Latino Leadership Institute (LLI) 

Current and future nursing leaders were invited to the Latino Leadership Institute (LLI), a full-day professional workshop hosted by NAHN on Tuesday, July 14, prior to the 51st Annual Conference in Denver, CO. LLI is designed to empower NAHN members to develop important skills and prepare to serve on volunteer boards at the local and national level. Please note that LLI requires a separate registration from the NAHN conference.

LLI Program

Invited Speakers

Headshot of Melody Gonzales speaking in too a microphone Melody Gonzalez, Founder, Consultant & Leadership Coach, Hope & Power Strategies 
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at  9:00 AM – 10:00 AM 

Born and raised in San Diego, California, where her passion for public service and leadership was sparked through the strong example set by her parents, Melody's career has been an exciting journey blending policy, political and management experiences. 

Through her past 20+ years working in Washington, D.C., she established myself as a creative, impact-oriented, bilingual professional in the union, nonprofit, campaign and Federal sectors. Much of this work has been centered in empowering and advancing diverse and often marginalized communities through various roles in some of Washington D.C.'s most impactful institutions and organizations. 

Through her professional experiences, her own personal leadership development work and her training with Georgetown University's Executive Leadership coaching certificate program she has learned from - and served alongside - inspiring and motivational leaders.  

Through Hope and Power Strategies Melody is bringing government affairs, community engagement support, public speaking (keynotes and workshops), and leadership coaching to share with you the technical experiences, tools and inspiration she has found practical to her journey and the growth of others around her; her personal experiences as a Latina senior executive navigating the worlds of politics, advocacy, and both small and large institutions; and her genuine interest in partnering with you to support your unique organizational priorities and leadership journey. 

Headshot of Edgar OlivoEdgar Olivo, Chief Executive Officer, Arizona and New Mexico Region, American Red Cross
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM  

Edgar R. Olivo is the Regional CEO of the American Red Cross for Arizona and New Mexico. Renowned for his dedication to economic prosperity and social equality, Edgar has led significant disaster responses, including wildfires, tornados, home fires, and floods. With a background in sustainability and business development, he founded Compass CBS Foundation, supporting small businesses with essential training and resources. Edgar is also a National Spokesperson for Spanish media for the American Red Cross. His work focuses on building resilient communities to face the climate crisis, expanding efforts in Service to the Armed Forces, volunteer recruitment, and community mobilization. 

Headshot of Linda Fahey

Linda Fahey, DNP, RN, CENP, Chief Nurse, American Red Cross 
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM 

Linda Fahey a dedicated leader committed to the vision and mission of the American Red Cross. She is also an executive consultant working to address compliance issues for healthcare systems and physician practices. She brings extensive experience to these roles having most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer at Decatur Memorial Hospital.   Prior to assuming this role, she served as the Chief Nursing Officer, then Senior Vice President and CIO.  She has a proven track record for providing inspirational leadership to guide a team in the delivery of high quality, customer-focused care.  Linda is also the executive leader responsible for the successful implementation of a robust electronic medical record.  She holds a Bachelor’s in Nursing from the University of Central Arkansas, a Master’s in Nursing from Loma Linda University in California, and a Doctoral degree in Nursing from the University of Illinois.  Linda is Certified in Executive Nursing Practice by AONL-CC.  Before joining the team at DMH in 2000, she was the chief nurse executive at Palomar Medical Center near San Diego. 

Headshot of Jennifer C. SchlemanJennifer C. Schleman, MPS, APR, Senior Vice President, Communications & Governance, National Health Council Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM 

Jennifer Schleman’s path to the National Health Council began in Dayton, OH, where she saw firsthand what it means to watch loved one’s struggle with chronic health conditions. Several of Schleman’s close family members developed complications ranging from blood clots to diabetes. It was these experiences in her youth that poised Schleman to grow into a passionate advocate for patients across countless communities that have and continue to be marginalized by the health care system. 

 Schleman joined the NHC in December 2016 and is the Senior Vice President, Communications & Governance. She oversees all the NHC’s marketing, communications, and public relations activities while also serving as the steward of the organization’s brand. She also leads the NHC’s governance activities by providing strategic direction and counsel to the CEO in the management and execution of the NHC’s governance requirements. Prior to joining the NHC, Schleman was the Senior Associate Director of Media Relations for the American Hospital Association, where she focused on quality of care and physician issues. Schleman has also worked in a variety of communication roles for the International Food Information Council and for public relations firms based in Washington, DC and Cincinnati. Through these formative experiences, Schleman has complied more than 25 years of professional experience and leadership skills. Schleman also prides herself on continually developing and improving communications approaches to advance the NHC’s mission, program strategies, and values. 

For Schleman, one of the key elements in that mission is to shine a light on the reality of inequities that continue to persist for millions of Americans who struggle to maintain consistent and comprehensive health care coverage. While some of those issues were exposed on a larger scale by the COVID-19 pandemic, Schleman continues to look at ways of confronting the many unjust coverage gaps that still exist in the system. This has also been the driving motivation behind several of Schleman’s proudest accomplishments with the NHC, namely her role in helping to defend and enhance the Affordable Care Act from being repealed on several occasions. 

Schleman earned a master’s in strategic public relations from The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management and is a cum laude graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She earned her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) in 2007. Schleman has volunteered for PRSA on the national and local levels and is a past board member of PRSA’s National Capital Chapter in Washington, DC. 

Headshot of Rafael GrossmannRafael Grossmann, MD, MSHS, FACS 
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM 

Rafael is a Surgeon, Educator, Speaker, Patient Advocate, Healthcare Futurist, and Immigrant- originally from Caracas, Venezuela. After doing his surgery residency in Ann Arbor, MI, USA, he developed as a General, Trauma, Advanced Laparoscopic and Robotic surgeon and now practices in the USA. His passion focuses on the intersection of innovation technology and healthcare. Throughout his career, he has focused on tapping the paradoxical power of technology to coexist with better, more humane medical care. As a healthcare futurist, being a full-time practicing surgeon, gives him the rare skills, qualities and advantages that clinicians have but most technology innovators lack. That duality of expertise makes him a voice that definitely should be heard. A voice that impacts and addresses both ends of the spectrum, diversifying the target audience, feeding multiple interests and curiosities.