Since our inception, our impact has been buoyed by the thoughtful and supportive steer of a passionate Board of Directors. Offering leadership and direction, our Board has invested vital time and expertise to realize a future where everyone, everywhere is within reach of healthcare.
As we enter a new Board term, we would like to acknowledge the long-time commitment of departing members, while welcoming our newest member of the Board.
Dr. Lynn Black and Kim Keller conclude their tenure on the Board of Directors
Dr. Lynn Black joined the Board of Directors in 2011, as we were still in the process of defining our Board structure. She will remain Chair Emeritus after three full terms of board service, including serving as Last Mile Health’s Board Chair.
“When I reflect on my time at Last Mile Health, I am both humbled by and grateful for the impact we have had in saving lives in some of the most remote regions that did not have access to healthcare before. The commitment to health equity is inspirational,” says Lynn. “From a nascent social enterprise when I joined the Board, to a thriving, impactful global nonprofit now, Last Mile Health has been unique in its approach to professional frontline health care workers. The organization has also achieved so much by staying focused on the core mission and remaining grounded in values. I look back in awe on the influential lessons I have learned from my colleagues on the Board and from the brilliant team at Last Mile Health.”
Lynn assumed the role of Board Chair in 2014. Her leadership proved truly transformative when, in 2014, we faced our greatest challenge yet: the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in Liberia. Working alongside our leadership in Liberia, Lynn urged our team to stay focused and center our response around the health and safety of employees and patients. Lynn has consistently used her knowledge and experience as a clinician to push our team to put quality of care at the forefront, truly demonstrating her commitment to communities at the last mile.
Throughout her tenure, Lynn also served as chair of the Program Quality Committee, where she worked to oversee, support, and advise on the quality of our impact as we scaled across Liberia, and beyond.
“Last Mile Health could not have achieved the impact that it has had without Lynn’s tireless service and dedication,” says Last Mile Health CEO Lisha McCormick. “Her commitment to patient care and program quality remains core to Last Mile Health’s identity and part of the legacy she leaves. We will be ever grateful for her lasting service to Last Mile Health, the communities we serve, and to the global community health movement.”
Lynn is an Attending Physician in the Department of Medicine and Associate Faculty in the Center for Global Health at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also an Assistant Professor at the Harvard Medical School. As she departs the Board, Lynn hopes that the organization continues to hone its mission while remaining rooted in its values.
Kim Keller was volunteering as an election observer during the Liberian presidential election around the time she was first introduced to Last Mile Health’s Co-Founder, Raj Panjabi. Her first-hand experience living and working in remote communities in Liberia inspired her to join the Board of Directors.
When Kim joined in 2011, the Board was in an early stage. Her personal investments in defining a governance structure and building out policies and systems laid the foundation for what the Board is today. Over the years, this effort has provided a steady backbone during times of growth for not just the Board, but for our organization as a whole.
“It has been the honor of my lifetime to have served on this incredibly special Board. I am humbled by how much Last Mile Health has grown and I am heartened that they have been able to keep justice and love at the core of everything they do.”
Throughout her nine year tenure on the Board of Directors, Kim served as chair of the Board’s Development and Governance Committees, as well as Vice Chair of the Board.
“Kim truly embodies Last Mile Health’s core value of social justice,” explains Co-Founder and Board Member Raj Panjabi. “Her leadership was instrumental in the scale up of Liberia’s Community Health Assistant program, and her conviction to remote and rural communities around the globe has championed us to expand Last Mile Health’s work to support frontline leaders and health workers across Africa and beyond.”
Kim currently serves as the Executive Director of the David & Anita Keller Family Foundation, a Bay Area-based family foundation committed to human rights as the cornerstone to peace and justice.
We are grateful to Lynn and Kim for their invaluable leadership and contributions during their tenure. Last Mile Health looks forward to continuing to work with them in new and different ways in the future.
Olusoji Adeyi joins the Board of Directors
We are excited to welcome Dr. Olusoji “Soji” Adeyi to the Board of Directors. Soji brings deep expertise in global health policy, health system strategy, service delivery, and disease control, as well as a passion for health equity. Prior to joining the Board of Directors, Soji served as a member of our Advisory Council.
Soji is the Senior Advisor for Human Development at the World Bank Group. Prior to this appointment, Soji served as the World Bank’s Director of the Health, Nutrition, and Population and as Global Practice Sector Manager for Health, Nutrition, and Population in Eastern and Southern Africa. Soji was founding Director of the Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria (AMFm) at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. He has also had responsibilities with the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria, the World Health Organization, UNAIDS, and Harvard School of Public Health. Throughout his career, as a physician, public health leader, and development expert, Soji has led a number of initiatives on global public health policies and strategies, and analyses of the integration of health systems and health interventions. He has authored research papers and books on service delivery, quality of care, maternal health, health financing, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and chronic non-communicable diseases.
“I am inspired by Last Mile Health’s charge in responding to the challenge of bringing high-quality service delivery to populations in hard to reach places,” explains Soji. “As I begin my tenure on the Board, I look forward to building upon the foundation that has been set, as we work to deepen our quality of care, broaden our services, and expand policy partnerships across geographies.”
“I first met Soji when our teams worked to respond to the West Africa Ebola epidemic. I saw how he led by example, often making personal sacrifices to support frontline health workers in the response and help halt the outbreak in its tracks. We are delighted to welcome Soji to the Board,” says Raj. “His wealth of experience and expertise with governments, in public health, financing, and policy will be a tremendous asset to Last Mile Health as we further our mission to save lives in the world’s most remote communities.”
To learn more about Last Mile Health’s Board of Directors, visit https://lastmilehealth.org/about-us/our-leadership/
