2024 Unity Conference Speakers

Alicia Crooks is a seasoned executive leader and mental health provider with over 12+ year of experience in relationship management and community enrichment. Her diverse background spans to corporate leadership, nonprofit advocacy, and clinical psychology -underscoring her commitment to fostering meaningful connections and positive change.

Her dedication to relationship-building led her to establish the Young Black Professionals of Orange County and serve on the Advisory Board of the African American Real Estate Professionals of Los Angeles. Two roles that allowed her to cultivate strategic alliances with community leaders and emerging professionals across Southern California.

Complementing her corporate achievements, Alicia embarked on a journey of academic excellence. She earned an MA in Clinical Psychology, specializing in Marriage & Family Therapy.

Ms. Rodríguez has more than 25 years of experience as a nurse, educator, author, and bicultural/bilingual specialist in health communication for multi-cultural audiences. She is a senior public health advisor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Division of Diabetes Translation. She was recognized by the CDC as a 2023 Health Literacy Hero, and is the author of many resources, such as the Spanish Prevent T2 curriculum, the DSMES Promotion Playbook, the DSMES Health Literacy Tool, and the Road to Health Toolkit. The latter designed to help Community Health Workers start a program to help people prevent type 2 diabetes. At ADCES she was a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and now the Professional Practice Committee. She was the former chair of the ADA Health Disparities Committee and is now a member of the Community Health Worker Subcommittee. She is a NACHW board member, member of the IDF Blue Circles Voices of Diabetes, and a pancreas mom.

Caitlyn Klostermann is a CHW ally and the Operations Coordinator for the Envision team. They graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BS in Statistics and Gender and Women’s Studies, where they focused on integrating intersectional feminist theory and storytelling with data science.

Prior to joining the Envision team, Caitlyn worked as a Technical Engineer at Epic, supporting the implementation and technical maintenance of the Epic system for healthcare organizations across the US. Previously, they interned at the Wisconsin Women’s Council, where they used their knowledge of statistical analysis and visualization to create factsheets about women’s and infant health in Wisconsin, with an emphasis on health equity. At UW, Caitlyn was part of Slow Food UW—a branch of the international Slow Food NGO—which amplified their interest in community organizing and food justice.

Yasamin Aftahi
Training Team
Envision Outreach Coordinator
University of Wisconsin—Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH)

Throughout her career, Yasamin has combined her love of language and her passion for equity to bring a human lens to her work in public health. She has worked with a range of organizations on initiatives connected to health equity. As the child of Iranian immigrants, she has a passion for making the world a better place for people from all walks of life, while learning about how different communities experience the social determinants of health in markedly different ways in the United States.

Yasamin holds an undergraduate degree in English and earned a Master’s in International Affairs from the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the UC San Diego. Currently she is the outreach coordinator for the Envision project, to provide technical assistance for CHWs connected to the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Sara Elise Bristol or ‘Essie’ is a CHW and envision’s CHW Sustainability Lead based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Population Health Institute. Through that role, Essie manages the Community of Transformation program where she provides training and technical assistance to communities that are working towards CHW sustainability using coalition building and power building strategies. Prior to envision, Essie worked in direct service as a CHW and community organizer in rural Colorado, where she provided care coordination services to address social determinants of health in her community with a focus on promoting mental health, access to resources, and equitable housing opportunities through policy change.

Rosario “Charoh” Hernandez Ortiz serves as the National Hispanic Outreach Manager for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). In this capacity, she manages LLS’s nationwide initiatives, aimed at increasing awareness of blood cancer within Spanish-speaking families across the United States. Leading the charge in national outreach, education, and partnership-building, Charoh endeavors to foster trust and credibility among this demographic. Her efforts are dedicated to enhancing community engagement and access to linguistically and culturally appropriate blood cancer information, resources, education programs, and support.

Charoh brings a wealth of experience in communications, relationship-building, and cancer specific community outreach to her position. Prior to joining LLS in May 2023, she held the position of Development Manager at the American Cancer Society (ACS). There, she successfully managed a portfolio of community-based events by engaging and training volunteers from local communities.

Before her tenure at ACS, Charoh served as the Lead Community Outreach Associate at AIS Cancer Center/Adventist Health in Bakersfield, California. In this role, she developed, coordinated, and promoted wellness cancer prevention and survivorship programs. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in coordinating and executing the cancer center’s media and marketing strategies aimed at reaching the Hispanic community.

Charoh is also a seasoned health educator and holds certification as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. Recently, she attained the prestigious designation of National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) from the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching.

Charoh earned her bachelor’s degree in communications and French studies from California State University in Bakersfield. With a robust background in media, she has collaborated extensively with Telemundo’s local affiliate in Bakersfield and other regional Spanish-language newspapers.

Colby Takeda is the co-founder and CEO of Pear Suite, a digital health startup working to empower community health workers (CHW) and address the social drivers of health. While in Hawaii, Colby got his start in public health by leading prevention campaigns in underserved communities. He then became a senior care executive before leading policy and partnerships for the Blue Zones Project by Sharecare. Colby became inspired to launch Pear Suite after teaching CHW courses and recognizing the need for scalable software solutions for this emerging and skilled workforce. He continues to support collaborative efforts between CHWs, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem through various local and national initiatives. Pear Suite now supports a network of over 800 community health providers and assists CHWs bill for services through Medicaid and Medicare in 8 states.

Darouny Somsanith is a life-long community health worker (CHW) with 20+ years of experience in advancing the workforce and integration of CHWs within the local health and social service safety net. Darouny has a strong passion at exploring how community health workers can effectively be integrated as part of a service delivery team, to improve health outcomes, health equity, and access to health care services for the diverse communities that our public health safety net serves. Darouny’s teaching experiences at City College of San Francisco (CCSF) have allowed her to work with students from all walks of life, which have helped her to become a more compassionate and effective instructor and trainer. While she has taught general education (GE) health and wellness classes, Darouny’s passion and most of my experiences have been working with students who pursue a career and technical education (CTE) certificate, most extensively within the Community Health Worker (CHW) Certificate and the Healthcare Interpreter (HCI) Certificate progam.

Cristina Arellano, CHW, BA.  Cristina is a Case Manager at LifeLong Medical Care in Oakland, California. She has served as a trainer and mentor for the Monterey County CHW Training Project. 

Mattie Clark, CHW.    Mattie Clark is a clinical Community Health Worker with the G. A. Carmichael Family Health Center (FQHC).   She has conducted many trainings and events for the community addressing health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, and COVID-19 and is a co-author of a study on cardiovascular disease among African Americans.  Mattie is a member of the National Association of CHWs and Secretary of the Mississippi Community Health Workers Association.  

Tim Berthold, MPH Tim Berthold has worked closely with community health workers for over 35 years.  He supervised CHWs in public health settings in the U.S. and internationally.  Tim served as a faculty member and Program Coordinator for the CHW certificate program at City College of San Francisco.  He also is editor of the Foundations for Community Health Workers books, Training Guide and videos.

Dr. Flores has over 35 years of experience in the medical field specifically in nursing, healthcare management and public health. Her expertise includes grant writing, program implementation, program evaluation, healthcare transformation, rural health, patient navigation, chronic disease management, community outreach, health literacy and community health worker training and development. With over 20 years of experience in community outreach and education she has been instrumental in building a cadre of CHWs in Lubbock and surrounding areas. Debra is a CCHWI, obtained a B.S in Organization Management from Lubbock Christian University, a Master of Management Degree from Wayland Baptist University and a Ph.D. in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) from Texas Tech University. In her current position, Dr. Flores is an Assistant Professor and Program Director for the Master of Science in Healthcare Administration in the School of Health Professions.

Lauren joined Trinity Health in December 2019 as a Social Care Consultant. In this role, she supports the system’s development of standards, policies, and practices to support the best use of CHWs. Before joining Trinity Health, Lauren worked at Michigan Peer Review Organization on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Quality Improvement Organization contract, where she led cross-sector collaboratives focused on improving care coordination and reducing re-hospitalizations. As a former CHW, Lauren brings passion, dedication, and a unique perspective to advance the work of CHWs and drive changes in the healthcare system.

Caltin Cross comes from a large family and is the baby girl of 10 kids. She spent most of her adult life on the east coast and attended college all over the country, ending at Western Connecticut State University. Caltin has resided in Idaho since 2015, enjoying Idaho’s stunning nature and time with her parents. Caltin has worked in the capacity of a Community Health Worker for decades and has found her happy place within the community around her wherever she calls home. She believes that community is lacking for so many since Covid hit and is passionate about restoring it wherever possible. Caltin enjoys making new connections and meeting people where they are and believes we have something to learn from everyone with whom we come in contact. Caltin is an artist and a writer, working on her memoir with hopes of making folks laugh, cry, and feel a little less alone in this world. In her free time, Caltin can be found reading, steering a kayak, camping, and enjoying nature as much as possible. She has two cats and three dogs and has been a nanny for other people’s kids for over 25 years and sees the perks of being able to give the kids back to their parents at the end of the day. Caltin is overjoyed to be the Executive Director for ICHWA and is joyfully putting her passion for CHWs into action in Idaho and beyond.

Linda Riddell is an epidemiologist specializing in poverty. Writing about and presenting brain science concepts has been a focal point for her work. From her years working as an epidemiologist and specializing in poverty, she created “gettin’ by”, a training program to help professionals work more effectively with low-income people. The centerpiece of the program is a game that puts the players’ brains through the same changes that happen to a person living in poverty.

Carolyn Schofield became a Community Health Worker after a 15-year career as a Veterinary Technician. In 2018 she joined North Country Health Consortium as a CHW to focus on individuals in the community with Chronic Disease to reduce the Social Drivers of Health. Looking to give back, in 2019 Carolyn joined the Steering Committee for the New Hampshire CHW Coalition as the Northern Vice Chair and served the New Hampshire CHW’s for 4 years throughout the pandemic.

Octavia Jones earned her bachelors in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry in 2013 from the University of Missouri in St. Louis. Her first job was a lab technician at a Sherwin-Williams paint manufacturing facility in Chicago, and was quickly promoted to chemist once a position opened. After deciding to switch careers and having her daughter, she was unsure of returning to a technical field since her passion became nutrition and health. Finding herself homeless from December 2022 to July 2023, she was presented with an opportunity to become a certified community health worker through the shelter she was housed in and was given a scholarship for the program through the HRSA grant Tri-C was awarded. Once certified in November of 2023, she landed a job at the Cleveland Department of Public Health as the Health Outreach Specialist that builds trust between the city of Cleveland and the mobile unit and health centers. She is also a research assistant for a CDC grant funded project.

Durrell J. Fox is a community health worker (CHW) with over 30 years of experience providing outreach, direct services, case management support, and advocacy for HIV+ adolescents/young adults and their families and communities. He has been involved in local, state, regional, and national CHW workforce development efforts, including serving as a founding member of the CHW Section of the American Public Health Association, the American Association of CHWs, the MA Association of CHWs, the New England (NE) CHW Coalition, and the advisory workgroup for the MA CHW Board of Certification. Durrell is also a member of the CHW National Core Consensus project team, a founding board member of the National Association of CHWs, a board member of MHP Salud, and a member of the American Diabetes Association National Health Disparities Council.

Rosy is the acting Project Director for the Bridges to Health program for Hispanic Services Council (HSC). This program addresses the social determinants of health in Latino communities to improve health disparities. HSC builds the capacity of local community health workers/Promotor(a) to serve as a bridge to link underserved community members to social services that address barriers to health.

Liliana Ramirez is a Community Health Worker/Promotora for Hispanic Services Council.  She has served the Latino community in Hillsborough County, FL for over 10 years.  Liliana has a helping heart which enables her to address the needs of the community with compassion and empathy.  She was born in Mexico and has the same lived experience as many of the people she assists.   Liliana helps educate the community on healthy eating, mindfulness, and health literacy.  In addition, she assists individuals with social needs such as food insecurity and access to healthcare.

Victoria Adewumi, MA, CHW, MPH is a public health practitioner and Community Health Worker with deep experience in municipal, non-profit, K-12, higher education and faith-based organizational settings. Victoria works to facilitate the empowerment of communities and establish health equity interventions for historically marginalized populations through coalition building, direct service, case management, policy and advocacy. Victoria one of the inaugural Co-Executive Directors/Co-Principal Investigators the of the Community Health Worker Center for Research and Evaluation (CHW-CRE) where she supports the training of CHWs and CHW researchers in evaluation methods that uplift the CHW workforce, as well as the development of common process and outcome indicators to evaluate CHW programs globally. Victoria holds a BA/MA from the University of New Hampshire, and an MPH from Johns Hopkins University. Victoria is a current DrPH student at Johns Hopkins University.

Andrew Lindbloom, MPH, a UC Berkeley graduate and Community Health Worker (CHW), serves as the Health Policy Lead at Pear Suite. In this role, he shapes effective health policies to improve public health outcomes. Andrew secures and manages government funding for health programs, ensuring efficient use of resources. He builds partnerships with national stakeholders to implement health initiatives and oversees data quality related to Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). This ensures that policy decisions are informed by accurate data, addressing factors like socioeconomic status, education, and healthcare access. Andrew develops and advocates for strategic health policies, leveraging funding and data to meet the diverse needs of the population.

Alyssa, a Community Health Worker ally and program manager, has been with Humana for 8 years. Although she doesn’t directly serve Medicaid enrollees, her role is crucial in supporting her teammates, Megan and Rachel. Alyssa manages outreach programs and ensures that program resources effectively reach enrollees.

Rachel, a Community Health Worker with a Master’s degree in Social Work, brings 2 years of experience to Humana’s population health team. Her unique background allows her to support members dealing with life stressors while simultaneously addressing SDoH needs. Rachel actively engages with community partners, promoting overall wellness.

Megan holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and has been with Humana for 2 years as a Community Health Worker (CHW). Her passion lies in connecting Medicaid enrollees with essential resources. Megan actively collaborates with local organizations to address social determinants of health (SDoH), ensuring that members have access to vital services.

Fausto is a Coachella Valley native raised in the unincorporated city of Thermal, CA. He is the oldest of his 8 siblings, and is a UC Berkeley alumni with a degree in Chicano/a Studies. Fausto has a strong passion and desire to bring awareness to Mental and Emotional health within communities of color, furthering the notion to de-stigmatize conversations around these topics within the community. Outside of his Community Health Worker role, Fausto also runs his own social coffee business called Café Empatia, bridging specialty coffee and tea with the purpose of bringing awareness to Mental and Emotional health. He also hosts Open Mics within the community to create spaces and uplift the idea of being vulnerable – allowing for a non-judgmental space for folks to be open and self-expressive.

Jamie Burns is a Highway Safety Specialist for the Safety Countermeasures Division at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Her main focus is using public health strategies to promote traffic safety and save lives. Previously, Jamie worked as a Regional Program Manager within the NHTSA Regional Offices where she led initiatives in pedestrian and bicyclist safety, occupant protection, child passenger safety, pupil transportation, and older and younger drivers. Prior to joining NHTSA, Jamie served in the United States Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. She has over ten years of federal service providing oversight and technical assistance to federal, state, and local partners. Jamie holds a Master of Science in Public Health and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). She also has Post Baccalaureate Certifications in Community and Economic Development (CED) and Management.

Bridgett Watson is a Highway Safety Specialist for The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a mode of the United States Department of Transportation.  With a combined 16 years’ experience in Education, Injury Prevention and Transportation Safety. Prior to beginning with NHTSA in 2023, Bridgett spent her professional career specializing in Early Childhood Education and Injury Prevention Program Management for Pediatric and Teen populations in the healthcare setting. Bridgett is a Nationally Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician & Instructor and worked closely with the safe transportation of children with accessibility needs. Her current area of expertise is in Pupil Transportation Safety.  Bridgette recently received her Masters of Transportation Safety Administration from Clemson University and is focusing on Pupil Transportation Safety Programing with the Safety Countermeasures Division under the office of Research and Program Development. 

Janée A. Tyus, a life-long self-identified Community Health Worker (CHW), holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and a Master of Public Health from Drexel University’s School of Public Health. Janée was once the Executive Director of the Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance (MiCHWA) and most recently served as the Senior Program Director of the Mid-Michigan Community Health Access Program (CHAP) of the Greater Flint Health Coalition. She also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Michigan-Flint and as the Head of Community Mobilization at IMPaCT Care. Her passion for people, the underserved, and their health and health equity is a solid foundation and guiding light in her work. Janée was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and currently resides in Oakland County, Michigan with her two Shorkie puppies.

Kyna Shine has spent 20+ years in various roles such as public health, health equity, organizational development, marketing and communications, and diversity, equity & inclusion across non-profit, corporate, and educational sectors. As a mission-driven leader, Kyna strives to provide access and opportunity to all for a better quality of life. Most recently, Kyna served as National Director, Program Implementation on the Public Health team for the National Hypertension Control Initiative. Kyna earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Sam Houston State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Connecticut – School of Business.

Mark V. Mooney is a seasoned professional with over 10 years of dedicated experience in the dynamic landscape of population health, health equity, strategic planning, advocacy, community relations, and social determinants of health. His multifaceted expertise encompasses program planning and evaluation, curriculum design and development, community health development, community needs assessment, environmental health, health policy analysis, health communication, grant writing and management, data collection and analysis, and healthcare system quality improvement.

Mark is the National Director, Program Development Public Health with the American Heart Association – National Center.  Mark holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston and earned master’s degrees from the Morehouse School of Medicine (MPH) and The Ohio State University (MA).

LinkedIn Profile
linkedin.com/in/markvmooney

Nora, originally from Mexico, holds a degree in Chemical Engineering(University of Guadalajara) and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Sciences (Autonomous University of Querétaro). Since relocating to the United States in 2010, she has been dedicated to serving her community. Beginning as a volunteer interpreter at the Upstate Family Resource Center, Nora later expanded her role to include crisis intervention and financial education for families in need. Her commitment led her to serve as an AmeriCorps member for two years, supporting low-income families in the Upstate. In 2017, Nora joined PASOs when the Spartanburg site opened, certified as a Community Health Worker in 2019. Currently, she is coordinator of Vida y Salud leading a team of 6 CHWs. Certified interpreter, completed several evidence-based Parenting and Family Programs. CI Green belt. received the Dr. George Newby Health Equity Award, Most influential Women, Best Partner UWP, Unsung Hero for the work during the pandemic.

Nury has 20+ years of experience as a Health Educator/Community Health Worker, conducting outreach and engagement in vulnerable communities and collaborating with community-based organizations and key stakeholders. She provided direct services to community members, including conducting care plans to evaluate effectiveness, documenting interventions, conducting psychosocial assessments, and making referrals within the community. She also implemented community outreach and engagement plans. Currently, in her work at OCHER, Ms. Stemple will assist the team in developing training, tools, and resources for Community Health Workers to address trauma for children, youth, and families. She will also assist in research and evaluation activities by providing expertise from the CHW perspective in all aspects of study design, including data collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination.

Taylor Dominguez is the Community Training and Education Manager at Arizona State University’s Office of Community Health, Engagement, and Resiliency. She received her Master of Public Health in May 2020 with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health. Taylor works to create culturally relevant trauma-informed trainings and resources for Community Health Workers and other health professionals that address toxic and traumatic stress for children, youth, and families. Taylor’s professional interests include mental health promotion, maternal and child health, border health, and addressing health disparities.

Mary-Ellen Brown is an Associate Professor in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin.

Brown’s specialized research areas include examining social determinants of health embedded in components of equitable community development, community health, and systems that perpetuate poverty and community stress and trauma. This line of investigation emphasizes developing valid and reliable measures for determining the effectiveness of community-engaged prevention and intervention efforts in promoting resiliency and positive health outcomes to combat minority health inequities and related risk factors.

Sanjali and Jason are dedicated Community Health Workers (CHWs) at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. These CHWs have years of experience in navigating social/community resources including health insurance, housing, mental health, and substance use treatment resources. They both maintain an enormous amount of compassion for the patients they serve and have also experienced challenges in their own lives which have provided a personal level of connection to the individuals they work with. Sanjali is currently in graduate school to become a therapist, and Jason is pursuing a degree to be a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In their spare time they both enjoy writing poetry and having robust conversations about the social structure in America. Their efforts have led to improved patient outcomes and stronger community relationships for their patients. They are also committed advocates for CHWs, demonstrating the critical role CHWs play in healthcare, especially in addressing health equity

Sanjali and Jason are dedicated Community Health Workers (CHWs) at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. These CHWs have years of experience in navigating social/community resources including health insurance, housing, mental health, and substance use treatment resources. They both maintain an enormous amount of compassion for the patients they serve and have also experienced challenges in their own lives which have provided a personal level of connection to the individuals they work with. Sanjali is currently in graduate school to become a therapist, and Jason is pursuing a degree to be a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In their spare time they both enjoy writing poetry and having robust conversations about the social structure in America. Their efforts have led to improved patient outcomes and stronger community relationships for their patients. They are also committed advocates for CHWs, demonstrating the critical role CHWs play in healthcare, especially in addressing health equity

Susan Garcia first joined the Northern California Center for Well-Being [Center] as a volunteer promotora de salud and was later hired as a health promoter in 2016, where she provided health education in underserved communities. Susan holds a bachelor’s degree in women and gender studies from Sonoma State University. In her current role, Susan is responsible for implementing the Center’s community-based education, equity, and empowerment programs for our most vulnerable community members. Susan loves working for the Center because it is through her role that she can support the work of community health workers (CHWs) in Sonoma County, and she is passionate about amplifying the impact that CHWs have in advancing health equity in our community.

Moreno began her career as a CHW, and she is an innovative leader who is passionately committed to creating a more equitable and just community for all. Moreno earned her BA in cultural anthropology from UC Santa Barbara and her Master of Arts degree in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, and she was a member of the first graduating class of the California Primary Care Association’s Health Management+ Program. Moreno has over two decades experience in community health, and she is a local leader in CHW workforce development, training, and CHW-driven health equity initiatives that address the health disparities and structural inequities in vulnerable populations. Because of her expertise in the growing field of CHWs, Moreno has served as a subject matter expert on CHW training, integration, and workforce development for Stanford University, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. Moreno joined the Center for Well-Being in 2018 as their Executive Director, and in 2020 she was recognized as a Nonprofit Leader by the North Bay Business Journal. In her current role, she serves as the lead faculty for the Center’s CHW training program and serves on several collective impact initiatives with CHWs nested at the heart of health equity initiatives.

Yesica Saldana, a community health worker coordinator, she serves minority communities by advocating for and addressing social determinants of health and providing education on health topics such as diabetes prevention and hypertension to improve lifestyles. In addition, Yesica is an ESL Instructor, CHW Advisor, and a key Collaborative member in Nebraska. Her main interests lie in bridging gaps through workforce capacity building for Community Health Workers and addressing social determinants of health across underserved populations.

When she’s not working, you can often find Yesica at community events or enjoying quality time with her two daughters, Jasmin and Lilly.

Maureen Burns (she/her/ella) is a CHW & the Director of Community Health at The HAP Foundation, where she leads a CHW team, seeking to address hospice utilization disparities & empower community members with education on serious illness topics. Maureen also serves as a tutor & professor in the CHW certificate program at Malcolm X College, using popular education to teach, support, & motivate the next generation of CHWs. Maureen has over 15 years of experience working in health care & a Bachelor of Arts degree in Community Health, Culture, and Aging. Maureen is currently a graduate student, pursuing her MPH. Maureen is proud to be a leader who identifies as Disabled (Deaf) & is a passionate advocate for the use of antiracist & liberatory practices to destroy systems of oppression. Maureen believes in the healing & transformational power of the collective, she believes in centering & growing communities of care, mutual aid, & other practices of solidarity.

Chase Koob is the Community and CHW Program Manager for Telehealth ROCKS, a federally funded program focused on school-based behavioral health and pediatric care. Chase supports the community-focused partnerships in the Telehealth ROCKS network and the expansion and implementation of the School-Based Community Health Worker model. She also manages the Evidence-Based Telehealth Network Program Grant funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration focused on increasing access to healthcare services for rural populations utilizing telehealth technologies. Chase brings a well-established background in public health: spanning international non-profit work in rural communities and pandemic relief at a local public health department. Chase shares her expertise in rural Midwest communities to address the unique challenges brought by inequities that impact health and social services.

Dorel Clayton is a Community Health professional with practical, life-changing experience, who works to assist individuals with chemical dependency, mental health disorders, and other stressors. Dorel has expertise that professional training cannot replicate. He has the mentality and ability to reach his peers, aiding with articulating recovery goals, learning and practicing new skills, helping with monitoring progress, assisting in treatment, modeling effective coping techniques, and implementing self-help strategies based on his own RE-Entry and Recovery experience. He also assists individuals with increasing self-advocacy to obtain necessary and effective services. Dorel worked on a crisis unit and has been trained in health care counseling and peer support. He has trained certified and accredited curriculums for the past 10yrs. Dorel’s experience, compassion, and commitment ensure his dedication to preparing quality professionals who desire to work in the field of Community Health.

Alicia is a Community Health Worker who is passionate about making positive changes in the community where she works and lives. Born and raised in Vallejo, California – Alicia has overcome a past of incarceration and drug addiction to become a valuable member of society. As a single mother raising a son (whose father is still incarcerated), she managed to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at UC Davis and a Master’s in Public Health at Touro University. After being rejected for certain jobs because of her background check, she finally found her calling working with the re-entry population at La Clinica’s Transitions Clinic in Vallejo. She also serves on the Board of Vallejo Together – a non-profit organization who provides services and resources to Vallejo’s unsheltered community.

Keara is a Black, queer woman who is committed to redressing the social determinants of health affecting her communities, utilizing the Community Health Worker model, popular education philosophy, and a Black queer feminist lens. She is a CHW, CHW supervisor, CHW capacitation trainer, and an Applied Anthropology, PhD student at Oregon State University who likes to laugh, dance, travel, and spend time with her family and friends.