The Speakers

 Dr. Brian Williams is an Air Force veteran, trauma surgeon, and expert in gun violence prevention and healthcare disparities. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he honed his surgical skills through training at Harvard Medical School and Emory University, later serving as a Professor of Surgery at UT Southwestern and the University of Chicago. Dr. Williams served as Robert Wood Johnson Foundation health policy fellow at the National Academy of Medicine, and is a former candidate for Congress endorsed by Brady PAC and received the inaugural Giffords Gun Safety Champion Award. 

Dr. Williams lives in East Dallas with his wife and daughter, where he advocates for safe and healthy communities. His award-winning memoir, The Bodies Keep Coming: Dispatches from a Black Trauma Surgeon on Racism, Violence, and How We Heal, is available anywhere books are sold.

Jennifer Banek currently serves as the elected Lake County Coroner since 2020, where she is dedicated to advancing public health in her community.

Jennifer is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) since 2012. As an advocate for the CRNA profession, she has served as the state president of the Illinois Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, and currently serves as Treasurer on the Executive Board of the American of Nurse Anesthesiology. 

Jennifer also serves as a Major in the United States Army.

Dr. Cassandra Ma, Psy.D., is the Founder and Executive Director of Reclaim13, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing healing services to survivors of sexual abuse, trafficking, and exploitation.  Reclaim13 was founded in 2012.  Dr. Ma and Reclaim13 have been recognized by the Office of the U.S. Attorneys for the Northern District of Illinois for their work with victims of child sex trafficking. She has been recognized by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services for her compassion, dedication and commitment to the children and families of Illinois and has served on various advisory boards, including the Illinois Children’s Justice Task Force and the College of DuPage’s Human Services.  Dr. Ma has been featured on ABC’s “Our America: Women Forward” and “Asian Influences.”  She contributed the chapter on “Developmental Aspects of Child Trafficking” in the book, Psychological Perspectives on Human Trafficking, published by the American Psychological Association.  In 2023, Dr. Ma was recognized as Woman of the Year by the Rotary Club of Chicago and In 2024, Dr. Ma was awarded Convene’s Infinitely Beyond Award recognizing Convene members who have courageously answered God's call and stepped out in faith.

Dr. Ma received her doctorate in clinical psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in marriage and family therapy at the Family Institute at Northwestern University, where she joined the staff team teaching and coordinating the Bette D. Harris Family and Child Clinic.

Matt has been involved in EMS since 1991, starting as a volunteer at SUNY Maritime College, where he earned a degree in Meteorology and Oceanography. He earned EMT certification in 1992 and paramedic in 2000. Matt has worked in urban, suburban, and rural settings doing 911 and critical care transports, gaining experience in ground and air transport. And while he’s been around a few different blocks, from New York City, to Long Island, to York, PA, a few times, he’ll never say he’s seen everything. Currently, he is the Education Coordinator for Wellspan EMS in York, PA.

Dr. Pilch is a board-certified Emergency Medicine physician, healthcare executive, and medical educator with more than 25 years of experience caring for patients in emergency departments ranging from community hospitals to major trauma centers. She completed her Emergency Medicine training at the renowned Cook County Hospital in Chicago, where she developed the clinical foundation and trauma expertise that have guided her career.

Dr. Pilch holds fellowships with the American College of Emergency Physicians (FACEP), the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (FAAEM), and the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (FAIHM). She earned her MD from Rush Medical College and her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She previously served as Eastern Sector Chief Medical Officer for the United States Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM), overseeing medical operations supporting military accession across the eastern United States, and later as Chief Medical Officer for the Milwaukee Military Entrance Processing Station. She currently serves as Clinical Advisor to the Region 8 and Region 9 Healthcare Coalitions, providing expertise in emergency preparedness, trauma systems, disaster response, and healthcare resilience. Dr. Pilch has also served as an instructor for the

Center for Domestic Preparedness, the nation’s premier all-hazards training center for emergency responders.

Over the course of her career, Dr. Pilch has cared for thousands of patients, taught and mentored generations of healthcare professionals, and worked to strengthen the systems that support emergency and trauma care in both civilian communities and military organizations. Her service has been recognized with the USMEPCOM Civilian Service Achievement Medal, and she was honored as a finalist for USMEPCOM Civilian of the Year. A proud Chicagoan, Cubs fan, and devoted owner of Dante and Valla, Dr. Pilch enjoys international travel and is pleased to report that she has visited multiple countries without causing an international incident. Her career has provided a unique perspective on the evolution of military medicine, from the lessons of America’s earliest conflicts to the modern systems of trauma care, disaster response, and combat casualty management used today.

Sam Boyle owner and founder of Boyle Safety and Security Solutions Group has spent a 15 year career in government work, serving as a counterintelligence officer with the FBI before transferring to FEMA as a management and programs analyst, where he worked on strategic initiatives including improvised nuclear device response, medical countermeasures distribution, and the 2012 NATO/G8 Summits.