Summit Speakers

Egberto Willies

Egberto Willies is a political activist, author, political blogger, radio show host, business owner, software developer, web designer, and mechanical engineer in Kingwood, TX. Egberto is an ardent Progressive that believes tolerance is essential. His favorite phrase is “political involvement should be a requirement for citizenship”. He believes that we must get away from the current policies that reward those who simply move money/capital and produce nothing tangible for our society. If a change in policy does not occur, America will be no different than many oligarchic societies where a few are able to accumulate wealth while the rest are left out because it is mathematically impossible to catch up.

Chuck Pennacchio, Ph.D.

Chuck Pennacchio, Ph.D. (he/him), Chuck Pennacchio, Ph.D., is a five-decade issue, electoral, and union organizer; president of the One Payer States network; founder of the Arc of Justice Network; co-founder of the Arc of Justice Alliance; senior advisor to Healthcare for All Pennsylvania; co-founder of Our Revolution PA; founder of the Justice for All Network; producer of the single-payer documentary “Fix It: Healthcare at the Tipping Point”; 2016 Bernie Sanders delegate; 2006 Democratic primary candidate for the United States Senate (PA); former aide to four U.S. Senators and one U.S. House Member, 1979-1988; a 32-year history and politics professor at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Delaware Valley University (PA), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and University of Colorado-Boulder; and author/co-author of several books, book chapters, and articles on U.S. and European history, U.S. healthcare, and U.S. politics. Chuck is the father of two children, Sophia (30) and Ben (28), who are also politically and intellectually engaged citizens. He now lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Andrea Miller

Andrea Miller is the Founding Board Member of the Center for Common Ground, Executive Director of People Demanding Action, Founding President of the National Women’s Political Caucus of Virginia, and senior advisor to One Payer States. Andrea is an IT and Political Director and a digital and elections strategist. She designs and administers digital phone banks and texting programs. From 2013 to 2015, she led the Progressive Round Table on Capitol Hill, bringing together members of Congress, activists, and non-profit leaders. Her expertise is in voting rights, climate, and the Equal Rights Amendment. She has successfully advocated for legislation on both the Federal and State level. In 2008 she was the Democratic nominee for the Virginia 4th congressional district.

Edwuan Whitehead

Edwuan Whitehead is a young, dynamic speaker who serves as Public Policy Director for the Center for Common Ground, where he leads state and local policy strategy focused on protecting voting rights, expanding equitable civic participation, and strengthening democratic accountability. His work ensures that large-scale, nonpartisan voter engagement efforts translate into durable policy outcomes that safeguard access to the ballot—particularly for Black, working-class, and historically disenfranchised communities.

Michele Hamilton

Michele Hamilton (she/her) is a first generation American of Jamaican parents.
Having grown up in New York City, in an environment defined by police brutality, mass homelessness, and the HIV/AIDS crisis, Michele has been working to advance social justice since age 15. She moved to Central PA in 2003, taking a job at CentreSafe, and has worked with survivors of domestic and sexual violence ever since. Michele is passionate about multiple issues, including ending racism and xenophobia, homophobia and transphobia, reversing climate change, and creating livable communities, with emphasis on anti-violence (domestic and sexual), economic stability, and secure housing. She believes the path to successful and transformational reform begins with a serious study of all people’s history. The social service advocacy organizations Michele volunteers for are: Healthcare for All PA, PA Religious Coalition for Reproductive Justice, PA Immigration Citizenship Coalition, 320 Coalition (Police reform, civilian review), and 4CR Centre County Coronavirus Community Response.

Stephan Ramdohr

Stephan Ramdohr (he/him) is a retail worker and Departmental Vice President Retail Central with CWA3108. As a member of Medicare for All CT, an all-volunteer grassroots group advocating for guaranteed healthcare for all, Stephan was part of the effort so that, for the first time in 20 years, in 2021 a state-level single payer bill was introduced in Connecticut. Stephan is an advocate for de-commodified housing, as well as for a basic security program, guaranteeing a dignified life to all U.S. residents. Stephan believes that human dignity shall be inviolable. And that to respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.

Pedro Rodriguez

From 1997-2007, Mr. Rodriguez worked at the Action Alliance of Senior Citizens, a group committed to the issues of the elderly, first as a Legislative and Healthcare Organizer before becoming the Executive Director. Before that Mr. Rodriguezwas involved in City government serving as the Assistant Director of the Philadelphia Empowerment Zones under Mayor Rendell, and prior to that as the Legislative Director for City Councilman Dan McElhatton.

He continues to be active in his community serving in various boards, including Northwest Victims Services, The Imperfect Gallery, Independence Charter School-West, Americans for Democratic Action, Keystone Progress Education Fund andAlliance for Retired Americans Education Fund. Mr. Rodriguez also served as an AIDS educator with Congreso de Latinos Unidos and was Associate Editor of the weekly Community Focus/Enfoque Comunal, the largest bilingual newspaper in Pennsylvania. He has been a professor of Spanish and Literature for the last 17 years, part time, at the Spanish Language School in Center City Philadelphia. He was elected in October of 2021 Chairman of the Germantown Relief Society, of the oldest charitable organizations in the City.

Walter Tsou, MD, MPH

Walter Tsou, MD, MPH is a national speaker on public health issues. He is the past president of the American Public Health Association, former Health Commissioner of Philadelphia and the Immediate Past President of the Philadelphia County Medical Society. He is a long time supporter of single payer, national health insurance.

Sandra L. Strauss

Now retired, the Reverend Sandra L. Strauss (Sandy) (she/her) joined the staff of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches in April 2004. As Director of Advocacy and Ecumenical Outreach for the Council, Sandy’s responsibilities are to inform, educate, and empower people of faith on significant public issues, facilitate the work of common ministry and ecumenical relationships, manage external communications, and organize and manage Council events.

Sandy received her Master of Divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary and is ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She also holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy Studies from Duke University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Music from the Lindenwood Colleges (St. Charles, MO). She lives in Harrisburg with her husband, David Arnold, a handyman, clockmaker, and general jack of all trades. Together they have reclaimed a city property on the block behind them for Dave’s clock and watch repair shop, a woodshop, a prolific garden, and a home for tens of thousands of bees.

Lode Coleman

Octavia “Lodé” Coleman is a Georgia-based midwife, epidemiologist, and voting-rights advocate who has served as a key local leader with the Center for Common Ground’s Central Georgia Democracy Center and ran for Congress in Georgia’s 13th District in 2024. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She served in the U.S. Army from 2002 to 2005. Coleman earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Augustine’s University in 2005.

Dan McMillan

Dan McMillan founded and leads Make Voters the Donors, a nonpartisan campaign for the public financing of federal elections using a democracy vouchers-type system.

Dan taught German history at Eastern Illinois University and also worked as an attorney. In 2014 he published an acclaimed book for the general public about the causes of the Holocaust, titled How Could This Happen: Explaining the Holocaust. He began writing his second book, about money in politics, but decided in 2020 that direct political action was more urgently needed. In his youth – which he says was a depressingly long time ago – Dan was a dedicated rock climber and ice climber. He made three ascents of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, the highest rock wall in North America.

Rob Kall

Co-founder of the Arc of Justice Alliance; founder publisher of OpEd News; Founder/organizer of three conferences: Brain, Positive Psychology Summit Meeting, StoryCon Summitt Meeting on the Art, Science and application of story.