Annual Membership Meeting

Abe Sutton serves as the Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and Deputy Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Before assuming this role in January of 2025, he co-founded two health service companies; Honest Health, which focuses on enabling primary care physicians, and Evergreen Nephrology, which focuses on enabling nephrologists. Sutton focused on health policy with the federal government from 2017 to 2019, serving at the National Economic Council, Domestic Policy Council and Department of Health and Human Services. In these roles, he coordinated health policy across the federal government, with a focus on the shift to paying-for-value within Medicare, increasing choice and competition in health care markets, and updating the federal government’s approach to kidney care.

He holds a law degree from Harvard Law School and undergraduate degrees in political science, management, and health care management and policy from the Wharton School and the College at the University of Pennsylvania.

Maryland Speaker of the House Joseline Peña-Melnyk has represented Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties as state delegate for ten years. She feels privileged to work on behalf of her constituents and a passion for public service is at the core of her character. She has served as a member of the House of Delegates since 2007, and notably was Chair, Health and Government Operations Committee, 2022-25.

As a child Joseline emigrated from the Dominican Republic to the U.S. with her single mother and sister. Her mom worked in New York’s garment industry, often struggled to make ends meet, and there was a time when the family was on welfare because Joseline’s father did not pay child support. But despite tough circumstances, Joseline succeeded in school and learned English. She was an Equal Opportunity Program scholar and the first in her family to attend college. “When I look back on it now, I see how much I benefited from programs that open doors for minority students.”

Learn more about Dr. Suntha in MHA Member Spotlight.

Brooke Lierman is the 34th Comptroller of the state of Maryland and the first woman to be independently elected to one of Maryland’s constitutional offices.

She is an attorney by training, practicing as a civil rights and disability rights lawyer for many years, and prior to her election as Comptroller, she served for eight years as a member of the House of Delegates representing part of Baltimore City. While in the House, she spent time in leadership roles on both the Appropriations Committee and the Environment and Transportation Committee and chaired the Joint Committee on Pensions. As Comptroller, she is leading an agency of 1,200 dedicated Maryland public servants in 12 offices around the state.

Dr. Steve Berkowitz is a nationally recognized healthcare executive, consultant, and speaker with more than 30 years of experience driving clinical, operational, and strategic performance across complex health systems. As the founder of SMB Health Consulting, he has advised over 200 healthcare organizations nationwide, specializing in the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare, performance improvement, and leadership development for administrators, physicians, and governing boards. He also leads a highly regarded one-on-one advisory program for Chief Medical Officers.

Dr. Berkowitz most recently served as Chief Physician Executive and President of the medical group for Northern Light Health, a nine-hospital system in Maine. Prior to that, he spent 13 years as Chief Medical Officer for St. David’s HealthCare in Austin, Texas, and for the Central and West Texas Division of HCA Healthcare.

During his tenure, St. David’s earned the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, reflecting national leadership in quality and performance excellence. Earlier in his career, Dr. Berkowitz served as National Practice Leader for Physician Services at Hay Group and held senior leadership roles with Harris Methodist Health System and The Travelers. In 2014, he was appointed by Rick Perry to serve as Chairman of the Board of the Texas Institute for Health Care Quality and Efficiency.

A board-certified internist and Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Berkowitz has served on multiple national and state healthcare boards and remains a prominent voice on innovation, leadership, and the integration of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Melony G. Griffith is the President and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association. Melony assumed the role in December 2023 after retiring from a 22-year career as a Maryland state lawmaker. She was first elected in 1998 as a delegate representing District 25 in Prince George’s County.

Melony, who has served as a licensed clinical social worker and hospital discharge planner, was elected to the state Senate in 2019 and chaired the powerful Senate Finance Committee in 2023 before resigning in October 2023 to join MHA.

Melony held myriad pivotal roles during her time in the legislature, including President Pro Tempore, chair of the Budget and Taxation Committee’s Health & Human Services Subcommittee, and leader of the Senate President’s bipartisan Work Group on Equity and Inclusion. Her leadership extends to roles such as chair of the Special Joint Committee on Pensions. She served on the Joint COVID-19 Response Legislative Work Group, the House Emergency Medical Services Work Group, and the Council for the Procurement of Health, Educational, and Social Services, among others.

Beyond her legislative contributions, Melony served as the vice president for external and government affairs of the Greater Baden Medical Services, program director at the Prince George’s County Health Department, and deputy director for the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council. She also served as project coordinator for the National Basketball Players Association Health Education Project at Johns Hopkins University.

Melony has earned numerous accolades, including the Health Care for All Leadership Award, the Maryland Health Care for All Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Courageous Leadership Award, the Howard University Bison Breaking Barriers Award, and the Maryland Hospital Association Outstanding Legislator Award, among others. She is an honorary board member for the Open My Heart Foundation and a former board member of Non-Profit Prince George’s.

An alum of Howard University with a Master of Social Work, Melony further honed her leadership skills through the Morehouse School of Medicine’s Satcher Health Leadership Institute Community Health Leadership Program. Melony also earned a Bachelor of Science in human services from Montana State University in Billings.