Dr. Michael Curry: Keynote Speaker

President & CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (the Mass League), which represents 50 health centers, serving over one million patients out of over 300 practice sites. He was named: one of the Boston Business Journal’s Power 50 Movement Makers of 2024, 2023 and 2022; one of Boston’s Most Influential Men of Color by GetKonnected!; one of Boston Magazine’s 150 Most Influential Bostonians in 2024 and 2023; and a Bostonian of the Year in 2021 (along with his member health centers) by The Boston Globe and Boston Magazine. 

He brings over 35 years of experience and results in civil rights advocacy, health reform and health equity. 

He is a current, nationally elected (4-term) member of the National NAACP’s Board of Directors (2014-present) and the Immediate Past President of the Boston Branch of the NAACP (2011-2016). 

Attorney Curry is also an Adjunct Professor at both New England Law Boston teaching Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession and Suffolk University’s Moakley Center and Sawyer School of Management teaching a health care management and policy course. In just over three years since Michael assumed the role of CEO at the Mass League, the staff have more than doubled, the organization secured an over $360 million contract with the state to administer the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MA Repay), and he launched the Institute for Health Equity Research, Evaluation & Policy (IHE) after raising just under $8 million dollars. The IHE is focused on conducting “emancipatory research” and ensuring patients, community health and communities are central to developing new knowledge in health. In addition, Dr. Curry is the co-Chair of the Harvard School of Public Health’s (Harvard Catalyst’s) Community Coalition for Equity in Research (CCER), aimed at supporting bi-directional community engagement to improve the relevance, quality, and impact of research.

In 2022, Dr. Curry co-founded the Health Equity Compact in Massachusetts, a collective of over 80 c-suite leaders of color in health care, insurance, philanthropy, government and academia with a mission to realize bold statewide policy and institutional practice changes that center racial justice and health equity. 

Early wins include filing an omnibus health equity bill with the Massachusetts Legislature; working with the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation to produce a ground-breaking report on the Cost of Inequity ($5.9 billion annually); hosting an annual Health Equity Trends Summit that draws over 1,000 leaders and advocates for a day-long discussion on solutions.

Dr. Curry earned a Bachelor of Arts from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from New England School of Law, and later graduated from the inaugural class of the Executive Leadership Council’s (ELC’s) Pipeline to Leadership Program. He also has an honorary degree from William James college, a Doctorate in Business Administration from Curry College and Healthcare Administration from Labouré College.

He also serves on numerous boards/commissions/committees, including: Embrace Boston; Eastern Bank’s Board of Advisors; public broadcasting GBH’s Board of Advisors; Alliance for Business Leadership (ABL); Harvard & Legacy of Slavery Initiative’s External Advisory Committee; Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care (MCSIC); The New England Council (NEC); Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Community Development Advisory Council (CDAC); Health Policy Commission’s Advisory Board; and RIZE Massachusetts, dedicated to funding solutions to end the overdose crisis.

He is a frequent Political Commentator on WBUR’s Radio Boston, Morning Edition and Week in Review, Boston Public Radio WGBH with Jim Braude and Margery Eagan, WGBH’s Greater Boston, and New England Cable News, as well as frequently requested to provide reactions to breaking news, presidential and mayoral debates, and state of the union/city addresses.

Michael has received numerous awards, most recently: the 2024 Boston Municipal Research Bureau Henry Shattuck City Champion Award; the Disability Policy Center (DPC) 2024 Mary Lou Maloney Award; the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts’ Melvin H. King Community Leadership Award; the National Association of Community Health Centers’ 2024 Norton Wilson State/Regional Leadership Award; and the National NAACP’s 2022 William Montague Cobb Award for “special achievement in healthcare, social justice, and policy advocacy”.