All right, I would like to call Dr. James to the podium. So as someone mentioned, the stomachs are growling, the food is out there, but I did want to take this opportunity. We have a special guest in the room, and I wanted you to have an opportunity to meet her and possibly, as you are eating your lunch and having discussions, maybe just stop and say hello. And so I just wanted to provide her an opportunity to provide a little welcome, but before she comes up here, I'm talking about Dr. Marquita Wills, who is the Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director for the American Psychiatric Association. Let me tell you, she is the first woman and the first black American to occupy this critical role for the 100-year professional society. So I'm going to quickly, I know you hate long stuff, but I am going to have to share that just in her past, what did she bring to this position? So much. She was a Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Johns Hopkins Health Plans. She was a consultant at McKinsey and Company. She was Director of Physician Affairs at Medical Center Campus of Memorial Hermann Hospital System. She was Senior Medical Director at WellCare Health Plans. She is co-author of a book called Understanding Mental Illness, a Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health Disorders for Family and Friends. And I love to say she is a former, no, actually she is a lifelong APA SAMHSA Minority Fellow. So Dr. Wills is passionate about collaboration and innovation in order to deliver patient-centered, high-quality, equitable, efficient, and affordable care. Please welcome my boss, Dr. Wills. Thank you, Regina. Thank you for that wonderful welcome. It is so nice to be in this room, and I recognize that I am standing between you all and lunch, but I did want to come and say a few words. First of all, thanking all of you for being here, and I personally know that I am fangirling because there are so many illustrious people in this space, in the room. Thank you so much, Dr. Lawson, for giving our keynote address this morning. Really, really happy to be here. I am honored to have you and to welcome you into our home base here at the American Psychiatric Association for this critically important convening. I want to begin by expressing my deepest gratitude to our staff, Dr. James and her team, Madonna, Elvis, Gabriel, everyone. Thank you, Azan. Thank you so much for bringing your talents and gifts to bring together this illustrious group of practitioners who are interested in advancing this space. So thank you for bringing it to life. I'd also like to recognize some of our members, not only for being a part of the panel, but for all that they do for the American Psychiatric Association. And that would be Drs. Neil Agrawal, Dr. Pooja Shada, and Dr. Javid Sukera, who I'm so happy to see again. Haven't seen you in quite some time, so it's great to see some familiar faces in the room. Your dedication to advancing this space is so important, and also we appreciate your contributions to the association. So today is about exploring how we can create environments, and I've been in here for about an hour and hearing the ideas germinating and percolating, and this is what it's all about so that we can answer that question. How can we get APA and other organizations to ensure that these competencies are built into residency programs? Exploring about how we can create environments where cultural values and diverse identities are not just acknowledged, but rather are actively celebrated and also seamlessly integrated into our learning systems where we work and where we serve. And my hope is that each of you will take some tools, insights, learnings, inspiration that have been gathered here today back to your workplaces to share with your colleagues and implement new ideas. I know many of you are already working in this space, but hopefully we can build these bridges and take this back and amplify even further. And I'm confident that together we can continue the journey that our forefathers established before us to continue to create that meaning and lasting change. So your presence here today is a powerful reminder that the work that we are undertaking is not a one-off effort. It's not something that happens in a one-day event. It is an ongoing journey that requires our commitment, our collaboration, and our sweat and tears. And so as we move forward with the rest of the program, I'm excited about the momentum in the room. Let's carry that forward into the upcoming sessions, and I look forward to the rich discussions, fresh perspectives, and actionable ideas yet to come. So again, thank you for taking time out of your day to be a part of this important convening. Thank you, Dr. James, again for your vision in bringing this to life. And now we can have lunch. So thanks, everyone.

American Psychiatric Association

inclusive environments

psychiatric education

meaningful change

commitment and collaboration