Dr. Scott Ransom is the fifth president of UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth. As president, Dr. Ransom leads a rapidly growing academic health science center with schools in medicine, public health, biomedical sciences, and the health professions. He also leads the largest multi-specialty clinical practice in Tarrant County that includes more than 230 clinicians. Approximately 400 full-time faculty and 750 adjunct faculty work with nearly 1,600 students who are training to be physicians, researchers, public health officers, physician assistants, physical therapists, and other health professionals. Dr. Ransom earned a medical degree from the University of Health Sciences in Kansas City; a master of business administration degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; and a master of public health degree from Harvard University in Boston. He completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Oakwood Hospital/University of Michigan in Dearborn and completed the Program in Clinical Effectiveness at Harvard University. Dr. Ransom is also a graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidate School. Dr. Ransom is a fellow in many professional organizations including the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Physician Executives, and the American College of Healthcare Executives. Prior to joining the health science center, Dr. Ransom served as the executive director of the program for healthcare improvement and leadership development and professor with tenure in obstetrics, gynecology, health management and policy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. His research efforts have garnered significant grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department and Veterans Affairs, and others. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Dr. Ransom was vice president for medical affairs and then senior vice president and chief quality officer at the Detroit Medical Center, a $1.8 billion, seven-hospital health care system. Dr. Ransom has published more than 140 articles, chapters and abstracts and eight books on topics related to clinical improvement, women’s health, quality and leadership. His most recent book, The Healthcare Quality Book: Vision, Strategy and Tools, provides a roadmap to improving health care quality. He is a past president of the American College of Physician Executives and past chair of the Certifying Commission in Medical Management. He has served on several national boards including the Healthcare Leadership Institute for General Electric Corporation, the Center for Innovation of the National Board of Medical Examiners, the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, Botanical Research Institute, and others. He serves on several community boards, including: Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Longhorn Council’s Boy Scout Foundation, Fort Worth Library Foundation, the Tarrant County Medical Society, and others.

Michael Cardarelli was appointed Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits in the Department of Veterans Affairs on Jan. 2, 2011. In this position, he serves as second in command in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), which administers benefits programs for veterans, including education, home loan guaranty, compensation, pension, vocational rehabilitation and employment and life insurance through a nationwide network of 57 regional offices, special processing centers, and VBA Headquarters. These benefit programs pay out over $47 billion to veterans and their beneficiaries annually, approximately half of VA's total budget. Prior to his appointment, he served the VA’s Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits since January 2010. Previously, he served as VA's Deputy Chief of Staff since May 2009. In that role, Mr. Cardarelli worked closely with the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and Chief of Staff in managing day-to-day operations of the federal government's second-largest Cabinet department, with some 286,000 employees serving veterans at VA medical centers, clinics, benefits offices and national cemeteries throughout the country. Prior to joining the VA, Mr. Cardarelli served as the Director of Medical and Health Affairs in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower. He also served as the principal adviser to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for all matters pertaining to medical and health related activities. In addition, he was directly responsible for providing oversight, review and analysis of all Army programs and policies concerning health care, medical force readiness, medical personnel management, wounded warrior treatment, and physical disability evaluation. Mr. Cardarelli, the son of a career Army non-commissioned officer, was commissioned in the Infantry following graduation from the U.S. Military Academy. Throughout his military career, he served in a variety of command and staff positions in the 82nd Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and the 25th Infantry Division. He also served as a strategist in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and on the Army Staff and as a National Security Fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University in California. In addition, he served as a Legislative Fellow to Virginia Senator Charles Robb. Other assignments include Executive Officer to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower; Military Aide to the Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command; and Executive Officer to the Commanding General, United States Army Pacific Command. Mr. Cardarelli holds a Bachelor degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Master's degrees from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. He is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.