2026

Featured Participants

Tickets

Sponsor

Frantz M. Berthaud, MPH, FACHE is the Senior Vice President of Oncology Services for the University Medical Center of El Paso. He has oversight of the system's operations and strategic vision for oncology. He has over 15 years of experience in the healthcare sector ranging from clinical research to management, education, operations, and strategy. Prior to Frantz joining THOP, he served in several leadership roles at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. Frantz serves on several boards including United Way of El Paso County, Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), and Boston College, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Philosophy. He holds a Master of Public Health from BUSPH and was an adjunct faculty there. Frantz is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. When he is not pursuing his passion at the intersection of oncology and equity, he is enjoying time with family.

Eve Blossom is a seasoned advisor, mentor and expert in technology, women's healthcare and digital health, Eve Blossom builds and invests in ventures that transform how we define, access and interact with care. Her focus is spearheading investments, strategy and business operations that solve healthcare's most critical challenges. Eve also founded Material Change Institute, a non-profit that enables diverse investors to reach influential decision-making positions within the asset management industry, which in turn broadens investments. She has been active in startup and growth companies for the last two decades, both nationally and internationally. Eve is an author, speaker and an Associate at Creative Destruction Lab.

Bill Allen is the Assistant Director of Economic & International Development for the City of El Paso, Texas. He leads a group that is responsible for business attraction, retention and expansion.
Mr. Allen has over 25 years of experience in business. During his career he has held various upper management positions including Controller for both Mercer Consulting and Xerox Corporation. He then moved into the non-profit sector and led Chambers of Commerce for 16 years before taking his current position with the City of El Paso.
Mr. Allen has both a BBA and an MBA from Northwood University in Midland, MI.

Aaron Chiu is a medical device executive and manufacturing leader based in El Paso, Texas, with over 20 years of experience spanning product development, manufacturing operations, corporate development, and commercial strategy.
At SEISA Medical, he held senior roles including President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing multi-site manufacturing across North America, Europe, and Asia. He led operational execution, site leadership, and financial performance against budgets and key performance indicators (KPIs), and drove SEISA's acquisition and integration of three facilities in California and New Jersey under a $50 million credit facility.
Earlier, he founded and led SEISA Medical Research & Development (R&D), directing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) and Premarket Approval (PMA) programs and scaling validated manufacturing for complex cardiovascular implantable and catheter technologies—work that contributed to multiple U.S. medical device patents in his name.
Aaron currently serves as a General Partner at Turnstone Investments LLC, investing across regional, national, and global industrial markets.

R. Jacob Cintron serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the El Paso County Hospital District (EPCHD). With over 40 years of healthcare management experience, he began his healthcare career at Thomason General Hospital, now named University Medical Center of El Paso – which he leads today.
Mr. Cintron also oversees important affiliations and partnerships between University Medical Center of El Paso and Texas Tech University Health Science Center of El Paso. These affiliations ensure the campus at University Medical Center of El Paso continues to be the center of medical teaching, providing an exceptional learning environment and experience for medical students, residents, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. These affiliations with Texas Tech include the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, the Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing, and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Other affiliations include the University of Texas at El Paso Nursing & Pharmacy Programs, El Paso Community College Nursing Programs, Dona Ana Community College, New Mexico State University, Texas Women’s University, Western New Mexico University, and New Mexico State University. Together, these programs are responsible for training more than a thousand future healthcare providers each year at the Campus of University Medical Center of El Paso.

Eardie Curry is currently the Medical Affairs Executive Director for Genentech, covering north Texas and Oklahoma. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Eardie Curry has 20+ years of experience within hospital systems and pharmacy departments. In addition, Eardie has been fortunate to work in three NCI designated cancer centers, been awarded NCI-grant funding, and was the Director of Pharmacy at the hospital where he was born. Eardie has a BA in Biology from Texas A&M, a PharmD from Texas Southern, and an MBA from the University of Houston. Eardie lives in Austin with his wife and family, and works towards a day where your zip code does not determine your life expectancy.

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, a third-generation El Pasoan, proudly represents Texas’ 16th Congressional District. Since making history as the first woman elected to represent El Paso and the first of two Latinas from Texas to serve in Congress, Congresswoman Escobar serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
In Congress, she has established herself as the voice of the border and as a national leader on gun safety, healthcare, reproductive justice, and immigration.

John L. Hummer, MHA, is co-founder, executive board director, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Burrell College of Health Sciences (BCHS), comprised of the School of Osteopathic Medicine and the School of Health Professions with campuses in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Melbourne, Florida.
A healthcare executive and medical education leader, Hummer lead the establishment of the institution in 2013 to expand physician training, strengthen the healthcare workforce, and improve access to care in underserved communities across the Southwest and beyond. He earned his undergraduate degree in economics from Kansas State University under a U.S. Army scholarship and his master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Kansas.
Before founding Burrell, he spent two decades in executive leadership in investor-owned and academic hospital settings. Hummer also co-founded the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine and was named the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine’s (AACOM) 2026 William D. Miller Award recipient for advancing osteopathic medicine and service to future physicians. He is also the current Chair of the AACOM’s Assembly of Presidents.

Laura is currently Director of Health Policy, Economics for Edwards LifeSciences based out of El Paso, TX. She supports the South Central & Midwestern Regions and is responsible for providing field economic support for hospitals with new or existing structural heart programs in the transcatheter heart valve replacement space. Leveraging expertise in health policy, financial and data analytics, Laura’s team is deploying innovative approaches to partner with health system leaders to advance value based healthcare in the United States.
Laura has over 20 years of healthcare experience in biologics, pharmaceutical and medical device serving in various sales, management, market access, training and leadership roles. She has expertise in the areas of payer strategy, economic value positioning, health policy, reimbursement, contracting, advocacy, account management and strategic sales solutions.
Prior to joining Edwards Life Sciences, Laura worked for Johnson and Johnson Medical Device Companies as a Director in Health Policy, Economics and Market Access for the Western US. Partnering with Government Affairs she helped lead, shape & influence various state bariatric policy projects working with Regional payers, and employers for improved patient access for bariatric surgery, orthopedics, trauma, and spine. Laura also worked for GlaxoSmithKline in Market Access and Strategic Market Development. There she led regional payer access projects with various public customer segments including the Department of Defense, Indian Health, and CDC state health advisors.
Laura holds a Bachelors in International Economics with a minor in Spanish from Texas Tech University. She has completed Health Policy coursework from Rutgers University and Comparative Effectiveness Research coursework at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Daniel J. Jones, an NMSU Graduate, has over 20 years of experience as an early and growth-stage software entrepreneur and operator across several VC backed technology ventures, leading to multiple exits. Daniel is currently leading multiple ventures including Deadbolt Cyber, a cybersecurity software company focused on the world's most complex large-scale malware challenges, CEO for Patient Signs, a healthcare data platform for hospitals, and as Chief Business Officer for Colossal, the world's most advanced fundraising platform. Daniel’s work also includes serving as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Arrowhead Center, a strategic consultant for several healthcare technology initiatives at Arizona State University and is an advisor to Audaz Capital in El Paso.
Previously, Daniel served as CEO of Aural Analytics and led innovation and venture efforts at Carneros Bay Capital, a San Francisco based VC, incubator/accelerator and technology development group.

El Paso has been Dee Margo’s home since 1977. He moved to El Paso, Texas from Nashville, Tennessee, where he attended Vanderbilt University on a football scholarship, to join his father-in-law at John D. Williams Company (JDW Insurance). Dee met his wife, Adair, a 3rd generation El Pasoan at Vanderbilt. In February of 1981, 6 days after his 29th birthday, his father-in-law suffered a fatal heart attack. He purchased JDW from the estate, and expanded the company from 6 employees to 70, in the span of 30 years. JDW was purchased by HUB International in 2012, the 4th largest broker in the world.
During these years, Dee served as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, participated in the founding of the Regional Economic Development Corporation (REDCO) – now the Borderplex Alliance, became the Chairman of the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, and gave his time to several non-profits, most notably as president of Operation Noel, providing 20,000 coats to children at Christmas. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2010, in 2013 he was appointed President of the EPISD Board of Managers, in 2015 appointed by the Governor to serve on the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Oversight Committee (CPRIT), and most recently, he served as the 51st Mayor of El Paso, Texas, from 2017-2021.
His tenure as Mayor was full of major events El Paso did not expect. Starting with the immigration crisis, followed by the August 3, 2019, Walmart tragedy, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dee Margo is proud of his 5 grandchildren, 3 of whom are 5th generation El Pasoans. He continues to leverage the city’s economic development and promote a stronger El Paso with his wife, Adair Margo.

Dr. Kristi Mena is the Dean of the El Paso Campus of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health where she has worked for 25 years. She is also Professor and the Jane Dale Owen Endowed Chair of the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Vice President of Civic & Business Engagement. Dr. Mena’s service and research focus on human health risk assessment, water quality and food safety, and workplace safeguards. She develops strategies for infection prevention and control programs that promote human health in the El Paso community and beyond. Her research informs best protection practices at NASA’s International Space Station and for the commercialization of spaceflight, as well as for international events, including the 2016 Olympics in Rio where athletes competed in virus-laden waters. Dr. Mena was recently reappointed to the USEPA Chartered Science Advisory Board under President Trump’s administration.

Christina Paz, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, joined the Centro San Vicente team in October 2009 as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In October of 2016, Dr. Paz took the position of Chief Operating Officer and in December 2018, Dr. Paz accepted the position as Chief Executive Officer becoming the first female Chief Executive Officer of Centro San Vicente in over 27 years. She continues to provide patient care in addition to her role as CEO.
Dr. Paz obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from NMSU, Las Cruces, NM in December 2003 and continued her education to obtain her Masters of Science of Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner in August 2009 from Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Lubbock, TX. In May 2013, Dr. Paz completed her Doctorate of Nurse Practice at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Christina is proud to sit on other organizational Board of Directors to include El Paso County Hospital District, Medical Centers of the Americas, Community en Accion, and the Texas Association for Community Health Care Centers. Dr. Paz is also the only Nurse Practitioner to serve on the Medical Care Advisory Committee for Texas Department of Health and Human Services, and was appointed by County Judge Richard Samaniego to the first Women’s Commission for El Paso County.
Dr. Paz is a proud 2018 University of Texas El Paso Gold Nugget recipient, 2022 Community Impact award from Texas Nurse Practitioner, 2023 was recognized as a Woman of Impact, and recipient of 2025 Pioneers 21 Innovation Award. In addition, Dr. Paz is a proud mom to 11 and 13 year old daughters and an wife to EPISD Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Mark Paz.

Dr. Ginger Raya is the Center Leader of the George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management and an Associate Professor at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership and education, she is a recognized expert and mentor in the field. Dr. Raya has served in various leadership roles, including as Chair of the El Paso Chamber Healthcare Coalition, incoming President for the local chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives and vice-chair of Pioneers 21. In 2024, she was honored as one of the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) Women of Distinction for her outstanding contributions to the community. Beyond her professional roles, Dr. Raya is a venture capital investor with Ecotone Fund. She and her husband also invest in real estate in Texas and Arizona.

Dr. Lauren Richardson is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch and Chief Scientific Officer of Gravitas Women’s Health and KaRMa Exotechnologies. Her research focuses on developing advanced microphysiological systems to model human reproduction and pregnancy. She engineers physiologically relevant fetal–maternal interface platforms using primary human cells and tissue-derived matrices, overcoming key limitations of traditional in vitro and animal models. Through these systems, she investigates cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions, mechanisms of immune tolerance, and pathways leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Dr. Richardson is a part of a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary team that integrate reproductive biology, bioengineering, immunology, and pharmacology. There work supports studies of preterm birth, evaluation of environmental toxicants, and discovery and screening of therapeutics. Across academia and industry, she drives translation of organ-on-chip technologies to improve women’s health outcomes and advances regulatory science by promoting adoption of human-relevant models for safer, more effective interventions worldwide.

Eric M. Rohren, M.D., Ph.D., FACR is the Rick and Ginger Francis Endowed Dean of the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech Health El Paso. A nationally recognized radiologist and academic leader, he previously served as Chair of Radiology at Baylor College of Medicine and Section Chief of PET Imaging at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Rohren earned his medical degree and Ph.D. from the Mayo Clinic and completed his radiology residency and nuclear medicine fellowship at Duke University.
An expert in nuclear medicine and PET imaging, he has authored more than 150 peer reviewed publications, delivered over 100 invited presentations, and serves in national leadership roles with the American College of Radiology and other leading medical organizations. As Dean, he is leading the continued growth of Texas Tech Health El Paso, including the development of its new Cancer Center and Clinics.

Ricardo A. Samaniego has served as El Paso County Judge since 2019 and is now in his second term. A lifelong El Pasoan with graduate degrees from UTEP, New Mexico State University, and the University of Notre Dame. He has guided the county through major challenges, including the 2019 mass shooting, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a historic migrant influx.
Judge Samaniego’s leadership has earned numerous honors and awards. He continues to prioritize mental health, veteran services, infrastructure, economic development, and community outreach, and he proudly championed El Paso’s designation as the Veterans Capital of the United States.