Dr. Brooks was elected to The Rippel Foundation Board of Trustees in 2023. As a public health and health care advocate, Dr. Brooks brings over 16 years of experience with local, state, and federal public health organizations, the private sector, and academia. She has led the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health, health care and policy initiatives designed to improve health outcomes and reduce inequities and health care costs. Her career has focused on leveraging the strength and resources of organizations to drive broader societal good, with a particular focus on the health and well-being of the most vulnerable—a focus that is directly aligned with Rippel’s work to advance equitable health and well-being.

Currently, Dr. Brooks serves as Vice President of Quality Strategy, Innovation and Experience, UnitedHealthcare, where she has held clinical and quality leadership roles spanning both Medicaid and Medicare. Her portfolio has included leading Medicare Star quality initiatives, improving maternal and child health outcomes, leveraging the position of a payer to address the opioid crisis and support chronic condition management, and building organizational infrastructure to advance population health and equity initiatives.

Previously, Dr. Brooks worked with the Harvard Prevention Research Center, where she evaluated community interventions to prevent chronic diseases and reduce health disparities. She also worked in a variety of roles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including serving as the Health Equity Coordinator for the Division of Community Health, leading health equity efforts in the implementation of national community health initiatives with budgets totaling over $600 million (and 100+ grantees and partners). Prior to joining the CDC, Dr. Brooks worked with the Southern Center for Communication, Health, and Poverty.

The recipient of numerous honors and awards, Dr. Brooks holds a Doctor of Science degree in Social & Behavioral Sciences and Nutrition from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA; an M.A. in Health Communication from University of Georgia; and a B.A. in Communication from the University of Southern Mississippi.