Leadership

Our leadership is comprised of a multidisciplinary coalition of experts—including clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates—dedicated to eliminating health disparities and promoting health equity for vulnerable populations.

National Staff

The National Staff manages the daily operations and core programs of Movement is Life, working behind the scenes to translate our mission into tangible community impact and sustainable health equity.

Danielle Hilliker, MSM, MPhil

Executive Director

PhD Candidate

Public Policy & Administration

Desiree Clemons, BS

Director of Strategy & Impact

Christopher Bacot

National Director, Operation Change

Beth Kurta, BS

Summit Director

Jerail Fennell, MSM

Sr. Director, Podcast and Communications

Governing Board

The Board of Directors provides strategic oversight and governance, ensuring our initiatives remain aligned with our core mission of improving musculoskeletal health and mobility for African American, Latina, and rural women.

Mary I. O’Connor, MD

Chair, Board of Directors, Movement is Life

Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Vori Health

Emerita Professor of Orthopedics, Mayo Clinic

Past Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Yale School of Medicine

Past Director, Center for Musculoskeletal Care at Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital

Bill Finerfrock

Member, Board of Directors, Movement is Life

Past President, Capital Associates, Inc. (CAI)

Erick Santos, MD, PhD, FAAOS

Member, Board of Directors, Movement is Life

CEO, South Central Texas Bone & Joint Center, PA

Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Treasurer, American Association of Latino Othopaedic Surgeons

Claudia H. Zamora, MPA

Representative, National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)

Founder and CEO, Zamora Consulting Group, LLC

Member, Board of Directors, Movement is Life

Member, Board of Directors, National Hispanic Medical Association

Christina Zollicoffer, PMP

Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Lifespan

Sylvia Preciado, MD

Internal Medicine, Huntington Memorial Hospital

Willis Steele, MDiv

Steering Committee

Our Steering Committee represents a diverse range of partner organizations and medical specialties, working collaboratively to design and implement community-based programs that drive measurable change.

Conchita Burpee, MBA

Director of Marketing and Community Engagement, The Cobb Institute

Leigh F. Callahan, PhD

Representative, United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI)

Distinguished Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine and Professor, Departments of Social Medicine and Orthopaedics

Adjunct Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Associate Director, Thurston Arthritis Research Center (TARC)

Director, Osteoarthritis Action Alliance (OAAA)

Sonia Cervantes

Program Director, Operation Change San Diego

Darlene C Donegan, Ed.D

Program Director, Operation Change St. Louis

Hadiya Green Guerrero, PT, DPT

Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy, Senior Practice Specialist, American Physical Therapy Association

Melvyn Harrington, MD

Professor, Residency Program Director, Adult Reconstruction Fellowship Director, Vice Chair for Diversity and Inclusion

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine

Sarah Hohman, MPH

Senior Associate, Capitol Associates, Inc (CAI)

Joyce Knestrick, PhD, FNP-C, APRN, FAANP, FAAN

Director of Nurse Leadership Management, Director of Executive Leadership, George Washington School of Nursing

Zachary Lum, DO

American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons

Representative, American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons

Chiara Rodgers, MPH

Representative, American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS)

Director, Research and Humanitarian Activities, American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS)

Yashika J. Watkins, PhD, MPH

Professor, Chicago State University

Emeritus

Kirsten Ambrose, MS

Representative, Osteoarthritis Action Alliance (OAAA)
Associate Director, OA Action Alliance

Eileen Bodie

President, EBU Productions

Doreen Johnson, MSN, RN, ONC

Retired Nurse Educator, Hospital for Special Surgery

Adjunct Nursing Faculty, Adelphi University

Lynne C. Jones, PhD

Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Donna Kurek MSN, RN, MHA, ONC, CMSRN

Representative, National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON)

Director of Quality and Patient Safety, OrthoVirginia

Sharon LaSure-Roy, MS

Vice President of Social Marketing, VyStar Credit Union

Randall C. Morgan, Jr., MD, MBA

President and CEO, W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute

Practicing Orthopedic Surgeon, Sarasota, FL

Matt Reiter

Principal, Capitol Associates, Inc (CAI)

Daniel Wiznia, MD

Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Yale University School of Medicine

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Sonya Seymour