Dr. Lyndon J. Mitnaul serves as an Executive Director at the Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC), part of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., headquartered in Tarrytown, NY. In this role, he collaborates with cross-functional teams to drive human genetics research initiatives and establish impactful collaborations across the globe.

Dr. Mitnaul earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, followed by a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry at Pennsylvania State University in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He further honed his expertise during a Postdoctoral Fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1997, he joined Merck & Co., where he contributed to HIV pathogenesis research within the Department of Inflammation Research. Over his tenure at Merck, he advanced to roles including Research Fellow, Biology Program Team Lead, and Principal Scientist in the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, where his work focused on lipid metabolism, arteriosclerosis, and thrombotic diseases.

In 2013, Dr. Mitnaul transitioned to Regeneron, joining the Research Program Management team and playing a pivotal role in establishing the 

By 2016, he expanded his leadership scope as the Technologies and Platform Operations Team Lead, overseeing all of Regeneron’s major external Therapeutic Discovery collaborations. In 2021, Dr. Mitnaul shifted his focus exclusively to human genomics research, where he now spearheads new Research Initiatives at the RGC.

Beyond his scientific and operational contributions, Dr. Mitnaul is deeply committed to fostering diversity in research science and the pharmaceutical industry. He actively mentors emerging scientists and leaders, serves on multiple inclusion councils and committees, and has been honored with numerous awards for his advocacy. In 2023, he spearheaded the creation of Together for CHANGE™, a groundbreaking multi-million-dollar initiative uniting Biopharma companies, Meharry Medical College, and the Diaspora Human Genomics Institute. This initiative aims to increase the representation of underrepresented students in STEM fields and enrich the study of African ancestry genetic data.

Megan Baldwin serves as the New York State Deputy Secretary for Health, overseeing statewide healthcare policy, Medicaid strategy, and system transformation efforts across one of the nation’s largest healthcare landscapes.

Baldwin previously held senior leadership positions at WMCHealth, a $3 billion academic health system in the Hudson Valley. In this capacity, she collaborated with the executive team and Board of Directors to drive strategic priorities and ensure long-term financial stability.

Her career in public service includes serving as Acting Executive Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Health, where she directed agency operations and navigated policy, regulatory and budget initiatives. She also held roles as Assistant Secretary for Health in the Governor’s Office, as well as leadership positions at SUNY System Administration and the New York State Senate Finance Committee.

Baldwin brings a collaborative, results-oriented approach to her work, with deep experience working across government and industry sectors to drive transformation and improved outcomes. She holds an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from SUNY College at Brockport.

Monica Hidalgo (she/hers/ella) is a public policy and community affairs leader with a career long focus on education and public health. She currently serves as Senior Director of Community Affairs at NewYork Presbyterian (NYP), where she leads efforts to standardize, expand, and implement community relations and engagement strategy across the health system’s 10 campuses.

In this role, Monica oversees NYP’s capacity building work, including a portfolio of grants and technical assistance that support community based organizations addressing social determinants of health. She cultivates partnerships with community leaders, elected officials, and nonprofit organizations across New York City and Westchester County. Monica develops strategies to strengthen community health and well being, advises on internal community affairs policies, and works to align hospital operations with local priorities. She also co chairs NYP’s LGBTQ+ Task Force, focused on ensuring inclusive, comprehensive, and equitable care.

Monica began her career at NYP in 2009 as a program manager for the Lang Youth Medical Program, building a pipeline for middle school students in Washington Heights and Inwood interested in health careers. She later served as program director in NYP’s Division of Community and Population Health, overseeing and expanding a portfolio of evidence based community programs. Through progressive leadership roles, she has gained expertise in program development, sustainability, hospital operations, and cross sector collaboration.

Earlier in her career, Monica worked as an educator, including at the American Museum of Natural History and Bard High School Early College, where she ultimately served as Director of Admissions and helped advance equity focused enrollment strategies.

Monica holds a BA in Anthropology from NYU and a Master’s in Policy and Education from Columbia University Teachers College. She was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and raised in Washington Heights in New York City.

Dr. Sánchez was formerly President of Rhode Island College (RIC) in Providence, Rhode Island. His impressive track record at RIC included elevating their US News and World Report Social Mobility ranking and modernizing academic facilities, as well as doubling annual fund raising. During his six-year presidency, the college endowment grew from $28 million to $42 million and federal and state grants increased to $10.3 million annually. RIC became among the first federally designated, 4-year Hispanic Serving Institutions in New England, and experienced significant growth of diverse students, faculty, staff and executives. Among his many civic and community involvements, he served as member of the board of directors of the United Way of Rhode Island, the Providence Performing Arts Council, the NCAA Division III Presidents Council and as a Senior Fellow at Interfaith America.

Prior to Rhode Island College, Dr. Sánchez was the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at The City University of New York, which is comprised of 25 colleges and graduate and professional schools. He led the development and implementation of the first system-wide strategic plan for student affairs -- supporting over 500,000 students across NYC. 

He successfully created numerous workforce development initiatives with industry, government and nonprofit entities. During this time, he led the development of the largest “military friendly” higher education system in the country, established city-wide partnerships to support foster youth and connected city, state and federal resources to the most economically disadvantaged students. Earlier in his career, he served as the senior student affairs officer at the University of Colorado at Denver and Anschutz Medical Center and as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Adams State University in southern Colorado.

Dr. Sanchez holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an MS degree in Student Affairs and Higher Education from Colorado State University and a PhD in Higher Education Administration from Indiana University, Bloomington. In the fall of 2022, Dr. Sánchez received the Indiana University School of Education’s Distinguished Alumni Award for his outstanding work in higher education.

Joe Simone is president of Simone Development Companies, a full-service, privately held real estate investment company specializing in the acquisition, development, and management of healthcare, mixed-use, retail, office, industrial, and residential properties. Headquartered at the Hutchinson Metro Center, it boasts a portfolio of more than 150 commercial properties spanning over 7 million square feet throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Long Island, Westchester County, Orange and Fairfield Counties and New Jersey. With services spanning acquisition, development, construction, finance, asset management, accounting, leasing and property management, Simone Development Companies is set apart by its vertically integrated management team, long-term asset ownership and its pursuit of visionary development.

With an unwavering commitment to transform communities, Joe has spearheaded several groundbreaking projects across the New York metropolitan area. Among these are the adaptive reuse of the Boyce Thompson Center in Yonkers, which has breathed new life into a historic landmark, as well as the redevelopment of an obsolete state hospital site into the 42-acre Hutchinson Metro Center which, over the last 20 years, has become the most successful commercial development project in the history of the Bronx. 

This 1.4-million-square-foot mixed-use campus of medical, office, retail, hospitality and academic space is home to over 80 leading businesses, healthcare and educational institutions, as well as federal, state, and city agencies employing over 8,000 people and welcoming more than 5,000 daily visitors.

Joe’s non-profit work includes service on the New York City board of the American Heart Association, where he also had the honor of chairing the 2024 Heart of New York City Centennial Campaign. He also serves on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon and the Westchester County Association. Joe is an active member of the Business Council of Westchester, Italian American Forum, Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation, and BOMA Westchester.

Amie Parikh is the Chief Executive Officer of Hudson Valley Care Coalition (HVCC), where she is responsible for setting the strategic direction and overseeing operations aimed at improving access to healthcare and social services for individuals throughout the Hudson Valley region. She has led strategic planning, program and financial management, and the development of integrated delivery models that support Medicaid members with serious and chronic health conditions. Most recently, secured a $44 million grant under the NYHER waiver, positioning HVCC as the lead Social Care Network in Hudson Valley. The funding expands HVCC’s ability to integrate medical, behavioral, and social care, advance health-related social needs interventions, and strengthen partnerships across health and community-based organizations

Prior to securing the Social Care Network for Hudson Valley, Ms. Parikh led HVCC in a successful merger with a Behavioral Health Independent Practice Association (IPA) in Hudson Valley.

As an executive leader with over two decades of experience advancing health equity, developing innovative programs, and strengthening systems of care for diverse and underserved populations. 

Her career has focused on building and managing multi-sector partnerships, overseeing large-scale projects, and implementing sustainable strategies that improve health outcomes for individuals with complex medical, behavioral health, and social needs.

Throughout her career, she has been committed to supporting diverse communities—including people with mental illness, substance use disorders, physical disabilities, immigrant populations, LGBTQ communities, women of color, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness. She has deep expertise in policy, coalition-building, and program development, coupled with strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Amie holds a Bachelor’s degree in history with a focus on African American and Women's Studies from the University of Cincinnati, and a Master’s degree in South Asian Studies from the University of Toronto.