Susan L. Adams, PhD, RN, NP
Dr. Susan L. Adams — former Marin County Supervisor (2002–2014), registered nurse, and PhD — has been a transformative force in advancing health care access in Marin County, shaping policy and programs at the local, state, and national level throughout her distinguished career. Her leadership helped spearhead the creation of the Marin Health and Wellness Campus, an innovative model bringing together a comprehensive spectrum of services — including Marin Community Clinics — to better serve the county’s most vulnerable residents. A consistent champion for equitable access to care, Susan served on the Children’s Health Initiative Task Force to expand health coverage for local children, and supported improved treatment for individuals with mental illness through her work on the Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health Task Force. Drawing on her clinical expertise and her role as Chair of the Medicaid Committee for the National Association of Counties (NACo), she also helped shape health policy at the national level. In 2002, Susan founded the Summer Solstice event to support the Marin Children’s Health Initiative — a collaborative partnership among Marin Community Clinics, Coastal Health Alliance, and CalKids — created to fill a critical gap for hardworking Marin families who could not afford private insurance and did not qualify for public programs. In 2005, she entrusted Marin Community Clinics with carrying that legacy forward. Two decades later, her vision continues to flourish. Marin Community Clinics now serves more than 38,000 Marin residents, and Summer Solstice has become its largest annual fundraiser — an enduring testament to Susan’s foresight and her lifelong commitment to community health.
David Sperling, MD
Dr. David Sperling served Marin Community Clinics as a cardiologist from January 2019 to December 2025, bringing exceptional skill, compassion, and leadership to MCC patients and staff over six years of dedicated service. Through his leadership, Dr. Sperling secured multi-year funding from the Haynes Cardiovascular Institute, expanding access for uninsured patients to critical cardiovascular diagnostic services — including echocardiograms and cardiac stress testing at MarinHealth. He was also a steadfast advocate for MCC’s growth and sustainability, actively supporting staff recruitment efforts and going so far as to identify and recruit his own successor upon retirement — an extraordinary demonstration of his commitment to continuity of care. Dr. Sperling’s impact extended well beyond clinical practice. He volunteered his time to support operational improvements, collaborating with the Hospital Information Management Systems (HIMS) team during MCC’s transition to Epic software. He further enriched MCC’s clinical environment by bringing in outside cardiology experts to provide ongoing education for providers. His vision, leadership, and unwavering dedication have left a lasting legacy that will continue to benefit MCC’s patients and community for years to come.