Jacquelyn S. Dalton is an experienced public health professional and social change agent with expertise in social determinants of health, health equity, health & well-being, community engagement, and community health. As the director of the Health Equity Cooperative at the national nonprofit Health Leads, Jacquelyn works closely with executive sponsors and other stakeholders to develop a cross-sector collaborative for health equity that centers on advocating for, investing in and spreading learnings from communities across the United States. At Health Leads, Jacquelyn and her colleagues aim to work with local and national communities and health systems to address systemic causes of inequity and disease by removing barriers that keep people from identifying, accessing, and choosing resources everyone needs to be healthy. A vision of health, dignity, and well-being for every person in every community fuels Health Leads. Jacquelyn's community involvement currently includes serving on the Board of the Tennessee Kidney Foundation, serving as the Health Committee Chair of Nashville NAACP, and being Co-Chair of the Greater Nashville Health Disparities Coalition. She also participates in multiple regional collaboratives focusing on maternal health and universal healthcare. Jacquelyn's work has led her to partner with various stakeholders, including policymakers, healthcare providers, elected officials, philanthropists, grassroots leaders, and community health workers. In the fall of 2021, Jacquelyn received Nashville Black 40 Under 40 Award and was nominated for Nashville's CABLE'S 2022 Youth Professional ATHENA award. Jacquelyn graduated magna cum laude from Fisk University and received her Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree at Tennessee State University. She has also been certified in Public Health (CPH) and as a Health Education Specialist (CHES) and provides training on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Antiracism, Cultural Humility, Unconscious Bias, Social Justice, and Health Equity.   

Joseph Gutierrez is the founding Executive Director of API Middle Tennessee, an Asian and Pacific Islander-serving nonprofit working towards racial justice by building API community, lifting API voices, and celebrating API identities. Through API Middle Tennessee, Joseph raises awareness around API issues through general advocacy. He is also part of the TN Department of Health's Immigrant and Refugee Alliance. He is originally from Los Angeles, California and graduated from UCLA. Prior to moving to Nashville in 2014, he taught English in South Korea. Joseph received a Master's in Community Development from Vanderbilt University where his studies focused on organizational studies, social networks, and the intersection of school and community. Outside of his work at API Middle TN, Joseph manages grant partnerships at the Dan & Margaret Maddox Fund, a nonprofit foundation that seeks to better the Middle Tennessee community through partnerships that improve the lives of young people and protect the natural environment. To learn more about Joseph, visit his website.

Timothy Hughes is a native of Baton Rouge, LA and a cum laude graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, TN. An activist, advocate, blogger, commentator, columnist, community organizer, educator, innovator, & intellectual, he works at the intersection of public policy & social justice & is actively engaged with local, community-based coalitions & statewide & national organizations, including but not limited to Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc; Black Voters Matter Fund; The Brother's Roundtable; Corporate Diversity Initiatives; Gideon's Army; The Equity Alliance; Metro Nashville Community Oversight Board; The Movement School; NAACP-Nashville Branch; Nashville Justice League; Nashville Unchained; New Leaders Council-Nashville; Nashville People's Budget Coalition; the Public Theology & Racial Justice Collaborative; Southern Coalition for Social Justice (CROWD Fellow); STAND UP! Nashville's Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute; & the Urban League of Middle TN. 

A born entrepreneur and professional truth known as "Kiss With a Fist", Kia challenges the status quo and uses candid care to guide uncomfortable conversations. She provides support to leaders, organizations, and systems seeking to improve the quality of the human experience and systemic change. Her professional work is long tenured spanning close to 20 years working in areas such as affordable housing, education, health equity, technology, youth development, justice reform, water conservation, greenways, community infrastructure, economic development, and much more. She speaks, trains, consults, and serves as a strategic thought partner in efforts that intersect across culture, communications, crisis, and community. Specifically, she leads boutique communications and community engagement consultancy, MEPR Agency; she is the founder and visionary for the Nonprofit Equity Collaborative; and she serves as Philanthropy Advisor for Give Black, Give Back-housed at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee-the first effort from the Black Philanthropy Initiative in Middle Tennessee. For more information on Kia, visit her website. 

Jeffrey Jones, M.Ed., has 25 years of experience cultivating diverse and inclusive environments across a range of settings including education, state and local government, academia and enterprise. Jeff specializes in collaborating with people to create a culture that not only welcomes but also values those differences. As a thought leader in change management, Jeff applies his knowledge of innovation to build positive, sustainable, and meaningful change. 

Jeffery W. Norfleet, EdD was born and raised in Clarksville, Tennessee. He received a Bachelor of Science in Humanities and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at Tennessee State University. Jeffery earned his doctoral degree in Education with an emphasis in Leadership and Professional Practice from Trevecca Nazarene University. His interest in education, leadership, and technology led to employment at the Tennessee Board of Regents where he served as a member of the Regents Online Degree Program. While Jeffery's first professional opportunities were in public higher education, he made a professional move to gain an understanding of private higher education. In 2013, Jeffery joined the team at Trevecca Nazarene University as a Coordinator of Academic Affairs. Jeffery's desire to learn more led him to additional positions as Assistant Director of Academic Affairs, Director of Academic Services, and Associate Dean of Academic Services for the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies. In January 2020, Jeffery received an opportunity to serve as Director of Academic Affairs for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. In the role, Jeffery served the state of Tennessee's public four-year institutions in the review and development of quality academic programs. Jeffery is now the Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies at Trevecca. Jeffery is an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. He believes there is a need to create policy and implement action to provide equal and fair rights for all individuals. Previously, Jeffery led research with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission centered around the success of African American males, in which revealed data related to the challenges and disadvantages African American men received in the higher education setting in Tennessee. Additionally, Jeffery teaches a cultural influences course in the doctoral program at Trevecca Nazarene University. 

Amiee Sadler has always been passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion. She founded the Gay Straight Alliance at her high school, was appointed as the first student school board members for Metro Nashville Public Schools in Tennessee, and served as an international officer for the United Methodist Youth Organization. She has spoken across the county about the challenges faced by youth in their communities. Amiee holds a degree in Sociology from Columbia State and is pursuing her BSW-MSW-JD from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Throughout her college career, Amiee has received multiple accolades, including election to the Tennessee Board of Regents and Chief Justice of the Tennessee Intercollegiate Student Legislature, honored as an international finalist in the Phi Theta Kappa Prepared Speech Competition, recipient of the Columbia State Outstanding Student in Sociology Award, selected as a Cengage International Scholar, and recipient of the Nashville Pride Scholarship. In 2022, Amiee was recognized as a POINT Foundation BIPOC Scholar, as well as a Zora Neale Hurston Scholar by the Secular Student Association. At the University of Tennessee, Amiee is a College of Social Worker Student Ambassador and serves on the Dean's Student Advisory Council. She is also Executive Secretary of the Coalition of Black Social Workers, an Ambassador for the College of Social Work, part of the Senior Impact Council, and member of the Rocky Top's Leadership Institute. Amiee is a graduate of Nashville Young Leaders Council and was nominated for the Young Leader of the Year in 2021. She currently serves on the board for Nashville Launchpad and Inclusion Tennessee. In 2022, Amiee was recognized as one of Nashville Business Journal's 40 Under 40. She is a member of the 2023 Nashville Emerging Leader Cohort. She currently serves as the Program Manager for The Village, created in partnership with the Nashville Mayor's Office and the Center for Nonprofit Management. She is also a Survivor Advocate at the Nashville Sexual Assault Center, as well as a full time Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion educator.