Paula M Agosto, RN, MHA, is the Chief Nursing Office (CNO) at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her career started at CHOP as a staff nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in 1985. Beginning in 1996, she assumed progressively responsible leadership roles, including nurse manager of the PICU, director of Critical Care, Transport and Emergency Nursing, and assistant vice president of Critical Care, Respiratory and Neuro-Diagnostic services. In addition to extensive leadership experience, Agosto has had the opportunity to lead a number of successful cross-organizational improvement and operating plan initiatives. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Villanova University and a master’s degree in Health Administration from Saint Joseph's University. Her achievements include authorship in numerous pediatric textbooks and manuals and presentations around the country on pediatric nursing topics. In her role as CNO, Agosto is responsible for advancing nursing and respiratory practice and leading advancements in nursing research while supporting Children's Hospital's commitment to exceptional patient care. She has a strong interest in leadership and professional development for all staff. The future of healthcare is dependent upon knowledgeable staff, at all levels of the organization, creating an environment of excellent clinical care, outstanding patient and family experiences and strong financial stewardship of the valuable resources healthcare has to offer. The Macy Undergraduate Leadership Fellows Program is an outstanding opportunity afforded to students to develop this interest in leadership and professionalism at the undergraduate level. These students will enter into their careers with a strong foundation, making them as asset to any organization. She is honored to participate in The Macy National Advisory Committee and assist in the ongoing development of this exceptional program.

Jennifer Breaux, DrPH, MPH, CHE, has been at Drexel for 14 years and received both her master’s and doctorate degree from the University. Prior to becoming the director of Undergraduate Education and joining the Dornsife School of Public Health faculty in 2011, she was a research coordinator on a grant at the school. Her graduate training is in community health and prevention with a special focus on maternal and child health (MCH). Breaux has a particular area of interest in breastfeeding support services for working mothers and is a passionate advocate for the rights of breastfeeding mothers and their children. Through her public health training, she is committed to issues surrounding maternal and child health, social justice and the rights of vulnerable populations. It is her honor to teach the next generation of public health professionals and get them excited about the field. Breaux also thinks it is vital to serve as a professional mentor to students. That is why she was eager to work with the Macy Fellows Program and was thrilled to have three fellows last academic year. She thrilled to be invited to serve on the national advisory committee and interact with and mentor the next fellow cohort.

Alexis Burns, BSN, RN, is a Macy Undergraduate Leadership Fellow Program (MULFP) and Drexel University Nursing BSN alumna. She has become committed to the community and programs that encouraged her during her undergraduate education to grow as a person and future healthcare professional. She graduated in 2014 and has since worked as a registered nurse with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s renal/adolescent unit. Having recently started her role as the unit chair for the Advanced Practice and Education committee, Burns has recognized MULFP’s impact on her leadership skills that have allowed Burns to excel in this current role. For this national advisory committee, she bridges the gap between a student and an established professional as she offers feedback to prepare MULFP fellows to become the healthcare leaders of tomorrow.

Mark A. Diltz, EdD, MBA, MS is currently working at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) as principal of informatics education within the Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics. During his tenure, Diltz created the Informatics Education Program utilized both by healthcare providers and researchers. He was instrumental in developing one of the first accredited PostMD/DO Fellowship Programs in Clinical Informatics. In addition to his current position at CHOP, Diltz was also an adjunct professor in Temple University’s Master of Science in Health Informatics program. As a member of the faculty at Temple, he assisted with the development of the curriculum and accreditation process for their Master of Science in Health Informatics. Diltz’s graduate studies include a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Widener University, Master of Business Administration from LaSalle University and a Master of Science in Managerial Science from Marywood University. In addition, Diltz graduated from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business with a Business Certificate in Human Resources.

Kerron Norman is the chief program officer and a critical member of the executive leadership team at Lutheran Social Services of New York. Since joining LSSNY in the spring of 2018, she helps articulate and implements the strategic vision and leadership of the agency. Additionally, Norman oversees a portfolio of programs and related services that include early childhood, education, foster care, housing, legal immigration services and related community-based services.

Before joining LSSNY, Norman was vice president and chief program officer for ANDRUS. Her former roles include director of child welfare for the Westchester County Department of Social Services and deputy director of field operations for the NYC Administration for Children’s Services. Norman holds a Master of Social Work from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Binghamton University. She is the proud recipient of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission’s Diversity Award, which honors individuals who work diligently to promote diversity and equity in systems.

Sara Leader is currently the assistant director of Student Involvement & Leadership within Campus Engagement at Drexel University. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Film/Video from Penn State University in 2011. During her time there, she was very involved in the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON), a philanthropy benefiting the Four Diamonds Fund, whose mission is to conquer childhood cancer. Once she graduated, Leader moved to Los Angeles and worked in the entertainment industry for two years. Leader decided she wanted a career that was more fulfilling for her, and so she returned to the East Coast and began her graduate program at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Leader obtained her Master of Science in Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs in 2016. She has a passion for working with students and helping them develop as leaders. Leader believes all students have the potential to be amazing leaders and create positive change in their communities.  

Peter Jakucki is a project manager with CRF Bracket Global providing training, data quality and consulting services to the pharmaceutical and research organization industry. Utilizing project cycle methodologies, Jakucki develops and manages various trial projects throughout full life cycles while operating within a team matrix environment.

As a young careerist, Jakucki has robust experiences within a large payer, provider and non-profit environment. He currently serves as a co-chair to the Philadelphia HFMA chapter and serves on the national advisory committee of MULFP at Drexel University. He further serves the Philadelphia community through various logistics and treasury roles in smaller undisclosed 501c3 non-profits.

Through the evolution of med-tech and healthcare payment models, Jakucki has a strong passion in moving and shaking the future of drug development. Leadership starts with self-knowledge and gradually flows outwardly to fulfill your vision amongst any team. Working alongside the Drexel MACY advisors, he believes it is a privilege to learn and share in cultivating the future leaders of tomorrow.

Ebony White, PhD, is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy at Drexel University. She primarily teaches courses in the Behavioral Health Counseling program, which prepares undergraduate students to work directly with clients in community health settings, and the Masters in Addictions Counseling online program.  White is a licensed professional counselor, a national certified counselor and an approved clinical supervisor, and has a private practice in her hometown of Trenton, NJ where she serves individuals and families who hold multiple marginalized identities.

White’s research generally focuses on advocacy and social justice within the African American community, with a specific focus on the impact of multiple levels of trauma. She has published articles and book chapters on various topics including issues in transracial adoption and the fathering practices of African American fathers. In 2007, she was named Woman of the Year by the Mercer County Commission on Women and in 2018 received the Community Service Award from the NJ State Federation of Colored Women Clubs/Carver Youth & Family Center.

White has appeared on various media outlets such as CBS 3, WIMG radio, and TVC News Nigeria addressing the work she has done within the community. Although she holds many roles, mentor is one that she esteems because of her belief in Ubuntu which recognizes the responsibility of one to lift up others as they have been lifted. White is excited to be part of the MACY Undergraduate Leadership Fellows Program.

Phil Landis, DNP, RN, CEN, RN-BC, has been a clinical nurse for over 30 years, with a background in heme/onc/HIV, ICU, emergency department (ED), perianesthesia nursing and nursing education/professional development. He still considers it an extreme honor to enter the lives of the patients he meets on a daily basis and give them his attention and presence. Landis' present job in the University of Pennsylvania Health System focuses on ED staff orientation and ongoing professional development, hospital-wide initiatives, as well as health system education. His many years of clinical practice have shaped and informed his perspective on patient care. Landis has witnessed many beautiful, sad and tragic events in his bedside care. He appreciates the paradox of human behavior and tries, with a humble sense of humor, to maintain a perspective that adds value to the patient experience. Landis' special interests lie in the needs of the many vulnerable populations who access the emergency department, as well as in the best practices of health literacy and health teaching. He also feel strongly about giving back to interprofessional colleagues, hence my commitment to the Macy National Advisory Committee.

Rachel Rhazali, RN, BSN, is a registered nurse at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in the heart and vascular ICU. She attended Drexel University for her BSN. During that time she successfully completed the Macy Undergraduate Leadership Fellowship Program. Rhazali has a passion for helping people live healthy lifestyles through education, resources and setting up the infrastructure needed to help individuals achieve and maintain their health. She is currently enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Lorina Marshall-Blake, BA, MA, HD, FAAN, 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 and  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's 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 BA in Human Services and holds an MA in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. She also received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Albright College.

Franklin A. Shaffer, EdD, ScD(H), RN, FAAN, is the chief executive officer of CGFNS International, Inc., the world’s largest credentials evaluation organization for nursing and other healthcare professionals. Shaffer earned his Doctorate of Education in Nursing Administration and Education at Columbia University Teachers College and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science for his contributions in research, education and healthcare administration at Cedar Crest College. Shaffer has 40 years of progressive and varied nursing experience including administration, education, clinical and research. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, a frequent speaker and consultant at domestic and international conferences/conventions and provides consultations and lectures around the world. Shaffer authored/edited eight books as well as numerous chapters and serves on several leading professional journals’ editorial boards. Among his many accomplishments, Shaffer led the initiative for CGFNS International to serve as the vendor partner for the National Nursing Assessment Service to conduct the credentials evaluation of foreign educated nurses desiring to practice in any one of the 26 provinces of Canada. This venture brought CGFNS International beyond US borders. Through the development of this project, an outcome-based technology supported model of assessments was created to support the harmonization of credentials evaluation in Canada. Shaffer has also served as a principle investigator for the International Labor Organization’s Decent Work Across Borders research study titled, “The Comparative Study on Competency and Equivalency Standards Between the Philippines and Selected Destination Countries.”