Jeremiah Kirkland

Jeremiah Kirkland is the President and COO of Bethesda Butler Hospital and McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital. Jeremiah is also the System Executive for the Women’s Service Line. Kirkland has worked in health care for 23 years. He joined TriHealth in 2018 after working since 2015 at Strong Memorial Hospital, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center. He has been a senior administrator supporting strategic planning and operations management for clinic and surgical/procedural areas. Jeremiah has also worked to support and lead numerous service lines including women's, primary care, gastroenterology, and hepatology. He previously worked for 14 years at Rochester General Hospital, the flagship of the Rochester Regional Health System in New York.

Since joining TriHealth, Jeremiah has had numerous roles, including President of Evendale Hospital as well as the Interim Chief Diversity Officer for the system. Jeremiah helped create and lead a unique partnership and joint venture with Cincinnati Children's Fetal Care Center and he completed numerous acquisitions for the system. He also partnered with Cincinnati Public Schools to create a healthcare apprenticeship program called “School to Work" that provides 50 or more jobs per year at Trihealth for high school juniors and seniors. Over the next 20 years, this program will lead to over one thousand students of color experiencing a paid apprenticeship at TriHealth. The program has raised an endowment of over $14 million thanks to the work of TriHealth, Bethesda Inc., and CommonSpirit. 

Kirkland received a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from the State University of New York-Brockport, and he earned a master’s in healthcare administration from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester. He is also Board-Certified in healthcare management through the American College of Healthcare Executives and completed a Business Certificate Program from Harvard University. He has a passion for partnering with people in the community he serves and working with clinical teams to improve population health.

Chuck Session

Chuck Session retired as vice president of government affairs for Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky in June of 2022. He was responsible for leading local and state government and regulatory policies, strategies, and relationships impacting the company’s interests in Ohio and Kentucky, and those of its 902,000 electric customers and 546,000 natural gas customers. He was employed by Duke Energy and its legacy companies for 42 years.

Chuck has served on countless boards of directors in the region and currently serves on the Northern Kentucky Chamber Board of Advisors, Boone Florence Water Commission, and Leadership Kentucky. He’s been recognized with several leadership awards, including the 2016 Leadership Kentucky LisaMurrell Award, selected by his peers in recognition of the courage, compassion, dedication, and selflessness he demonstrated over the course of the program, the 2021 Horizon Fund Award, Northern Kentucky Image Maker and Community Service Awards and was one of 5 recipients of the 2022 The Men of Honor Award in the greater Cincinnati Region, a salute to African American Men who have succeeded against all odds and achieved special greatness.

A native of Clinton, Ind., Chuck earned a business degree from Brevard College in Brevard, N.C., and a bachelor of Science in business administration from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill. In his spare time, Chuck enjoys traveling, spending time with his family, and volunteering at his church where he is an ordained Deacon. Chuck and his wife, Maida, have one daughter.

A long-time United Way volunteer, Chuck rewired and began work with Not for Profits, and in November 2022, began work as the Executive in Residence for United Way Northern Kentucky In November of 2022, Chuck began a second career and serves as the Executive in Residence in Kentucky for United Way of Greater Cincinnati working to help Northern Kentucky families thrive and achieve sustained economic mobility.

Dr. Bradford Mallory

Dr. Bradford (Brad) Mallory is a Professor of Biology and the Assistant Dean of Inclusive Excellence at UC Blue Ash College. His research and creative activities include the impact of incorporating equity and inclusion outcomes into first-year courses, improving STEM education through equitable and inclusive teaching practices, and promoting intercultural development to students in healthcare programs to enhance their ability to provide culturally responsive care to
patients. The results of his work have been presented at numerous regional, national, and international conferences.

Dr. Mallory is a proud bearcat who is a 2005 graduate of the UC College of Medicine’s Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Anatomy (now Cell and Cancer Biology) graduate program. Shortly after graduating, he helped to co-found the UC Black Graduate and Professional Student Association (BGPSA). He has received several honors, awards, and recognitions while working at UC. Some include becoming a member of the UC Academy of Fellows for Teaching and Learning (AFTL), receiving the UC Blue Ash Innovative Teacher The award, the Provost Faculty-to-Faculty Research Mentoring Award, the UC Celebration of Black Excellence Kunfundisha Excellence in Teaching Award, and two Dr. Marian Spencer Equity
Ambassador Awards for organizations. Dr. Mallory is a proud husband and the father of two young children who are already smarter than him.

DeAndre Carter

DeAndre Carter's awe-inspiring journey from adversity to achievement captivates audiences nationwide. Rising from challenging circumstances, he defied the odds to become a first-generation graduate from Michigan State University's prestigious Eli Broad College of Business. Renowned for his magnetic presence, DeAndre has nearly 30 years of experience as a top-ranked speaker, trainer, coach, and author. Recognized by organizations such as the National Speakers Association and Toastmasters International he continually inspires greatness in others. With passion and authenticity, DeAndre empowers listeners to seize their potential, making every speech an unforgettable experience in self-discovery and empowerment.

Devoe Sherman

"Unlocking Potential: Empowering Black Men for Success" explores strategies for personal growth and success tailored to the unique challenges faced by Black men. Through interactive activities and discussions, participants will delve into self-manifestation, resilience-building, and goal-setting, equipping them with practical tools for advancement. Join us to foster a supportive community, enhance self-awareness, and ignite the journey towards empowerment and achievement.

Steven Kniffley

Steven D. Kniffley Jr., PsyD MPA ABPP is the Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati as well as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Kniffley's area of expertise is research and clinical work with Black males and the treatment of race based stress and trauma. Dr. Kniffley has written numerous books, book chapters, and articles on Black male mental health, Black males and the criminal justice system, racial trauma treatment and training, program evaluation, organizational diversity, and academic achievement.

Jeff Menzise

Dr. Jeff Menzise, a proud graduate of Fisk University and Howard University, holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and a graduate certificate in International Studies. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, he consults for grassroots organizations and serves globally, conducting workshops and lectures. Notable collaborations include working with Taraji P. Henson's foundation and updating a key text on culturally competent social work. Dr. Menzise is renowned for his mindfulness expertise, coaching individuals and teams, including at Fisk University and Maryland-based high schools. He champions racial reconciliation and social justice, serving as an Associate Professor at Morgan State University and past president of The Association of Black Psychologists, DC Chapter.

Steven H Jones

An Assistant Professor, Steven leverages 30+ years of experience as an executive leader of Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence in global organizations to teach in the Lindner College of Business. He is skilled and certified in Scrum, ITIL, Lean Six Sigma and Project Management frameworks.

Steven is a member of the International Society of Six Sigma Professionals, the American Society for Quality and the Project Management Institute. He earned a B.A. in Communications from UC, Executive MBA from Xavier University and studied international business at Sophia University in Tokyo. As a UC student, he served as VP of the United Black Association and helped found the AACRC.

Anthony Stone

Carlton R. Collins

CRC is an educator by trade, entrepreneur by passion who has been focused on inspiring sustainable and transformational change for communities of color and aspiring youth particularly for Black males. After creating his first mentoring program at the age of 18, he created Morehouse Education Association and graduated from Morehouse College on-time after become a teenage father during his freshman year. At age 22, CRC became National Secretary for the Morehouse Alumni Association and launched into entrepreneurship. His passion is for transformational development and sustainable growth of the business owners, community members, or youth that he serves. His mantra is, "Live today like you did nothing yesterday to better your tomorrow," which means to live everyday with intention, purpose, and a sense of urgency to better oneself.