Dr. Michael Willis

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Dr. Michael O. Willis, Social Health Equity Activist

It is impossible to put a label on a true trailblazer. Just ask Dr. Willis what his title is. He told me he is a social health equity activist. I said no, “what is your job title?” He repeated, “SOCIAL HEALTH EQUITY ACTIVIST.” He noted that while job titles are important, they often only describe what you do or the level you have attained. They do not describe who you are or your character. Growing up in West Baltimore and an alumnus of Morgan State University, this Trailblazer has had a remarkable professional career and is recognized internationally for his expertise in healthcare, organizational development, and information technology. He has held executive positions in several of the most prominent technology and healthcare organizations in the world. His global leadership roles with IBM earned him the reputation of a strategic thinker, problem solver, and results-oriented executive. An Executive Vice President with the prestigious Franklin Covey Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of The AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies, and currently Group Vice President & Business Information Officer at Kaiser Permanente are just blips on his resume.

Who is this Trailblazer? A Mission Focused on Health Equity

Dr. Willis describes a social health equity activist as one who campaigns to address historical and contemporary injustices, social determinants of health, as well as population and community health inequities. His work is focused on ensuring that everyone has a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Dr. Willis’ advocacy also centers on ensuring that no one is disadvantaged from reaching their potential because of social position or socially determined circumstances. His view of health is holistic, a definition that includes economic, environmental, educational, technological, and social development.“When you have good health, you have hope; when you have hope, you have everything” is a statement that Dr. Willis often recites, and it encapsulates the importance of this work.

His path of enlightenment and giving back was furthered strengthened when Dr. Willis was a teenager. Dr. John E. Maupin Jr., former President of Meharry Medical College and The Morehouse School of Medicine, became his lifelong mentor and friend. Dr. Maupin walked alongside him, constantly providing the guidance and, most importantly, the support to help this Trailblazer excel and uncover purpose and meaning in his life. Some of the most important learnings and impactful work for Dr. Willis have come from his association with Stedman Graham, a best-selling author, speaker, and businessman whose work centers on Identity Leadership. Dr. Willis and Mr. Graham have partnered on initiatives for more than 20 years in communities, K-12 educational systems, HBCUs, and corporations to drive change.

This Trailblazer is committed to replicating this assistance for HBCUs and HUBZone businesses. He is currently working with one of his longtime friends, Mohammad 'Sam' Elias (CEO, RELI Group), on an HUBZone initiative to promote Centers of Health Excellence at HBCUs.

Marvel Willis, Dr. Michael Willis’ mother. Photo Source: Dr. Willis

Leadership and Accountability Begins at Home

Dr. Willis’ sense of giving back and working with underserved populations is rooted in his childhood. His parents had a tremendous impact on his character and the path his life has taken. Dr. Willis’ mother, who recently passed at the age of 101, was a vessel of wisdom and faith. His mother’s early life was characterized by tremendous discrimination and segregation, poverty, the Great Depression, and a World War. Her experiences gave her uncanny wisdom, herculean strength, and a heart full of compassion and love – all of which she gave to her son. She felt that love was the most important word in the dictionary. She taught him that love of self and love for others were the great motivators for positive change and equality in the world.

Dr. Willis’ father, a baggage clerk for the B&O railroad, gave him the mindset to dream and the tools to make those dreams a reality. His father was a self-taught concert-level violinist, scratch golfer, champion tennis player, and master carpenter. He was a man of faith and an avid reader who taught his son that you can learn anything, do anything, and be anything. When Dr. Willis was 12 years old, he had the following encounter with his father that would shape his life forever:

Dr. Willis flushed a dixie cup down the toilet in his house. When the water began to flow out of the toilet onto the floor, he decided to do what most 12-year-old boys would do. He ran out of the house as fast as he could and stayed out until the streetlights came on. That was the signal for neighborhood children to go home. As he walked around the corner, he saw his father sitting on their front steps. His father suggested that they go around the corner and get a snow-cone. As they stopped to sit down on a little wall that led back to their home, this would be the place where his father would teach him an invaluable lesson. His father said to him:

“This has been a tough day for you. You made a mistake; you did something wrong. You need to be accountable for what you did.” Our trailblazer felt ashamed, but as he looked at his father, he saw tears streaming down his face. His father at that moment admitted that his day was worse. Bracing to hear the bad news he listened intently. His father said, “For some reason I made you feel that you could not come to me, and I am so sorry for that.He said, Son, I'm your father and no matter what you do in your life, no matter what you might need, you can always come to me”. He also said, “if I ever forget what it is like to be you or see things from your perspective, remind [me].” Dr. Willis said his father’s words gave him some lifelong principles. While the experience was between a father and son, he began to understand, over the years, that his father was demonstrating the true principles of leadership. His father was teaching about accountability. He was also teaching Dr. Willis that as a father or leader, you need to understand the fears, aspirations, and hear the unspoken words of those under your care. He was showing him that it is ultimately about others. His father passed away less than 6 months later, on December 31, which was Dr. Willis’ 13th birthday. The funeral possession was several blocks long, based on who he was as a person and not his title or position.

What Is Your Life's Blueprint?

Dr. Willis will be the first to say, “always expect some type of life lessons from an HBCU professor.” He was enrolled in an MBA program and the finance professor started with Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech, “Blueprint for Life.” This speech became his framework for the partnerships he has forged with HBCUs and the HUBZone Business community. Whether he is working with young or old, Dr. Willis believes a good plan must include dignity, selfworth, purpose, education, and good moral values. He first verifies that the individual’s personal blueprint aligns with MLK’s speech.

“I want to suggest some of the things that should begin your life's blueprint. Number one in your life's blueprint should be a deep belief in your own dignity, your worth and your own somebodiness. Don't allow anybody to make you feel that you're nobody. Always feel that you count. Always feel that you have worth, and always feel that your life has ultimate significance. Secondly, in your life's blueprint you must have as the basic principle the determination to achieve excellence in your various fields of endeavor.You're going to be deciding as the days, as the years unfold what you will do in life — what your life's work will be. Set out to do it well.” landscape in the areas of research, social change, and economic and community development. HBCUs' graduation rates in STEM programs, medical fields, engineering, and the social sciences have been significant factors in improving health and overall quality of life throughout the country. Dr. Willis stated that HBCU partnerships can provide additional benefits such as: • Corporations, Federal Contractors, and Business Owners—Access to a pipeline of recently educated and trained individuals ready to assist them in achieving their respective missions. • Community Benefit—85% of the HBCUs are in HUBZone communities where social and economic development is needed most. • Economic Development—Increase jobs, educational, and training opportunities while leveraging resources and expertise to promote growth and prosperity. • Accelerating Business Ownership and Entrepreneurship — Ability to promote entrepreneurship via campus degrees or certificate programs. • Subject Matter Expertise — Ready resources to research, collect, deliver, and teach computer literacy, financial family planning, job searches, and career development, etc.

Discover and Cultivate: Unlocking Potential

HUBZone Relevance

HUBZone and HBCU partnerships are more relevant than ever as they cultivate their ability to harness the expertise and knowledge of all participants. These partnerships have been critically important in changing our nation’s The nation needs the expertise of HUBZone businesses and HBCUs to unlock the potential that resides in every community to allow us to achieve bigger dreams. These partnerships create a high-performance ecosystem based on inclusion rather than the exclusionary methods seen in the past. As a Trailblazer, Dr. Willis is optimistic about the future. He stated, “we must be mindful that achieving health equity is a sizable goal that demands an unwavering commitment; and change will demand a collaboration and a community of partnerships at the national and local level.” In closing, this Trailblazer is more convinced than ever that his parents had it right. Maybe to improve health equity, we need more wisdom, accountability, leadership, and love.

POLITICS Ms. Jenkins has proven that her role as a program manager for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is both rewarding and demanding. This trailblazer often Melissa “Lisa” Jenkins, Program Analyst, Outreach/In-Reach, WOSB PM, OSDBU, U.S. Department of Treasury works a 50-hour week, but during the Pandemic it rose to an 80-hour week. During this time, she was detailed to support the $46 billion airline industry. Part of the COVID relief effort included the Payment Protection Program. Ms. Jenkins was part of Treasury’s team of experts working diligently to mitigate the impact that the Pandemic was having on so many of the small businesses located in airports across the nation. Treasury along with all the other federal agencies were truly committed to the Payment Protection Act and the businesses that needed its support.

Ms. Jenkins said, “I got up in pajamas and when it was time to go to bed, I showered and changed into another pair of pajamas. Small Businesses needed to be saved and we had to get it right. While the country was shutdown, we were locked to our computers. What many people don't know is that there are thousands of small businesses that reside at these airports. When our borders were closed, these small businesses suffered tremendously. They couldn’t pay their employees, commercial leases, mortgages and much more. As a public servant, I was able to make a difference. I consider this time spent as a privilege.”

Executive Order 13985

This order Is about Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. This announcement clearly directed agencies to work to make contracting opportunities more readily available to all eligible firms and to remove barriers faced by

underserved individuals and communities. This order charged every agency to assess the available tools to increase opportunities for small businesses and academia located in the underserved and under resourced communities in order for them to successfully compete for federal contracts and grants. This included women owned small businesses, service-disabled small businesses, HUBZone businesses and veteran owned small businesses.

13985 was designed to level the playing field so that the underserved communities could participate and pursue appropriate contractual opportunities. This trailblazer believes that a strong America needs a strong diverse small business industrial base. The

Department of Treasury’s (Treasury) vision is to continue to maintain a strong economy by ensuring that the small business industrial base expands. They hope to do that by promoting conditions that will enable equitable and sustainable growth.

Photo Source: Melissa “Lisa” Jenkins

Photo Source: HUBZone Council

Business Innovation Research Program

Treasury’s approach to leveling the playing field includes the design and development of a robust program that will accelerate and sustain growth in the areas of research and development (R&D) for small businesses wishing to work with Treasury. Their staff is currently investigating and assessing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs throughout the federal government to determine the best R&D model to deploy for their Business Innovation Research Program. Ms. Jenkins noted that once this program is deployed, she hopes to see more HBCUs and HUBZones partnering to win Treasury’s R&D contracts.

Point to Click

Point to click is all about making it easier for small businesses to win contracts with Treasury. The OSDBU office is working with their stakeholders to develop tools to help small businesses to quickly find the intelligence they need to compete. Last year, Treasury did not meet their HUBZone goal. This year they are determined to eliminate as many barriers as possible. The CIO team is finding ways to enhance the market research repository tool. Treasury has partnered with the Small Business Administration and General Service Administration to leverage contract and small business data in order to meet the requirements as outlined in Executive Order 13985 and the subsequent fact sheets. Treasury plans to have point to clicks for every small business based on their top 25 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes for both contracts and grants.

The OSDBU is making a concerted effort to have touch points with each and every program buying office. They believe that a training program where the acquisition personnel truly understand how to execute contract awards for small businesses in each and every socio-economic concern will support Biden Administration’s mission by leveling the playing field in all departments at Treasury.

Everybody Needs to be in Compliance

This trailblazer is on a mission to provide the tools necessary to ensure everyone complies. That means small businesses, large businesses, and the federal government need to comply. For instance, if a large business is failing to meet the requirements of their subcontracting plan the OSDBU folks want to quickly provide the assistance needed for them to comply.

A click and point tools on the Treasury site will allow their decisionmakers to team with the right group to meet if not succeed their contractual requirement. For Ms. Jenkins, compliance in this scenario is about creating a win for everyone. The prime meets their subcontracting goal; socio-economic small business gain contracts along with pass performance; the federal agency moves closer to meeting if not exceeding their socio-economic goals; and the workforce is increased in historically underutilized business areas while positively effecting local economies.