Featured Speakers

Lori Tremmel Freeman, MBA

Lori Tremmel Freeman has been the Chief Executive Officer for the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) since May 2018, having returned to the organization after previously served as its Associate Executive Director from 2010-2014. In the CEO role, Ms. Freeman works to ensure our country's nearly 3,000 local health departments have the capacity to deliver essential health services to their communities, advocates for local public health within the U.S. governmental public health system, and assures strategic alliances and partnerships with a wide variety of federal, state, local, public and private agencies and organizations to advance the health of our nation. Prior to joining NACCHO, she served as Chief Executive Officer for the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) where she provided direction and leadership to protect and promote the optimal health of women, children, and families and actively advocated for sustainable and long-term funding for maternal, child, and adolescent health through the federal Title V grant program. While at AMCHP, she received the distinguished HHS Maternal & Child Health Bureau Director’s Award for noteworthy contributions to the health of infants, mothers, children, adolescents and children with special health care needs.

Lori Tremmel Freeman is a career non-profit executive, having enjoyed three decades of working in senior association leadership and management roles. Lori Tremmel Freeman’s career includes holding additional CEO and senior leadership positions with the International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA); Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI); the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI); the American Public Health Association (APHA); and Grant Thornton LLP. She also serves on numerous national advisory groups and Boards related to public health. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Science from Lock Haven University and a Masters degree in Business Administration and Marketing minor from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and currently resides in Haymarket, Virginia with her husband and twin children.

Damon Chaplin, MBA

Damōn Chaplin is a highly motivated senior public health administrator with over 20 years of public and private leadership experience. He has experience across the spectrum, including within local and state government, program and policy development, regulatory agencies, as well as for-profit and not-for-profit systems and union environment.

Before coming to Minneapolis, Chaplin served as the Director for the city of New Bedford Health Department in Massachusetts (2018-2023) and Director of Local Public Health Initiatives with the Office of Local and Regional Health at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (2016- 2018).
In his role as the Director of Local Public Health Initiatives with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, he provided statewide leadership and direction to local health departments interested in applying for accreditation and forming public health districts using a shared service model for improving health equity and strengthening workforce development. He was also the founding director and manager of the Massachusetts Large Cities Coalition (MLCC). The MLCC coalition consists of the state’s 14 largest cities (cities with populations of 70,000 or greater), ranging from Framingham, with a population of approximately 70,000, to Boston with a population of more than 650,000.
In his former role as Metro-Boston Regional Director with the MDPH, Chaplin provided overall statewide leadership and oversight of the Metro Boston Region where he represented, six Community Health

Network Alliances (CHNA’s), approximately 65 cities and towns, and a regional health office composed of seven bureaus, 10 programs, and approximately 59 staff members of whom he provided indirect supervision and guidance.

As the metro Boston Regional Director of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Chaplin oversaw the direct management and performance of the Donovan Health Building, including facilities management, fiscal management, and overall building operations. Under his leadership, Chaplin and his team strengthened and supported local public health within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by providing a coordinated system of programs and services to the local boards of health, community coalitions, universities, and hospitals.

Damōn is the husband to the dynamic Donna Chaplin and the father to four beautiful children in the Greater Boston Region.

Jennifer Shuford, M.D., MPH

Dr. Jennifer Shuford currently serves as the Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. Under her leadership, the agency strives to achieve the vision of “A Healthy Texas” and fulfill the mission of improving the health, safety, and well-being of all Texans.  
 
Dr. Shuford worked in Austin, Texas, as an infectious disease physician in private practice prior to joining Texas Department of State Health Services in 2017. Before becoming Commissioner, Dr. Shuford served DSHS as the Chief State Epidemiologist. 
 
Dr. Shuford graduated from Colorado College in Colorado Springs with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. She completed an internal medicine residency at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, where she served as chief resident. She completed an infectious disease fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and earned her Master of Public Health degree from Harvard School of Public Health. 
 
Dr. Shuford serves on the faculty of the DSHS Preventive Medicine and Public Health Residency Program. She is a member of Travis County Medical Society, Texas Medical Association, and Infectious Disease Society of America. 

Ken Janda, BA, JD

(Janda is pronounced “Yonda”, as in the “wild blue yonda’”)

Ken Janda is a recovering health insurance executive and warrior for health equity. After nearly 40 years in health administration and insurance, Ken founded and is Managing Principal of Wild Blue Health Solutions, a Texas-based health care consultancy. Wild Blue focuses on advancing new programs, care and payment models for traditional healthcare and social determinants of health, increasing coverage options and connecting our most vulnerable populations to health care access. Prior to starting Wild Blue Health, Ken served for 11 years as President and CEO of Community Health Choice, a nonprofit health insurer which included over 400,000 enrollees in Medicaid, CHIP and the ACA’s subsidized individual Marketplace. Ken previously held executive positions with health insurers Prudential, Aetna and Humana.

Ken is also a Professor of Practice in Health Systems Science and Population Health at the University of Houston Fertitta College of Medicine and Lecturer at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business, teaching the essentials of health systems, insurance and health care financing to medical and MBA students. He is passionate about helping every Texan better understand our complex health system and connect them to quality, affordable care.

Additional facts about Ken:

• Health policy wonk: Board of Every Texan (formerly Center for Public Policy Priorities), Greater Houston Partnership Healthcare Advisory Committee, Texas Medical Center Innovation Factory and others.
• Previously served on executive committees for the Association of Community-Affiliated Plans (ACAP) and the Texas Association of Health Plans.
• Community board volunteer: Healthcare for the Homeless – Houston, San Jose Clinic and others
• • B.A., Rice University, in Anthropology, Economics and Managerial Studies
  • J.D., University of Houston Law Center
• Native Texan. Born and raised in Bellville, Texas. Small town roots, big city perspectives
• Married to high school sweetheart for over 45 years. Father of two and grandfather of five

Kara Hill, DHCA, MHA, BSSW

Kara Hill is an executive leader with over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and health systems sectors, helping organizations navigate change, strengthen leadership continuity, and align strategies with community needs. She has supported nonprofits, leaders, boards, and coalitions in building resilient teams and aligning sustainable funding with mission-driven impact.

Kara brings practical expertise in Medicare and Medicaid billing and reimbursement strategies that support community-based and public health work, with a focus on community-engaged and frontline workforces. She helps organizations implement braided funding models that capture billing codes that support financing to sustain existing prevention, care coordination, and population health efforts.

She holds a Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHCA) from Oklahoma State University, a Master of Health Administration (MHA) from Texas A&M University, and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) from Bowling Green State University.

AAron Davis, MBA, MPA

AAron Davis is the Director of the Center for Public Health Initiatives at Wichita State University, where he leads initiatives focused on strengthening public health systems, improving workforce capacity, and advancing operational excellence across Kansas. With dual master's degrees in Public Administration and Business Administration, AAron brings a strategic and systems-oriented approach to project management, training, and facilitation. He works to ensure ethical and responsible AI adoption in public Health through numerous projects and training efforts that reach across the country.

His work has included leading efforts to modernize local public health systems through data infrastructure projects, implementation of electronic health records, and support for local health departments in adopting consistent data collection and reporting practices through the Local Health Department Academy of Sciences program. AAron also has extensive experience in facilitation, statewide conference planning, cross-sector training, and public health communications.

He has worked in public health for nearly two decades, including at the local level with the Sedgwick County Health Department. AAron was nationally recognized as a “40 Under 40” public health leader by the de Beaumont Foundation and is committed to building collaborative, resilient systems that support healthier communities.

Umair Shah, MD, MPH

Physician executive and public health leader bridging health systems and communities to modernize care through responsible innovation and strengthened trust.

Meredith Suntich

Meredith Suntich is a senior vice president and partner at FleishmanHillard, where she leads the FH Texas Corporate Affairs practice. A seasoned communications strategist and corporate storyteller, she specializes in shaping narratives that elevate executive voices and strengthen organizational reputation across a diverse set of industries including healthcare, technology and manufacturing.

Meredith leads communications for Texas Oncology, guiding an expansive narrative that goes beyond cancer treatment. Her work champions the whole‑patient experience—integrating stories of wellness, nutrition, mental health, caring giving, and research and innovation – inclusive of the human moments that define a patient’s journey. She partners closely with clinical leaders to highlight the organization’s commitment to compassionate care, scientific progress and community well‑being, ensuring Texas Oncology’s voice resonates across the state and the broader national healthcare landscape.

Meredith also leads McCarthy Building Companies corporate communications efforts. The team’s work includes reimagining the company’s corporate narrative, building thought leadership platforms for C‑suite leaders and subject‑matter experts, and executing a national media relations program. Most recently, Meredith supported a Fortune 50 manufacturer’s new strategy launch, including the creation of key message frameworks, development of multi-tier storylines and positioning statements focused on innovation, evolution and proven success, and outreach to top tier national media and preparation for a CES keynote.

Meredith also brings deep experience in issues management and crisis preparedness, guiding organizations through high‑stakes moments with data‑driven insights and culturally attuned strategies. Her partnership with FleishmanHillard’s True Global Intelligence and MOSAIC practices ensures clients benefit from advanced analytics, scenario planning and a 360‑degree understanding of today’s social and political environment.

Her client roster includes AbbVie, AT&T, Brinker International, Burger King, CHRISTUS Health, Cook Children’s Hospital, General Motors, Teladoc, Texas Oncology, Lennox International, and other organizations shaping the future of health, technology and mission critical infrastructure.

A longtime resident of the Lone Star State, Ms. Suntich is a wife, mother and community advocate. She was named one of PRSA Dallas’ 40 Under 40 for her contributions to the communications field and stays committed to supporting the East Dallas community she calls home.