Veronica Gonzalez, MBA, CEO, Valley Health Partners Community Health Center (VHP) has over 14 years of healthcare administration experience with expertise in process improvement, leadership, fiscal responsibility, and community-based program management. She began her healthcare career at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) in 2005, first working as a secretary and later as a trained medical interpreter. Ms. Gonzalez held leadership positions overseeing the Interpreter Services Department of LVHN, the Centro de Salud– Latino Health Initiative, the Center for Women’s Medicine and served as the Administrator of the Community Practices that transitioned to VHP. In her current role as CEO, Ms. Gonzalez closely collaborates with the VHP Board of Directors to establish long-term strategic goals to effectively deliver high-quality healthcare to VHP’s patient population. Ms. Gonzalez has received several community service awards including the Hispanic Research Organization Award, the LVHN Service Star Award, the United Way Volunteer Leadership Award, and the Distinguished Alumni Honoree Award from Northampton Community College. Ms. Gonzalez holds an associate degree in healthcare administration from Northampton Community College, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The Wescoe School of Muhlenberg College and a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in health care management systems from DeSales University.

Veronica Hill-Milbourne has over 35 years of healthcare leadership experience, specifically focused on home and community-based programs and services. She is passionate about increasing access to quality care for underserved and marginalized populations and has devoted her career to addressing health equity issues in communities of color. Prior to her tenure at Spectrum Health Services, Inc. , Ms. Hill-Milbourne held numerous executive leadership positions, including CEO of Pathways of PA. She also served as SVP for Medical Services at the Health Transformation Alliance in Wash., DC; VP of Clinical Programs for Health Partners Plans; Chief Compliance and Community Development Officer for Inglis Foundation; Chief Compliance Officer & VP of Quality & Risk Management for the Visiting Nurses Assn. of Greater Phila.; and Director of Strategic Support and Business Operation for Independence Blue Cross. Her experience as a Provider and Payor allows her to have a unique perspective on the healthcare delivery system. Ms. Hill-Milbourne served as Councilwoman in Horsham, PA from 2017-2021. Ms. Hill-Milbourne earned her Juris Doctorate from Temple Univ. School of Law, MS degree in Health Education from St. Joseph’s Univ. and BS in Nursing from Villanova Univ. She serves on multiple boards including Addus Homecare, Board Chair of Visitors for Temple Univ., College of Public Health, The Health Federation of Phila. and the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Links, Inc. Ms. Hill-Milbourne has been married to her husband for 37 years and they have two daughters.

Rich Rinehart served 16 years as Cornerstone Care's Chief of Operations and Development prior to his tenure as CEO. Rich's background includes community organizing and a number of senior positions in the public and non-profit sectors comprising a broad range of health and human services and organizational and community development. He holds a Masters of Public Administration .with a certification in Management of Non-profit Organizations from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Rich resides in Washington, PA with his wife Charlene, a fourth grade school teacher. Rich and Charlene have two sons, the youngest of which is a PSU student whose older brother is a PSU grad working in DC.

Craig Ulmer was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Community Health Net (CHN) in 2018. Mr. Ulmer has been employed with Community Health Net since 1992. He has a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Penn State University. Mr. Ulmer has performed various tasks within the organization prior to his role of CEO. He has served in the position of CIO and COO, programmer/analyst, systems analyst, data analyst, database administrator, team leader, project manager, consultant, and MIS manager. He oversaw Community Health Net’s Technology and Communications Departments as well as security systems. He also has clinical expertise that he brings to the organization and utilizes daily. His experience and knowledge of CHN is truly a valuable asset. Mr. Ulmer has been instrumental towards establishing, renewing and building collaborations with various organizations within the community that share the same vision of “Transforming Community Health in the Lake Erie Region.” He has established a solid team who have set a firm foundation on which to move forward in a positive, progressive and transformative motion so we can offer and provide our patients with quality medical, dental and vision care as well recently adding behavioral health services and substance use disorder services. Mr. Ulmer has been instrumental in carrying out the Mission of CHN, “To improve the quality of life in our region by providing professional healthcare services with compassion, respect and dignity to all.”

Barry R. Niccolai, Centerville Clinics, Inc. Barry R. Niccolai has been with Centerville Clinics, Inc. for 8 1/2 years, initially as assistant executive director. Niccolai has served as executive director for the past 5 years. Barry joined the Centerville Team after a 31 year career as an administrator at California University of Pennsylvania in several positions including Associate Vice President of Student Affairs. He was a recipient of the 2007 Suzanne S. Brown Distinguished Service Award from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Council of Senior Student Affairs Officers Barry holds a BS in Finance from Waynesburg University and a MS in Community/Agency Counseling from California University of Pennsylvania. Centerville expanded services to two new sites (Washington City Mission and Donora) as well as purchased and renovated a new facility in Connellsville, PA. During his tenure, the clinics have secured several outside grants totaling $1,500,000 to expand and improve facilities and services. Centerville received a perfect score on its 2020 Operational Site Visit conducted by the US Health Resources and Services Administration. Along with Centerville’s medical director they have established collaborate working relationships with the 5 hospitals in the service area and developed partnerships with several organizations in our region including the American Heart Association, Washington County Drug and Alcohol Commission (partnered to start a Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) substance abuse program), the Washington City Mission and the PA Medical Society. Niccolai has been active with the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers and has worked with 9 Pittsburgh area FQHC’s to form the Three Rivers Alliance of Community Health Centers, a working group to coordinate and collaborate to improve medical and other services to the most vulnerable in Southwestern PA. Operationally, he established the Pandemic Response Committee in March of 2020. This committee, comprised of organization stakeholders at all levels of the clinics, has met weekly and guided Centerville through the COVID-19 pandemic. Sub-committees that meet weekly include the Infectious Disease Response Committee, Supply Chain Committee and TeleHealth Committee. Centerville was an early adopter of COVID-19 testing and has administered over 18,000 vaccines. Outside of Centerville, Niccolai has served for over 30 years as a member and current president of the California Area School District Board of Education, and serves on the steering committee of the Mon Valley Career and Technical Center. He is also a retired member and past president of the California Volunteer Fire Department and a board member of the Center in the Woods (senior center) in California. In January of 2020 Niccolai was nominated by Governor Wolf and confirmed by the Pa State Senate to serve on the Council of Trustees of California University of Pennsylvania.

George Garrow, M.D., is honored to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of Primary Health Network, one of Pennsylvania’s leading Community Health Centers. He joined the organization in 2016 as Chief Medical Officer and was appointed CEO in 2022, following years of impactful leadership focused on enhancing patient care and improving service quality across the network. Dr. Garrow earned his medical degree from The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey, PA. He completed his internal medicine residency and served as chief resident at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, CO, and went on to pursue a fellowship in medical oncology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, where he was recognized as an American Cancer Society Fellow. Before returning to Pennsylvania in 2001, he held faculty positions at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Rochester Medical Center. Board-certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, hospice and palliative medicine, Dr. Garrow brings decades of clinical expertise along with a mission-driven approach to leadership. His exceptional contributions to rural health have earned him multiple accolades, including recognition as both a Rural Health Hero and Rural Health Star by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. He has also been named an Inspiring Leader for two consecutive years by Inspiring Workplaces for exemplifying people-first leadership, marked by courage, compassion, strong communication, and the ability to unlock potential in others. A passionate advocate for non-medical drivers of health and workforce development, Dr. Garrow actively engages in state, regional, and national forums. He contributes to rural health symposia, workforce pipeline initiatives, legislative briefings, environmental health collaboratives, and policy workgroups with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and Department of Health. He serves as a leading voice on issues such as reimagining rural healthcare and strengthening partnerships between rural hospitals and community health centers. Dr. Garrow also lends his expertise to advisory boards such as Penn State’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and participates in key initiatives including Area Health Education Center (AHEC) collaborations, and The Rural Health Committee of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). In every setting, Dr. Garrow leads by example. He mentors emerging professionals, champions mission-centered leadership, and drives sustainable, community-focused healthcare innovation.

Ronan W. Gannon serves as Chief Executive Officer of LCH Health and Community Services, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) providing comprehensive, bilingual care to residents in southern Chester County. Since joining LCH in 2021, he has led strategic planning, operational growth, and community engagement efforts, working closely with a patient-directed board and a multidisciplinary team. Prior to his role at LCH, Ronan held senior executive positions in healthcare in biotech and biopharma, including Chief Commercial Officer at EryDel Biotech, where he oversaw commercial and business development efforts during the period that culminated in the company’s successful acquisition by Quince Therapeutics. He has also held leadership roles at both emerging companies such as Radius Health and global organizations including CSL Behring, GlaxoSmithKline, and Wyeth-Lederle Vaccines, with a consistent focus on expanding access to care and bringing medical therapies to providers and patients. Ronan is actively involved in this community and currently serves on several local boards and national committees, including the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce, Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Community Health Centers, where he is an active member of the Rural Health, Agricultural Health, and Health Center Excellence and Training Committees. He is also a member of Aledade’s Board of Managers and PACHC’s Legislative, Regulatory, and Policy Committee. Ronan earned an MBA from Northeastern University and a BA in Psychology from the University of Richmond. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School General Management Program (GMP 13). Ronan holds a DELE A2 level Spanish language certification and is committed to improving health equity through culturally responsive care.

Max Houseknecht, Jr. is a goal-driven executive with over twelve years of experience in the FQHC healthcare industry. Currently serving as CEO of River Valley Health since February of 2024, Max brings a unique, holistic perspective to organizational operations, having advanced through roles in finance, IT, and facilities management. Max has been an active participant at the PACHC level for several years and currently serves on the PACHC Finance Committee, PACHC Policy Committee, and the PACHC 340B Subcommittee. He also serves on the PACHC Aledade ACO Board. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as the CFO for seven years. His tenure as CFO was marked by transformative initiatives in financial reporting, revenue cycle optimization, and strategic budgeting. He has overseen federal, state, and local grant budgets, led IT teams through EHR conversions, oversaw several facility renovation and expansion projects, and played an integral role in the oversight of the initial startup and ongoing management of the organization’s entity-owned pharmacy. Max holds an MBA from Fitchburg State University and a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems & Accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is an Eagle Scout and a graduate of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Lycoming Program – Class of 2017.

Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., FAAP, FACP, is President and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. Board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Addiction Medicine, Obesity Medicine, and Nutrition, Dr. Thomas-Hemak cares for multigeneration families, while inspiring and developing the primary care workforce of tomorrow at The Wright Center’s original flagship community health center in her hometown of Jermyn, Pennsylvania – The Birthplace of First Aid. Rooted in her belief that health care services and workforce development are vital public assets, she led The Wright Center for Community Health’s HRSA designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike in 2019. During her tenure as CEO, Dr. Thomas-Hemak spearheaded The Wright Center’s expansion of non-discriminatory access to whole-person health services to 13 community health centers and a mobile medical and dental unit in Northeast Pennsylvania. A champion for community-centered physician and interprofessional health workforce development, The Wright Center trains primary care physicians, medical students, and health care professionals in a replicable, HRSA inspired Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium (THC GME-SNC) model designed to address our national primary care shortage, misdistribution, and related disparities in health, healthcare, and healthcare career opportunities. Dr. Thomas-Hemak is a passionate and devoted advocate for organizing platforms empowering community health centers, including NACHC, PACHC, Health Center Controlled Networks, and the American Association of Teaching Health Centers. She intentionally devotes her leadership to multiple health care and medical education organizations, several nonprofit boards of directors, and numerous cross-sector committees and workgroups. Dr. Thomas-Hemak advocates for high-integrity collaborations that benefit the health and welfare of local, regional, and national communities, prioritizing quality, safety, and accessibility of health services while enhancing the well-being and competency of the health care workforce. She currently serves as Governor for the Eastern Region of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians (PA-ACP) and is a member of HRSA’s Council on Graduate Medical Education.

Shelley Riser provides strategic direction to the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) in representing the more than 300 federally qualified health center (FQHC), RHC and like mission provider sites across the Commonwealth and the more than 1 million people who count on them for care. Shelley is an accomplished tenured healthcare executive with more than thirty years of extensive experience leading organizations and teams ensuring system-wide strategic alignment and operational excellence of people, processes, and systems and fostering workplaces of accountability, diversity, and transparency. She has deep expertise in leadership, population health, value-based care, behavioral health, data, reporting, and operations. Shelley serves as a Nursing Advisory Board Member for Harrisburg University of Science and Technology and is a Fellow of the Advisory Board (FABC), The Academy Fellowship Program. She is a registered nurse in PA and DE and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Science in Health Services Administration from the University of St. Francis.