Leadership

Professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, practicing at Avera Children's Hospital serving a predominantly rural population encompassing several Native American communities. Board of Regents at the American College of Critical Care Medicine. NIH-funded researcher with 75+ peer-reviewed publications, including in the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst and Harvard Business Review. As a pediatric critical care leader, he has authored national clinical guidelines at the American Academy of Pediatrics and Society of Critical Care Medicine. Former Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Company. Bush Fellow, Aspen Health Innovators Fellow, and member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Recipient of the 2023 McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund, and a Presidential Leadership Scholar (Class of 2026).

Spends his free time building a world of Legos with his son.

Dr. Jean Accius is a transformational executive, strategist, and thought leader with more than 25 years of experience driving systemic change at the intersection of business, health, and social impact. He has dedicated his career to breaking down barriers to health, advancing access and opportunity, and building bridges across sectors so every person can live a longer, healthier, more productive life.

As President & CEO of CHC: Creating Healthier Communities, Dr. Accius leads an organization that partners with 650+ businesses and 5,000 nonprofits, reaching 17 million employees and families. Under his leadership, CHC has expanded its reach, deepened its mission impact, and earned global recognition—including being named one of The Silicon Review® “50 Best Companies to Watch” in 2023 and a Top Impact Company by Real Leaders in 2026, joining Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, and Johnson & Johnson.

Recognized as a dynamic and visionary leader, Dr. Accius is a two-time Influential Marylander (2019, 2025), a Next Avenue Influencer in Aging (2020), a 2025 Baldrige Executive Fellow, and recipient of the 2024 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Most recently, Dr. Accius was selected to be a 2026 Presidential Leadership Scholar, sponsored by the presidential centers of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

A respected authority on health policy, financing, and delivery reform, Dr. Accius previously served as Senior Vice President of International Affairs and Global Thought Leadership at AARP and as a senior policy leader at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. He is a frequent voice in The New York Times, TIME Magazine, Forbes, The Boston Globe, and Politico, and has facilitated sessions at the World Economic Forum in Davos and the United Nations. Under his leadership, the signature program Growing with Age was recognized as part of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas.

Dr. Accius brings extensive governance and fiduciary experience, having served on AARP’s $4.7B Investment Committee, as Trustee for the Archstone Foundation and Stillman College, and on boards including the American University School of Public Affairs, Leadership Maryland, Justice in Aging, and Strathmore. He is also a member of the AAMC Center for Health Justice multisector partner group, advancing national collaborations to eliminate health inequities.

He is a certified director with the National Association of Corporate Directors, a Fellow of the Executive Leadership Council, and a graduate of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Health Reform Program, Stanford University’s Corporate Innovation Program, the Black Corporate Board Readiness Program at the Leavey Executive Center, Santa Clara University, and the Director Development Initiative through UNC Law School. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University and a Ph.D. from American University.

Kirsten is a biopharmaceutical advisor who works with leaders in healthcare helping to develop business practices that lead to affordable access to medicines, positive public perception, and sustained investment in scientific advancement. Her guidance is grounded in analytics and empirical evidence and a keen understanding of how the actors in the life sciences respond to reimbursement and regulation.

Kirsten was on the leadership team of Pfizer Inc’s $30 billion global innovative pharmaceutical business, where she led Strategy and Business Evaluation. Previously, Kirsten led Pfizer’s Global Policy team where she built a team dedicated to policy impact analytics. She is an Aspen Institute Health Innovator Fellow, and a consultant to life sciences companies, acting as a senior advisor to Charles River Associates and DLA Piper. She is a founder of the Preparedness and Treatment Equity Coalition and Board member of Aequitas Health.

Michele Frix is the Executive Vice President (EVP) of Seattle Foundation – a community foundation committed to creating a joyful region of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice. Michele champions organizational excellence, cross-team collaboration and guides Seattle Foundation’s strategic planning across the team, Board and community. In her capacity as EVP, she oversees legal, enterprise risk management, operations, people & culture, and governance. She joined Seattle Foundation as chief of staff in 2016.

Prior to joining Seattle Foundation, Michele was an early team member at Seattle International Foundation (SIF), where she worked directly with the founding philanthropists to establish grantmaking priorities and build relationships with grantees. Michele also worked as a Research Analyst for the Technology and Social Change Group at the University of Washington’s Information School, conducting field research on Microsoft Community Affair’s social investments in employability and technology for marginalized communities throughout Latin America.

Michele is a board member of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation and Seattle International Foundation. She was an American Express NGen Fellow, Henry M. Jackson Leadership Fellow, Young American Leadership Program representative at Harvard Business School, and 2026 Presidential Leadership Scholar.

Michele completed her undergraduate studies in International Studies at the University of Washington and holds a Master of Public Administration from the London School of Economics and a Master of Public Health from Harvard University.

Wroe Jackson is the Executive Vice President & General Counsel for the Texas Association of Manufacturers (TAM). In this role, he oversees the Association’s strategic planning initiatives, legislative and regulatory advocacy, membership support and recruitment, and coordination among the Association’s executive leadership, as well as serving as the primary legal advisor to the Association and its membership, providing counsel and analysis on policy and legislation, regulatory compliance, and internal legal matters.

Prior to joining TAM, Jackson was chief of staff and general counsel for Senator Joan Huffman, general counsel for the three Texas Secretaries of State and held positions with the U.S. Department of Justice and then-Governor Rick Perry’s office.

Earlier this year, Wroe was announced as a member of the 2026 class of Presidential Leadership Scholars. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Legislative and Campaign Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, Austin Young Lawyers Association, INK (benefitting AIDS Services of Austin), Knights of the Symphony, Helping Hand Home (community advisory board), and the Stephen F. Austin High School Alumni Association, and previously was appointed by Governor Perry to the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation and the Statewide Employee Charitable Campaign Committee.  A fifth generation Austinite, Jackson is a Life Member of the National Eagle Scout Association. He received a BA from Vanderbilt University and a JD from St. Mary's University School of Law. Wroe and his husband, Tony Plohetski, live in Austin with their rescue dog, Calvin.

Dr. Stephen Patrick is Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and a practicing neonatologist at Children’s Hospital of Atlanta. He also serves as Director of the Emory Child Health Policy Center and as an Adjunct Physician Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation. His NIH-funded research focuses on improving outcomes for pregnant women with opioid use disorder and their infants, as well as families involved in the child welfare system. Dr. Patrick previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, where he led national efforts to improve care for families affected by substance use. He has published more than 140 peer-reviewed papers, with work appearing in The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Pediatrics, and Health Affairs. He currently serves on the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Federal Government Affairs. Dr. Patrick is a nationally recognized leader in maternal and child health policy, with a focus on translating research into meaningful change for children and families.