How did you become an executive in the health care industry? Did you always have an interest in health care?

I was inspired to go into health care when I heard the CEO of Alameda Health System speak about the need for his organization and others to prepare for economic reform. At the time, I was working as a consultant and providing strategic advice to CEOs, boards, and executives all across the country, which I loved. However, I realized that being a consultant did not represent the same investment as being a leader within the system, so I decided to pursue a full-time health care role that allowed me to be of service to my community in a way that could directly improve lives. That’s when I became Chief Strategy and Integration Officer for Alameda Health System, and I haven’t looked back. Health care is an excellent career with tremendous challenges and professional satisfaction.

What is one major challenge you see facing the health care industry today?

We must fix the economics of health care. There are many competing priorities for health care organizations, but this one is urgent. Health care is unaffordable, and the current trajectory is unsustainable for the government, employers, and other purchasers, individuals, and families. We must have a financing mechanism that doesn’t bankrupt us all. This is a significant concern that demands our focus and impacts all of health care, but more importantly our national economy.

Who has been your biggest influence throughout your career?

My dad is my inspiration. Unofficially, my dad served as an integration officer for the U.S. Marine Corps.  Throughout his career, he supported the chief executive officer and assisted the military community with racial and cultural integration. I have always wanted to be like him – a mover and shaker who makes things happen and brings people together. I knew this about him, but it really hit home during his recent funeral where the military broke tradition and had two of his appreciative mentees speak about how he changed their lives. Because of my dad, I do my best to serve as a mentor and role model for up-and-coming African Americans and women pursuing advanced education and professional careers. I am prayerful that my work inspires others, the way my dad inspired me.

You spent many years as an entrepreneur with a successful consulting business as a strategic advisor. What is one piece of advice you often gave to your clients that has stuck with you over the years?

Limit the organization to three big goals and make sure you have the governance and operational infrastructure to achieve them. You must have a strategy and goals, but you also need to make sure that you have the right executives in place and are systematically organized for success. Also, the structure you develop needs to be agile enough to change course if needed.  This isn’t easy work, but it can be a gamechanger for organizations.

In what ways does your background in entrepreneurship and your continued entrepreneurial spirit influence your work as an executive?

Relationships are everything. I learned this lesson as an entrepreneur and consultant who was always striving to make it rain in terms of projects and assignments. Once you start building bridges and connecting people, you are on the road to success. This philosophy holds true within an organization and externally. You can’t do everything on your own, so you must connect with others to gather the resources and knowledge you need. Today, this is a skill that brings me joy and has helped me achieve my personal and professional goals.

You have served on a variety of boards, including nonprofits.  What is your nonprofit board experience like compared to your other seats?

Non- and for-profit boards are different animals. My advice for both is typically the same and that is “to think differently.” For-profit companies need to consider values and mission and incorporate them into their strategy. What you stand for resonates with customers as much as what you are selling. Nonprofit organizations need to be more forward thinking, less risk-adverse, and try to diversify revenues when possible.  It’s important to envision how you will fulfill your mission when and if the environment changes and be prepared for change. Many nonprofits have a difficult time with this work because their revenue sources are already scarce, and they tend to provide services and programs that are difficult to fund. However, if you consider new ways of expressing the core mission, it gets easier.

Personally or professionally, what might the WBL network be surprised to know about you?

I love fast cars! My dream machine is a cobalt blue Porsche 911 that I can speed through the countryside with the top down. I am on a perpetual personal and professional mission to get things done, which explains my need for speed.