Meet the 2026 Panelists
Gary Ferguson, Chief Health Administrator and Director of Integrative Medicine- The Tulalip Tribes
Dr. Gary Ferguson serves as Chief Health Administrator and Director of Integrative Medicine for The Tulalip Tribes. He is Unangax̂ (Aleut) and an enrolled member in the Qagan Tayagungin Tribe originally from Sand Point, Alaska. Formally trained as a Naturopathic Physician, he has a passion for promoting healthy communities with a population health approach and has spent most of his career in Tribal health serving Native People.
John Kim, CEO- HealthierHere
John Kim is the CEO of HealthierHere, a cross-sector collaborative working to achieve equity by advancing community driven systems change. He is also a Community Advisory Board member for the Health Promotion Research Center at University of Washington and a member of the Board of Directors of YMCA of Greater Seattle. John’s professional experience includes a diverse mix of settings from a national healthcare law practice to hospital senior management to social justice and equity focused community organizations. Mr. Kim graduated with a JD from New York University School of Law and a BA in Government from Dartmouth College.
Laura Kate Zaichkin, Director of Market Competition & Affordability in Washington- Washington Health Alliance
Laura Kate Zaichkin (she/her) serves as Director of Market Competition & Affordability for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, a public-private partnership that operates the online portal used by one in four Washington residents to obtain health and dental insurance coverage. Laura Kate leads the Exchange's primary affordability initiative that aims to improve equitable access to high-quality, affordable health coverage on the individual market. The child of two nurses, Laura Kate brings 15 years of passion for and experience in health reform and health systems transformation. Her previous roles include serving as deputy chief policy officer for the Washington State Health Care Authority, leading health benefit purchasing strategy for Washington state’s long-term home caregiving workforce, and convening a multi-sector partnership of national health care quality entities in Washington, DC. Laura Kate has a master’s degree in public health policy from The George Washington University, and early in her career worked as a journalist.
Mary Lasky, Senior Director, Benefits- Nordstrom
Mary Lasky is an employee-centered benefits leader and Senior Director of Health, Welfare, and Retirement Benefits at Nordstrom. She specializes in designing inclusive, global benefits programs that support diverse workforces across all levels of an organization. Known for her solution-oriented approach and genuine care for people, Mary is passionate about creating meaningful, member-centered experiences.
Michael Mitchell, National Director of Growth- Foodsmart
Michael Mitchell is the National Director of Growth at Foodsmart, where his work sits at the critical intersection of clinical nutrition, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), and healthcare system design. Deeply committed to solving "The Equity Equation," Michael focuses on dismantling barriers to care by integrating nutrition and Food-as-Medicine solutions directly into commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage benefit structures. By building scalable systems that connect diverse populations with registered dietitians and subsidized food access, he works to address the root social conditions driving chronic disease. His strategic initiatives aim to close care gaps, dramatically improve long-term health outcomes, and create a sustainable framework for health equity across all patient demographics.
Sergio Vazquez, Vice President, HR- Yakima Valley Farm Workers
Sergio Vazquez Jr., MBA is the Vice President of Human Resources at Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, a federally qualified health center with more than 40 locations across Washington and Oregon delivering integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services. He brings over 20 years of healthcare human resources leadership experience across community health centers and large, multi‑state nonprofit health systems. His work focuses on workforce strategy, total rewards and benefits design, analytics, engagement, and organizational design to support complex healthcare operations. Sergio has led enterprise work in health plan strategy, provider and staff compensation, workforce analytics, and HR transformation.