Media contact:
Tiffany Phillips
Missouri Foundation for Health
(314) 345-5507
tphillips@mffh.org
Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) has added a new role to its executive leadership team and tapped Ivory Clarke to fill the position after a nationwide search. Clarke will join MFH as the first Vice President of Strategic Relationships on January 8, 2024. Previously, she worked at the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), where she served as the director of the Culture of Health Program.
As the Foundation’s Vice President of Strategic Relationships, Clarke will forge connections with leaders in Missouri in conjunction with MFH’s community liaisons. Building meaningful relationships that lead to equity has been a theme throughout her career, starting with her time in AmeriCorps with Teach for America. Clarke taught advanced high school math and science in the Atlanta Public Schools. Her interactive approach incorporated students’ feedback, resulting in significant gains in their academic growth and success. She brings a strong background in relationship management and organizational leadership to her new role.
At NAM, Clarke led a multi-year collaborative effort focused on advancing health equity. Among the program’s goals and initiatives, Clarke elevated community-generated health equity strategies that could support the health and well-being of people across the country. Notably, she was also NAM’s first equity and inclusion officer, embedding inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism principles into NAM’s programs and practices.
“Ivory’s deep commitment to creating trust in communities is central to our achieving health equity on behalf of all Missourians. She’s eager to learn about the challenges that prevent everyone from living their healthiest lives. We are thrilled to welcome her and the expertise she brings, as we work toward strengthening partnerships and advancing health equity in Missouri by 2033,” said Dr. Dwayne Proctor, MFH President and CEO.
Clarke is ready to bring her national lens to the state. Much of her time at NAM centered around convening groups and building connections with partners across organizations, disciplines, and geographic regions to define and achieve common goals. That experience will serve her well at MFH.
“Around the country, communities face a multifaceted set of challenges to health and well-being. Solving them takes coalitions of committed partners on local and national levels. I’m excited to be part of that journey in Missouri on a team that has already made exceptional strides in generating positive changes in health,” she said.
Clarke is returning to familiar ground as she relocates from Washington, D.C. to the Midwest. In addition to spending summers and holidays in the Chicago area as a child, she earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago. She looks forward to exploring St. Louis’ culinary scene and finding the best places to play indoor volleyball, one of her favorite sports.
