Meet Our Advisory Board

Tammy Dillard-Steels, MPH, MBA, CAE, is a dynamic association executive, entrepreneur, and equity champion with more than 20 years of impact across corporate, nonprofit, and public health sectors. With dual master’s degrees in Public Health and Business, she has held senior leadership roles at the American College of Healthcare Executives, Academy of General Dentistry, Society for Public Health Education, the Young Adult Library Services Association, and the National Dental Association (NDA). In her association management roles, she consistently drove revenue growth, enhanced operational efficiency, and advanced member engagement. As Executive Director of NDA, Tammy led successful operational restructuring, secured major funding, including a CVS Health Foundation grant in just 30 days, and oversaw a full brand revitalization.

  

Tammy is the founder of Urban Sustainability Authority, raising over $4.2 million and mobilizing 2,500+ volunteers to promote sustainability and equity, and now leads TDS Advisory, supporting mission-driven organizations in strategy, governance, and public policy. A Certified Association Executive and respected leader in governance, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement, Tammy is an active member with ASAE, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and her university alumni council. Her data-driven, equity-centered approach inspires sustainable growth and transformative systems change.

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Johnathan Leonard is a healthcare executive with over 13 years of experience in strategic planning, affordability, and operational leadership. As Regional Director of Affordability at UnitedHealth Group, he leads initiatives to manage medical costs across Medicaid programs, driving enterprise savings through cross-functional collaboration and data-driven strategies. Previously, Johnathan held project management roles at the University of Texas Health Science Center and operational leadership roles at Kindred Healthcare and Bayada.

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He holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Florida A&M University. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Health Administration at Franklin University. Johnathan is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and serves as Co-Chair of UnitedHealth Group’s Black Experience Employee Resource Group.

 

His advisory experience includes board memberships with Florida A&M University’s MHA program, National Association of Health Service Executives, and the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives. He is a recognized thought leader committed to advancing health equity, affordability, and sustainable healthcare transformation.

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Rizan Mohsin is a builder of innovative, value-based healthcare programs with extensive experience in academic medical centers, non-profit community health clinics and national and international associations. She currently serves as a Section Administrator at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital. As a designer of transformative, cost-saving initiatives that increase clinical impact and access to care, she focuses on putting patients first. Recognized as a best practice and solutions focused thinker, she is exceptionally skilled in providing stability during times of crisis. 

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Rizan values continuous learning, networking, and volunteering in order to enhance the health and cultivate the success of her communities. She enjoys serving as a mentor to students early in their leadership journey, is an active member of her local ACHE chapter and serves as a member of the UAMS MHA Board of Advisors. She is an active member of the inaugural Advisory Board of Owlsevations, LLC, a career service firm. Rizan served as a Stuart A. Wesbury Postgraduate Fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives and earned her Masters in Healthcare Administration from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

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Marla V. Plummer Hillery is a multi-faceted professional whose career spans publishing, editorial services, classroom instruction, and technology. She has contributed her expertise to organizations such as the American Bar Association, City Colleges of Chicago, Mayer Brown LLP, and textbook publishers like Scott, Foresman Publishing. More recently, Marla transitioned to location data and technology with HERE Technologies, and earned a certificate in digital marketing. As an entrepreneur, she operates Resources Unlimited, supporting businesses and individuals with her editorial skills.

 

Marla’s academic journey began at Robert Lindblom Technical High School, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and a Master’s in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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Beyond her professional and academic accomplishments, Marla is deeply rooted in her Christian faith. She cherishes her roles as a mother and friend, in addition to being a daughter, sister, and more, always aiming to share accurate, useful, and solution-oriented information grounded in her values.

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Candace D. Washington is a leadership and professional development expert dedicated to empowering emerging leaders and organizations for growth. Through years of experience across Fortune 500s, academia, and nonprofits, she learned firsthand that young talent require more than academic knowledge to excel—interpersonal skills are crucial. These insights inspired her to found Pivotal Impact, a company focused on helping mid-sized and fast-growing businesses equip young professionals and their managers with the essential skills and inclusive cultures needed for performance, innovation, and belonging, ultimately boosting engagement and retention as companies scale.

  

Candace previously served as Senior Lead of Training and Development at the University of Chicago. She is a proud graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and holds an MBA with a focus on Learning and Development from Roosevelt University. Outside of her professional work, Candace enjoys traveling, spending quality time with her family, bowling, mentoring, and dancing. A passionate Chicagoan, she takes pride in her city—Go BEARS!

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