Guest Speakers

Jacey Cooper is an accomplished healthcare executive with over 20 years of experience in Medicaid policy and healthcare delivery system reform. She is a proven leader in driving transformational initiatives at federal, state, and local levels.

Jacey most recently served as director of the State Demonstrations Group at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), where she oversaw the center’s efforts to support state-led innovations in Medicaid and CHIP demonstrations. She acted as the CMS lead for emerging policies requiring Section 1115 authority, provided technical assistance to states and issued federal guidance on 1115 budget neutrality. She also prioritized addressing health disparities, improving access and coverage, and advancing innovative service delivery models.

Before joining CMS, Jacey held multiple roles with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), most recently serving as California’s state Medicaid director and chief deputy director. During her tenure, she was instrumental in designing and launching the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) program, a transformation initiative aimed at reforms in population health, behavioral health, managed care, duals integration, social drivers of health and reentry. Through this, she played a key role in securing CMS’ approval for the state’s Health Related Social Needs and Justice-Involved 1115 demonstrations. She also led billions in investment to expand coverage, benefits, and payment reform initiatives.

Prior to her work in California Medicaid, Jacey served as an executive at a public hospital, Kern Medical Center, where she led the hospital’s transition from a county department to an independent hospital authority, launched the county’s self-funded health plan and managed their indigent care program.

Brian Mclnerney is a Senior Learning & Development Specialist in the Department of Human Resources at UCLA Health. He holds a master's degree in Public Health from the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Oregon, as well as SHRM-CP and PMP certifications. He's a member of the Alumni Board of FSPH and a volunteer at Didi Hirsch's Crisis Hotline.

Kristina Meza. Prior to joining the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office as the Executive Director of the Poverty Alleviation Initiative at the beginning of the year, Kristina served as the Assistant Director at LA County’s Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) overseeing workforce development programming in 2023. With over 12 years of experience in health and human service programs, Kristina has worked in both local and statewide government as well as small and local nonprofit organizations as a direct service provider. In State service, Kristina served as the TANF Director from 2020-2022 at the California Department of Social Services where she oversaw the State’s CalWORKs program and supported the launch of the first in the nation Statewide Guaranteed Income Pilot Program. In this role, Kristina also led the transition of Child Care programming from the California Department of Education to Social Services through the creation of the Child Care and Development Division. Kristina also served as the Policy Chief for CalFresh (SNAP) and CalFresh Employment and Training from 2018-2020. Prior to state service, Kristina served the community through various nonprofits in LA and Orange Counties, including the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA). 

Dr. Johnnetta L. Sanders is a Program Manager of the County of Los Angeles, Department of Human Resources Talent Solutions Division, overseeing the Academic Internship Program and the Career Development Internship Program.  Through public services, she has served the residents of Los Angeles County for over 20 years.  Dr. Sanders was born and raised in Los Angeles County and has a B.A. degree in Psychology from CSU Dominguez Hills and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology.

Henna Zaidi, MPH, MPP is the Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Advantage Healthcare Services, a behavioral health pharmacy dedicated to removing barriers to care through timely access to critical medications and comprehensive wraparound services. She brings extensive leadership experience across healthcare operations, integrated care delivery, and public-private collaboration, with prior roles at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. At Advantage, Henna leads cross-sector partnerships that translate policy and operational strategy into scalable solutions that improve access, equity, and patient outcomes. She holds a Master of Public Health & a Master of Public Policy from UCLA.

Hajar Ahmed, MPH, LBBP is a Project Manager at Yellow Brick Consulting, where she leads transition and activation planning projects, supporting the organizational changes that occur with the opening or expansion of healthcare facilities. Her work involves using change management methodologies to develop operational workflows, orientation and training playbooks, full day dress rehearsal simulations, and the logistics of how to move patients into a new facility. She brings more than eight years of experience delivering large-scale, complex projects across the healthcare planning, design, and construction landscape. Her multidisciplinary background spans higher-education policy, retail pharmacy, and medical writing. She holds a Master of Public Health from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and serves as a Board Member of the Health Policy & Management Alumni Association (HPMAA) and the Healthcare Facilities Symposium and Expo (HFSE).