Chair: Marcus Cox
Marcus Cox, PhD, is Dean of Fayetteville State University’s (FSU) College of Humanities and Social Sciences and former Associate Dean for the College of Arts, Director of the Center for Continuing Studies, and a Professor of History at Xavier University of Louisiana. He earned his PhD in History from Northwestern University. Dr. Cox specializes in African American civil-military history, the Modern Civil Rights Movement, African American history, and U.S. history post-1945. He is the author of over two dozen articles, reviews, and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals and academic publications on the history of African American military history, black higher education and military training programs at black colleges and universities.

David L. Albright
David L. Albright, PhD, MSW, is a University Distinguished Research Professor and serves as the Hill Crest Foundation Endowed Chair in Mental Health Research at The University of Alabama. He is committed to public policy and administrative leadership aimed at improving the health, well-being, safety, and prosperity of vulnerable populations, rural and underserved communities, and our country’s military Veterans. He has published widely and is the recipient of federal, state, and foundation research grants and contracts.

Thomas Driskill
Prior to joining OVS, DOD, SOH as Healthcare Coordinator in 2021, Col. Driskill served 8 years as Rural Health Coordinator, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System preceded by 13 years as President & CEO Hawaii Health Systems Corporation with 15 hospitals located throughout Hawaii following retirement from a career in the US Army. Mr. Driskill is a retired US Army Colonel, Medical Service Corps, with 29 years of active-duty, during which he commanded both a Medical Battalion and a Medical Brigade and served tours of duty in Vietnam, Southern Germany, Berlin, and multiple USA locations. He holds a BBA from Wake Forest University and an MBA from DePaul University. He is also a graduate of the yearlong US Army War College and yearlong VA 2011 Leadership Course.

Pavithra Ellison
Pavithra Ellison, MD, is the Perioperative Medical Director at the West Virginia University (WVU) Medicine Children’s Hospital and an Associate Program Director at the WVU Medicine Department of Anesthesiology. She earned her MD from Annamalai University in India and her Masters in Medical Management (MMM) from Carnegie Melon University. Dr. Ellison is a board-certified Anesthesiologist with a strong clinical focus. In addition to holding several leadership positions at WVU, she is the chair of the national committee on rural access to anesthesia care for the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

Rodney Hummer
Rodney Hummer is the Vice President of Strategy for the Missouri Primary Care Association. Mr. Hummer graduated from Missouri Western State University with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. He joined the Missouri Air National Guard as a combat medic and served in the Gulf war. In addition to Captain Hummer's military service, he has served in the civilian sector as a nurse and as a health care system administrator. He received the "Hometown Hero Award" and was appointed to the Governor's Task Force on Substance Abuse and Treatment.

Vanessa Meade
Vanessa E. Meade, PsyD, LCSW, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alaska – Anchorage (UAA) School of Social Work. She holds a Doctor of Psychology degree from Alaska Pacific University. Dr. Meade is a U.S. Army/Gulf War Veteran, a former Alaska State Trooper, and a licensed psychologist and clinical social worker in Alaska. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Meade is a qualified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and facilitates mindfulness-based retreats and programs. She also founded a non-profit for women Veterans in Alaska.

Juanita Mullen
Juanita J. Mullen is an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation of Indians (Keeper of the Western Door), Cattaraugus Indian Reservation located in western New York. She retired from the Department of Veterans of Affairs, Office of the Secretary, Washington, D.C., January 2022 as the American Indian/Alaska Native Veterans Liaison for the Center for Minority Veterans. She worked with Tribal Governments for over 21 years to include working with their Veterans. Ms. Mullen is also a retired Air Force Veteran. She has received numerous medals to include the Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, NATO Medal, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Ms. Mullen has am MS in Administration from Central Michigan University, and is a graduate of Leadership VA for 2011.

Angela Mund
Angela Mund DNP CRNA serves as the Chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, a comprehensive health sciences center. She has 10 years of service in the United States Army Reserves, providing anesthesia care to our nations active-duty military and veteran retirees, including serving at Brooke Army Medical Center during Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. She has been a registered nurse for over 30 years and an advanced practice registered nurse since 1998. Dr Mund is a graduate of the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Nurse Anesthesia Program and worked at the Minneapolis VA for over 10 years as a staff Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. She is the past-president and prior executive director of the Association of Veteran’s Affairs Nurse Anesthetists. Dr Mund is actively involved in policy and policymaking and teaching doctoral courses in healthcare policy. She is the FY23 President of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology.

Marcus Pigman
Marcus Pigman is the Center Administrator for the University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) and brings extensive rural healthcare experience from clinic, hospital and corporate health system settings. Prior to joining the CERH, Mr. Pigman served as Rural Project Manager for the Kentucky Office of Rural Health (KORH) responsible for rural hospital quality and financial improvement, rural health clinic initiatives, network development, and policy analysis. Mr. Pigman holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration from Western Kentucky University and a Masters of Health Administration from the University of Kentucky. In addition, Mr. Pigman served almost five years as a Corporal in the U.S. Army. He and wife and two sons live in Hindman, Kentucky.

Lonnie Wangen
Lonnie Wangen has been the North Dakota Department of Veteran’s Affairs Commissioner since 2008. Prior to this position, Mr. Wangen served as a Quality Control Claims Investigator, Unemployment Insurance Tax Consultant, and Payroll Auditor with Job Service North Dakota the North Dakota National Guard. He also served as General Manager of RRV Ventures. Mr. Wangen was a member of the North Dakota Army National Guard for over 27 years and conducted overseas missions in Iraq, Honduras, Panama, Korea and Germany. He is 2016 and 2017 recipient of the VA Secretary’s Abraham Lincoln “Pillars of Excellence” award.He is a member of the American Legion, Retired Enlisted Association, Navy League, Reserve Officers Association, North Dakota National Guard Enlisted Association and Lifetime member of AMVETs, VFW, DAV and Vietnam Veterans of America. Mr. Wangen has a master’s degree in management and a Masters of Business Administration from North Dakota State University. He is married with two sons and currently resides in Horace, North Dakota.

David "Clay" Ward
Clay Ward is the Rural Desk Officer for VA’s Office of Rural Engagement (ORE), an office within the Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. As the Rural Desk Officer, he leads the VA in collaboration with the White House Domestic Policy Council, Rural Partners Network (RPN) and the Rural Prosperity Inter-Agency Policy Council. Mr. Ward engages with internal and external stakeholders to deliver outreach, communications, and coordination with rural communities so that Veterans can more easily access the health care, benefits, and other resources they have earned. He has extensive experience working in the Indian Health Service, tribal health programs, urban Indian health programs, and rural communities. He recently served in VA’s Office of Tribal Government Relations as a program analyst and the Designated Federal Officer for the Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs. Clay is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and son of a combat Vietnam Veteran. Clay received a Master of Science in Human Resources (Counseling) from East Central University and a Bachelor of Arts from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. In 2022, he completed the Public Health Training Certificate in American Indian Health at the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health.

Ex Officio Members

Benjamin Smith
P. Benjamin Smith, MBA, is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and the Director Office of Tribal Self-Governance (OTSG) for Indian Health Service (IHS), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for American Indians and Alaska Natives.   Mr. Smith oversees all aspects of the administration of the Tribal Self-Governance Program and oversight to ensure the IHS meets its requirement for tribal consultation, and carries out a wide range of agency functions critical to the working partnership between the IHS and the 566 federally-recognized tribes. Mr. Smith has received several IHS National Director’s Awards for his contributions to tribal consultation activities, IHS strategic plan updates and the agency lead negotiators curriculum. He has also received numerous IHS Superior Support Service awards for his involvement on IHS/tribal workgroups and special projects. Mr. Smith received his Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University, a Master of Arts degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University. He is also one of the Navajo Nation’s Chief Manuelito Scholars.

Kristi Martinsen
Kristi Martinsen joined the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) in the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2006. She has been the Director for the Hospital-State Division, working with the State Offices of Rural Health, Rural Hospital Flexibility Program and Small Hospital Improvement Program grants since 2009. At FORHP she oversees efforts targeting support to rural hospitals, including the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project supporting Critical Access Hospital. At HRSA since 2001, Kristi has also worked in the Bureau of Primary Health Care. Kristi received a Master’s Degree in Public Management from the University of Maryland. She earned bachelor’s degrees in sociology and Spanish from the University of Maryland.

Kellie Kubena
Kellie Kubena has served as the Deputy in the Rural Development Innovation Center since early 2019.  In her role as Deputy, Kellie provides executive leadership to the Strategic Engagement Division that leads RD’s efforts to strategically engage partners to maximize the impacts of RD’s programs.  Kellie also leads the team fulfilling the Rural Health Liaison role for USDA.  Prior to that, Kellie served as the Director of the Engineering and Environmental Staff (EES) in USDA’s Rural Utilities Service Water and Environmental Programs.  During her tenure as Director of EES, Kellie also served as the Acting Assistant Administrator for Water and Environmental Programs in 2017 and the Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Telecommunications Program in 2018. Prior to joining USDA in 2015, Kellie served in various positions over 17 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, including as the chief of the Sustainable Communities Branch in the Office of Wastewater Management helping small and rural communities gain access to and sustain their wastewater treatment.  Kellie has a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries with a minor in Oceanography from Texas A&M University and a Master’s degree in Fisheries from the University of Washington.