Michael McConnell, Consumer Advocate
Michael McConnell is a partner in the Atlanta office of the Jones Day law firm.  He has been involved in a number of public affairs groups following the discovery in 1996 that his second daughter, Morgan, had LCHAD.  Mike is the Chairman of the Public Affairs Committee for the Georgia Chapter of the March of Dimes and is a member of its Board of Directors.  He is also the Chairman of Georgia’s Newborn Screening Advisory Committee, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Regional Genetics Group.  Mike is a graduate of the 2007 Leadership Atlanta Class, an organization whose primary focus is to seek collaborative strategies to improve the lives of people throughout the Atlanta community.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Drew University in 1983, and his law degree from Emory School of Law in 1986.  His practice focuses on business litigation, with a special concentration on shareholder and healthcare litigation.  Mike has been recognized as one of Georgia’s “Super Lawyers” in 2007 and 2008.

William Robert Sexson, MD
William Sexson, MD currently serves as Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs of Emory University School of Medicine on the Grady campus, and is the Vice Chair of the Department of Pediatrics of Emory University School of Medicine.   Dr. Sexson serves on the March of Dimes Board of Directors as the Prematurity Awareness Campaign. He has been a medical practitioner in pediatrics and neonatal health care for more than 30 years and currently practices neonatology at Grady Memorial Hospital and Emory Crawford Long Hospital. 
 

Dr. Sexson is a widely published author and speaker well-known for his commitment to improving the health care of children throughout the world. He has served as a member of many professional organizations and committees, including appointments to the Georgia Council on Maternal and Infant Health; the Georgia Policy Council for Children and Families; as chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Georgia Chapter Committee on Fetus and Newborn, Bioethics Committee, and Legislative Committee; and as chair of the Georgia Department of Community Health Physicians Advisory Committee.  Among his honors are Outstanding Citizen of Georgia in 1990 and a Commendation Resolution adopted by the Georgia Senate in April 2004.

Sandra Elizabeth Ford, MD, M.B.A., F.A.A. P
Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford was named Acting Director of the Division of Public Health, State Health Officer on April 4, effective May 1, 2008.  As State Health Officer, Dr. Ford is responsible for leading the development of policy and legislation pertaining to public health and enforcing related laws and regulations.  She leads efforts in preparedness, outbreak investigation, and monitoring of the status of health at the state and county levels.  She is responsible for the work of 18 District Health Directors who report to county boards of health to provide essential public health services at the local level.  Dr. Ford served as the District Health Director of the DeKalb County Board of Health since February 2005.  Dr. Ford, a board-certified pediatrician, received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Stanford University, a Medical Degree from Howard University College of Medicine and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Health Services Administration from Howard University Graduate School of Business. Dr. Ford speaks Spanish, French and Italian.  Her focus areas include bioterrorism, health disparities, infant mortality, asthma, obesity, and nutrition.