NEWS
Georgetown University Announces Dr. Christopher King as Inaugural Dean for School of Health
Georgetown University is proud to announce the appointment of Christopher J. King, Ph.D., MHSc, FACHE, associate professor and chair of the Department of Health Systems Administration at the School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS), as dean of its new School of Health when it launches on July 1st.
“Dr. King has devoted his career to improving health and addressing health disparities through a health justice and systems based approach,” said Georgetown President John J. DeGioia in announcing King’s selection as dean. “[He] has made important contributions as a scholar, focused on the creation of equitable systems of care.”
King’s experience — ranging from the classroom to health care systems to the community — lends him a well-rounded and values-driven perspective that will be an asset to the School of Health at this formative time, according to Edward B. Healton, MD, MPH, executive vice president for health sciences at Georgetown University Medical Center and executive dean for the School of Medicine.
“In the same way he works to lift up members of the DC community, Dr. King has demonstrated that he is deeply committed to the well-being of students, faculty and colleagues,” Healton said. “His experience will advance the school’s educational and research mission, while strengthening a culture of inclusion and equity.”
As chair of the Department of Health Systems Administration, King has led undergraduate and graduate academic programs and made important contributions as a scholar, focused on the creation of equitable systems of care.
Prior to joining Georgetown in 2015, King served as the inaugural Assistant Vice President of Community Health for MedStar Health, where he launched and managed processes to strengthen rigor and evidence around community-based planning, implementation and evaluation.
During his prior tenure as a director for Greater Baden Medical Services, Inc., a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in southern Maryland, he secured more than $7 million in public and private grants to promote health equity and improve the health of vulnerable and underserved populations.
King is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has written numerous articles for Healthcare Executive magazine. As a former senior fellow of the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET), King represents an esteemed group of national thought leaders dedicated to transforming health care through research and education.
In 2019, King was appointed as a Commissioner for the District of Columbia Commission on Health Equity. He has published several important articles, most recently as lead author of “Race, Place and Structural Racism in the District of Columbia” in the journal Health Affairs, exploring how structural racism and historical events have led to stark differences in health outcomes for Black residents. Last year, under King’s leadership, the Department of Health Systems Administration helped establish a new educational module on implicit bias for the DC Department of Health, which offers providers Continuing Education Credit to explore their personal biases and how biases may be harmful in health care settings.
Healton noted that King’s two-year appointment as dean is integral to the school’s ongoing development.
“Dr. King is the leader this moment demands to help us shape the future School of Health and firmly establish its core values while developing and nurturing important partnerships across Georgetown, MedStar Health and beyond — creating a strong foundation that is so very critical to its future growth and expansion,” Healton said.
“I am very excited for Dr. King to begin his tenure as the dean for the Georgetown University School of Health,” said Shoa Moosavi (NHS’23), a global health major at NHS who served on the dean search committee. “After speaking with Dr. King during the search process, I feel that he will be a visionary leader.
“He brings some truly unique experiences to this role, while being a practitioner of the social justice principles we value,” Moosavi added. “I believe students and faculty alike will benefit from his ability to listen to our needs, articulate our shared goals and effectively motivate the school community towards our vision of academic excellence and positive social impact.”
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Sandra Douglass Morgan Becomes NFL’s 1st Black Female President
The Las Vegas Raiders made history by naming Sandra Douglass Morgan as the franchise’s new president, the first Black woman to hold the title with an NFL team. Team owner Mark Davis said Sandra Douglass Morgan topped his list every time after he spoke to candidates.
“Her experience, integrity and passion for this community will be invaluable to our organization,” Davis said. “From the moment I met Sandra, I knew she was a force to be reckoned with. We are extremely lucky to have her at the helm.”
Morgan, the former chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, is the third woman and third African-American to become president of an NFL team.
She is also the latest Raiders hire to break barriers. Former Raiders coach Tom Flores was the first Hispanic head coach to win a Super Bowl title and former coach Art Shell was the first Black head coach of the NFL’s Super Bowl era.
Morgan, who spent eight years with the city of North Las Vegas, was also the first Black city attorney in the state of Nevada when she served in that role from 2013 to 2016.
“I definitely never want to be the last,” Morgan said, “and I want to get to a point where there is no more firsts.” Morgan emphasized leadership and full transparency during her introductory press conference at Allegiant Stadium.
“We have so much more to do, and I’m excited to be at the helm of that growth and look forward to ushering in the new chapter for the Raiders,” said Morgan. “The fact is I have accepted this role because I believe in the promise of the Raiders, I believe in the future of the Raiders, and I believe in this organization’s tenets of community, integrity, and most of all, commitment to excellence.”
She takes over a team that has endured tumultuous times in its front office, with two presidents and several longtime executives leaving the organization in less than a year.
After Marc Badain resigned as president last summer, Dan Ventrelle took over in July 2021 on an interim basis and was promoted to the full-time role in January. But Ventrelle was gone less than a year after joining the organization. In a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Ventrelle said he was fired in retaliation for bringing concerns from multiple employees to the NFL about a “hostile work environment.”
“It’s no secret that this organization has faced some recent challenges, but I want to be clear, I am not here to sweep anything under the rug or avoid problems or concerns that need to be addressed,” said Morgan. “It is not lost on me that this is a critical and defining moment in the NFL. It’s important to me and it is my intention to make a meaningful contribution well beyond the Raiders family.”
Star defensive end Maxx Crosby, who attended Morgan’s introduction, said Raiders players are excited to start a new chapter.
“It’s incredible,” Crosby said. “First off, just breaking barriers and Mark has done an incredible job and it started with his father. You know, just being transparent and giving everyone an equal opportunity. She’s honestly the best for the job and it’s going to be awesome, we’re excited for the future.”
Coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler welcomed Morgan in a prepared statement.
“We congratulate Sandra Douglass Morgan on her historic hiring as team president and are excited to welcome her into the Raiders family. Sandra brings impressive leadership experience to the organization and we are thrilled to work with her as we continue to build a championship-caliber culture and team,” the statement said.
Morgan’s husband, Don, played with the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals between 1999 and 2002.
