2026 Speakers

Justin Dunham leads The Duke Endowment’s Health Care work to strengthen community coalitions and improve health across the Carolinas. He oversees the Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas initiative, school-based mental health investments, and Community Health Needs Assessment/Results-Based Accountability strategies. Prior to joining the Endowment, Justin held administrative and operational roles in health systems across North Carolina. He holds a Master of Health Care Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health and a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health.

Lillie Fox, BSW, MA, is a Certified Community Health Worker with over 40 years of community service experience. A graduate of Coker University and South University, she has dedicated her career to supporting families, mentoring youth, and addressing maternal and child health. Lillie has received numerous awards for her leadership, including the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for outstanding community service.

Agner Muñoz is a community health professional with extensive experience designing, managing, and scaling community-based programs that bridge health care and social services. He currently supports regional initiatives focused on care coordination, social needs integration, and Community Health Worker (CHW) workforce development. With a background in frontline community engagement and program leadership, Agner brings a systems-level perspective grounded in lived experience. His work centers on strengthening partnerships between health systems and community organizations to improve equity, access, and health outcomes across diverse populations.

Ty R. Graham, MHA, MS is a Leadership Development Strategist, #1 Amazon Best-Selling Author, and organizational leadership consultant dedicated to strengthening voice, trust, and self-leadership across healthcare and community systems. With a background in healthcare administration and leadership development, Ty partners with organizations to improve communication, engagement, and team effectiveness in service-driven environments. Her work centers on empowering professionals and communities to lead with clarity, compassion, and accountability to create lasting impact. Ty is passionate about advancing health equity through leadership, collaboration, and intentional development.

Lisa Carroll, MD is a family medicine physician with a special interest in medical outreach, chronic disease management, women’s health, and medical education. She is employed as an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Department Chair for Clinical Sciences at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg, SC. In these roles, she spends her time teaching medical students in the lecture hall and at the bedside. Dr. Carroll’s clinical time is spent serving the St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic in the role of Medical Director and volunteer physician for multiple clinical sites in Spartanburg County.

Monae Bispham is a mom of two, educator, and founder of The Educated Socialite, a college and career readiness consulting firm empowering first-generation students. With over a decade of experience, she brings professional expertise and personal lived experience to every room she enters. As a first-time mom, navigating childbirth and the postpartum journey became the heartbeat behind her advocacy work and guiding reminder: This mama deserves grace and rest. Monae is passionate about holding space for mothers, honoring their strength and acknowledging their struggles. She is a connector, a champion, and a truth-teller who leads with both her head and her heart.

Melissa Fair, PhD, is the Director of Community Action at Furman University’s Institute for the Advancement of Community Health. Melissa leads the research and evaluation strategy for the Institute, supports community and clinical partners in the implementation of evidence-based interventions, and maintains state-level relationships to advance and align community health initiatives. Melissa also serves as the principal investigator for LiveWell Greenville, a local health eating and active living coalition, overseeing the strategic direction of its evaluation activities and the coordination of a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from Furman, Clemson and USC. A Greenville, SC native, Fair received a B.S. in health and exercise science from Furman University and completed her doctoral degree in Public Health in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health.

Brenda Dozier Perkins is the Founder, CEO, and President of Browns Ferry Community Outreach, a 501(c)(3) in Georgetown, SC, dedicated to connecting residents with essential resources. A Certified Community Health Worker with over 28 years in healthcare, she leads programs for seniors and youth while actively serving at St. Paul AME Church. Her motto is “Love is what love does.”

Sydnie Fleming is the Outreach and Community Engagement Specialist for the Constellation Regional Collaborative at Constellation Quality Health, bringing five years of public health experience and a background in kinesiology and neuromuscular physiology research. As a certified Community Health Worker, she combines research expertise with hands-on outreach to address community needs and upstream drivers of health. Sydnie brings both lived experience and public health expertise to her role, helping bridge gaps in health care access through education, outreach, and advocacy.

Nicholas Lee is Behavioral Health Consultant at the HopeHealth Medical Plaza in Florence, SC. He received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Charleston Southern University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling from the Citadel both in Charleston, South Carolina. He is currently attending MUSC to obtain his Doctor of Health Administration. Nicholas provides evidence-based care through integration in the primary care setting.

Mykayla Smith, MPH, is Vice President of Mobile Health Operations and a public health leader specializing in mobile healthcare delivery, health equity, and community-based care models. She oversees the strategic planning and operational execution of mobile health programs serving underserved populations, with a focus on sustainable, systems-level impact. Mykayla is also an instructor at the University of Vermont, where she mentors future public health professionals and integrates real-world practice into public health education.

Kahlia Aposhian is a nonprofit leader and healthcare professional with extensive experience in patient services, community outreach, and cross-sector collaboration. She currently serves as Director of Patient Services at Welvista, overseeing programs that improve access to medications and care for uninsured South Carolinians. Kahlia is an active board chair and advisor for multiple nonprofit organizations, where she focuses on governance, strategic growth, and equity-centered impact. She is passionate about building strong partnerships, developing sustainable systems, and advancing initiatives that improve health outcomes and community well-being.

Dr. Cindye Richburg Cotton, Ed.D., MBA is Co-Principal Investigator for The SHIELD Program (Spiritual Health Initiative for Eliminating and Lowering Diabetes), a culturally responsive, faith-based diabetes prevention/management initiative serving communities of color. She is Executive Director of the Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center in WeCo, S.C., where she leads community health, education, and empowerment initiatives. With more than 30 years of experience in higher education and nonprofit leadership, Dr. Cotton has secured over $10 million in grants and donations. Her work integrates spiritual wellness, clinical data, and health education to advance health equity and sustainable outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.

As the Executive Director of CCHA at the University of South Carolina, Julie has more than 28 years of experience working alongside diverse communities and families to achieve health equity. She holds an MSW and a Certified Community Health Worker (CHW) credential, and she leverages my skills and knowledge to catalyze change in South Carolina and nationally.
Julie is a recognized leader and innovator in the field of community health and health equity, with expertise in public speaking, workshop facilitation, popular education, and nonprofit leadership. At CCHA, she oversees the training, technical assistance, and policy advocacy of CHW programs nationwide.

Dr. Black serves as Director of Integrated Behavioral Health Services at HopeHealth, Inc., providing program oversight, clinical interventions, and multidisciplinary consultation. She has over twenty-five years in federally qualified community health centers and is a member of the Pee Dee Medical Professional Association.
Her education includes a PhD in Leadership from Anderson University, a Master of Ministry from Luther Rice, an MSW from the University of South Carolina, and a BSW from Coker University. She also completed leadership and conflict resolution programs at Francis Marion University. Dr. Black is licensed in both Carolinas and supervises LMSWs pursuing LISW licensure.

Jeffrey Gage is a Licensed Master of Social Work and a Certified Peer Support Specialist. He also has a diagnosis of schizophrenia and is in long term recovery. His illness first manifested in the summer of 2001, and through the support of his family and care team, he has been in recovery for roughly 20 years. He is currently employed by the Office of Mental Health in the capacity of Patient Affairs Coordinator, where he oversees the statewide peer support program. Jeffrey holds a Master of Social Work degree from Limestone University and has a passion for helping people.

Jessica Gaines is an accomplished nonprofit leader with over a decade of experience in community engagement, development, and strategic leadership across corporate and nonprofit sectors. She holds a Master’s degree in Human Services with a specialization in Nonprofit Leadership and currently serves as Community Outreach Advocate Manager at Welvista. In this role, she leads outreach strategy and regional engagement efforts to improve access to medication assistance across South Carolina. Jessica is known for her integrity, collaborative leadership style, and deep commitment to advancing health equity and strengthening systems that serve underserved communities.

Dr. Carolina Rodriguez-Cook is a bilingual physician, educator, and community health leader dedicated to diabetes prevention and advancing health equity in underserved communities. She currently serves as Program Manager for the SHIELD Program at the Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center. With extensive experience in clinical care, research coordination, and grant-funded initiatives, she has led programs in colon cancer screening, HPV vaccination, and Hispanic health navigation. A former Anatomy and Physiology professor, Dr. Rodriguez-Cook is passionate about patient education, community engagement, and empowering individuals to achieve improved health outcomes.

Andrea has over two decades of experience partnering with community-based organizations, public health agencies, and healthcare systems to improve access to services and support youth and families. Her work focuses on youth services, interpersonal violence prevention, family planning, and community health worker (CHW) interventions. Andrea began her public health journey at 18 as a health educator and CHW at USC, connecting students to critical sexual health and violence prevention services. Drawing from her experience as a CHW, she works to strengthen the capacity and sustainability of the community health workforce statewide. She holds a Master of Health Science from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Angela Rainwater is the Project Director of the Food is Medicine program at Allendale County Hospital and founder of Growers for Grace and The Good Fruit Foundation. Inspired by her experiences as the daughter of a local produce farmer, Food is Medicine is where it all comes together. By listening to the need, Angela is leading impactful initiatives in healthy food access problem-solving, including a hospital-based farmers market, and healthy hospital food, addressing chronic diseases in underserved areas. She has built partnerships with organizations hyper-locally, regionally and nationally, bolstering resilience and compassion-driven systemic change to promote lasting health outcomes with care.

Dr. Bell is a family physician in Charleston and a native of Columbia. Recently recognized as one of “Charleston’s 50 Most Influential” by Charleston Magazine, he has had–and at 81 continues to have–an illustrious career in healthcare and serving the community. While he has received numerous accolades for his many achievements, he considers his most important career accomplishment, other than the care he has provided to his patients, to be the development, growth, and positive influence of his nonprofit, Closing the Gap in Health Care. By spreading health information via radio, television, social media, and speaking engagements, he focuses on decreasing health disparities and increasing health literacy. Through Closing the Gap in Health Care, he also established the Lowcountry Jazz Festival.