Caroline Rutledge Etherton is the Chair of The Helios Alliance Leadership Team, building on a long career in the development and non-profit space.

She has worked in all areas of volunteer life within her community, including the Junior League of Mobile, Volunteer Mobile, the United Way of Southwest Alabama, the Infirmary Foundation, the Drug Education Council, and UMS-Wright Preparatory School. Additionally, Caroline previously served as the Director of Development and the Acting Director at the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center.

Rayford Etherton is a seasoned legal professional who seamlessly combines his extensive legal background with cutting-edge data analytics and modeling. Using System Dynamics modeling as the core analytic tool, Rayford established an integrated practice in 2011 that leverages a top-notch multidisciplinary team of subject matter experts to deliver innovative solutions to a wide variety of systemic issues. Rayford’s work since 2017 has focused on the opioid epidemic and its impacts.

Weathers Bolt is a partner at Starnes Davis Florie’s Mobile, Alabama office. He regularly handles cases in the areas of construction, warranty, products liability, malpractice, and fraud. He has tried jury and bench trials to a verdict and has experience compelling and defending claims in arbitration. Weathers also advises a range of clients on employee health and safety regulations, helping to resolve OSHA enforcement actions through both settlement and trial.

He is a graduate of Emory University and The University of Alabama School of Law, where he served as Managing Editor of the Managing Editor of the Alabama Law Review, Senator of the Student Bar Association, and was a member of the Bench & Bar Legal Honor Society.

Dr. Luke Engeriser is the Psychiatry Residency Program Director, Addiction Medicine Fellowship Director, and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. He also serves as Deputy Chief Medical Officer for AltaPointe Health. A graduate of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Engeriser completed his psychiatry residency at Tripler Army Medical Center where he received the Al Glass Award, the military's highest psychiatry resident research award. He is a Past President of the Alabama Society of Addiction Medicine and Alabama Psychiatric Physicians Association and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and American Society of Addiction Medicine. He is board certified in Adult Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Engeriser completed a Master of Arts in the History of Religions at the University of Chicago.

Elizabeth Etherton is the Chief Strategy Officer at Janus Consultants. In this multifaceted position, she provides expert witness preparation, strategic development, and issue analysis for litigation. Elizabeth’s professional past includes serving as Chief of Staff in the Government Affairs and Policy office of a prominent pharmaceutical company, where she focused on strategic planning. She has also contributed to global health initiatives through her work at the U.S. Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a particular emphasis on the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

In addition to her role on the Leadership Team, Elizabeth serves as a strategic advisor to The Helios Alliance.

Keith Eubanks is a highly regarded expert in System Dynamics simulation modeling, with nearly three decades of experience in the field. His expertise has been instrumental in creating, constructing, and analyzing System Dynamics models to assess the impact of opioid prescription distribution and dispensing on the opioid epidemic. Keith is also the lead modeler on our current efforts concerning jurisdictions targeting opioid crisis abatement.

Dr. Diana [“Denni”] Fishbein is a senior scientist in the FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She founded and directs the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives (NPSC), a large professional organization dedicated to the transfer of knowledge from science to public health policies. In addition, she retains a part-time research faculty position at The Pennsylvania State University. Her expertise in the science, neuroscience, and behavioral science, supported by federal agencies and foundations, to determine impacts of deleterious social contextual factors. Her research supports the premise that underlying neurobiological mechanisms interact with the quality of our environmental quality of our environmental contexts to after trajectories either towards or away from negative outcomes, and that compensatory mechanisms can be strengthened with evidence-based practices, programs, and policies.

Ellis Foster, Jr. is the Director of Economic Development for the Downtown Mobile Alliance, a role that utilizes his background in economic development strategy, real estate brokerage and development, private industry, as well as experience working across government agencies and community stakeholders.

Ellis serves on the Mobile Chamber Board of Directors, the Industrial Development Board, and the Providence Foundation Board. He has been recognized as an Emerging Leader by the United Way of South Alabama and as a Mentor by Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Ellis has also served in the Army National Guard.

Kim Garrett serves as the Director of Communications for 68 Ventures, promoting the company’s culture and values while engaging in its philanthropic efforts in its community. She is dedicated to building meaningful connections and relationships throughout the region, ensuring lasting impact and engagement in the communities she calls home. Prior to joining 68 Ventures, Kim spent more than 13 years in organizational and non-profit leadership in operations, development, grant writing, and capacity building. Additionally, she is a member of the Downtown Mobile Rotary and has served on multiple Boards, including the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and Housing First. 

Bill Gordon serves as the CEO and founding partner for CiviConnections. Based in Southern California, Bill has been at the forefront of digital strategy and advertising for nearly 20 years. Over the course of his career, he has worked with hundreds of groups across the country, including issue advocacy campaigns, public health agencies, foundations, and nonprofits, with a focus on innovating new methods of reaching and engaging audiences. One recent success is working with state governments on a successful campaign to increase vaccine rates in particularly underserved populations within California.

Todd Greer brings over two decades of experience as a startup advisor, educator, community builder, facilitator, and leadership development consultant to his role as Executive Director of Innovation Portal. At Innovation Portal, Todd leads initiatives to foster entrepreneurship and innovation supporting startups and driving community-driven economic development. 

Deeply committed to community service, Todd has contributed as an instructor, volunteer, and board member for numerous community organizations, including Victory Health Partners, Springboard to Success Inc., Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of South Alabama, 3RC Technologies, and ForMidtown. Previously, he held key roles at the University of Mobile and holds a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Regent University.

Dr. Rahul Gupta was the first physician to serve as Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; he was appointed by former President Joe Biden in this role. Working at the intersection of national security, international diplomacy, economic policy and public health, Dr. Gupta is widely credited with achieving the most significant progress in the drug overdose crisis in American history. 

Before joining the White House, Dr. Gupta served as Chief Medical and Health Officer at March of Dimes and as State Health Officer and Public Health Commissioner in West Virginia under both Democratic and Republican governors. Throughout his career, he has led responses to multiple public health crises, including the opioid epidemic, Zika outbreak, and 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Dr. Gupta has held academic appointments at Georgetown University School of Medicine and Harvard University and holds degrees from the University of Delhi, University of Alabama-Birmingham, and the London School of Business and Finance.

Dr. Gupta currently serves as the President of GATC Health, a leading tech-bio company leveraging artificial intelligence to transform drug discovery.

Virginia Guy has served as the Executive Director of the Drug Education Council, located in Mobile, Alabama, since 1991. The Drug Education Council has operated for over 50 years in Southwest Alabama with the intent of changing the narrative when it comes to substance use disorder; they do so by providing compassionate and evidence-based services along the continuum of care. Virginia is passionate about raising awareness that drug abuse can be effectively prevented; treatment for drug addiction works; and people can and do recover. In addition to undergraduate and graduate course work, her educational background includes graduation from the Rutgers University School of Alcohol & Drug Studies.

Joshua Jones, who is the current Director of USA Health Hospital Based Violence Intervention Program brings a wealth of diverse experience to his role. Prior to his current position, he served as Youth Violence Prevention Coordinator for the City of Mobile, a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, demonstrating a commitment to national security. Joshua also dedicated six years to the City of Mobile as a Police Officer and contributed eleven years of service as an Officer in the Army National Guard. In his current capacity, Joshua serves as a subject matter expert in violence prevention efforts, particularly focusing on youth in the city. Recently, Joshua was chosen to participate in the inaugural PHEARLESS Leadership Cohort for emerging leaders in the field of public health, highlighting his commitment to holistic community well-being.

Meridy Lyle Jones is the Director of Counseling and the Head Girls Tennis Coach at UMS-Wright Preparatory School. She was also named Alumna of the Year at that institution in 2020. After her graduation from Julius T. Wright School for Girls, she received an education degree at the University of Alabama and returned to Mobile to teach at her alma mater. Since then, she has moved into the Guidance Department, which she now leads, and has overseen such innovative projects as Project Engage. In her role, she is uniquely positioned to have a positive impact on student and school families, as well as to have essential insights about what the next generation needs to set itself up for success.

Jon Macklem serves at the Vice-President-Legal for the Cooper Group of Companies, representing one of America’s oldest and largest stevedoring and maritime firms, with operations on all three U.S. coast and internationally. Prior to going inhouse, Jon spent close to fifteen years as a corporate defense attorney at a law firm based in Birmingham, Alabama, where he handled a broad range of litigation, corporate compliance, and transactional matters. Jon received both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.

Passionate about workforce development, Jon currently serves on Alabama’s Workforce Board. Jon has had the privilege of serving on a number of non-profit boards and volunteer leadership positions, including, but not limited to, the March of Dimes, Rotaract Club, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Alabama.

Robbie McGhee is the Vice Chairman of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and he is currently serving his fifth term on the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Council. In this capacity, he represents the Poarch Band of Creek Indians at the Local, State, and Federal levels regarding issues of education, health care, economic development, and sovereign immunity. Prior to moving back to Atmore, Robbie worked in Washington, D.C. for approximately five years at the Department of Interior-Bureau of Indian Affairs, the United States Senate and Troutman Sanders LLP-Indian Law Practice Group.

During his tenure in DC and at the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Robbie has had the opportunity to serve on numerous White House Initiatives and boards. Currently he serves on the Board of the National Indian Child Welfare Board, Children First Alabama, Eastern Delegate for National Indian Gaming Association, Board of Advisors for the Center for Native American Youth, Alabama Humanities Foundation Board of Directors and Vice President for United South and Eastern Tribes.

Dr. Ted Miller is a distinguished economist renowned for his extensive research in health economics, injury prevention, and substance abuse prevention and control. With over 200 studies and 300 journal articles to his credit, he has established himself as a leading expert in analyzing the incidence, costs, and consequences of injury and violence. His expertise extends beyond injury prevention, encompassing other health problems and societal issues, including the opioid crisis and its abatement.

Tom Mullen is a Senior Partner at Sage Analysis Group, the leading System Dynamics firm best known for pioneering advanced modeling, analytics, and technology innovation. He has worked in this field for over thirty years, and he is widely recognized as an expert in strategic analysis of complex programs and organizations. Tom’s personal specialty is analyzing business dynamics of complex organizations and large programs to assess likely long-term performance, prioritize strategic risks, and identify actions to improve.

Tom holds two degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – an M.S. from the Sloan School of Management and a B.S. in Management Science.

Lori Myles has served as the Director of Public Affairs at the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office since 2008; in this role, she is responsible for all community and public affairs for the Sheriff’s Office. Outside of her professional role, Lori has served as the President of Volunteer Mobile; Chairman of the Underage Drinking Task Force; Chairman of the Public Safety Committee for Mobile United; and as a member of Leadership Mobile, Mobile United, and Downtown Rotary. She currently serves on the boards of AltaPointe Health and the Drug Education Council.

The goals of The Helios Alliance align with her personal goal to reduce stigma around addiction; she has been personally impacted by addiction and loss related to it, after her son passed away from a drug overdose in 2022.

Blaize Naman is a graduate of The University of Alabama School of Law, where he was President of the Student Bar Association, Senior Editor of the Law and Psychology Review, and a member of the UA Business Law Society, Federalist Society, and the Bench and Bar Legal Honor Society. Blaize graduated from The University of Alabama and earned his M.B.A. from its Manderson Graduate School of Business.

 Prior to joining Adams and Reese LLP as an associate, he worked in the offices of Senator Richard Shelby and the UA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Blaize is a former member of the State of Alabama Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group.

Jake Nichols is a pharmacist in long-term recovery with extensive experience in community pharmacy, academia, primary care, managed care, and pharmaceutical industry. He has been working in the addiction field for over 15 years and is a vocal advocate for evidence based treatment. Jake is the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Ignite Biomedical, which develops biomarkers used to diagnose disease, predict treatment response, and uncover precision drug targets. He is also the author of Unfit for Recovery, a memoir chronicling his recovery journey from substance use. Jake received his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in 2000 and his master’s degree in Business Administration from UMass Boston in 2007.

Lynn Oldshue is currently a writer for Lagniappe in Mobile, Alabama and a reporter for Alabama Public Radio. In addition, she has won awards for some of her work following social issues. Her series about domestic violence, “From Hell to Hope” won first place in feature writing in 2019 from the Alabama Press Association and her series about sex trafficking, “Sexual Slavery in South Alabama,” won the 2020 William H. Johnson Print Journalism award (given by the Medical Association for the State of Alabama). She is also the author of “Our Southern Souls,” a series of more than 2000 interviews that detail the lives of those she’s encountered in and around Mobile, Alabama. At the heart of her work is a simple principle: “People need to be heard, especially strangers. I listen to tell their stories and to give them a voice.”

Rick Rees is the Chairman and Co-Founder of LongueVue Capital, a private equity firm in New Orleans, Louisiana. Since the firm’s founding in 2001, Rick has served as General Partner of LongueVue Capital and Co-Chair of the firm’s Investment and Executive Committees. Since its founding, assets under management have grown from $175 million to $1 billion. Rick sits on numerous portfolio company boards and previously held top executive roles at Halter Marine Group, Friede Goldman Inc., and City Capital Corporation, among others. He is also co-founder of the New Orleans Start-Up Fund, an organization committed to developing New Orleans’ capital ecosystem to support young entrepreneurs. Rick has been recognized by Tulane’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, as Entrepreneur of the Year and was chosen as Alumnus of the Year by the Tulane Association of Business Alumni.

Terrance Smith currently serves as a Public Innovation Fellow at the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins after most recently serving the City of Mobile, Alabama, as their Innovation Director. Terrance was also the founding director of the City of Mobile Mayor’s Office of Strategic Initiatives, which now houses the Mobile Innovation Team and data center.

Terrance was named one of six “CityLab Innovators to Watch” by Bloomberg Cities, and Mobile Bay Magazine named him one of Mobile’s Top Forty Under Forty. As a Bloomberg Public Innovation Fellow, Terrance is leading research to help public innovation leaders, communities, and contributors across the globe better capture emerging opportunities that advance equity and improve the quality of life for people.

Sandra Thurman is a highly respected public health leader who has made a lasting impact in the field. Throughout her career, Sandra has held various senior leadership positions at esteemed institutions such as the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, and the Carter Center. For over three decades, Sandra has worked tirelessly in public health policy and practice. She has collaborated extensively with religious and health organizations both in the United States and internationally, working towards achieving global health goals. Sandra’s expertise spans HIV/AIDS, multilateral diplomacy, and advocacy.

Stacy Wellborn is a strategic thinker, marketer, serial entrepreneur, and educator. She meticulously analyzes market trends and conducts in-depth research to empower clients to effectively communicate their unique value propositions, allowing them to stand out in competitive landscapes. By leveraging her expertise in design principles and attention to detail, she creates impactful communications that authentically reflect the essence of a brand.

When she is not working with clients, Stacy shares her marketing and entrepreneurship knowledge and experience with students at Spring Hill College.

Ricardo Woods is the Managing Partner of Burr & Forman's Mobile office. A defense trial lawyer, he practices in Burr & Forman’s Administrative Government and Regulatory group with an emphasis on product and toxic tort liability, insurance litigation and government liability.

In addition to his service to the bar and his government service as City Attorney of the City of Mobile, Ricardo has served as a leader in the non-profit community as President of 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile, Inc., Chair of Mobile United, President of the Vernon Z. Crawford Bay Area Bar Association (an NBA affiliate), and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Prichard Preparatory School. Ricardo is the Second Vice President of DRI – the Association of Lawyers Defending Business and he previously served as a member of its Board of Directors (National Director), the Diversity Committee (past chair), the Government Liability Committee, and Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Steering Committee. He is also a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel and the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel.