Delora Sanchez Ifekauche

Delora Sanchez Ifekauche, Esq. joined Cornerstone in October 2015 after leading Johns Hopkins University and Medical System’s government affairs team. She has an extensive background in state legislative and regulatory issues.

As a principal in Cornerstone’s Annapolis office, Delora specializes in representing hospitals, managed care organizations (MCOs), pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical cannabis companies, and private sector special interests. Delora led the creation of the Maryland MCO Association, comprised of Maryland’s nine Medicaid MCOs, and served as its executive director for two years while at Cornerstone. Over the past 14 years, Delora has used her deep policy expertise and legislative connections to save or create tens of millions of dollars in state funding for clients, shape Maryland’s medical liability policy, and steer the top healthcare system in the world through the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the creation of the Maryland Health Benefits Exchange.

Prior to joining Cornerstone, Delora spent nearly a decade representing Johns Hopkins’ interests before the Maryland General Assembly, Governor’s office, and state administrative agencies. Delora has also worked within the Baltimore City Circuit Court, the Department of Justice health care fraud division, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Delora was recognized by the Daily Record as part of the inaugural annual cohort of the Women Who Lead in 2020, as a VIP, 40 under 40 in 2017 and as a Leading Woman in 2013. In 2014, she was named a Marshall Memorial Fellow — the flagship leadership development program of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. From 2008 to 2010, she was appointed by the President of Johns Hopkins University to serve on the Johns Hopkins Diversity Leadership Council. During the same time period, she was also appointed by then-Governor Martin O’Malley to the Maryland Commission for Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities.

Delora is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and serves as chair of community engagement on the board of directors for Thread, which engages underperforming high school students facing significant barriers outside of the classroom. As a native of Baltimore, Delora was proud to accept an appointment by the Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates to the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership Board. The organization is responsible for distributing approximately $8 million in casino revenue for community development projects in the areas immediately impacted by the casino’s construction. Previously, she was a board member of the Charles Village Community Benefits District and vice chair of the board for Hope Forward, which provides support transitioning for former foster youth.

Delora holds a Juris Doctor degree with a concentration in Health Law from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and an undergraduate degree in healthcare management from Towson University. She is licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.