Board Candidates

As one of the leaders in our State, my work has been to help move the state profession forward.  This would be an opportunity in making this happen.    My vision for NACHW is to work to ensure rural, Southern, minority, and impoverished CHWs continue to be seen as a viable part of the workforce.  As a member of one of the unhealthiest communities in the nation, I would like to work with NACHW in strengthening the professions capacity in building healthier communities.

I bring skills through my experience as a manager, grant writer, decision maker, group facilitator, and as a trainer and facilitator of adult learners.  I also have skills in developing and adhering to policy (in-school and out-of-school); talking to legislators and other elected officials; developing, implementing, and evaluating programs; and community-based research (PAR, CBPR).   Most of these efforts have provided a mechanism for me to serve as a liaison between academia and community promoting the inclusion of CHWs.  Multiple programs have been created so those engaged could learn the value in partnering and making sure those partnerships are equal, equitable, and inclusive.  

One such activity was the creation of a Dos and Don’ts guide for community research for academics.  Another is the community scientist academy (CSA) to teach community members about research. Through co-authorship of papers on both activities, both have been published for dissemination in scientific journals as well as shared through local venues to CHWs, non-CHWs, allies and stakeholders.   

Greetings, my name is Atara Estes, I am a Credentialed CHW Instructor for the state of Missouri. I work for the St. Louis Integrated Health Network as the CHW Leadership Development Specialist. I am a board of leader for the STL CHW Coalition and the Past President of the Community Health Workers Association of Missouri, I provide guidance for continuity. We all have a story to tell that is what makes us as CHWs so amazingly authentic to be personable and approachable in this workforce.  When I gained my CHW certificate in 2016 I felt like God showed me my purpose. As a single mother of two beautiful daughters, I survived being blind folded, shot, thrown into the trunk of a car and left for dead almost 21 years ago. It changed my entire life.  

I have been a warrior and leader all my life but in all my struggles I still got back up due to a strong will to live and strive for better for the sake of my daughter’s.  I know that we can heal our communities together and thrive after trauma unashamed.  I bring healed energy anywhere, I grow, and I am great at leading collaboration with an unflinching heart with a lot of empathy and compassion. I aim for a win-win conclusion.
I intend to be proactive and strategically driven to be overly involved in assisting this association to develop more collaborative CHW warriors like me to represent with a health equity lens that we all can be proud of. 

As a CHW, we all want to empower those we serve. I want to serve on NACHW’s Board to continue that purpose at a more significant level. Taking the skills, I have acquired throughout the years and working with other CHWs to further the mission of NACHW would help to strengthen the promotion of healthy communities. 

When considering me as a candidate, please consider my core values as a CHW. Through my proven work record, I have shown self-motivation, integrity, respect, determination, self-starter, team player, critical thinking, collaboration, leadership, and service. Only then can you make a fair and just decision on the type of Board Member I will be for NACHW.

My time as a CHW has taught me humility and strength and reassured me that my path is correct. To have the call of a CHW is to have a call of service. It is a passion stirring in the heart, and one cannot stop it. My passion burns bright, and others surround me with the same fire. I plan to serve on the NACHW board to continue serving CHWs and learn from the wisdom shared by other CHWs.

CHWs work long hours, drive long hauls, and work miracles some days. They become experts on their client’s conditions and are strong advocates for life-changing decisions.

CHWs are the coaches of true warriors.

-Carey Frazier, CCHW

Aloha NACHW!

“I was born a community health worker!” is usually the first thing I say when someone asks why I do what I do. From the moment I learned to speak English, I became more aware of how I was suddenly given this gift of bilingualism and privileged to be born on the US side of the border. I can help people and friends and support my family. As I grew older, I felt that I walked with a shield to serve and protect the community I represent. I was born in a small rural town between two Native American reservations and was blessed to move to Hawai’i and raise my family.

I work as a Community Health Worker for Hawai’i Island Community Health Center, a Federally qualified community health center. My passion is farmworker health. I assist our migrant agricultural seasonal workers by making appointments, providing health education, interpreting, and sharing farmworker health kits. I am the Hawai’i Community Health Worker Association Chair; the association has formally been an association for the past year. It took a while to formalize, but it was essential to hear the voices of the CHWs and unite before we became an association. Our leadership council was nominated in 2021, including island representatives from each respective island throughout Hawai’i. As chair, I get to facilitate the monthly CHWs meetings and work with our leadership council to continue to move the CHW association forward.

I look forward to joining the National Community Health Worker, where I can share about Hawai’i communities and update you on the growth of the association. Together we can address the challenges CHWs face on the islands and the similarities of CHWs across the nation. All of this to better unify the voice of CHWs across the continent.

Claudia Hartz, CHW

Dear NACHW Members,

I respectfully submit my application for candidacy for the Board of Directors of the National Association of Community Health Workers.

To me, CHWs embody justice and equity AND have been at the core of all social justice movements.

In my life, through both its privileges and struggles, the commitment to service, addressing inequities, and enhancing quality of life, have guided me.

I have been honored to serve in the following direct service and policy capacities:

• Working as a CHW with adolescents (mental health);
• Serving on the Massachusetts Board of Certification of CHWs since its inception in 2012 (currently Vice Chair), advocating that the CHW Voice is primary and working toward a credentialling process that supports and advances the recognition of the CHW workforce rather than reinforcing patterns of systemic racism and classism.
• Serving as the Director of the Center for Health Impact—home of CHW Training and Workforce Innovation for more than 20 years.
• Serving on the APHA CHW Education y Capacitación Committee (Ed y Cap);
• Supervising/ partnering with CHWs in hospital and community settings (e.g., HIV Clinical Center and Healthcare for the Homeless);
• Creating/implementing a MDPH CHW led reintegration program for incarcerated persons;
• Providing organizational support for the Massachusetts Association of CHWs.

I commit to continuing to work to support the advancement of the CHW movement and workforce and am committed, as a CHW Ally, to supporting CHW Leadership and Voice.

__________

Estimados miembros de la NACHW,

Presento respetuosamente mi solicitud de candidatura a la Junta Directiva de la Asociación Nacional de Trabajadores de la Salud Comunitaria.

Para mí, los CHW encarnan la justicia y la equidad Y han estado en el centro de todos los movimientos de justicia social.

En mi vida, a través de sus privilegios y luchas, me han guiado el compromiso de servicio, abordar las desigualdades y mejorar la calidad de vida.

He tenido el honor de servir en las siguientes funciones de servicio directo y políticas:

• Trabajar como CHW con adolescentes (salud mental);
• Sirviendo en la Junta de Certificación de CHW de Massachusetts desde su inicio en 2012 (actualmente Vicepresidente), defendiendo que la Voz de CHW es primaria y trabajando hacia un proceso de acreditación que apoye y promueva el reconocimiento de la fuerza laboral de CHW en lugar de reforzar los patrones de racismo y clasismo.
• Servir como Director del Centro para el Impacto en la Salud, sede de CHW Capacitación e Innovación de la Fuerza Laboral durante más de 20 años.
• Sirviendo en el Comité de Educación y Capacitación de APHA CHW (Ed y Cap);
• Supervisar/asociarse con CHW en entornos hospitalarios y comunitarios (p. ej., Centro Clínico de VIH y Atención Médica Para Personas Sin Hogar);
• Crear/implementar un programa de reintegración dirigido por MDPH CHW para personas encarceladas;
• Brindar apoyo organizativo a la Asociación de CHW de Massachusetts.

Me comprometo a continuar trabajando para apoyar el avance del movimiento y la fuerza laboral de CHW y estoy comprometido, como Aliado de CHW, a apoyar el liderazgo y la voz de CHW.

Hi all! My name is Julie St. John. I have had the opportunity to learn and work alongside CHWs for over twenty years on CHW curriculum development, training, community engagement, and research. 

I believe in and advocate for CHWs/promotores. I am a Texas certified CHW Instructor (since 2009); served on the Texas DSHS CHW Program Advisory Committee (2011-2020); active in the APHA CHW Section; founded the National CHW Training Center at Texas A&M University with CHW colleagues; a founding board member of the Texas Association of Promotores/CHWs (2018-22); on the leadership team of the National CHW C3 project; and have written book chapters and articles with CHW co-authors. 

I value and view CHWs as integral components of health and social service delivery systems as well as having a key role in public health research. My work focuses on developing community capacity through engaging CHWs/promotores as leaders. I desire to grow and strengthen the CHW workforce and assist CHWs in developing professionally and personally through providing technical and other types of support.

My past experiences and current research will enable me to provide that support. My skills and abilities include: strategic planning; grant writing; research; program evaluation; policy development; and advocacy. I am detail-oriented, a facilitator, personable, organized, and a supporter of CHWs. I am a mom of nine and believe in the importance of family and building relationships. If in this position, I will work alongside CHWs and allies to advance the CHW workforce nationally. 

I am interested in being a member of the Board of Directors (BOD) for the National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW). I believe in the mission of NACHW- uniting and representing CHWs around the country in order to strengthen the CHW profession, advocate for consistent and sustainable funding and integrate CHWs into strong patient-centered interprofessional health teams and systems. 

As a public health physician and CHW ally I am eager to support NACHW and, therefore, support CHWs, their training, supervision, professional development, and integration with the goal of working together to promote health equity, social justice and overall improved health outcomes. 

I have spent my entire career working to achieve health equity. For more than a decade I have worked with Indigenous partners to improve health outcomes among Indigenous communities in the US. I have worked closely with Community Health Representatives (CHRs) to develop trainings and innovative health promotion tools, support the development of strong systems of supervision, and develop an interprofessional community health team curriculum to integrate CHRs into effective interprofessional patient-centered care teams in which members have trust, a shared vision and clear roles and responsibilities. 

This is a strategic time in the US and the world to champion and work toward the integration of community and public health with primary health care, break down siloes and improve health outcomes of under-resourced communities. We can do this in our life-time and NACHW and CHWs will be key players in this effort. I would be honored to be an ally member of the NACHW BOD to work with colleagues to work toward these goals.

My name is Ya’nelle Powell, I am a community health worker from the state of Delaware. I have been a member of our statewide association since 2020. I am nominating myself as a National Association of Community Health Workers board member candidate. I have over ten years of experience working in the community, six years of experience of training future community health workers, and eight years of relevant board of directors’ experience.  

I currently serve on the Community Health Workers Association of Delaware’s training lead group. I work alongside a group of ten other CHWs to plan all the training statewide based on the core competencies of the association. We are currently in the process of planning our first in-person summit. I have recently been accepted to join the NACHW’s Workforce Development Committee and was also chosen to be an ambassador.  I am looking forward to collaborating with the committee to present at the Unity Conference.  

As a board member, I would like to advocate for adding additional support to new CHWs that is not a member of an association with joining their local association. I would also like to offer more support to local associations, as well as mentorship to those local board members. Along with mentorship and support, I will continue to promote NACHW and its benefits to our communities for both CHWs and their clients/patients. I am also interested in working behind the scenes as a board member to assist with creating career paths, professional development, certifications, and many other things that will motivate and support our CHWs.

The most important thing for me is that I wish I had a CHW when I needed help. I had to navigate a system that was unfamiliar to me and having a little extra support would have made the process less traumatic.  The silver lining is that I have seen firsthand how effective CHWs are in the community and their importance of them, and I want to make sure we continue to support our CHWs.