Meet Our Leaders

Dr. Marvin Luther Crawford is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director of Student Undergraduate Medical Education at Morehouse School of Medicine. He is the Pastor of First Saint Paul AME Church in Lithonia, Georgia. Dr. Crawford has centered his spiritual energies into encouraging the greatest of these to help and the least of these to hope. In all of his pastorates, food banks, educational assistance, health care education, economic empowerment, youth development, substance abuse intervention, housing and crime prevention have been the central point of his ministry. Dr. Crawford is a superb teacher and has received several awards during his 29-year career. Dr. Crawford is noted for his ability to incorporate spirituality into patient care and is one of the nation’s authentic experts in this area.

Dr. Cheryl L. Holder, Fellow in the American College of Physicians, has dedicated her medical career to serving underserved populations.

She has served as a National Health Service Corp Scholar, Medical Director of one of Miami’s largest community health centers, and participated in NIH and CDC health advisory and programmatic review panels.

Since 2009, as faculty at Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University, she focuses on teaching the impact of social determinants of health on health outcomes, addressing diversity in health professions through pipeline programs, increasing awareness of HIV prevention and health impact of climate change.

Dr. Holder also serves in leadership roles in several other medical and climate change-focused organizations. Most recently, TED Talk selected her 2020 “The link between climate change, health and poverty”.as one of 25, Editor’s Pick.

William “Larry” Lucas is a distinguished leader in healthcare policy, public affairs, and advancing access to quality care for underserved communities. He most recently served as Vice President of Government Affairs Diversity Programs for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), where he worked closely with the U.S. Congress, state legislators, and local officials on issues impacting patient access to medicines, healthcare equity, and the research-based pharmaceutical industry. In this role, he also authored a nationally syndicated monthly column highlighting developments in medical innovation.

Mr. Lucas began his tenure at PhRMA in 1990 and played a key role in shaping national conversations around healthcare access and diversity. Prior to this, he held leadership roles in public affairs at several organizations, including the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Gulf Oil Corporation, Michigan Consolidated Gas Companies, Primark Corporation’s Hospital Satellite Network, and the Bureau of the Census. During his 16 years with the Census Bureau, he led a groundbreaking outreach campaign for the 1980 Census that engaged all levels of government. Earlier in his career, he also worked as a radio DJ in Jackson, Mississippi and Detroit, Michigan.

Throughout his career, Mr. Lucas has been widely recognized for his commitment to improving health outcomes and expanding access to care. His honors include the National Medical Association’s Scroll of Merit Award, the National Hispanic Medical Association Leadership Award, and the National Minority Quality Forum’s Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Award. In 2010, he received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Congressional Black Caucus Fall Health Braintrust and was recognized in the Congressional Record for his decades-long advocacy on behalf of underserved populations. Additional honors include a commendation from the Mississippi Legislature, the Washington Government Relations Group’s “Tin Cup” Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2020 Phoenix Body Award from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

Mr. Lucas has also served on numerous influential boards, including the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the National NAACP Board of Trustees Special Contribution Fund, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators Corporate Roundtable, and advisory committees supporting Hispanic and minority health leadership. His service extends to educational institutions such as Tougaloo College and Philander Smith College, reflecting his deep commitment to leadership development and community advancement.

A graduate of Jackson State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, Mr. Lucas also honorably served his country in the United States Air Force. His legacy is defined by a lifelong dedication to advocacy, equity, and improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation.

William McDade, MD, PhD is adjunct professor of Anesthesiology at Rush Medical College. Previously, he was Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME); EVP/Chief Academic Officer for the Ochsner Health System; Professor of Anesthesia and Critical Care and Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs for the Pritzker School of Medicine; and Deputy Provost for Research and Minority Issues at UChicago. Dr. McDade has served on boards for the American Medical Association, Joint Commission, National Board of Medical Examiners and ACGME. He has been past-president and board chair of local and state medical societies in Illinois and served as chair of the National Medical Association’s Anesthesiology Section and of the AMA’s Council on Medical Education. Dr. McDade is a graduate of Pritzker’s Medical Scientist Training Program earning a PhD in Biophysics and Theoretical Biology before training in anesthesiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Hilda Richards is a pioneering leader in nursing, higher education, and health equity whose career has spanned more than five decades of transformative impact. Known for breaking barriers and opening doors for others, she has dedicated her life to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across healthcare and academic institutions.

Dr. Richards is Chancellor Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Indiana University Northwest in Gary, Indiana, where she made history as the first person of color to serve in that role. She also served as the first Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Ohio University, becoming both the first Black academic dean and the first female academic dean in the institution’s history. Throughout her leadership, she consistently worked to expand opportunities for underrepresented students and faculty while strengthening academic and healthcare systems.

A respected educator, advisor, and lecturer, Dr. Richards has contributed her expertise to numerous educational and health organizations. She played a key role in developing nursing education programs, including helping to establish the nursing program at Medgar Evers College, and has served on boards and advisory groups focused on improving community health outcomes. Her work also includes serving as editor of the Journal of the National Black Nurses Association, supporting the advancement of research and scholarship in nursing.

Although she is a past president of the National Black Nurses Association, Dr. Richards’ legacy extends far beyond any single organization. Her influence is reflected in her lifelong commitment to mentorship, advocacy, and service—whether through her work with the Gary Education Development Foundation, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, or hospice care initiatives. Even after her retirement in 2001, she has remained actively engaged in efforts that uplift communities and improve quality of life.

Dr. Richards is widely recognized for her generosity, persistence, and unwavering dedication to creating pathways for others. Her legacy continues to inspire future generations of leaders in nursing, education, and public health.

Rita Wray, is the Founder & CEO of Wray Enterprises, Inc., a national independent health care consulting firm. Formerly Wray held a gubernatorial appointment as Deputy Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration. She holds a B S degree from the University of North Alabama and a MBA from Jackson State University. Entrepreneur, author and lecturer, her career path combines a successful marriage of healthcare and business. Wray, a nationally recognized consultant/facilitator in the areas of regulatory compliance, risk management, leadership development, and strategic planning holds leadership positions in numerous international, national, state/local organizations.

Sandra Harris-Hooker, Ph.D. is Vice President and Executive Vice Dean for Research and Academic Affairs and Professor in the Department of Pathology at Morehouse School of Medicine With professional training in cell biology and postgraduate training in cardiovascular pathology, Dr. Harris-Hooker has worked in the area of vascular cell biology for over 25 years studying endothelial dysfunction involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and other vascular cell-mediated injuries. She and her colleagues’ study of vascular cells response to injury in a microgravity environment was one of the projects flown on NASA’s historic Discovery (STS-95) space shuttle flight. While her primary research interest is vascular cell biology, she is also interested in ways by which to integrate basic, clinical and population based research in order to reduce and eventually eliminate disparities in health.

She arrived at Morehouse School of Medicine 29 years ago from Boston University School of Medicine and was intrigued by this energetic new medical school and the unique opportunity to help shape its future by teaching, mentoring and providing research training to minority students. Dr. Harris-Hooker has been instrumental in directing or facilitating several institutional research programs at MSM including the Cardiovascular Research Institute, RCMI Center in Translational Research Program, the Center of Excellence on Health Disparities and the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhance Program. These initiatives have aided in enhancing the research training infrastructure for MSM student and faculty trainees.

Over the years, Dr. Harris-Hooker and a small yet determined team of colleagues have built a respectable research enterprise at Morehouse School of Medicine that is poised to contribute to economic improvement in Georgia, the region and the nation. She envisions the evolution of the MSM Clinical and Research Enterprises as an integrated approach to discover the scientific, medical and social reasons why certain communities are less healthy than others, and what steps can be taken to change their situations.

Dr. Harris-Hooker has received several honors internal and external to the institution. She was named as one of the “Top 100 People Who Lead Atlanta’s Health-Care Industry” in the January 2010 Atlanta Business Chronicle. She serves on several national boards and committees such as the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc, the International Society on Hypertension in Blacks, the Ethnicity and Disease Journal Editorial Board and NIH, NSF and NASA Scientific Review Committees.

Dr. Harris-Hooker graduated from Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana with a degree in Biology. She earned a Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University), in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon completion of her Ph.D., Dr. Harris-Hooker spent three years of postdoctoral training in the Cardiovascular Training Program within the Department of Pathology at the University Of Washington School Of Medicine, in Seattle, Washington. After training in Seattle, she served on the faculty in the Department of Pathology at Boston University School of Medicine before joining the faculty at Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Harris-Hooker was appointed Interim Dean and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs from December 2009–July 2011. She is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and an alumna of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM), Class of 2004.

Dr. Matthews-Juarez, is a social behavioral scientist, who participates in transdisciplinary and translational scientists who explore the role of epigenetics in chronic diseases and health disparities. She works within social networks for social change.

Dr. Matthews-Juarez is contributing to a new way of thinking about how to address and eliminate health disparities from a collaborative transdisciplinary and translational approach, exploring the role of epigenetics in chronic diseases and health disparities. She has significant contributions to the development of a diverse and culturally competent primary care workforce who stay and work in rural and underserved communities across the United States.

Keelia Taylor, BSN, RN is a healthcare professional with over 20 years’ progressive experience in nursing, supervision, training, and case management. Ms. Taylor currently provides oversight for the Virginia’s Aetna Medicaid Long Term Support Services TSS programs including implementation of healthcare management services, enforcing clinical policies and procedures for regulatory and accreditation standards to ensure practice standards for quality interventions and problem resolution.