Dean’s Council

Barbara Alving
Research Professor, University of Maryland School of Public Health

Dr. Barbara Alving, M.D., is a research professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland at College Park and professor of medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda. Her professional career has included working on active military duty as a research hematologist and clinician at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Research Institute, retiring at the rank of Colonel, and at the National Institutes of Health in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, where she directed the extramural hematology division and then served as Acting Director of the Institute. While at NIH, she directed the development of a large program known as clinical and translational science awards to more than 60 academic health centers.  The awards were designed to speed discoveries in the laboratory into further development and then into clinical use.  From 2012 until 2016, Dr. Alving worked at the School of Public Health, serving as the director of a newly formed undergraduate program in Public Health Science on the College Park campus.  She is currently the Chair of the Board of the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences, which provides courses and workshops for NIH fellows and post-doctoral students, as well as members of the public. Dr. Alving also teaches medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She is a recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Terrapin Award from the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

Gail Bassin '71 (Accounting)
Community Volunteer

Ms. Gail Bassin co-founded and served as chief financial officer of JBS International, Inc.  She has decades of experience in providing professional consulting services to Federal, state, and nonprofit clients. Over the course of her career, Gail directed or oversaw numerous mission-focused contracts that address a broad range of public health and social service issues administered by the agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services. During her tenure, Gail spearheaded two acquisitions. In 2008, Gail was named GovCon’s Executive of the Year for companies under $75 million, and in 2009, she was named Washington Business Journal’s CFO of the Year for government contracting firms with revenues under $200 million. Gail recently retired and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and golfing.  She also serves on the Advisory Boards of the National Museum of Women in the Arts and Women’s Health Access Matters, which seeks to increase the awareness and research funding for women’s health.  For more than 20 years, Gail’s family has helped to organize the American Heart Association’s Hearts Delight Wine Tasting and Auction.

Bonnie A. Beavers
Community Volunteer
SPH Campaign Cabinet Member

Ms. Bonnie A. Beavers, JD, is a native of Dallas, Texas, and has been a Chevy Chase resident for 22 years. Her mother, Jeanette Spier Beavers, was an MSW whose career included studying families with a disabled child. Bonnie’s interest in the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health deepened after establishing the Jeanette Beavers Memorial Scholarship for students interested in family therapy. Bonnie is a retired partner in the D.C. law firm of Kleinfeld, Kaplan & Becker, LLP. She has a BA in political science from Duke University and a JD from the University of Texas. A graduate of the 2014 Leadership Montgomery Core Program and a member of Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church, she is interested in helping underserved members of our community. Bonnie’s nonprofit activities have focused on issues of domestic violence and homelessness.

Andre Blackman ’05 (Public and Community Health)
CEO, OnBoard Health

Mr. Andre Blackman is the CEO of Onboard Health, a platform dedicated to building an inclusive workforce ecosystem to power the future of health. Onboard Health helps startups and companies that have an impact on health become more inclusive while connecting them to diverse talent. He is an advisory board member with a number of organizations including the American Heart Association and the Mayo Clinic Center as well as a startup mentor and branding coach for health care executives. He previously founded Pulse +Signal, an innovation and strategy consultancy focused on the health care landscape.

Maureen “Mo” Bryant ’01 (Family Studies)
Founder, Spontaneity, Inc.

Ms. Maureen "Mo" Bryant is founder of Spontaneity, LLC. She has been recognized as one of the Women of Influence in Washington, D.C. Commercial Real Estate by Bisnow Media, and as a finalist for the March of Dimes 17th Annual Heroines of Washington Awards for her dedication to community service. She was previously vice president of marketing for a commercial real estate company. Maureen prides herself on her marketing/communications and project management expertise and her commitment to giving back through service activities. In addition to her role on the School of Public Health Dean’s Council, Mo serves on the YWCA National Capital Area and Mentors, Inc. boards of directors and recently served on the Washington, DC Police Foundation Board.

Brian C. Castrucci
President & CEO, de Beaumont Foundation

Dr. Brian Castrucci, DrPH, MA, is the president and chief executive officer of the de Beaumont Foundation and a disruptor, instigator and fierce advocate for public health. Over the past six years, he has helped build the de Beaumont Foundation into a national powerhouse in public health philanthropy and advocacy, and now serves as the foundation’s chief executive officer. An award-winning epidemiologist with 10 years of experience in state and local health departments, Dr. Castrucci brings a unique background that allows him to shape visionary and practical initiatives and partnerships that bring together research and practice to improve public health. Under his leadership, the de Beaumont Foundation is driving change to improve population health, foster collaboration between public health and other sectors and strengthen the nation’s public health infrastructure. CityHealth, the BUILD Health Challenge and the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey are among the national projects he has helped create at the foundation.

Pamela I. Clark
Research Professor Emerita

Dr. Pamela Clark, Ph.D., is Research Professor Emerita of Behavioral & Community Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.  Dr. Pamela Clark retired from UMD in 2019 and was director of the University of Maryland Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science. For several decades, Dr. Clark researched a range of tobacco control topics, including youth access and adoption, community interventions, smoke chemistry, point-of-purchase advertising, and product characteristics. In 2019, she established the Pamela I. Clark Global Health Student Experience funds and has continued to support the students of Public Health Beyond Borders, research in the Department of Behavioral & Community Health, and more.  Dr. Clark is a 2020 recipient of the University of Maryland School of Public Health Distinguished Terrapin Award.

Robb Cohen
BS ’85, Finance; Community Volunteer
SPH Campaign Cabinet Member

Mr. Robb Cohen, MBA, is a retired health care executive with payer, provider, investment banking and consulting experience. Mr. Cohen is currently a community volunteer, serving on a number of non-profit boards, including as the chairman of the board for University of Maryland Hillel. Mr. Cohen is also on many health care-related advisory boards and committees. Mr. Cohen was a co-founder and senior executive of XLHealth, the nation’s leading Medicare Advantage chronic special Needs Plan, which was acquired by United Healthcare. Mr. Cohen was an advisor to the state of Maryland on the design of the Maryland hospital payment system, and was also the former founding CEO of Advanced Health Collaborative, a network that includes seven health systems with 10 hospitals in Maryland. Robb also served as CEO and founding partner of Phoenix HealthCare Consulting.

Tom Cove ’81 (Economics and Government)
CEO, Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)

Mr. Tom Cove, MPA, is the president and CEO of the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, where he represents more than five hundred leading manufacturers, brands and retailers of athletic equipment, footwear and apparel. Mr. Cove oversees initiatives to promote sports participation; safety, health, fitness and international trade. He also serves as liaison to international and national sports governing bodies. Mr. Cove directs the sports industry’s premier research facility, called the “gold standard” by ESPN, and appears regularly in national media discussions on the state of youth sports and physical activity trends in the U.S. Mr. Cove led the campaign to pass the Physical Education for Progress program which delivered almost $1 Billion to innovative local school physical education initiatives. He also directed the industry’s landmark campaign to end child labor in sports equipment production.

Cory Easton ’85 (Physical Education)
Co-Founder, Partner & Chief Sales Officer, Confidio 

Mr. Cory Easton, MBA, was the Co-Founder, Partner & Chief Sales Officer at Confidio, one of the nation’s largest technology-enabled pharmacy benefits solutions company with a proven heritage of unparalleled performance and the ability to guide self- funded health plan sponsors through today’s pharmacy benefit challenges to a new horizon of game-changing opportunities.  Under Mr. Easton’s leadership, Confidio was acquired in 2021 by RxBenefits, Inc., the first and largest Pharmacy Benefits Optimization (PBO) company in the in United States.  Combined, the company serves the pharmacy benefit management needs of over 3M Americans representing $3B in annual drug spend.  Since 1993, Mr. Easton has been a leader in the pharmacy benefit management industry and has had the privilege of working with some of the nation’s largest and most complex health benefit plans securing his company on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list for three consecutive years, 2019 (#81), 2020 (#452) and 2021 (#880) along with earning several other national and regional awards for company performance.  Additionally, Mr. Easton serves as a CEO Advisory Board Member for the Inc. CEO Project, a business advisory group for experienced CEOs and business leaders seeking challenge and collaboration from their peers.

Deborah L. Gebhardt, Ph.D. ’79 (Biomechanics and Anatomy) Principal Scientist at HumRRO

Dr. Deborah Gebhardt, Ph.D., is a Principal Scientist at HumRRO, a non-profit organization that focuses on research in the workplace. Prior to joining HumRRO, she was the President and founder of Human Performance Systems. Dr. Gebhardt has extensive experience developing, validating, and implementing employment selection systems and medical guidelines in public, private, and military organizations. She received numerous awards for her work in physical performance standards and medical guidelines to include the University of Maryland School of Public Health Distinguished Alumnus Award and the SmartCEO GovStar Leader Award. Dr. Gebhardt has testified as an expert witness in a class action (Title VII) and ADA litigation, along with arbitrations regarding the physical assessments, ADA issues, and medical guidelines used for selection and retention for public and private sector personnel. She is a 2020 recipient of the University of Maryland School of Public Health Distinguished Terrapin Award.

J. Nadine Gracia
President & CEO, Trust for America's Health

Dr. J. Nadine Gracia is the President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a nonprofit, nonpartisan public health policy, research and advocacy organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community. Dr. Gracia is a national health equity leader with extensive leadership and management experience in federal government, the nonprofit sector, academia, and professional associations. Before being appointed President and CEO, Dr. Gracia served as TFAH’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and Director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as Chief Medical Officer in the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, and as a White House Fellow at HHS.  Dr. Gracia received a Bachelor of Arts in French from Stanford University, a medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is active in many professional and civic organizations, including the Aspen Global Leadership Network, the Dean’s Council at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, Women of Impact, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Alice Horowitz, Ph.D. ’92 (Health Education)
Research Associate Professor, University of Maryland School of Public Health

Dr. Alice Horowitz, PhD, is a research associate professor in the School of Public Health’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health and benefactor of the school’s Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy. Dr. Horowitz was formerly was a senior scientist at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Health, National Institutes of Health and has done extensive research and community outreach related to dental caries prevention and early detection. She was a primary architect of the Maryland State Oral Cancer Prevention and Early Detection coalition. She initiated both state and national research on what health care providers and the public know and do about oral cancer prevention and early detection. Dr. Horowitz served on the recent Institute of Medicine’s panel, Advancing Oral Health in America and she is a 2012 recipient of the University of Maryland School of Public Health Distinguished Alumnus Award.

George L. Leventhal, PhD ’17 (Public Policy Analysis)
Director, Community Health for Washington D.C. and Suburban Maryland Kaiser Permanente

Dr. George L. Leventhal, PhD, is the director of community health for Washington D.C. and suburban Maryland, Kaiser Permanente. He is an innovative policymaker with a history of proposing new service delivery solutions for people most in need. Dr. Leventhal joined Kaiser Permanente in December 2018. In this role, he develops policies for, and provides oversight and support to, a range of activities that address social determinants of health in the region, including access to health care for the uninsured, affordable housing, homelessness, food security and behavioral health in schools. Before joining Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Leventhal served 16 years on the Montgomery County Council in Maryland and served as council president twice. Dr. Leventhal chaired the Council’s Health and Human Services Committee for 16 years and also served on the Council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee.

Sarah Lenz Lock 
Senior Vice President for Policy and Brain Health, AARP

Dr. Sarah Lenz Lock, J.D., is Senior Vice President for Policy and Brain Health in AARP’s Policy, Research and International Affairs (PRI).  Ms. Lock leads AARP’s policy initiatives on brain health and care for people living with dementia, including serving as the Executive Director of the Global Council on Brain Health, an independent collaborative of scientists, doctors, and policy experts.  Ms. Lock also coordinates AARP’s role in the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations.  Ms. Lock is a frequent writer and public speaker on issues related to healthy aging.  Sarah serves on several boards and is a member of the American Society on Aging, the Gerontological Society of America, the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory, and the National Academy of Social Insurance.  She is a member of the UMD School of Public Health’s Community Advisory Council.

Neil Meltzer
President/CEO, LifeBridge Health

Mr. Neil Meltzer, MPH, MHA, is the president and CEO of LifeBridge Health, a position he has held since 2013. As CEO, Mr. Meltzer has led the system through a period of strategic growth with a mission to transform the organization into an integrated health care delivery system, offering a full spectrum of care. He serves on the boards of the Greater Baltimore Committee, Notre Dame of Maryland University, the Maryland Hospital Association, the Hippodrome Foundation and Everyman Theatre. On the national level, he continues to work with the American Heart Association after serving as national chairman. He was also one of 15 national workforce health care champions appointed by former President Barack Obama. Among his many honors, the Maryland Daily Record has recognized Mr. Meltzer as an Influential Marylander, a Most Admired CEO and awarded him its ICON Honor. The Baltimore Business Journal has named Mr. Meltzer as one of its Power 10 CEOs.

Robin Mockenhaupt, Ph.D. ’99 (Health Education) Independent Consultant in Philanthropy and Non-profit Management
Dean’s Council Chair

Robin Mockenhaupt is a national philanthropic and non-profit leader in population health, with a lifespan focus from maternal and child health to healthy aging. She is an independent consultant in philanthropy and non-profit management.

Robin worked for 21 years at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, retiring in 2020. Before joining the Foundation, Robin spent 16 years with AARP, where she specialized in health and aging.  She also worked in non-profit organizations in maternal and child health and community health. She received a PhD in health education and a graduate certificate in gerontology from the University of Maryland, a Master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University, and a Masters of Business Administration and Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Pennsylvania State University.

Mark Powers ’89 (Consumer Economics)
Co-Founder, Powers Companies

Mr. Mark Powers is a co-founder of Powers Companies, specializing in residential, office, commercial and industrial real estate. Mr. Powers is also affiliated with FutureCare Health and Management, which operates numerous rehabilitation and skilled nursing centers across the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. He currently sits on the board and various committees for a regional nonprofit health care organization operating in the Baltimore area.

Monica Schmude
Market President, Cigna Mid-Atlantic 

Ms. Monica Schmude is market president for Cigna's health care and related benefits plans in the Mid-Atlantic region. In this role, Ms. Schmude's responsibilities include driving market growth by creating customer value. She also partners with area health care professionals and health systems to help improve the health of Cigna customers and leads Cigna's efforts to serve the communities of the Mid-Atlantic region. Ms. Schmude  serves on the boards of Girls on the Run Northern Virginia, Mid-Atlantic Business Group on Health and the 2020 Greater Washington Board of Trade Board of Directors. She is also a member of Marymount University's Masters in Healthcare Management Advisory Council, the Economic Club of Washington DC and Leadership Greater Washington Class of 2020. In 2019, she was named one of the Most Powerful Women in Washington by Washingtonian Magazine, received the March of Dimes Heroine of Washington Award and served as the program chair for the Mid-Maryland Mission of Mercy. Ms. Schmude earned a bachelor's degree in industrial/organizational psychology with a concentration in women's studies from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. 

Veda E. Ward, Ph.D. ’84 (Recreation)
Professor, California State University, Northridge

Dr. Veda Ward, Ph.D., is a Professor of Recreation and Tourism Management at California State University, Northridge.  She has taught extensively, authored and revised curricula, incorporated community-service learning into courses, and served in a variety of administrative roles including department chair.  Dr. Ward worked for the City of Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks, and served as a member of the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission Recreation Advisory Board and the Los Angeles Commission for Women.  A past trustee of the National Recreation and Park Association, she is passionate about expanding knowledge of the parks, tourism, and hospitality industry to ensure equitable access.  She is a member of several professional organizations such as American Association of University Women, is involved with many philanthropic and civic organizations including California Park Foundation.  She is a 2021 recipient of the University of Maryland School of Public Health Distinguished Terrapin Award.

Ed Woods, ’93 (Information Systems Management)
CEO, TerpSys

Edward (Ed) Woods IV is the owner, President, and CEO of TerpSys. TerpSys is a technology company, focused on customer service.  Their mission is to delight their customers, challenge themselves, and serve their communities. They strive to be leaders in the community through the generous giving of time, talent, and treasure.  Their staff and the company are shining examples that corporate social responsibility truly is the right thing to do. In 2009, TerpSys was named one of the “50 Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America” by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Great Place to Work Institute, Inc., placing #17 in the small business category. Mr. Woods has been the hands-on architect of TerpSys’ strong corporate culture, providing a responsible balance between good business, good times, and good deeds.