Vanessa Cárdenas

Director of Strategic Communications
Emily’s List

Vanessa Cárdenas is a seasoned political strategist who has worked at the global, national and local level. Currently at EMILY’s List she works to expand the organization’s reach into key states and communities. Prior to EMILY’s List, she worked at the World Wildlife Fund where she supported efforts towards a global climate agreement. Before that, Vanessa founded the project Progress 2050 at the Center for American Progress (CAP) which examines the implications of demographic change. In that role she conceptualized and was the main editor of the book All In Nation https://allinnation.org/ which makes the argument that closing racial gaps is not just a moral imperative but an economic necessity. Prior to CAP, she worked at the National Immigration Forum where she worked with local and national allies in the struggle for a fair and just immigration system. Vanessa started her career as a teacher assistant for the Arlington County Public Schools. Her expertise includes Latino political participation, women’s issues, climate change, US demography, immigration policy, and political communications.

Eneida Roman

Co-Founder of Latina Circle and Founder of Roman Law

Eneida Roman is a Latina advancement champion and connector.  For over a decade, she has been a risk-taking entrepreneur, providing a breadth of legal services for her clients through the boutique legal practice she founded in Boston, MA.  Ms. Roman is a licensed Industrial/Organizational Psychologist in Puerto Rico and a licensed attorney in Massachusetts. She is also a Certified Mediator and strongly believes in the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in order to resolve legal matters.

Ms. Roman is an award-winning multi-faceted professional whose experience and background include executive work around legal compliance, negotiation, diversity & inclusion, organizational behavior, non-profit interest work, teaching at college level, as well as psychological assessments.

Ms. Roman has served in leadership positions for the American Bar Association (ABA), Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), and Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA).  She currently serves on the ABA’s Commission on Hispanic Rights and Responsibilities and is the National Co-Chair of the HNBA Latina Commission.  As a result of her work with the HNBA Latina Commission, Eneida founded the Latina Circle, a non-profit social venture focused on developing Latina executive leaders in Boston.  The Latina Circle hosts quarterly “Cafecitos”, which provide its members with meaningful networking, mentoring and business partnering opportunities.  She is also very committed to Big Sister of Boston and currently serves on Board of Directors and is a founding member of its Diversity Council. She concurrently serves on the National Hispanic Advisory Council of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which mission is to increase Hispanic mentors nationwide.

Ms. Roman has been recognized as a national leader and been selected as 1 of 22 attorneys for the American Bar Association’s (ABA) TIPS Leadership Academy; 1 of 50 attorneys to participate in the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) and Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Latina Executive Leadership Program; as an American Bar Association (ABA) GP Solo Diversity Fellow Scholar; and as part of a distinguished group of attorneys to participate in the Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy (CBLA), all of which are coordinated efforts to strengthen the pipeline of bar association leaders by providing leadership training and professional development to benefit the legal profession overall.

Ms. Roman is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a distinction limited to one percent of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction. The Fellows is an honorary organization of attorneys, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of the legal profession.  Some of her accolades include recognition three consecutive years by El Planeta newspaper as one of the ‘Top 100 Most Influential Individuals in the Hispanic Community in Massachusetts‘.  In 2011 she was named ‘Top Lawyer Under 40’ by the Hispanic National Bar Association, and also received the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys’ Leadership Award.  In 2012 she was recipient of The AD Club’s Rosoff Award for her dedication to meaningful diversity.  She was nominated by Big Sister of Greater Boston, and obtained the mentor award which given to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to a minority community by providing guidance and experience.  In 2014 she was selected as Massachusetts Big Sister of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. In 2016 Eneida was selected by Latino Leaders Magazine as 1 of the 25 Most Influential Latino Lawyers in the United States.

Ms. Roman attended undergraduate and graduate schools at the University of Puerto Rico and Inter American University, both with honors. She is a graduate of New England Law School of Boston, MA where she was honored with the New England Service Award at the time of graduation.  Ms. Roman is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Massachusetts Federal District Court, First Circuit of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

David A. Morales

EVP & Chief Strategy Officer, Steward Health Care System

David Morales is the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Steward Health Care System, New England’s largest integrated community health care provider and foremost innovative health care company in Massachusetts.  As a member of the executive leadership team, he works to facilitate the company’s system-wide strategic initiatives, resolve complex business issues and ensure successful implementation of Steward’s business objectives.

Morales manages various business units that deliver highly successful outcomes.  He leads the Strategic Business Solutions Group, a team dedicated to implementing value-driven solutions across Steward, and responsible for negotiating union labor contracts for over 6,000 employees, as well as Steward’s ambulance and transport services.  He leads the federal and state public policy and analysis group, which leads provider reimbursement and health care transparency efforts.  Morales is also the President of Steward’s professional and general liability captive insurance company.  

One of the key architects of Massachusetts’ Health Care Reform law (Chapter 58), he previously served as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, the state’s Medicaid rate-setting and health care policy office, now known as the Center for Health Information and Analysis.  

As Commissioner, he led provider price and cost transparency efforts.  He also presided over the implementation of the All Payer Claims Database and the state’s first Health Care Cost Trends hearings.  In addition, as a member of the Health Care Cost and Quality Council, Morales worked to standardize the metrics used to publicly measure quality, total medical expense and relative prices of hospitals and physician organizations.  

Prior to serving as Commissioner, Morales was Deputy Chief of Staff to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Before joining the Governor’s office, he worked as Senior Adviser to Massachusetts Senate President Robert E. Travaglini.  In both roles he led landmark initiatives that include health care reform and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative.  

Morales has extensive expertise in the pharmaceutical market and implemented the nation’s first prescription drug insurance model—Prescription Advantage—which informed the creation of Medicare Part D.  

A graduate of Bowdoin College, he serves on the Bowdoin College Board of Trustees, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable Board of Directors, the Mass Taxpayers Foundation Board, as well as the Lynn Classical High School Board of Directors.  He lives in Lynnfield, Massachusetts with his wife and their two children.