Laura Herrera Scott, MD, is the Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit healthcare organizations. In this role, Dr. Herrera Scott leads CareFirst’s physician, inpatient management and healthcare policy teams, supporting efforts to achieve excellence in
healthcare affordability, quality and accessibility through innovative initiatives to improve the health of CareFirst’s members and the communities it serves.

Dr. Herrera Scott brings more than 20 years of clinical and strategic leadership experience across the healthcare industry. Most recently, she served as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health, where she led several large-scale initiatives, including maintaining coverage for more than 1.6 million Marylanders during the post-pandemic Medicaid redetermination process and advancing legislation to protect women’s health and improve healthcare access statewide. In previous roles, Dr. Herrera Scott served as Vice President at Elevance Health (Anthem), Medical Director of Population and Community Health at Johns Hopkins Healthcare and Chief Medical Officer
for the Baltimore City Health Department. Her deep understanding of clinical operations, health system transformation and healthcare financing uniquely positions her to support CareFirst’s mission
to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for all.

Dr. Herrera Scott served in the Army Reserves Medical Corps for a decade, including three deployments and one tour in Iraq. She currently serves on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicines Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, where she advises on activities such as vaccine safety, health disparities and more. Dr. Herrera Scott earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from CUNY Baruch College, her Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and a Master’s
of Public Health (MPH) degree from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Jade Nicole Neverdon Merritt is a nonprofit executive, consultant, and thought leader
committed to strengthening mission-driven organizations and advancing equitable leadership
across the nonprofit sector. A Baltimore native, Jade is the Founder and Executive Director of
Mikey’s Miracle Foundation, Inc., which she established in 2016 following the loss of her
mother to stage IV colorectal cancer. Grounded in lived experience, her work centers on
providing compassionate, community-centered support for individuals and families impacted
by cancer.

Jade is also the Founder of the Black Executive Director’s Network (BLK ED Network), a
national membership-based community created to address the systemic challenges faced by
Black Executive Directors in the nonprofit sector. Through leadership accelerators, coaching
and mentorship, funder engagement opportunities, leadership pods, and curated peer
learning spaces, the network equips nonprofit leaders with the tools, resources, and
relationships needed to build sustainable, high-impact organizations.

In addition, Jade serves as the Principal Consultant of J. Merritt Consulting Group, where she
advises nonprofit organizations on governance, strategic planning, leadership development,
and capacity building. She is a Standards for Excellence® Institute Licensed Consultant,
supporting organizations in strengthening ethical practices, accountability, and organizational
effectiveness.