Montel Williams earned his media celebrity status as an inspirational Emmy Award winning television personality whom Americans invited into their homes for more than 17 years. He is a decorated former naval officer, inspirational speaker, author, entrepreneur and advocate for patients worldwide.

Before and after the success of his syndicated television show, Montel has incubated projects that he has transformed into major initiatives, all with the goal of helping others.

Williams is currently hosting the hit Lifetime Show, Military Makeover with Montel. Military Makeover offers hope and a helping hand here on the home front to members of our military and their loved ones. Williams, a veteran of both the Marine Corps and the Navy, leads the Makeover team’s mission. This special series enlists conscientious designers, contractors, landscapers and other home improvement professionals to transform the homes and lives of military families across the country. https://militarymakeover.tv/about- military-makeover-with-montel/.

Williams hosted “The Montel Williams Show”, a nationally syndicated talk show distributed by CBS Paramount Television, for 17 years, taping over 3,500 shows and interviewing more than 30,000 guests focusing on key social issues involving ordinary people coping with extraordinary circumstances. He received a Daytime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host and his show was nominated for Outstanding Talk Show two years in a row.

Williams enjoys acting and performs whenever his schedule permits. Over the years, viewers may have seen him on hit television programs including “All My Children.” “American Dreams” and “JAG.” Williams contributed to the long running dramatic series “Guiding Light” playing “Clayton Boudreau”, which landed him a nomination in 2009 for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in Television Series. He also starred in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway play “The Exonerated”. Williams also starred and executive produced a prime time network series for CBS, “The Education of Matt Waters”.

Williams has been a prolific author of uplifting and practical books, of which four became bestsellers. They include “Living Well Emotionally: Breakthrough to a Life of Happiness”,” Living Well: 21 Days to Transform Your Life, Supercharge Your Health, and Feel Spectacular”, “ Climbing Higher”,” Body Change”,” Life Lessons and Reflections”, “A Dozen Ways to Sunday: Stories of Hope and Courage”, ”Mountain Get Out of My Way: Life Lessons and Learned Truths” and “Practical Parenting”.

Williams began his professional career in the United States Marine Corp and was the first black Marine selected to the Naval Academy Prep School to then go on to graduate from the Unites States Naval Academy. Williams earned a degree in general engineering and a minor in international security affairs. He also earned a degree from the Defense Language Institute in Russian and Mandarin Chinese. While serving in the military Williams was the recipient of two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals, two Navy Achievement Medals and various other military awards and citations.

Williams currently serves on the board of directors for several non-profit organizations; The Fisher House Foundation; The Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Research & Recognition Project.

Andrea Palm is the DeputySecretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As DeputySecretary, she is the Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for overseeingthe day-to-day operations of the Department.

Palm most recently served as Secretary-designee of the Departmentof Health Services (DHS), overseeing one of the largest state agencies inWisconsin as a member of Governor Tony Evers' cabinet. In this role, she hadresponsibility for the state's Medicaid program, its Supplemental NutritionAssistance Program (SNAP), and behavioral health programs, among others. DHS isalso Wisconsin's public health agency, and as such, Palm led the state'sresponse to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, Palm held a number of policy and operational roles inthe Obama-Biden Administration at HHS, including Acting Assistant Secretary forLegislation, Counselor, Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor to the Secretary.During her eight-year tenure, she worked on a variety of Administrationpriorities, including the Affordable Care Act, as well as providing leadershipfor the Department's work to combat the opioid epidemic.

Palm was born and raised in rural, upstate New York. She holds aBachelor's degree from Cornell University and a Master's degree from WashingtonUniversity in St. Louis.

Alison Barkoff was sworn in as Principal Deputy Administrator on January 20, 2021 and is currently performing the duties of the ACL Administrator and the Assistant Secretary for Aging.  She provides executive leadership and coordination for ACL programs nationwide and advises the HHS Secretary on issues affecting people with disabilities and older adults.

A sibling of an adult brother with developmental disabilities and a civil rights attorney, Alison is a lifelong advocate for community living – both professionally and personally – and has been at the forefront of national efforts to expand the home and community-based services (HCBS) that make community living possible.

As part of countless coalitions of people with disabilities, older adults, and advocates, she has fought to uphold the rights of people with disabilities and older adults and advance policies to ensure their access to health care, housing, employment, education, and all other facets of community life. She has testified before Congress and the US Commission on Civil Rights on disability rights and community living.

She has served in a variety of leadership roles with disability rights organizations, including leading advocacy efforts at the Center for Public Representation and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.

She also is a veteran of the federal government. As Special Counsel for Olmstead Enforcement in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, she led efforts to enforce the rights of people with disabilities to live, work and fully participate in their communities. She also led interagency initiatives with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Medicaid HCBS and with the Department of Labor on direct care workforce issues.

Alison has brought that same focus on collaboration and coordination to her current role. Under her leadership, ACL is working with partners across HHS and the federal government on initiatives and interagency approaches to issues that affect people with disabilities and older adults, such as expanding access to HCBS and affordable, accessible housing; strengthening the direct care workforce; increasing competitive, integrated employment for people with disabilities; and advancing equity, to name just a few. 

Carole Johnson is the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Johnson joined HRSA from the White House COVID-19 Response Team. She previously served as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, leading the state’s largest agency and providing health care and social services to one-in-five New Jerseyans. During her tenure as Commissioner, the Department expanded Medicaid coverage of mental health and substance use disorder services, created new Medicaid benefits to improve maternal health outcomes, and integrated Medicaid into the newly launched state-based Affordable Care Act marketplace. Under Johnson’s leadership, the Department also substantially increased child care rates for the first time in a decade, expanded food assistance benefits, and created an Office of New Americans to support the state’s diverse communities.

Johnson served for more than five years as the Domestic Policy Council public health lead in the Obama White House, working on the Ebola and Zika responses, implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and combatting the opioid epidemic. In addition, she served on Capitol Hill as health staff for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and for members of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee.

At the Department of Health and Human Services, Johnson previously managed health care workforce policy issues for HRSA. She also was policy director for the Alliance of Community Health Plans, program officer with the Pew Charitable Trusts health program, and senior government relations manager with the American Heart Association.

She holds a master’s degree in government from the University of Virginia.

As President and CEO of the National Council on Aging, Ramsey Alwin is leading a nationwide movement to ensure equitable aging for every American. 

Building on NCOA’s 70 years of service and advocacy for older adults, Alwin is renewing the organization’s commitment to improving the lives of millions, especially those who are struggling. She is sparking critical conversations about the resources every American deserves to age well—and what needs to change to ensure all have access.

A seasoned thought leader and policy advocate, Alwin has changed the way people think about older adult poverty and economic security. She designed a new measure of economic security for older adults that better accounts for out-of-pocket health costs and worked to introduce the Measuring American Poverty Act in Congress to redefine the federal poverty measure for the older population. Thanks to Alwin’s efforts, the U.S. Census Bureau formally implemented the Supplemental Poverty Measure nationwide, virtually doubling the elder poverty count and better demonstrating true needs among this population. 

Prior to leading NCOA, Alwin directed financial resilience global thought leadership at AARP and served as Director of National Economic Security Programs at Wider Opportunities for Women. Currently, she serves on the Executive Committee of the UN NGO Committee on Aging, the America250 Health and Wellness Advisory Council, and the National Academy of Social Insurance Finance Committee.