2023 Interfaith Summit Speaker Bios
Ben Evans
Program Manager, Indiana Medicaid Plan Marketing
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Indiana Medicaid
Ben serves as a Program Manager for the Anthem Medicaid Marketing team. Prior to his time at Anthem, he served for five years as the Director of External Agency Affairs for Indiana Family and Social Services Administration where he worked to find new ways to partner with nonprofits and faith-based ministries around the state. He brings a wide variety of experience having served a governor, congressman, and ten years as an Executive and Youth Pastor with a ministry in Anderson, Indiana. He and his wife, Debbie, live with their two children in Pendleton, Indiana.
Tiffany Etter
Director, Indiana Medicaid Plan Marketing
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Indiana Medicaid
Tiffany Etter has a passion for helping people live healthier lives. As the Director of Medicaid Plan Marketing for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana, Tiffany oversees marketing, member outreach, and communications teams that help connect Hoosiers to critical health services and supports. Since 2008 at Anthem, she has worked alongside trusted voices in our communities to improve public health.
Prior to joining Anthem, Tiffany oversaw marketing and public relations for a global commercial real estate company. She has also worked at IUPUI and a state trade association.
Tiffany is married with three children and enjoys supporting her family’s interests and organizations, volunteering with the Indiana Sports Corp, Make-a-Wish Foundation, and other community partners, and serving as a board member for Health by Design.
Nicki Gilbert
Indiana Medicaid Territory Marketing Manager
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Indiana Medicaid
Nicki Gilbert serves as the Indiana Territory Marketing Manager for the Anthem Medicaid Marketing team. Nicki has a remarkable 16-year tenure focused on making a difference within underserved communities. She works to identify, develop, and coordinate impactful partnerships with various community groups. At Anthem, Nicki initiates and leads projects in response to organizational needs and executes marketing and community relation strategies to achieve Medicaid goals.
Her dedication to these communities is not limited to her professional role; she also actively contributes by volunteering and participating in various committees. Furthermore, she lends her expertise as a board member of both Warren Arts and Education Foundation and GLAM Inc. organizations, showcasing her commitment to bringing positive change and empowerment to those in need.
Kimberly A. Roop
Plan President
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Indiana Medicaid
Kimberly Roop currently serves as President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Indiana Medicaid Plan. Her daily responsibilities include oversight of local health plan operations, consisting of member quality and outreach, access and coordination of medical services, strategic planning, and plan performance. She works closely with the State of Indiana and various community-based organizations in administering Medicaid benefits to over 435,000 Hoosiers.
In 2007, Kimberly joined Anthem Medicaid as a Medical Director. Prior to assuming the role of Plan President, Kimberly served as RVP and Managing Medical Director of the Indiana Medicaid plan. She was focused on improving the quality of care and service provided to Anthem’s Medicaid members. In this role, Kimberly began transitioning from a clinical, quality, and healthcare management focus, to broaden her expertise to include finance, analytics, and business management.
Kimberly began her career as an obstetrician/gynecologist and an officer in the United States Air Force. She has traveled as a member of teams providing medical relief to such areas as Ecuador and the Azores. During her military career, she served as the department’s Quality Assurance Director, implementing changes to improve the quality of both inpatient and outpatient care. Stationed in Washington, DC, she assisted in relief efforts following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Upon completion of her military career, Kimberly joined a large private obstetrics and gynecology practice in Indianapolis. She is specialty-trained in obstetrics and gynecology, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, and is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Kimberly earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Indiana University School of Medicine and her MBA from West Virginia University.
Daniel Rusyniak, MD
Secretary, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration
Daniel Rusyniak, MD, was appointed as Secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration by Governor Eric J. Holcomb, effective August 1, 2021. Before that, Dr. Rusyniak served as FSSA’s Chief Medical Officer. He is also continuing his work as a Professor of Emergency Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Dr. Rusyniak graduated from Villanova University and earned his medical degree from Wake Forest University. He completed an emergency medicine residency and medical toxicology fellowship at the IU School of Medicine. Dr. Rusyniak served in several roles at the IU School of Medicine including Vice Chair in the Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical Director of the Indiana Poison Control Center, Division Chief of Medical Toxicology, and a term as Faculty President. Dr. Rusyniak was also a National Institutes of Health-funded researcher studying the medical impact of substance use disorders. He has had over 100 publications, a podcast, and a blog, and is a nationally known expert in the field of toxicology.
As the FSSA Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rusyniak was one of the leaders during the statewide COVID-19 response, serving as the point person for long-term care facilities. He was the executive sponsor for the state’s efforts to reform Indiana’s long-term services and supports system and was the project director for the state’s Pregnancy Promise Program – a program funded by a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services grant to improve health outcomes in pregnant women with opioid use disorder.
He and his wife, Janet, have three kids and two dogs. He loves fly fishing, hiking, making pizza, and spending time with his family.
Antoniette Holt
Division Director, Office of Minority Health, Indiana State Department of Health
Antoniette M. Holt is currently the Director of the Office of Minority Health for the Indiana State Department of Health.
Over a 22-year career, her work involves specialized knowledge of state government, public health, cultural competence, diversity, health equity, and minority health concerns and issues. Previously she served as the deputy director and epidemiologist for the Office of Minority Health and the Office of Cultural Diversity and Enrichment. She has conducted research and led community outreach projects related to cultural competency and health disparities. Ms. Holt has been responsible for the execution and investigation of a variety of reports and studies focused on minority health concerns.
Antoniette is considered an expert in her field and is often consulted and invited to provide valuable input on urgent matters that involve underserved communities within Indiana and the nation. She has been a guest orator at various local and national functions, conferences, and seminars in relation to minority health, health equity, and cultural diversity training.
Not only has Ms. Holt committed her career to public health, but also, embraced the field through her education having a Bachelor of Science in Public Health, and a Master’s in Public Health, both from Indiana University (Bloomington). She is currently pursuing her doctorate degree.
Locally and nationally, Antoinette sits on several boards and committees. She is very involved within Region V Office of Minority Health initiatives and programs and is the current Past President/Vice President for the National Association of State Office of Minority Health (NASOMH). In 2019, Ms. Holt was part of the Minority Leadership Program Cohort for the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD). This is a leadership development and investment program for persons of color working at various levels in state or CDC-funded health department positions in minority health, HIV/AIDS, or viral hepatitis programs. In 2021, Antoniette was nominated and chosen to receive Indiana University’s Bicentennial Medal.
During her time off, she is committed to helping others. She enjoys volunteering at her local church and with other organizations. Ms. Holt thoroughly enjoys taking part in mission trips and serving others around the world. She has traveled to West Africa (Ghana, Liberia, Senegal), South Africa (Johannesburg), and Haiti (Port-au-Prince). She really enjoys and cherishes spending time with her family and friends.
Ms. Holt makes it her personal mission to inform all of the importance of Minority Health. She takes full advantage of every opportunity to improve minority health, help usher in the wave of long-standing and effective changes in the movement of health equity across the board, and be a sounding alarm on the importance of equity and equality in healthcare for all.
Imam Ahmed Alamine
Director of Religious Affairs, Indianapolis Muslim Community Association
Ahmed Alamine is director of religious affairs at the Indianapolis Muslim Community Association (IMCA), and imam, or leader, of its mosque, Masjid Al-Fajr, the Mosque of the Morning Prayer, the oldest continuously operating Sunni Muslim mosque in the city dating from the 1970s. In 2020, he was sworn in as the first Muslim Police Chaplain in the history of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. He also serves as chaplain with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Born in Saudi Arabia, Imam Alamine grew up in Medina, the city where in 622 CE the Prophet Muhammad sought refuge from Mecca and established the first Islamic government.
Cherilyn Horning
Community Development Director, South Meridian Church of God
Cherilyn Horning is a community and relationship-focused professional who has spent 20 years working for non-profit organizations. She has a bachelor’s degree from Anderson University and a Master of Public Affairs from the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI.
Since 2021, she has worked for the South Meridian Church of God neighborhood, where she also lives, implementing an asset-based community development approach. Other current work as a contract employee has her working with foster family recruitment across Indiana and providing grant writing support to a variety of organizations. She is a proud resident of Anderson, with her husband and 2 children, and can often be found drinking a cup of coffee over good conversation at Jackrabbit Coffee!
Pastor Mike Woods
CEO, Dream Center Indianapolis
Mike Woods is the founder and CEO of the Dream Center Indianapolis. The Dream Center serves as a resource center focused on providing support to those affected by homelessness, hunger, and the lack of education through residential and community outreach programs.
Before the Dream Center, Mike served as a pastor at ITown Church and brings over 18 years of experience with Cardon and Associates.
Robin Nichols
Health Commission, Board Member, Crossroads UMC
What made Mrs. Robin Nichols a successful Human Resources executive is what makes her a fervent community advocate and worker on behalf of Crossroads AME Church – she cares for people. That was demonstrated by her work at a regional property and casualty insurance company.
As the former HR corporate manager, Mrs. Nichols was able to develop a special skill set that started with a heartfelt desire to ensure her fellow workers were treated and paid fairly and received the training they needed to be productive and successful on the job.
She used data analysis to show corporate executives and board members the costs and benefits of having a resourceful, committed, and skilled workforce. Those skills translate well to her work as a community volunteer and board secretary of Crossroads Common Grounds Institute, where she is a proponent of undervalued, underemployed, and often overlooked people in the community.
Community work is what drives her – doing what is fair, what is right, and what God requires of us. With support and encouragement from Crossroads’ Senior Pastor Jerry E. Davis III over the past three years, Mrs. Nichols has focused her community efforts on:
Health and Wellness – Mrs. Nichols was instrumental in setting up and overseeing six vaccine clinics at near-Northside churches and schools during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing vaccinations and testing for hundreds of residents in a vaccine-hesitant area. She now leads efforts in the community to educate and advocate for people being impacted by rule changes to Medicaid benefits.
Education – Mrs. Nichols is an active community partner with James Whitcomb Riley School 43, providing support for students, teachers, and parents. She also partners with the Martin Luther King Center through a lay-clergy organization that benefits children and their families coming to the center for summer and after-school programs.
Food Insecurity – Mrs. Nichols is working with the Crown Hill Neighborhood Association to develop a large community garden in the Crown Hill neighborhood that will supply fresh produce to residents in the area, which is considered a food desert.
Job training – Mrs. Nichols works through partnerships with Indiana Wesleyan University and Belle Fleur Technologies, an Amazon Web Services IT partner, to provide instructor-led online courses, materials, and resumé coaching for individuals seeking high-paying jobs or making a career change.
Mrs. Nichols’s community advocacy efforts didn’t just begin at Crossroads. For decades, she practiced her “calling” at a local Baptist church, following examples set by her father and mother, the Pastor and First Lady.
Within that church congregation, she worked with youth groups, partnered with the neighborhood association to develop a community garden that was a much-needed resource in another food desert, contracted with a local food service to provide produce for food giveaways at the church, supervised annual summer vacation bible school events that drew dozens of children from the neighborhood, and worked with neighbors, police, and community leaders to put on annual “National Night Out” events at the church.
Mrs. Nichols has been blessed to be supported in all of these efforts by her husband, children, and grandchildren.
While she’s spent a lifetime helping others, Mrs. Nichols is quick to point out that her community service is not done for her own edification, but for GOD’s glory. She strives to embody the scripture written by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:17 – “…whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Rev. Jerry Davis
Senior Pastor, Crossroads UMC
Rev. Jerry Davis III is an Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the pastor of Crossroads AME Church in Indianapolis, IN.
Crossroads is a vibrant multi-generational congregation that has struck an effective balance between the Sunday celebration and community transformation. Each week, a fusion of traditional and contemporary worship and preaching styles empowers worshipers to work between Sundays to address the needs of the "least of these" among them.
Rev. Davis’ pulpit ministry is an intentional blend of strategic social action, compassionate community service, passionate praise and worship, culture-sensitive evangelism, and practical preaching and teaching. His call to serve, however, is not limited to the four walls of the church. In 2015, Rev. Davis founded the Emmanuel Connection Microlearning Centers, Inc. (ECMLC), a non-profit organization established to convert vacant, abandoned homes into miniature, time-shared tutoring and community centers. These and other accomplishments have earned Rev. Davis a reputation as an innovator and a visionary.
Efficiency through the use of 21st-century technologies is a hallmark of Rev. Davis' administration. The ministries Rev. leads and supports are beneficiaries of his 25 years of experience in the IT industry and B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Rev. Davis' ability to help his followers apply spiritual principles practically in their everyday lives was enhanced by the Master of Divinity degree he earned at Payne Theological Seminary. Rev. Davis has undertaken to further enhance his abilities to lead the people of God by pursuing his Doctor of Ministry degree at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio beginning the Summer 2023 term.
Rev. Davis serves as Coordinator of the 4th Episcopal District Sons of Allen Men’s Ministries of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
Rev. Davis' love of preaching and ministry is exceeded only by the love he has for Jesus and the love he has for his family. Rev. Davis is happily married to Kiahna Davis, his wife of 21 years. Pastor JD and Lady Kiahna are the proud parents of their 10-year-old daughter, Chelsea Grayce.
Brian Cobb
Moderator
Brian leads a team of health care community relations consultants for the state of Indiana. He coaches and guides the team to execute on marketing and strategic plans to achieve client goals. His extensive background in sales and marketing is a strength that he leverages in his current role. His passion to serve and knowledge of non-profits and working with community-based organizations was developed when he decided to pursue a calling in ministry. He served as the Executive Pastor of Lakeview Church for many years, responsible for administration, finances, operations, community relations and much more.
It is his passion for serving others that challenged him to use his gifts to volunteer as the president of his HOA community. He is a long-term volunteer in juvenile ministry at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center, and currently serves as a board member on the Hendricks County Board of Health. Brian uses his diverse work and volunteer experience to support community and faith-based organizations to reach the Medicaid population of Indiana in support of positive health.
Brian and his wife Melissa are the proud parents of two children. Melissa also has a passion for serving others and is a long-term member of the Indiana University Health LifeLine team.
Brian received his Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing form Butler University.
Keynote Speaker: Gary Brackett
Founder, Champ CEO
Gary Brackett was born with a love of competition and a will to win. By all accounts, he has already lived a life that most athletes only dream of. If you know anything about football, it’s likely that you know his name from his eight seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. You may remember his stats (he still holds the record for most individual tackles in a Super Bowl). But he is best known for his unwavering passion, unmatched energy, and unrelenting work ethic that transformed this “underdog” into a Captain of a World Championship Team.
Since his retirement from football, he received his MBA from George Washington University and founded Brackett Restaurant Group. During his time as a restaurateur, he realized the critical ingredients to success, as well as the potential pitfalls to avoid failure. His own experience, coupled with his obsession with uncovering “hacks” and “secrets” of the world’s most successful leaders and businesses, led him to create his own signature framework. He uses the framework as a tool to guide his clients through actionable steps with measurable results. His training helps clients align themselves with their vision, become crystal clear on their desired outcomes, and unlock the champions they are inside of their organizations. Brackett has mentored and empowered thousands of small business owners and professionals to realize their value, maximize their potential, and begin to thrive in business and in life.