AFYA staff comprise technical, professional, and support staff who work together as teams to deliver culturally relevant, client-focused solutions in the areas of: comparative effectiveness research (CER), health disparities/health equity; health information exchange (HIE)/health information technology (HIT); health policy research; healthy families; mental health services; substance use prevention and treatment; and volunteerism. 

AFYA staff include: Senior research and evaluation staff with advanced degrees; technical assistance staff, including trainers, curriculum development specialists, and information technology specialists; trained social workers; social marketing specialists; conference and event planners who are Certified Meeting Professionals; and publications production staff – writers, editors, design staff, copyeditor/proofreaders, and production specialists.

AFYA personnel have degrees in a range of areas—public health, health care administration, sociology, psychology, medicine, law, social work, education, instructional design, English literature, communications, business, and computer sciences. We also maintain an extensive database of nationally known subject matter experts, who serve as senior consultants in selected areas.

CORPORATE EXECUTIVES

LeMont E. Joyner, M.S.P.H.
Founder and President
More than 24 years of experience as a corporate executive, corporate monitor, and researcher. Founded AFYA in 1991 and directed the firm's first research projects for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Received an Award for Outstanding Service from the Office of Minority Health (OMH)/HHS. Develops and guides AFYA’s strategic planning processes. Member of the Board of Directors of The Morgan State University Foundation. Areas of Specialized Expertise: strategic planning, corporate financial management, public policy, minority health.

Karen Feggans-James, M.S.W.
Chief Operating Officer and Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
A social worker with more than 20 years of experience directing technical and professional services projects for numerous HHS operating divisions. Oversees all AFYA contract operations and business development. Well-known for her ability to direct long-term, multi-task projects and implement effective quality control programs.  Formerly a medical social worker and director of health services programs. Areas of Specialized Expertise: contract negotiation and management, performance management, cost control, health communication, social marketing, business development and sales.

Ajay Bhardwaj, Ph.D.
Director, Analytical and Technical Services Division 
Social science researcher with more than 20 years of experience in both domestic and international health services research. Directs several research and evaluation projects for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Projects include a task order to conduct measurement studies and program evaluations for AHRQ’s six research portfolios, as part of the Agency’s “Performance Improvement Initiative.” Corporate Monitor on training and TA and health communication projects for the American Lung Association of the District of Columbia (ALADC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among others. Areas of Specialized Expertise: health services research, quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.

Sheritta Cooper Porter, B.S. 
Director, Information Support Services Division 
More than 19 years of experience directing Federal government logistical support contracts.  Establishes and implements conference and meeting planning procedures. Former Project Director on contracts with the Department of Labor (DOL), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U.S. Department of Education (ED). Areas of Specialized Expertise: conference management, peer review contract management, Federal Travel Regulations (FTRs), cost control, personnel supervision.

SENIOR STAFF

Robin Pugh Yi, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate
Directs project teams supporting AHRQ and ALADC, drawing on more than 22 years of experience as a social science researcher. Specializes in evaluation research. Serves as AFYA’s Portfolio Liaison for AHRQ’s Patient Safety and Prevention/Care Management portfolios. Directs a task order with AHRQ to synthesize HIE data. Quantitative analysis experience includes multivariate statistics and causal modeling as well as non-parametric statistics. Has collected qualitative data via focus groups, observation, interviews, and archival data review and trained field data collectors for national evaluations. Areas of Specialized Expertise: health/social policy research, evaluation design, data analysis, results dissemination, project and task order management.

Princess Katana, M.D., M. Ed.
Senior Research Associate
Nationally known expert in the area of children’s mental health. Serves as Project Manager for AFYA’s technical assistance and outreach project with SAMHSA/CMHS, “Eliminating Mental Health Disparities (EMHD).” Also directs a project with AHRQ to evaluate the Agency’s National Guidelines Clearinghouse (NGC).™ Provides technical direction for the projects, monitors budgets and deliverables, and manages project staff. Areas of Specialized Expertise: children and family mental health, wraparound approach to service delivery, sustainability of systems of care, healthy families, health communication, social marketing.

Lola Oguntomilade, M.P.H.
Assistant Project Director
Assistant Project Director on AFYA’s EMHD project with SAMHSA/CMHS.  More than 12 years of experience in health services research, grants management, and project development. Assists in the development of culturally competent outreach programs and coordinates events such as advisory committee meetings, a Policy Academy, and a Leadership Academy. Previously a Senior Research Program Coordinator at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing Center for Health Disparities Research and a Public Health Analyst at HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Areas of Specialized Expertise: health services research (including international projects), data collection and analysis, health disparities, outreach to targeted communities.

Tonya Brice-Burke, J.D., Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
Project Director
Experience designing, staffing, and managing national conferences, regional meetings, training institutes, special events, and working groups.  Directs AFYA’s cooperative agreement with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to design and support complex training and TA events held throughout the U.S. Also plans large, national conferences for CNCS. Formerly a Senior Events Consultant for the Office of the Assistant Secretary, Department of Energy (DOE). More than 16 years of experience in meeting planning. Areas of Specialized Expertise: Management of complex meeting planning contracts, FTRs, site selection, hotel negotiation.

Judith Grant, M.Sc., CMP
Project Director
More than 20 years of experience in meeting planning, specializing in peer review management. Has directed task orders with CNCS to plan and support peer reviews (including field reviews) for AmeriCorps*State, AmeriCorps*National, and Learn and Serve America (LSA). Also serves as Project Director on conference and meeting planning and peer review projects for SAMHSA. Previously directed peer review projects for the Administration for Native Americans, ED, and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Areas of Specialized Expertise: reviewer recruitment, mobilization, and training; online grant management systems, field reviews.