Lady Charts 2023 Agenda

Agenda


8:30 am	Registration & breakfast Main Gallery
9:30 am	Opening plenary Main Gallery
10:30 am	Breakouts Period Points: The State of Our State LINLEY FAYE SMITH Main Gallery Economics & Access Curated Book Fair COMMONPLACE BOOKS Gallery 2 Bridging the Gap: A mixed methods study of pregnancy and substance use in Oklahoma CAITLIN BEASLEY, MA & JOHNDA ELIZA WASHINGTON-HARRIS, RMSc Gallery 3 *Maternal Health* Sex Ed for All: High Quality Sex Ed from a Red State Perspective KALI SEXTON, M.ED. & JENNY BRIGGS, LMSW Gallery 4 *~~Autonomy~~*
11:30 am	Lunch Main Gallery
12:30 pm	Keynote Address HER-stories Are Our Stories PROFESSOR DELESO A. ALFORD, JD, LLM Main Gallery
2 pm	Breakouts The Criminalization of the Uterus DR. ANGELA HAWKINS, JACQUELINE BLOCKER, JD, & ALICE BLUE Main Gallery *Maternal Health* Beyond HRT: Exploring Non-medical Forms of Gender-Affirming Care ASHLEIGH GABRIEL, LCSW Gallery 2 *~~Autonomy~~* The Landscape of Paid Family Leave in Oklahoma EMMA MORRIS & TOMMY YAP, MPA Gallery 3 Policy What about Oklahoma’s Rural Women? Localized Strategies to Improve Rural Women’s Health Care LAURA ROSS, MSW, ADRIENNE ELDER, MPH, AMBER COSTILLA, & MELISSA SIMMS, M.ED, BSN, RN, CCM Gallery 4 Economics & Access
3:15 pm	Breakouts Women Legislators: Getting Personal During Debates SENATOR JULIA KIRT, REPRESENTATIVE TRISH RANSON, SENATOR JO ANNA DOSSET, SENATOR CARRI HICKS, & TOMMY YAP, MPA Main Gallery Policy Body Sovereignty Through An Indigenous Lens CARLY TREECE Gallery 2 *~~Autonomy~~* Valuing Community-Based Doulas: Beyond Medicaid Reimbursement OMARE JIMMERSON & HANNAH RALSTON Gallery 3 *Maternal Health* Our Stories of Economic Empowerment: Investing in FemTech is Critical to Women's Health NATALIE SHEW, ERIKA LUCAS, & JACQUELINE BLOCKER, JD Gallery 4 Economics & Access
5:30 pm	Happy hour & MAVEN Awards Ceremony Main Gallery

Registration & breakfast

8:30 am | Main Gallery

Opening plenary

9:30 am | Main Gallery

Breakouts

10:30 am

Period Points: The State of Our State
Main Gallery

Join Linley Smith, President of Period OKC – a grassroots nonprofit launched in 2021 that has already provided over 200,000 menstrual products to Oklahomans in need – for a dive into the statistics, laws, and effects of period poverty across the state of Oklahoma and the ways you can help.

Speaker:

Linley Faye Smith

Linley graduated from the University of Oklahoma with degrees in Political Science and Communication and a Minor in Spanish. Upon graduation she moved to Los Angeles and worked in music event production for over six years with clients such as Coachella and YouTube Music. She returned to Oklahoma in December of 2019 to work in nonprofit. Along with being President of Period OKC she also serves on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Library. When she is not giving away free tampons, Linley is usually found reading alongside her French Bulldog and oversized cat.

Bridging the Gap: A mixed methods study of pregnancy and substance use in Oklahoma
Gallery 3

Decades of research shows that when pregnant people struggling with substance use disorder receive timely, non-judgemental care, outcomes are better for mothers and babies. Unfortunately, Oklahoma is one of several states taking an inconsistent and increasingly punitive approach to the issue. Join the Metriarch research team as they share preliminary findings in a mixed methods project that uses interviews in parallel with quantitative data to identify gaps in care and understanding for pregnant people in our state.

Speaker:

Caitlin Beasley, MA

Caitlin engages with partners, stakeholders, and the community at large to expand awareness and create meaningful change around women’s health issues. With a background in historical research and communications, she is passionate about trauma-informed, ethical storytelling and the power of compelling narratives in driving actionable empathy. Caitlin joined TCI to support and grow the Metriarch project, where she focuses on democratizing policy and the data that should be informing it. She earned her Masters degree in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine from the University of Oklahoma and most recently worked with Domestic Violence Intervention Services.

Johnda Eliza Washington-Harris, RMSc

Eliza (she/they) is an anthropologist with extensive training in qualitative and mixed methods research. They earned their Research Masters in Social Sciences at the University of Amsterdam in 2023, where they gained proficiency in advanced research methodologies, data analysis, and a strong capacity for conducting impactful research. Eliza’s work is centered around reproductive justice and addressing social/structural disparities that impact healthcare access.

Sex Ed for All: High Quality Sex Ed from a Red State Perspective
Gallery 4

Sex Ed in Oklahoma is comprehensive, effective, voluntary, and a core developmental milestone for adolescent health. Yet, myths about our work are deeply rooted in the socio-political landscape. This workshop will discuss what adolescent sexual health education looks like in Oklahoma. Together, we’ll learn about guiding principles and best practices and the policies that impact sex education. Prepare to learn what YOU can do to help dispel these myths and become an advocate for Sexual Health Education in Oklahoma!

Speakers:

Kali Sexton, M.Ed.

Kali Sexton, M.Ed., (she/her) is the Director of Adolescent Health Education and Teen Clinic Services for Variety Care. She obtained her master’s degree in Adult Education with an emphasis in Training and Program Development from the UCO and master’s certification in Mentoring Program Development from Fordham University of Social Work. With over 20 years of experience in developing and managing nonprofit youth services, Mrs. Sexton is a content expert in positive youth development, direct service, individualized transition planning and program development for adolescents, specifically pregnant and parenting youth as well as youth of K-12 age with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Her work currently focuses on the public health initiative to reduce teen pregnancy in the state of Oklahoma. Her primary work focuses on the management and oversight of a team that serves students in low-income neighborhoods with an evidence-based, comprehensive sexual health curriculum. In addition to educational components, Mrs. Sexton ensures that the clinical aspect of service delivery is available to adolescents across Oklahoma County. As a result of Teen Clinic’s efforts in combination with community partners and stakeholders, the teen pregnancy rate in Oklahoma has been reduced by over one third from 2015-2020, work for which she and her team were awarded recognition for support of two local high schools in the Oklahoma City Public School District. Additionally, Mrs. Sexton has been an adjunct faculty member at the UCO teaching Case Management for Human Service Professions since 2011.

Jenny Briggs, LMSW

Jenny Briggs (she/her) is a Licensed Master Social Worker with over a decade of experience at the intersection of public health and community-based social work. Her past experiences include sexuality education, trauma-responsive care, team management, program development and evaluation, and leveraging community partnerships to achieve long-term goals. As Director of Learning and Impact with Amplify Youth Health Collective, Jenny leads a team of incredible people working to advance youth sexual health and well-being through outreach, training, and capacity-building.

Lunch

11:30 am | Main Gallery

Keynote address

12:30 pm | Main Gallery

HER-stories Are Our Stories

Professor Deleso A. Alford is a Shreveport, Louisiana native bridging the medical and legal worlds through telling what she calls “HER-stories” — the unique and particularized lived experiences of Black women.

The story she’s most recently made headlines for telling is that of Mrs. Henrietta Lacks. Cells taken from Lacks in 1951 were the source of the first immortalized human cell line — one of the most important and lucrative in medical research. A legal article Deleso published over ten years ago formed the basis for a lawsuit brought against a major pharmaceutical company, resulting in a settlement for Lacks’ descendants this summer.

And that’s just the most recent example of how Deleso is telling HER stories in a way that memorializes them as our stories, from the classroom to the courtroom. Get ready to learn more about HER-storytelling, working at the intersections of the medical and legal landscapes, and staying energized when change takes (way) longer than it should.

Speaker:

Professor Deleso A. Alford, JD, LLM

Professor of Law, published author, and interdisciplinary visionary, Professor Alford’s legal and medical education underscore her impactful HER-storytelling. She is the author of a 2012 paper that is currently changing the legal landscape of bodily autonomy and medical ethics.

Breakouts

2 pm

The Criminalization of the Uterus
Main Gallery

In the last five years, there has been a significant uptick in criminal charges being filed against Oklahoma women for having a substance use disorder while pregnant. Of the total, the vast majority were felony child abuse, neglect and endangerment charges, which carry a potential life sentence. This increased criminalization of pregnancy is further highlighted by the 2022 reversal of Roe, triggering local laws that make Oklahoma the nation’s most restrictive state when it comes to accessing comprehensive women’s health.

Speakers:

Alice Blue, MSW

Alice coordinates the implementation of the TCI+ quality improvement project by providing project management, technical assistance and best-practice integration to participating clinic sites. Alice received her Masters of Social Work from Yeshiva University and has years of nonprofit experience with Community Service Council and Carrera Program. She has been board chair of Iron Gate, Tulsa’s largest feeding program, as well as the Tulsa Human Rights Commission and Council on Holocaust Education.

Jacqueline Blocker, JD

Jacqueline, an Oklahoma native, directs the collection, analysis, dissemination and utilization of health data from national, state and local levels to create and implement policy change and public awareness. Jacqueline is a thought leader whose focus and passion is educating and engaging the community at large, and teaching others how to effectively use data and resources to build capacity for effective and impactful change. Jacqueline joined the TCI team to deepen the expansion of the statewide women’s public health think tank, Metriarch. Jacqueline graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Organizational Sociology/Economics and went on to obtain her Juris Doctorate from University of Missouri where her studies focused on Legislative and Environmental Law. Before diving into nonprofit work, Jacqueline practiced corporate defense where her areas of practice focused on Corporate Governance, Environmental and Franchise Law working mostly with big oil.

Dr. Angela Hawkins

Angela Hawkins, MD knew from childhood she wanted to be a physician. Nurturing a love of science from a young age, she graduated cum laude from Oklahoma City University and earned her medical degree at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, where she also completed her residency. She is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She founded the Oklahoma Black Physicians Alliance.

Beyond HRT: Exploring Non-medical Forms of Gender-Affirming Care
Gallery 2

There are many aspects of gender-affirming care that go beyond hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) or surgery. We will explore these different avenues of care and why they can help individuals to feel more comfortable and authentic, including but not limited to: social, psychological, emotional, and spiritual care.

Speaker:

Ashleigh Gabriel, LCSW

Ashleigh (she/her) is a Tulsa native with a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. Ashleigh is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 10 years of therapy experience. She mainly provides services to women and the LGBTQIA+ community. She has completed training with World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), to better support her trans and gender queer clients.

The Landscape of Paid Family Leave in Oklahoma
Gallery 3

Celebrate this year’s victory toward paid family leave in Oklahoma! Let’s need to keep the conversation going and seize the momentum. Discover Oklahoma’s paid family leave landscape with Oklahoma Policy Institute and Metriarch as they evaluate the current proposals, how Oklahoma stacks up, the cost factor, and economic mobility.

Speakers:

Emma Morris

Emma Morris works as the Health Care and Revenue Policy Analyst for the Oklahoma Policy Institute. She has previous experience as a case manager with justice-involved individuals and a mentor for youth in her community. Emma holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Women’s and Gender Studies and Public and Nonprofit Administration from the University of Oklahoma, and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration degree from OU-Tulsa.

Tommy Yap, MPA

Tommy Yap is a self-described policy wonk and currently serves as the Legislative & Policy Analyst for Metriarch®. Tommy comes from a family of public servants and has been excited about civics since childhood. He earned a B.A. in Political Science and Master of Public Administration from Cal Poly Pomona. Tommy holds the core belief that policy and civics should be understandable to everyone. He is dedicated to breaking down issues, concepts, and physical barriers to constituent and voter access. He is known for his ability to take even the muddiest policy and break it down into concise meaningful pieces for the everyday Oklahoman. His efforts have included writings, the creation of interactive graphics, video, organizing, and presentations to a wide range of groups including the Oklahoma Legislature.

What about Oklahoma’s Rural Women? Localized Strategies to Improve Rural Women’s Health Care
Gallery 4

Delivering women’s health care in rural Oklahoma is challenged by a multitude of socio-ecological factors, yet with every challenge, there are opportunities for innovation. In this session, panelists will highlight many of the barriers women in rural Oklahoma face as they seek preventative and specialty care. Panelists will pair the challenges with complementary solutions unfolding across the state, offering opportunities for you to solution-make within your own community.

Speakers:

Laura Ross, MSW

Laura Ross holds a Masters of Social Worker Degree and currently serves as the Director of the Oklahoma Primary Health Care Extension System, at the Public Health Institute of Oklahoma, where she is charged with developing population health activities in rural Oklahoma communities in an effort to improve local health and social care infrastructure. Laura is currently in her PhD Program in Rural Health Sciences at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Laura is passionate about all things women and children’s health serving, throughout her career Laura has served in leadership roles for the March of Dimes- Oklahoma, Metriarch, Community Service Council, Morton Comprehensive Health Services, Mental Health Association Oklahoma, and the Telligen Governing Board. Ross is a member of the Cherokee Nation.

Adrienne Elder, MPH

Adrienne Elder holds a Master in Public Health and is the Director of Early Interventions at the Public Health Institute of Oklahoma. She is a Core Team member of the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy & Practice’s National Trauma Campaign. Adrienne is passionate about cross-sector partnerships and aligning resources, like “Handle With Care Oklahoma” which increases coordination among law enforcement, schools, mental health agencies, social services, and the community. Elder was named the Rural Health Advocate of the Year by the Rural Health Association of Oklahoma in 2022.

Amber Costilla

Amber Costilla is the Director of Panhandle Cares, a 3-county coalition serving all three panhandle counties, Texas, Cimmaron, and Beaver. Amber has a long history of health leadership in the panhandle, working with Federal Qualified Health, faith-based health and social care, behavioral health, and community development. Costilla is a mother to 4 children all born in rural Oklahoma; as a small-town health leader and a high-risk pregnant woman Costilla shares unique perspectives on navigating women’s health care in rural Oklahoma.

Melissa Simms, M.Ed, BSN, RN, CCM

Melissa Simms is a Registered Nurse with a master’s degree in Education, specializing in wellness. Certified in Health Coaching and Case Management, Melissa specializes in stress management, mindfulness practices and emotional wellness. Working with community- based and statewide organizations to create and implement new community- building and engagement plans and strategies, Melissa is an empathetic and compassionate community organizer with a deep passion for helping others and connecting the dots.

Breakouts

3:15 pm

Women Legislators: Getting Personal During Debate
Main Gallery

Bills impacting women and health are not unique to Oklahoma or the current moment. However, over the last few years, the legislature has ratcheted up the number and divisiveness of proposals. Join this conversation of legislators as they discuss life at the Capitol as elected women and their feelings on being personally compelled to disclose personal health information while working to represent their districts.

Speakers:

Senator Julia Kirt

Senator Julia Kirt, representing District 30 in Oklahoma, was elected in 2018 and has focused on improving mental health access and disability services. Kirt works to be a budget watchdog pursuing responsible state investments and fair fiscal policies. Before her elected career, she led arts and culture nonprofit organizations for 20 years, holds a master’s degree in Art History, and resides in Oklahoma City with her husband and two children while actively participating in community initiatives.

Representative Trish Ranson

Trish Ranson is a three-term member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives representing House District 34, Stillwater, with a background in elementary music education and youth choir conducting. She is an advocate for improved public education and is actively engaged in addressing interconnected concerns like healthcare, food security, and justice reform. She is the Democratic Caucus Chair.

Senator Jo Anna Dossett

Senator Jo Anna Dossett, a Tulsa Democrat, was elected to represent District 35 in the state Senate in 2020. She has a background in education, having earned her bachelor’s degree from William Jewell College and a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University. Prior to her political career, Dossett served in the Peace Corps for two years and then taught for 15 years in the Tulsa area.

Senator Carri Hicks

Senator Carri Hicks is a lifelong Oklahoman with a background in nonprofit work, education, and leadership management. After transitioning from her career in the nonprofit sector, she became a public-school teacher and later served as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University. Hicks is now a dedicated community servant, living in Northwest Oklahoma City with her husband and three children, and currently serving as the CEO of Rainbow Fleet, a nonprofit focused on early childhood education and childcare.

Tommy Yap, MPA

Body Sovereignty Through An Indigenous Lens
Gallery 2

Join artist, community builder, and advocate Carly Treece for insights on the past, present, and future challenges of body sovereignty from an Indigenous woman’s perspective. This session integrates artwork to display the diverse pathways towards the advancement of body sovereignty.

Speaker:

Carly Treece

Carly is a Citizen of the Mvskoke Nation and of Cherokee descent. She is an artist, community builder, advocate, volunteer, gardener, and mother. By intertwining her creative expression with her advocacy, Treece seeks to inspire dialogue and bring attention to the crucial matters of land and body sovereignty.

Valuing Community-Based Doulas: Beyond Medicaid Reimbursement
Gallery 3

Join Tulsa Birth Equity Initiative as they share how community-based doula care improves maternal and infant health, how Medicaid reimbursement can affect doula organizations, and their plan to expand community birth work as a sustainable profession.

Speakers:

Omare Jimmerson, MPH

Omare is the daughter of a Nigerian immigrant and also a mother of two, working to save the lives of Black women in a healthcare system that continually dehumanizes them. As an undergraduate working with teens she saw young girls being treated as adults and denied their right to childhood. This sparked her interest in making sure young people had knowledge to advocate for their own bodily autonomy. As executive director of the Tulsa Birth Equity Initiative, she works to ensure every woman is treated with dignity, respect and most of all as a human. By bringing doula care to Black and Brown women, her organization gives them back the power to advocate for their care. Doula care is not just for the “haves.”

Hannah Ralston

In her role as Quality Improvement Officer at Tulsa Birth Equity Initiative, Hannah gets to spend her time on all things data, as well as sustaining hospital and clinic partnerships. She found her passion of working to reduce maternal health disparities after the birth of her own son in 2019, and brings over a decade of experience in program management and process improvement with nonprofits and the public sector. She is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, has trained as a doula through TBEI and serves on the policy committee for the Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates.

Our Stories of Economic Empowerment: Investing in FemTech is Critical to Women’s Health
Gallery 4

Join Erika Lucas, founder of StichCrew and VEST, Natalie Shew, Co-Founder of FemHealth Founders and Founder & CEO of EmployWell and Jacqueline Blocker, Director of Metriarch and attorney, for a frank and candid discussion about female economic empowerment, the stories behind their organizations, and the challenges in advancing innovations in women’s health and wellness. Their conversation will feature barriers women face in the workplace and stories of women building power collectively.

Speakers:

Natalie Shew

Natalie is the founder and CEO of EmployWell, a Smart Retention Platform to help healthcare providers reduce administrative burden and recognize their people. She is an impact-focused entrepreneur who builds, operates, and scales high-return workforce and community innovation. She co-founded the non-profit FemHealth Founders to support and fund women leading women’s health innovation. Natalie’s why is creating a world where women have equal opportunity to live healthy and prosperous lives

Erika Lucas

Erika is the Founder of StitchCrew, an organization connecting women and BIPOC entrepreneurs with the capital, resources and networks they need to launch and scale companies. Since its launch, StitchCrew has partnered with brands like the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Google, BASF, and others to fund and support more than 130 startups led by women and BIPOC founders. Erika also founded VEST, an organization investing in women-led companies and connecting women professionals with extended networks. In this capacity she also manages VEST Her Ventures, an early stage Venture Capital Firm investing in women-led companies building in the intersection of the Future of Work and Care Economy. She is also the host of the VEST Her Podcast, a show exploring the barriers women face in the workplace and sharing stories of women building power collectively. Prior to StitchCrew and VEST, Erika was a partner at a Private Equity Firm with investments in the U.S. and Europe. Before that she was the Global Director at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, where she led the Global Division in charge of Foreign Direct Investment and Trade. Erika was named by LinkedIn as Top Voice on Venture Capital. She is also on the Board of Directors of Arvest, a privately owned bank, the Diversion Hub, and the Oklahoma City County Health Department. Erika is also a member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association, Familia VC and LatinxVC.