Advisory Council

External experts support the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge, serving on the Advisory Council. The Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge Advisory Council includes subject matter experts in the fields of public health, urban planning and performance improvement. These individuals serve as expert resources for the duration of the Challenge to help advance participating communities’ public health initiatives, serve as additional resource to communities beyond coaches and peer learning network and offer expertise on critical issues for the Challenge community.

Here are some of the core activities of our Advisory Council for this iteration of the Challenge: 

  • share evidence-based innovative tools and materials with grantees and coaches to support grantee technical assistance needs
  • provide guidance on area of expertise through blog spotlights, newsletter content, webinars and phone calls
  • amplify Challenge communications and promote grantee success stories, lessons learned and  resources developed
  • attend periodic meetings to receive updates and provide expertise

MEET OUR ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS

Lamond Daniels

Lamond Daniels, LCSW, MPA, is a licensed social worker who has placed social well-being and health at the forefront of his career. Daniels currently serves as the Chief of Community Services at the City of Norwalk, Connecticut. In this role, he works to support the social services delivery system within Norwalk by overseeing the Health, Human Relations and Fair Rent, Human Services, Early Childhood and Youth Services departments, in addition to two of the city’s public libraries. He has centered health equity in Norwalk by connecting local residents to the resources and services that they need and formulating new partnerships between state and local agencies. Prior to his present-day role, Daniels worked as a consultant for the Aetna Foundation and assisted in coordinating the activities of the first cohort of the Healthiest Cities and Counties Challenge. He is now continuing his involvement in the Challenge by participating in the Advisory Council for the most current cohort of cities and counties. Daniels obtained his undergraduate degree in Social Science, a Master's degree in Social Work from Fordham University and a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of New Haven.

Learn more about Lamond through our Communities4Health blog!

Sarah de Guia

Sarah de Guia, JD, is the Chief Executive Officer at ChangeLab Solutions and is committed to applying her legal expertise and leadership experience to advancing equitable laws and policies that ensure healthy lives for all. Before joining ChangeLab Solutions, Sarah worked at the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, first as director of government affairs and then as executive director where she pushed for dozen of legislative bills and advanced policy changes for health equity. She has authored many publications on the health of communities of color in California, oral health disparities, mental health, and Latino health. She was also a health program director at Latino Issues Forum and a legislative analyst at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Sarah sits on the advisory committee for the Office of Health Equity at the California Department of Public Health and on the board of directors of the CARESTAR Foundation. She earned her law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree in ethnic studies from the University of California, Berkeley.

Learn more about Sarah through our Communities4Health Blog!

Rishi Manchanda

Rishi Manchanda, MD, MPH is the CEO and President of HealthBegins, a social enterprise that provides healthcare professionals and community partners with tools to improve care and the social determinants of health. He is also a dual board-certified internist and pediatrician, a board member of the National Physicians Alliance, a fellow in the California Health Care Foundation’s Healthcare Leadership Program and the lead physician for homeless primary care at the VA in Los Angeles. Prior to this current role at HealthBegins, he was the first Director of Social Medicine and Health Equity at a community health center network in south Los Angeles. Manchanda holds a BS, MD, and MPH from Tufts University.

Ami McReynolds

Ami McReynolds, MBA is currently the Chief Equity and Programs Officer at Feeding America. In her role, she focuses on building programmatic partnerships and leveraging organizational knowledge to curate innovative initiatives and advance her organization's mission. Prior to joining Feeding America, Ami spent 15 years working for-profit companies and higher education institutions including Deloitte & Touche, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, a Mars Subsidiary, University of Illinois at Chicago and United Airlines. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology, her Master’s degree in Education from Indiana University and her Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.

Alan Morgan

Recognized as among the top 100 most influential people in healthcare by Modern Healthcare Magazine, Alan Morgan serves as Chief Executive Officer for the National Rural Health Association. He has more than 30 years experience in health policy at the state and federal level and is one of the nation’s leading experts on rural health policy. Morgan obtained a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University. With over 27 years of health policy experience, Morgan has worked for U.S. Congressman Dick Nichols and former Kansas Gov. Mike Hayden. His public health experience also includes work with various organizations like Vizient, Inc., Heart Rhythm Society, and American Society for Clinical Pathology.

Learn more about Alan through our Communities4Health blog!

Sue Pechilio Polis

Sue Pechilio Polis is the Director of Health & Wellness for the National League of Cities. In her role, she is responsible for directing the health and wellness portfolio for the National League of Cities as part of the Institute for Youth, Education and Families. Prior to the National League of Cities, she led the development and management of the Trust for America’s Health external relations and strategic partnership efforts in support of the organization’s public policy goals. Polis also worked at AARP on health and financial security-related issues and was the founding National Director of Grassroots Advocacy for the American Heart Association.  Sue Polis is a graduate of Seton Hall University with a major in political science.