies began in 2001 with one 180-bed skilled nursing facility with $8 million of annual revenue and has grown to over 80 long-term care facilities and ancillary service businesses with 15,000 employees and almost $1 billion of annual revenue. TSC family of companies also includes a variety of multi-family, commercial and industrial real estate holding companies with properties throughout the United States. Harris received a B.A. in economics from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law.

Harris is an active member of the board of advisors at the University of Michigan Depression Center (UMDC). His work at the UMDC includes the creation of the “EVEN” program, a cutting-edge awareness program geared toward training teachers, school counselors and high school students to identify and address anxiety and depression in teenagers.

JOHN THOMAS SCHWARZLOSE

President and CEO, Betty Ford Center

John Thomas Schwarzlose is a nationally recognized expert in the treatment of alcoholism and other drug addiction. He is the president and chief executive officer of the Betty Ford Center at Eisenhower in Rancho Mirage, California. John was hired by former First Lady Betty Ford in March of 1982 to develop the treatment program for the Center. He has been the chief executive since the Center’s opening in October of 1982.

John received his Masters of Science in Psychology at Northern Illinois University in 1972. He began working as an alcohol and drug counselor for the Peoria, Illinois, Council on Alcoholism. He assisted in the opening of an indigent detoxification center and halfway house focused on homeless men.

John received his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Illinois in 1982 and then left to work with Mrs. Ford. He is certified as both a counselor and is a Charter Fellow of the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators. He has served on many national boards and testifies frequently in front of Congressional committees and subcommittees.

SUSAN E. SIEGEL

Corporate Vice President, GE; CEO, GE healthymagination

Sue Siegel is a GE Corporate Officer and the CEO of healthymagination, GE’s $6 billion global commitment to provide better health for more people by lowering costs and increasing access.

Sue is a 25-year industry leader with corporate and venture capital experience in growing companies that bring key enabling technologies to the forefront of biomedical research and health care. Prior to joining GE, she was a general partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures where she led investments spanning enabling technology platforms, molecular diagnostics and digital health, which leveraged the convergence of these disciplines in driving personalized, consumer-driven and information-based health care.

Sue holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master of Science in biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine.

RYAN SISTARE

Renaissance Hotel Complex General Manager, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Ryan Sistare is the complex general manager of the 236-room Renaissance Fort Lauderdale in Florida and the 250-room Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport. A fourth-generation hotelier, Ryan received his two degrees in hotel administration and multinational business with suma cum laude distinction from Florida State University. Ryan holds a CHA designation (certified hotel administrator), the highest honor for a hotelier.

Ryan’s volunteer activities include being a guest professor at Florida State University, board member of the Ronald Macdonald House, professional mentor for Florida State Business School, and the founding donor of the Helping Hands Orphanage in Haiti.

He is the proud father of two young boys, Ashton and Mason, and enjoys boating, scuba diving, and snow skiing with his wife Tanya.

NANCY SNYDERMAN

Chief Medical Editor, NBC News

Dr. Nancy Snyderman joined NBC News as chief medical editor in September 2006. Her reports appear on all platforms of NBC News including “Today,” “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams,” “Dateline NBC,” “Rock Center with Brian Williams,” MSNBC, and MSNBC.com. Prior to joining NBC News, Nancy served as vice president of Consumer Education for the health care corporation, Johnson & Johnson. There she led the independent educational initiative, Understanding Health, focusing on educating and informing the public about health and medicine. Nancy’s medical work has been widely published in peer review journals and she has received numerous research grants from the American Cancer Society, the Kellogg Foundation, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. She is the author of four books: Dr Nancy Snyderman’s Guide to Good Health for Women Over Forty, Necessary Journeys, Girl in the Mirror: Mothers and Daughters in the Years of Adolescence, and Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat: And the 101 Truths That Will Save Your Waistline – and Maybe Even Your Life.

REBECCA SONI

U.S. Swimming Olympian

Rebecca Soni is a six-time Olympic medalist with three gold medals and three silver medals. She also holds the current world record in 200m breaststroke and 4x100m medley relay. Born and raised in New Jersey by her Hungarian parents, she began swimming when she was ten-years-old and quickly discovered her true talent. She attended the University of Southern California where she was a six-time NCAA Champion and the first woman to win four consecutive NCAA titles in the 100-yard breaststroke. She graduated in 2009 with a degree in communications. Rebecca burst onto the international scene during the 2008 Olympic Games where not only won the gold medal, she broke the world record. In 2009, 2010, and 2011, she was named USA Swimming Female Athlete of the Year. In 2010 and 2011, she won Swimming World’s World Swimmer of the Year. Rebecca continued her dominance at the 2012 Olympic Games and was most honored by her title of Team Captain.

BARBRA STREISAND

Director, Actress, Singer, Writer, Composer, Producer, Designer, Author, Photographer, Activist, Philanthropist

Barbra Streisand is the only artist ever to receive Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Directors Guild of America, Golden Globe, National Medal of Arts and Peabody Awards as well as France’s Legion d’Honneur and the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She is, in fact, the recipient of two Oscars, five Emmys, 10 Grammys and 12 Golden Globes. She is also the first female film director to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. Her activism and philanthropic pursuits are just as impressive. The Streisand Foundation has given millions of dollars in more than 2,100 grants to over 700 non-profit organizations including her substantial underwriting of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Cancer Center at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. Powered by her raising over $22 million, $10 million of which being her personal donation, the cardiovascular research and education program addresses the leading cause of death among women in the United States. The legendary artist also has raised many millions more for a variety of causes through her performances.

ANDREA B. THOMAS

Senior Vice President, Sustainability, Walmart Stores, Inc.

Andrea B. Thomas is senior vice president, sustainability for Walmart Stores, Inc. She is responsible for integrating sustainability into Walmart’s mission to “Save people money so they can live better.” The company has set the following simple and straightforward environmental goals: To be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy; to create zero waste; and to sell products that sustain people and the environment. Andrea and her team are responsible for working across the company and with external stakeholders to accomplish these aggressive goals. Before assuming this role in September 2010, she had roles in merchandising and marketing working on private brands and sourcing for Walmart.

Andrea holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in business administration from Brigham Young University where she was elected to Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Societies. She lives in Bentonville, Arkansas with her husband and three children.

HAILE THOMAS

Youth Advisory Board, Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Haile Thomas is an Alliance for a Healthier Generation Youth Advisory Board Member and an active 12-year-old from Tucson, Arizona. She is the co-founder of the HAPPY Organization, a nonprofit with the mission to improve the health and wellness of Arizona youth through education, outreach, and advocacy about proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices. She also founded the Healthy Girl Adventures Club, an online portal for girls to engage and inspire each other to embrace healthy habits, and she created and hosts Kids Can Cook, an online cooking show that aims to teach kids to prepare healthy meals for themselves and their families. Haile has shared her work at three major events including TEDxKids@BC in Vancouver, TEDxTucson, and the Partnership for a Healthier America Summit, at which she spoke about the importance of the voice of youth in the discussions and initiatives aimed at solving the childhood obesity epidemic.

PETER TIPPETT

Chief Medical Officer, Vice President of Innovation, Verizon

Peter Tippett is vice president of The Verizon Incubator and is Verizon’s chief medical officer. He is responsible for Verizon’s health care strategy and the development of an extensive portfolio of solutions that enable the rapidly evolving health care information technology ecosystem.

Peter has worked as an emergency room doctor and as a helicopter emergency physician and carries a California physician and surgeon license. His PhD work included the discovery and modeling of new regulatory mechanisms for glucose by the enzyme glucokinase. He worked for Nobel Laureates Robert Bruce Merrifield (chemistry, 1984) and Stanford Moore (chemistry, 1972) at Rockefeller University where Peter was the first person to synthesize an active segment of an immunoglobulin. Earlier, he worked in the Charles Glueck laboratory in Cincinnati where he was one of the first individuals to research and consume “sucrose-octa-ester” (now called Olestra).