Keynote Speaker

Donna Lynne, Dr.P.H., was sworn in as Colorado’s 49th Lieutenant Governor and Chief Operating Officer on May 12, 2016. She is widely respected as both a leader in the private sector and an expert in the health field.

Prior to her roles in Colorado state government, Dr. Lynne served as executive vice president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, and as group president responsible for its Colorado, Pacific Northwest and Hawaii regions – overseeing an $8 billion budget, 1.4 million members and 16,000 employees.

From 1998 to April 2005, Dr. Lynne was the executive vice president and chief operating officer for Group Health, Inc., a $2.5 billion managed-care organization. In the mid-1990s, she was the executive director of the New York Business Group on Health.

Dr. Lynne also spent 20 years working in various positions in New York City government, including first deputy commissioner, Office of Labor Relations; director, Mayor’s Office of Operations; and senior vice president, New York City Health and Hospitals Corp.

In addition to her role as an International Executive Fellow with the International Federation of Health Plans, Dr. Lynne is the recipient of numerous honors and accolades, including the Denver Business Journal’s 2008 Outstanding Women in Business award; the 2009 Distinguished Coloradan Award from the University of Colorado Denver School of Pharmacy; the President’s Award from Women in Health Management; and the Health Care Leadership Award from the New York Business Group on Health.

She formerly served on the boards of the Colorado Education Initiative, Colorado Mountain Club, Colorado Regional Health Information Organization, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Public Schools Foundation, Teach for America-Colorado, U.S. Bank Colorado Advisory Board, and is the former chair of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics and Political Science), a Master of Public Administration, and Doctor of Public Health from Columbia University. She also holds the designation of Certified Employee Benefits Specialist from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans/University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. In 2014, Dr. Lynne received an honorary doctorate of public service from the University of Denver. Since 2005, she has been an adjunct associate professor of Public Health at Columbia University.

Master of Ceremonies

Lauren Ferrara joined the FOX21 team as the weekday evening anchor in October of 2013, and has appeared on FOX News, CNN, and even the Colbert Report.

The native Houstonian got her start in Buddy Holly’s hometown of Lubbock, where she interviewed his muse, Peggy Sue. She also covered the death penalty case that shook this West Texas town, when a former U. S. Marine was tried and convicted of murdering a young woman. She followed the legal battle and eventual release of two men who spent a decade in prison after being wrongfully convicted of murder.

Lauren moved on to Las Vegas, reporting for the FOX affiliate, where she interviewed half a dozen sex trafficking victims, some who began working the streets at just thirteen years old. The story garnered Lauren an Emmy nomination for journalistic enterprise and also inspired her to shine a light on the brutality these victims encounter.

She continued her coverage of human trafficking at the ABC affiliate in Nashville, Tennessee, where she was a reporter and weekend anchor.

Lauren graduated from Rice University with a double major in Psychology and Sport Management. She ran cross country and track for the Lady Owls and once held a high school state record in the 1600 meters. She’s still passionate about fitness and teaches barre classes in her spare time.

Lauren has served as a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and as a “lunch buddy” to underprivileged youth. She’s a member of the Junior League of Colorado Springs.