Millicent Gorham, PhD (Hon), MBA, FAAN
Millicent Gorham was named the inaugural CEO of the Alliance for Women’s Health and Prevention (AWHP) in March 2023, having been involved with AHWP as the Chair of its Board of Directors since its creation in October 2022.
Most recently, Millicent served as the Executive Director of Movement is Life (MIL), a nonprofit focused on physical activity and improved mobility, reducing and eliminating health disparities, health equity, and improving health outcomes and quality of life. She previously served on the MIL volunteer steering committee for 11 years. She is also the former Executive Director of the National Black Nurses Association, Inc., which represents 308,000 African American nurses in the United States. Millicent was appointed to that position in October 1995 and held it for over 27 years. In that role, she oversaw administrative, fund development, advocacy, communications, marketing, conference planning, and program implementation, with a staff of five and a budget of $2.4 million.
Millicent has more than 35 years of government relations experience, including as the health legislative assistant to Representative Louis Stokes, (D-OH) for four years, the coordinator of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain Trust and a member of its steering committee for 18 years, the assistant director of government relations for the American Optometric Association for eight years, and the director of government relations for the National Rural Health Association for four years.
In an advisory capacity, Millicent serves on The Rockefeller Foundation Equitable Vaccination Advisory Council, the American Academy of Nursing Edge Runners National Advisory Council, the Simmons University Board of Trustees, and the Yale University School of Medicine Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development Advisory Committee. She also previously served on the United Medical Center Board of Directors, the Pfizer, Inc. Multicultural Advisory Board, the Association of Black Cardiologists National Board, the Black Women’s Health Imperative Rare Disease Diversity Coalition, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Advisory Council to the CEO, and the MGM Resorts International Diversity Advisory Board.
She is the recipient of several awards, including the National Black Nurses Association 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Action Network 2021 MLK Day Labor Leader of the Year Award, the American Academy of Nursing 2020 Outstanding Leadership Award, and the University of Massachusetts-Boston Diversity and Inclusion Award. In 2011, Millicent was awarded an honorary degree from her alma mater, Simmons College, and became an honorary fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She holds an MBA from Howard University with a concentration in health services.