Ms. Nicole A. Carkner is the Executive Director of the Quad City Health Initiative which she has led since 2001. As Executive Director, Ms. Carkner develops and facilitates cross-sector collaborative partnerships to create a healthier community in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Formerly, Ms. Carkner was a health care management consultant working across the country with hospital systems, pharmaceutical companies, health care insurers, and health-related government agencies. Her expertise includes strategic planning, community health assessments, population health, and project leadership. Ms. Carkner serves on the national Advisory Council of the Association for Community Health Improvement and as a Senior Fellow for the Health Research and Educational Trust. Ms. Carkner holds an M.B.A. in Health Care Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and an A.B. with majors in Biology and Government from Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire. Ms. Carkner currently resides in Bettendorf, Iowa and enjoys the scenic Mississippi River Trail near her home.