New CCI Leadership

2020 is the year no one ever dreamed would be so historic and challenging. The disruption created by COVID-19 reverberated throughout CCI Health & Wellness Services’ operations and touched every staff member on a personal level as well. The organization also went through internal change, ushering in new leadership, starting with a new Chief Executive Officer.

Dr. Sonya Bruton

Chief Executive Officer & President

Dr. Sonya Bruton is no stranger to the community health center movement, having worked with community health centers at the state, national, and local levels since 1999. She served as Executive Director of the North Carolina Community Health Center Association for 8 years and has served as a programmatic and operations consultant within the Bureau of Primary Health Care and at specific health center sites.

Dr. Bruton earned a Doctor of Psychology degree and master’s degree in clinical psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology – Washington, DC Campus. She received her undergraduate degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in journalism, and her master’s in public administration with a concentration in nonprofit and association management from North Carolina State University.

Dr. Melissa Clark

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Melissa Clark began her career in a small private practice. She found purpose in improving the health and well-being of those communities made vulnerable by social, economic, and cultural barriers and became part of CCI in 2010. Dr. Clark’s knowledge of public health, racial health disparities, and community health has only continued to expand with her role at CCI.

Dr. Clark is board-certified in family medicine and an alumna of Wittenberg University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology with a minor in chemistry and sociology. She received her medical degree at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine and completed her family medicine residency at the University of Illinois, Chicago—Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Michelle Preston, MSN, RN

Chief Operating Officer

Michelle Preston’s nursing career started as a technician in the Emergency Department where she quickly became Assistant Director. She transitioned to the inpatient world from her growing desire to see patients throughout their care, rather than in acute situations.

Michelle brings a wealth of healthcare administration experience and a successful track record of advancing teams and agency initiatives. Before joining CCI Health & Wellness Services, Michelle served as Chief Nursing Officer for the State of Maryland and at Universal Health Systems and was Director of Nursing and Interim Chief Nursing Officer at Lifebridge Hospital.

Michelle is a certified Change Management Specialist (CMS), Six Sigma Lean Professional (SSLP), Lean Six Sigma White Belt (LSSWB), Six Sigma Black Belt (SSBB), and Disney’s Approach to quality service professional.

Sekou Murphy, MBA

Chief Financial Officer

Sekou (“Koe”) Murphy brings more than 26 years of experience to his role in leading the organization’s financial initiatives and reporting. Previously, Mr. Murphy was the Chief Financial Officer at Bread for the City, where he managed the organization’s finances and structured its $26 million real estate expansion.

Mr. Murphy received his BBA in Accounting from Howard University and his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the winner of the 2012 SmartCXO Award for Chief Financial Officers.

Robert Baror, ESQ

Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel

Robert Baror is experienced in health law, employment law, civil litigation, and general transactional and regulatory matters. His experience includes representing the largest integrated healthcare system in the Hudson Valley, New York.

Before joining CCI, Mr. Baror was the Managing Partner of The Baror Law Firm (Baror Law). He litigated nearly all facets of employment law and negotiated employment agreements for healthcare executives.

Mr. Baror is a cum laude graduate of Harvard University and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University. He served as Chair of the Employment Law Committee of Maryland Defense Counsel, Inc. and Board of Governor of the Maryland Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Mr. Baror has authored articles for publications such as The Federal Lawyer, Federal Bar Association, and the Defense Research Institute magazine.

Jose Luis Diaz

Chief Administrative Officer

Jose Luis Diaz led the technology, design, and administration team at TransCen, Inc before joining CCI Health & Wellness Services in 2013. He managed several multi-agency projects for the Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Education. He is an experienced award-winning creative director with a keen ability to convey and transform complex concepts into useful tools.

Jose Luis has a bachelor’s degree in information design & systems analysis from U.C.L.A. and has studied urbanism at George Mason University and architecture at N.O.V.A.