IWF Georgia Member Luncheon & Annual Meeting
Tuesday Oct 15 11:30 am - 1 pm I The Peachtree Club, 999 Peachtree St.
A Fireside Chat with Wonya Lucas, Valerie Montgomery Rice and Gail Evans
Two rockstar women leaders (who just happened to have been roommates at Ga. Tech) discuss their lives and careers. Moderated by another rockstar, Gail Evans
Timeline:
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Arrival & Networking
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Program
About Our Speakers:
Wonya Y. Lucas has served as a director of Comcast Cable since April 2024. Ms. Lucas was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hallmark Media Networks, which operates Hallmark-brand cable networks, from 2020 until 2023 and was a member of its Board of Directors until April 2024. Prior to joining Hallmark Media, she was President and Chief Executive Officer of Public Broadcasting Atlanta from 2015 to 2020, President of Lucas Strategic Consultants LLC from 2013 to 2015, and President and Chief Executive Officer of TV One from 2011 to 2013. Ms. Lucas has served as a director of Atlanta Braves Holdings, Inc. since 2023. She also serves on the board of jurors of the Peabody Awards, the boards of trustees of Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, Georgia Tech Foundation and Sundance Institute, and the boards of directors of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and Inspire Brands LLC.
Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG, is the President & CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine and provides a valuable combination of experience at the highest levels of patient care and medical research, as well as organizational management and public health policy. Marrying her transformational leadership acumen and strategic thinking to tackle challenging management issues, she has a track record of redesigning complex organizations’ infrastructures to reflect the needs of evolving strategic environments and position the organization for success through sustainability tactics.
The sixth president of Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and the first woman to lead the freestanding medical institution, Montgomery Rice serves as both the president and CEO. A renowned infertility specialist and researcher, she most recently served as dean and executive vice president of MSM, where she has served since 2011.
Prior to joining MSM, Montgomery Rice held faculty positions and leadership roles at various health centers, including academic health centers. Most notably, she was the founding director of the Center for Women’s Health Research at Meharry Medical College, one of the nation’s first research centers devoted to studying diseases that disproportionately impact women of color.
Dedicated to the creation and advancement of health equity, Montgomery Rice lends her vast experience and talents to programs that enhance pipeline opportunities for academically diverse learners, diversifies the physician and scientific workforce, and fosters equity in health care access and health outcomes. To this end, she holds memberships in various organizations and participates on a number of boards, such as the following: member, National Academy of Medicine, the Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Deans, and the Horatio Alger Association and board of directors for The Metro Atlanta Chamber, Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, The Nemours Foundation, UnitedHealth Group, Westside Future Fund, Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, Headspace, Wellpath and CARE.
Montgomery Rice has received numerous accolades and honors. She was named to the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans and received the 2017 Horatio Alger Award. For three consecutive years (2016-2018) Georgia Trend Magazine selected Montgomery Rice as one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians. Other honors include the following: The Dean Griffin Community Service Award from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Girls Inc. 2019 Smart Award, The National Medical Association OB/GYN 2019 Legend of the Section Award, The Turknett Leadership Character Award (2018), Visions of Excellence Award, Atlanta Business League (2018), Links Incorporated Co-Founders Award (2018), Trumpet Vanguard Award (2015), The Dorothy I. Height Crystal Stair Award (2014), National Coalition of 100 Black Women - Women of Impact (2014), YWCA – Women of Achievement of Atlanta-(2014) and Nashville(2007), American Medical Women’s Association Elizabeth Blackwell Medal (2011) and Working Mother Media Multicultural Women’s Legacy Award (2011).
A Georgia native, Montgomery Rice holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a medical degree from Harvard Medical School, an honorary degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Rush University. All reflect her lifetime commitment to education, service, and the advancement of health equity. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Emory University School of Medicine and her fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Hutzel Hospital.
Montgomery Rice is married to her fellow Georgia Institute of Technology alumnus, Melvin Rice Jr., and they have two children: Jayne and Melvin III.
Moderated by:
Gail Hirschorn Evans is an American author, lecturer, and business executive. She is known for being the highest ranking female executive at Cable News Network and for her two books, Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman and She Wins, You Win.
