Who We Are
Founded in 1992, the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC) is the only Latinx-led statewide policy and advocacy organization protecting and advancing Latinx health equity. We are a cross-sector coalition of community leaders, advocates, policy advisors, administrators and providers united by our common belief in protecting Latinx health and advancing health equity for all. Our work consists of community-centered programming, policy and advocacy development, and strategic communications.
Who We Are
Founded in 1992, the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC) is the only Latinx-led statewide policy and advocacy organization protecting and advancing Latinx health equity. We are a cross-sector coalition of community leaders, advocates, policy advisors, administrators and providers united by our common belief in protecting Latinx health and advancing health equity for all. Our work consists of community-centered programming, policy and advocacy development, and strategic communications.
Mission & Vision
Mission: To advance and protect Latino Health through policy and advocacy to build healthy communities in California
Vision: End Latino health inequities in California
Our Issue Areas
LCHC’s three strategic issues areas guide our work in order to achieve and amplify our mission and vision.
- Access to Health Care for All: Increase access for individuals to affordable, high quality, and culturally and linguistically appropriate health care— including oral and mental health care—for all.
Building Healthy Communities: Build social, economic, and physical environments for communities that prevent chronic diseases and promote health and wellness.
Health is a Fundamental Human Right: Reduce structural and institutional barriers that produce health inequities across race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, age, and immigration status.
Meet Our Team
Dr. Seciah Aquino
Executive Director
Seciah Aquino, DrPH, MS (She, Her)
Dr. Seciah Aquino serves as Executive Director for the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC) — the State’s leading policy organization advocating for health equity in the Latinx community. In her role, she is passionate to advance health justice for CA Latinxs through unity. Latinxs working hand in hand with fellow siblings from Black, Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Indian, and other communities of color to advance a unified Health Equity Agenda. An agenda that seeks to advance sustainable systemic changes, through policy solutions that will address the acute and long-term repercussions of health inequities. She strongly believes we must as a collective -- own our power and harness our resiliency to achieve true justice.
Dr. Aquino is a proud immigrant from Guatemala. Through life experience she has been blessed to learn first-hand how to stand up for the oppressed, how to provide for the needy, and how to speak up for the rights of the destitute. Dr. Aquino began her journey in public health as a promotora and throughout her career, thereafter, has remained committed to creating a culture of health across the nation. For over 10 years, she has worked to advance health equity and social justice issues across non-profit, government, and academic sectors and at multiple levels including local, state, and national.
Dr. Aquino holds a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) from Harvard University and a Master of Science (MS) in Global Medicine from the University of Southern California.
Rita Medina
Deputy Director
Rita Medina (She, Her)
Rita Medina is the Deputy Director at Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)—the State’s leading policy organization advocating for health equity of the Latino community. In this leadership role, she is responsible for guiding day-to-day operations for the organization and working with the Executive Director and staff to move the organization towards its strategic goals of achieving Latino health equity.
For over a decade Rita has worked with Latino communities throughout the country and California, with a sharp focus on immigrant rights. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), where she led the organization’s state focused work and legislative agenda, including participation in health-related campaigns such as Health4All and Food4All. She also led the launch of CHIRLA’s “Immigrants Aging with Dignity” campaign focused on safety net support for undocumented seniors. Prior to her position at CHIRLA, Rita was a Chief of Staff in the California State Assembly and led policy and advocacy efforts at the national level in Washington, D.C.
Rita is an alumna of the University of California Riverside and a proud product of the Inland Empire. Growing up in the Inland Empire, Rita witnessed the impacts of an underserved Inland California and the impacts of environmental factors, such as poor air quality and extreme heat, on residents of the region. She believes that investing equitably in healthcare resources and workforce across growing inland regions is critical to ensuring a healthier California for all.
Rosa L. Flores
Director of Programs
Rosa L. Flores (She, Her)
Rosa Flores is the Director of Programs at the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC). Rosa’s work centers on leading the growth and implementation of LCHC programs such as Salud con Dignidad and the Health Ambassadors Leadership Program. With roots as a community organizer, she brings years of experience to our team on community mobilization on issues relating to health equity, migrant rights, education, climate action, and youth and women's leadership development. Most recently, Rosa was the Migrant Health Program Supervisor at Vista Community Clinic (VCC), a federally qualified health center serving North County San Diego, where she led multiple health programs that elevated farmworkers' access to comprehensive healthcare services and that enacted community-led policy, systems, and environmental changes around healthy food access, the creation of safer community spaces, and public transit infrastructure improvement. Additionally, Rosa's experience includes leading and training teams of Community Health Workers, also known as promotorxs, on community-based health education and participatory research practices. Prior to her time at VCC, Rosa worked to increase fair housing practices with residents in cities throughout East and South County San Diego.
As the daughter of immigrant parents Rosa’s volunteer work is dedicated to advocating for migrant and immigrant rights and policy. She’s a former volunteer with the North County Immigration Task Force and the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties where she worked to ensure the correct implementation of AB 60 (California Driver’s License) and where she assisted in providing legal and social service resources to migrants in detention, respectively. Rosa is a graduate of the San Diego Leadership Alliance Institute, MANA de San Diego's Latina Success Leadership Program, and the Gamaliel Foundation Leadership Program. In recent years, she has served on the leadership teams of the Farm Worker CARE Coalition (FWCC) and the North County Immigration Task Force (NCITF). In 2018, she led the team of volunteers that helped elect the first Latina city council member in Escondido, California’s District 1.
Rosa earned a degree in Political Science and a minor in Spanish from San Diego State University. When she’s not working or volunteering she enjoys traveling, being outside, and drinking coffee.
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Mar Velez
Director of Policy
Mar Velez, MPH, MCP (She, Her)
Mar Velez is Director of Policy at the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. In her role, Mar leads LCHC’s policy agenda to address the social determinants of health, ensure healthcare access for California’s Latinx and vulnerable populations, and incorporate community voice in all policy initiatives.
Mar’s expansive experience in advocacy, research, and local, state, and federal government provides her with unique insight to advance equity, justice, and accountability for public good. Previously Mar was a Congressional Aide to Congresswoman Barbara Lee where she oversaw the criminal justice, Latinx, and women’s rights district issues portfolio. Additionally, she has worked with grassroots leaders and organizations, particularly in the criminal and youth justice field, to pass and promote public safety measures at the state and local levels for positive health and life outcomes for youth.
Mar holds a dual Master’s degree in Public Health and City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley. She led a community-based participatory research project using the PhotoVoice method with Oakland youth used in advocacy and movement building strategies to center youth’s voice in policy. As a daughter to immigrant parents from Mexico who has had to overcome systemic barriers, it is Mar’s passion to undo cycles that lead to negative life and health outcomes.
Topher McClellan
Director of Finance
Topher McClellan (He, Him)
Topher McClellan serves as the Finance Director for the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC). In his role, he is responsible for financial administration, budgeting and overall grant fiscal management. Prior to joining Tides, Topher’s 23-year finance experience work has involved private industry, education, public accounting and NPO operations.
Topher earned a degree in Business Administration and from Sam Houston State University and an MBA from Ashford University. When he is not working, Topher can be found playing music with several local bands or out in the mountains on his dirt bike.
Topher is especially inspired and driven by work that is making a difference in people’s lives and supports growing communities.
Robert Nuñez
Sr. Communications Manager
Robert Nuñez (He, Him)
Robert is the Sr. Communications Manager for LCHC, he works jointly across LCHC departments to advance and elevate LCHC's legislative advocacy and statewide programs work through strategic communications.
Growing up in an immigrant household, Roberts’s passion lies in advancing solutions to issues that disproportionately affect immigrant/communities of color including migrant rights, healthcare access, and climate justice. Robert is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and minor in a Public Policy.
Outside of the office, Robert enjoys spontaneous Nor-Cal trips, and reminding Netflix that he is, in fact, still watching.
Paola A. Ilescas
Programs Sr. Manager
Paola Aracely Ilescas (She, Her, They)
Paola Aracely Ilescas is a Program Sr. Manager at LCHC, where she supports the development and implementation of multiple health equity programs and initiatives in collaboration with community organizations. While obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Cal State University San Marcos, she was interning with the Agricultural Health Program at TrueCare Health Center, formally known as North County Health Services, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). After graduation, Paola transitioned to Vista Community Clinic, where she was responsible for leading community engagement efforts alongside historically underserved populations as part of the Migrant Health Program.
Paola grew up in in North County San Diego, a region with strong immigrant and agricultural roots. For this reason, Paola has always been intentional in her journey to provide and connect farmworkers to resources. Throughout her career trajectory, Paola has come to learn that eliminating health inequity requires multi-sector partnerships and action. Last year, in addition to providing direct services to farmworkers, she participated in the COVID-19 Farmworker Study (COFS) as a Research Assistant representing the Farm Worker CARE Coalition. The study, a tri-state research project involving farmworker serving CBOs has actively engaged with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to address the structural inequities farmworkers face in the health systems.
As a certified Resident Leadership Academy (RLA) facilitator, Paola is passionate about community involvement at all levels of the policy development process. She is committed to integrating that vision at LCHC and beyond. Furthermore, as San Diego Leadership Alumnae, she believes in building leadership pipelines.
Paola is proud of being Venneh Xiza, the Zapotec name of her town and people. Outside her role, she volunteers to drop-off supplies for farmworkers in North County, rock climbs, and indulges in her favorite treat: Fruit!
Angela Maldonado
Youth Programs Manager
Angela Maldonado (She, Her)
Angela Maldonado is the Youth Program Manager at the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California- LCHC. Angela's duties at LCHC include fostering civic engagement for youth in the Sacramento area through our Z-VYBE Program, leading and providing support for our LCHC Health Justice Fellows Program, and directing LCHC Youth related community events and outreach. In the past, Angela has been an advocate for youth who have experienced abuse and violence throughout their lives and has advocated and provided guidance to survivors of Domestic Violence and Trafficking. Recently, Angela supported Immigrant families in Northern California who were affected by the LNU Fire receive direct assistance to help pay for rent and utilities.
Gissel Bojorquez
Administrative Manager
Gissel Bojorquez (Her, Hers)
Gissel Bojorquez is an Administrative Manager for LCHC. She supports accounts payable, accounts receivable, and grant tracking, serving as a Finance Specialist.
Mrs. Bojorquez has over 8 years of experience in both for-profit managed services and nonprofit sectors working as an Administration Coordinator and Project Manager for Business Executives, Health Practitioners, and Attorneys. In her previous role, she was a project coordinator for an IT Managed Service Provider for outpatient healthcare systems in Southern and Northern CA.
Gissel is passionate about working with finance and tech departments to ensure that they are able to effectively handle their daily operations. She strives to make a positive social impact to her Latina/o community with information regarding health and financial assistance programs, as well as helping them navigate the complicated process of applying for those benefits.
Gissel Bojorquez, born and raised in San Bernardino County is a first generation Mexican-American who has always been passionate about the work she does for her Latina/o community. In college, she studied Business Management Information Technology at Western Governors University and Applied Science of Food and Nutrition Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University. She graduated from the Emerging Latina Entrepreneur and Leadership Program at the National Latina Business Women Association Inland Empire Institute.
Gissel Bojorquez is a caring, compassionate and driven person. She loves to learn and work on personal and professional growth. As a life learner, she enjoys staying on top of the latest technologies, holistic wellness, family, and helping others in her community achieve their goals.
Luisa Aquino
Grant Writer
Luisa Aquino (She, Her)
Luisa Aquino is Grant Writer at the Latino Coalition of a Healthy California. In her role, Luisa is responsible for writing grants and reporting the work LCHC accomplishes. Luisa is a first generation Latinx college student with a Master of Science degree in Digital Social Media and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Southern California.
Growing up in a low-income community she witnessed the important role that healthcare played in providing hope for a better quality of life and future for many of her peers and their families. Luisa’s communication and digital social media education combined with previous work experience have given her a great foundation of knowledge in understanding trends, social media listening and building a firm foundation of the social media industry. Luisa is looking forward to making a positive impact on the lives of the Latinx community through outreach and spread of resources.
Michelle Lozano
Programs Associate
Michelle Lozano (She, Hers)
Michelle Lozano is a Program Associate at the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC). Michelle’s duties include managing the LCHC youth leadership program Z-VYBE social media accounts, assisting in the creation and facilitation of Z-VYBE in person youth empowerment lessons. Michelle has over four years of experience working with children from the ages of 6 months to 13 years old in accredited child care settings, and volunteered as a certified domestic violence advocate with My Sister’s House. Michelle previously worked for Sacramento State's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) as an instructional student assistant where she provided academic support and guidance to first generation, low-income, and educationally disadvantaged college students. Michelle is a South Sacramento native born to hard working immigrant parents from Michoacán, Mexico. Michelle is a proud Hornet from California State University Sacramento where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Family and consumer sciences with an emphasis in Family Studies and Human Development. She participated in My Sister's House Domestic Violence Advocate Training where she was able to receive training on how to serve her community through a culturally and linguistically appropriate lens. Growing up in South Sacramento Michelle experienced firsthand the socioeconomic needs of Sacramento community members and is ecstatic to be working to cultivate the next generation of Sacramento change makers. When she is not crafting or spending time with loved ones, Michelle can be found snuggled up with her dog Lola reading.
Juan Jose Mejia Palacios
Health Policy Associate
Juan Jose Mejia Palacios (Him, His)
Juan Jose Mejia Palacios is the Health Policy Associate for Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)-—the State’s leading policy organization advocating for health equity of the Latino community. In his role, he is responsible to report to the Director of Policy and will work to advance the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California’s mission to advance and protect Latinx Health in California through policy advocacy and policy research. Juan Jose has experience in advocacy and research in food insecurity and farmworker safety. Most recently, he worked at AmeriCorps as California State University San Bernardino- Palm Desert Campus Success Coach to identify and address the needs for Palm Desert Campus transfer students.
Mr. Mejia graduated from The City University of New York School of Public Health (CUNY SPH) with his Master of Science in Global and Migrant Health Policy. During his time at CUNY SPH, he was also a part of the American Public Health Association Student Assembly Advancement Committee and Policy Brief for Firearm Prevention. He is the son of immigrants from Mexico and grew up in Cathedral City. Growing up, he noticed systematic barriers that affected the Latinx community. His life goal is to advance and protect Latinx health through policy and advance to build healthier communities in California.
Stefani Andres
Communications Associate
Stefani Andres (She, Her, Hers)
Stefani serves as the Communications Associate for Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. In this role, she supports the Communications Department with planning and implementing LCHC’s communications initiatives and other department projects, including policy advocacy and statewide programming.
Stefani was raised in Southeast Los Angeles, a historically underrepresented community, where she navigated the complexities of being a first-generation Mexican-American. As she pursued Chicana/o/x Studies and Human Rights at the University of California, Davis, she recognized the significance of representation within systemic institutions, social policies, and activism. As a result, Stefani dove into Chicanx social policy issues, Chicanx Art, Design, and Human Rights, while gaining communications experience as the Publicity Coordinator for several organizations. Prior to her role in LCHC, Stefani served as a case manager for a national law firm, guiding clients through the federal disability process. Recently, Stefani has been involved in leading the newsletter and Patreon initiatives for the Broad Room, a local nonprofit organization, advocating for accessibility to art supplies and resources in Sacramento, CA.
With her work, she aims to raise awareness of social justice, health equity, human rights, and the importance of intersectionality among marginalized communities. In her leisure time, Stefani enjoys hiking, thrifting, playing tennis, cooking homemade meals, creating art and planning home DIYs/renovations.
Dr. Ana Aguayo-Bryant
Campaign Director
Dr. Ana Aguayo-Bryant (She, Her, Hers)
Dr. Ana Aguayo-Bryant is the Campaign Director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. She is leading efforts to promote health equity for Latinos in the state and address the Latino physician shortage by facilitating pathways for aspiring Latino doctors. With over 30 years of experience in transforming higher education, she has initiated numerous impactful programs. These include Dream Centers that advocate for undocumented students, foster youth initiatives, and removing the age cap for former foster youth seeking services at California State University. Additionally, she has developed support services for students with disabilities, all aimed at empowering students to achieve their academic goals.
Dr. Aguayo-Bryant holds a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne and a Master's in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach. Growing up in Los Angeles County, she developed a strong commitment to fostering an inclusive culture that prioritizes the needs of marginalized communities and ensures they have the necessary resources to promote a healthy community.
Health Justice Fellows
Board of Directors
Efrain Talamantes, MD, MBA, MSc, FACP
Board Chair
Efrain Talamantes, MD, MBA, MSc
Dr. Efrain Talamantes is an internal medicine physician who is dedicated to serving historically underinvested communities and advancing health equity. He leads initiatives throughout the country to enhance leadership and diversity in the healthcare workforce. As the Chief Operating Officer of Health Services at AltaMed Health Services, Dr. Talamantes shapes the AltaMed experience across the entire health care delivery system spanning more than 40 clinics throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. He oversees every aspect of day-to-day care and incorporates patient-centered solutions to address social determinants of health.
Prior to becoming the Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Talamantes served as Medical Director for the AltaMed Institute for Health Equity and Medical Education, leading health services and community-partnered research and training to advance health equity and medical education. Cultivating the next generation of physicians remains a cornerstone of Dr. Talamantes’ work. His vision led to the creation of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited Family Medicine Residency program and pipeline programs throughout AltaMed that focus on advancing health equity and recruiting a new generation of health professionals dedicated to improving access to care.
Prior to joining AltaMed, Dr. Talamantes co-founded MiMentor, a nationwide mentoring network connecting thousands of members with health professional mentors. The organization's mission is to develop and support innovative and inclusive mentorship opportunities that will inspire the next generation of diverse healthcare leaders for underserved communities. He also served as Associate Director for the University of California, Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program, and co-directed the Center for a Diverse Healthcare Workforce (CDHW).
Dr. Talamantes currently serves as the Chair of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, he is a board member of the National Medical Fellowships, University of California, Riverside School of Medicine and the Chicago School of Psychology.
Irma Cota
Vice Chair
Irma Cota, MPH
From 1997 to March of 2018, Cota was the CEO of North County Health Project, also known as North County Health Services (NCHS). Under her leadership, NCHS went from five clinics with a $12 million budget to a system of 10 comprehensive health centers with a $74 million budget serving more than 66,000 patients. She also helped build capacity by expanding its primary care services, dental services, behavioral health and specialty care.
Cota came full circle in her professional career when she was hired at NCHS as its CEO. She began her career at NCHS in 1977 by running a rural clinic and also spent five years from 1982-87 as Maternal and Child Health Director.
In addition, Cota served as Chief Administrative Officer at San Ysidro Health Center from 1987-91 and Chief Administrative Officer at Sharp Healthcare nonprofit The Birth Center and its Physician Affiliate Ob-Gyn Consultants from 1991-97.
She graduated from San Diego State University in 1976 with a bachelor’s of science in community health and received her master’s in public health from San Diego State University. She earned executive healthcare leadership certifications from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and UCSD Extension as well as an executive leadership in nonprofits certificate from Harvard University. She serves on the advisory boards for San Diego State University School of Public Health and Rady Children’s Hospital D. Sanford Behavioral Health, as well as the board of directors of Latino Coalition for Healthy California.
Isabel Becerra
Treasurer
Isabel Becerra
Isabel holds a degree in Psychology from Pomona College of the Claremont Colleges. In addition, she has completed programs in Leadership and Advocacy from UC San Diego. For the past 27 years, she has dedicated her career to public health with an emphasis in serving the underserved communities cared for by community health centers. In these efforts, Isabel has been able to lead initiatives which empower communities across the country to address and overcome barriers to health equity. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of California Primary Care Association, CalOptima Health, Waymakers Foundation, and the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. Isabel also participates on numerous committees and has received awards for her service.
Since 2000, Isabel has been able to lead and represent communities in need in her hometown of Orange County. As the Chief Executive Officer, she spends her days negotiating and strengthening relationships that are aligned to ensure equal access to high quality, affordable and culturally competent health care for all. When not engaged in her role for the Coalition, you will find Isabel enjoying time with family at home or in the great outdoors either locally or across the country.
Xóchitl Castañeda
Secretary
Xóchitl Castañeda
Xochitl Castaneda is the Founding Director of Health Initiative of the Americas (HIA) at the School of Public Health, University of California (UC) Berkeley. A medical anthropologist by training, Xochitl was educated in Guatemala and Mexico and completed three post-doctoral fellowships: UC San Francisco, Harvard and Amsterdam University. She directed the Reproductive Health Department at Mexico’s National School of Public Health for seven years. Since 2008, she has served as a professor on Migration and Health at various UC campuses. Her fundraising efforts are significant, as she has received over 100 grants, from private entities, state and federal agencies.
Her leadership efforts to improve the health and the quality of life of underserved Latino populations is widely recognized. In 2021 she received the Mexican National Health Award, in the “Without Borders” category. In 2019, she received the Othli Award, one of the most prestigious distinctions presented by the Mexican Government to a person who have positively affected the lives of Mexican nationals in the United States. In 2010, the California Latino Legislative Caucus honored her with the National Spirit Award for her leadership to improve the health of Latino immigrants in the U.S. In 1999, she received the National Mexican Award on Social Science and Medicine.
Xochitl has over 200 publications and has served as a consultant for more than 40 national and international institutions. She has also served on the Boards of Directors, and other honorable membership positions of 20 organizations and programs including the California Wellness Foundation; The Mexican Museum in San Francisco; Medica Sur (a world-class hospital, which is part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network); California Immigrant Policy Center; CDC National Diabetes Education Program; the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California; and the National Council of Mexican Federations in North America (COFEM). She has contributed to the editorial board of 15 professional publications. She has presented the results of her academic and advocacy work in over 500 national/international conferences, symposiums, policy briefings, and other events. Bio summary Xochitl Castaneda
Xochitl’s vision and commitment has led to the creation of nationally recognized health programs for underserved populations. Under her direction, HIA coordinated for 22 consecutive years Binational Health Week (BHW). BHW is one of the largest mobilization efforts in the Americas to improve the wellbeing of Latino immigrants. She has created the Annual Binational Policy Forum on Migration and Global Health, a collaboration among 30 Universities and over 200 agencies. She is also the founder of the “Athenea Network” a world organization for Mental Health of Mobile Populations. She has signed 50 Memorandums of Understandings with state and federal institutions.
In 2020, she funded the Health Education for Latinos Program (HELP) a fund that provides scholarships to immigrant undergraduate Mexican students pursuing careers in health professions. HELP covers 37 counties in California and has awarded 135 scholarships to date. Through all these strategies, hundreds of thousands of low-income families have been served.
Berenice (“Bere”) Núñez Constant
Executive Committee Ad-Hoc Member; Policy Committee Chair
Berenice Nuñez Constant, MPH
Senior Vice President, Government Relations and External Affairs
AltaMed Health Services
Focus Areas: Healthcare, Latinos, Advocacy, Policy, Leadership
For more than two decades, Berenice has led policy and advocacy
strategies to eliminate inequities in healthcare, power and voting for
Latinos at the federal, state and local levels. Now as a c-suite executive, she is passionate about Latina leadership and serves on various boards including the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (Policy Chair), The Children’s Partnership (Board Chair), the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute, the SELA Collaborative, and is also Commissioner for the L.A. County Workforce Development Board.
Education & Fellowships:
MPH, University of California, Los Angeles
B.A., Sociology, California State University, Long Beach
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Health Policy Graduate Fellowship California Health Care Foundation, Aspen Ideas Health Fellow
Carmen Rita Nevarez, MD, MPH
Executive Committee Ad-Hoc Member
Carmen Rita Nevárez, MD, MPH
Carmen Nevarez is emeritus senior vice president, external relations and preventive medicine, at the Public Health Institute (PHI), a senior executive position she held from 1998-2021. Nevarez directed the PHI Center for Health Leadership & Impact (CHLI) since 2011, and currently acts as co-director. She is the creator and co-director of Dialogue4Health (D4H), since 2008.
Nevarez is a public health practice thought leader with over 40 years of experience currently working on collaborative leadership development for solving complex problems. As co-director of the California Overdose Prevention Network (COPN) and National Overdose Prevention Network (NOPN), she leads a national and statewide effort to advance best practices in overdose prevention and response among local coalitions, while building their capacity to function as learning and accountable organizations. As director of the National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH), she strives to advance health by increasing the capacity of leaders (1,627 globally to date) to transcend boundaries, work collaboratively, and transform their communities.
Nevarez has experience across a broad variety of positions including public health departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers, community health, clinical services, advocacy and national organizations, serving as clinician administrator, director, consultant, and practitioner. Her content expertise ranges from Latinx and women’s health issues, prevention of chronic disease, and advocacy strategies.
Nevarez has worked in both non-profit and government sectors. She is an innovator in web-based communications space, and is the creator and co-director of Dialogue4Health.org, an internet-based broadcasting station for conversations and skills building on a broad range of health topics, considered from multiple perspectives, with a national subscriber base of over 24,000. As past-president of the American Public Health Association, past-chair of the Langeloth Foundation, and director of the National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health, she contributes broadly to the national conversation about health. For 40 years, she practiced medicine part-time, providing services in low-income diverse settings.
Nevarez is also the principal of CRN Health Consulting LLC.
Luis Campillo
Board Member
Luis Campillo, MBA
Luis Campillo is the Los Angeles Regional Director for AARP California, based in the Pasadena office. In this role, Luis leads a cross-functional team focused on representing over 3.2 million AARP members in the state and positioning AARP as a trusted resource and leader regionally with elected officials, business and non-profit organizations. Luis leads the L.A. team of staff and volunteers who work to build and strengthen AARP’s multicultural and member relevance through advocacy, community outreach, meaningful volunteer engagement, and greater brand awareness. Luis also serves as the Voter Education lead for AARP California and has statewide responsibility for American Indian/Alaska Native audience engagement strategies.
Prior to joining AARP, Luis worked at the Ibarra Strategy Group, a leading government relations and public affairs firm in Washington, DC. Luis worked with congressional offices, federal agencies, state and local officials, and multicultural third-party groups on a variety of public policy issues including media, telecommunications, and technology. Luis also worked in the Office of U.S. Senator Jack Reed (Rhode Island) covering health care, Medicare, Medicaid, and housing issues. Luis started his career as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Public Policy Fellow with the National Immigration Law Center (NILC).
Luis has extensive experience as a volunteer leader. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC). From 2011 to 2016, Luis served on the Board of Directors of CHCI alongside Members of Congress, nonprofit, union and corporate leaders; serving as Treasurer and Executive Committee member during his last term. From 2007 to 2011, he served on the Board of Governors of the Brown Alumni Association, serving as co-chair of the Multicultural Alumni Committee from 2009-2011. Luis also served as an officer of the Brown University Latino Alumni Council (BULAC).
Luis holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Brown University and an MBA in Interdisciplinary business from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
Veronica Dela Rosa
Board Member
Veronica Dela Rosa, MBA
Veronica Dela Rosa has spent over 25 years in the health care industry. Veronica currently is the Executive Vice President of Operations at San Ysidro Health, Her responsibilities include overseeing Clinic Operations, IT, Population Health and Performance Excellence, HR, Compliance and Diversity and Inclusion initiatives.
Prior experience includes over 20 years as a health care administrator for Kaiser Permanente where her oversight encompassed the medical group’s Primary Care Services Division focusing on quality, access and innovative health care delivery services to over 600,000+ patients.
In both her career and community involvement, Veronica has a long history of advocating for: women’s health, social justice and health equity. She has helped shape multiple non-profit organizations as a board member, and continues that work today.
Marlon Maus, MD, DrPH, FACS
Board Member
Marlon Maus, MD, DrPH, MPH
Dr. Marlon Maus stands is a medical professional who combines his expertise as a board-certified ophthalmologist with a deep commitment to public health. Born in Mexico, he embarked on an academic journey to the U.S. for college, and this trajectory led him to both achieve board certification in ophthalmology and subsequently earn a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) from UC Berkeley. This blend of clinical and public health training is a result of his personal vision of healthcare.
During his tenure at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, one of the nation's premier eye institutions, Dr. Maus was deeply influenced by his experiences with health disparities, especially among underserved communities. This spurred him to delve deeper into public health, driving research into the intersections of aging, the built environment, and visual disability. Particularly noteworthy is his pioneering work on technologies like the WordWalk app, aimed at supporting physical activity and cognitive fitness in the elderly, and innovative studies employing artificial intelligence for diabetic retinopathy diagnosis in marginalized migrant populations.
Dr. Maus has an unwavering commitment to medical education. Whether at Wills, where he spearheaded resident education and the emergency department, or at UC Berkeley, where he manages a robust teaching schedule, his dedication to fostering the next generation is evident. Through his diverse clinical, academic, and research endeavors, Dr. Maus champions a holistic approach to health, underscoring the importance of understanding and addressing both clinical and social determinants of health.
Dr. Michael A. Rodriguez
Board Member
Michael A. Rodríguez, MD, MPH
Michael A. Rodríguez, MD, MPH is professor and vice chair in the Department of Family Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, founding chair of the UCLA Global Health Minor, founding director of the Health Equity Network of the Americas, Co-Director of the UCLA Firearm Violence Prevention Center, and founding director of the UCLA Blum Center on Poverty and Health in Latin America. Dr. Rodríguez is published widely in the areas of research that include, ethnic/racial and immigrant health equity, gun and intimate partner violence prevention, and primary care systems. He has consulted for the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Pan American Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Institute of Medicine. He is also a Board Member for Blue Shield of California, and the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. Dr. Rodriguez mentors and teaches UCLA faculty and trainees in a wide range of disciplines. Dr. Rodriguez completed his undergraduate training at the University of California, Berkeley; received his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; completed his residency from the UC San Francisco's Family Medicine Residency Program; received his Master of Public Health degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health; and was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at Stanford University.
Meet Our Team
Dr. Seciah Aquino
Executive Director
Seciah Aquino, DrPH, MS (She, Her)
Dr. Seciah Aquino serves as Executive Director for the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC) — the State’s leading policy organization advocating for health equity in the Latinx community. In her role, she is passionate to advance health justice for CA Latinxs through unity. Latinxs working hand in hand with fellow siblings from Black, Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Indian, and other communities of color to advance a unified Health Equity Agenda. An agenda that seeks to advance sustainable systemic changes, through policy solutions that will address the acute and long-term repercussions of health inequities. She strongly believes we must as a collective -- own our power and harness our resiliency to achieve true justice.
Dr. Aquino is a proud immigrant from Guatemala. Through life experience she has been blessed to learn first-hand how to stand up for the oppressed, how to provide for the needy, and how to speak up for the rights of the destitute. Dr. Aquino began her journey in public health as a promotora and throughout her career, thereafter, has remained committed to creating a culture of health across the nation. For over 10 years, she has worked to advance health equity and social justice issues across non-profit, government, and academic sectors and at multiple levels including local, state, and national.
Dr. Aquino holds a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) from Harvard University and a Master of Science (MS) in Global Medicine from the University of Southern California.
Rita Medina
Deputy Director
Rita Medina (She, Her)
Rita Medina is the Deputy Director at Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)—the State’s leading policy organization advocating for health equity of the Latino community. In this leadership role, she is responsible for guiding day-to-day operations for the organization and working with the Executive Director and staff to move the organization towards its strategic goals of achieving Latino health equity.
For over a decade Rita has worked with Latino communities throughout the country and California, with a sharp focus on immigrant rights. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), where she led the organization’s state focused work and legislative agenda, including participation in health-related campaigns such as Health4All and Food4All. She also led the launch of CHIRLA’s “Immigrants Aging with Dignity” campaign focused on safety net support for undocumented seniors. Prior to her position at CHIRLA, Rita was a Chief of Staff in the California State Assembly and led policy and advocacy efforts at the national level in Washington, D.C.
Rita is an alumna of the University of California Riverside and a proud product of the Inland Empire. Growing up in the Inland Empire, Rita witnessed the impacts of an underserved Inland California and the impacts of environmental factors, such as poor air quality and extreme heat, on residents of the region. She believes that investing equitably in healthcare resources and workforce across growing inland regions is critical to ensuring a healthier California for all.
Rosa L. Flores
Director of Programs
Rosa L. Flores (She, Her)
Rosa Flores is the Director of Programs at the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC). Rosa’s work centers on leading the growth and implementation of LCHC programs such as Salud con Dignidad and the Health Ambassadors Leadership Program. With roots as a community organizer, she brings years of experience to our team on community mobilization on issues relating to health equity, migrant rights, education, climate action, and youth and women's leadership development. Most recently, Rosa was the Migrant Health Program Supervisor at Vista Community Clinic (VCC), a federally qualified health center serving North County San Diego, where she led multiple health programs that elevated farmworkers' access to comprehensive healthcare services and that enacted community-led policy, systems, and environmental changes around healthy food access, the creation of safer community spaces, and public transit infrastructure improvement. Additionally, Rosa's experience includes leading and training teams of Community Health Workers, also known as promotorxs, on community-based health education and participatory research practices. Prior to her time at VCC, Rosa worked to increase fair housing practices with residents in cities throughout East and South County San Diego.
As the daughter of immigrant parents Rosa’s volunteer work is dedicated to advocating for migrant and immigrant rights and policy. She’s a former volunteer with the North County Immigration Task Force and the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties where she worked to ensure the correct implementation of AB 60 (California Driver’s License) and where she assisted in providing legal and social service resources to migrants in detention, respectively. Rosa is a graduate of the San Diego Leadership Alliance Institute, MANA de San Diego's Latina Success Leadership Program, and the Gamaliel Foundation Leadership Program. In recent years, she has served on the leadership teams of the Farm Worker CARE Coalition (FWCC) and the North County Immigration Task Force (NCITF). In 2018, she led the team of volunteers that helped elect the first Latina city council member in Escondido, California’s District 1.
Rosa earned a degree in Political Science and a minor in Spanish from San Diego State University. When she’s not working or volunteering she enjoys traveling, being outside, and drinking coffee.
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Mar Velez
Director of Policy
Mar Velez, MPH, MCP (She, Her)
Mar Velez is Director of Policy at the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. In her role, Mar leads LCHC’s policy agenda to address the social determinants of health, ensure healthcare access for California’s Latinx and vulnerable populations, and incorporate community voice in all policy initiatives.
Mar’s expansive experience in advocacy, research, and local, state, and federal government provides her with unique insight to advance equity, justice, and accountability for public good. Previously Mar was a Congressional Aide to Congresswoman Barbara Lee where she oversaw the criminal justice, Latinx, and women’s rights district issues portfolio. Additionally, she has worked with grassroots leaders and organizations, particularly in the criminal and youth justice field, to pass and promote public safety measures at the state and local levels for positive health and life outcomes for youth.
Mar holds a dual Master’s degree in Public Health and City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley. She led a community-based participatory research project using the PhotoVoice method with Oakland youth used in advocacy and movement building strategies to center youth’s voice in policy. As a daughter to immigrant parents from Mexico who has had to overcome systemic barriers, it is Mar’s passion to undo cycles that lead to negative life and health outcomes.
Topher McClellan
Director of Finance
Topher McClellan (He, Him)
Topher McClellan serves as the Finance Director for the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC). In his role, he is responsible for financial administration, budgeting and overall grant fiscal management. Prior to joining Tides, Topher’s 23-year finance experience work has involved private industry, education, public accounting and NPO operations.
Topher earned a degree in Business Administration and from Sam Houston State University and an MBA from Ashford University. When he is not working, Topher can be found playing music with several local bands or out in the mountains on his dirt bike.
Topher is especially inspired and driven by work that is making a difference in people’s lives and supports growing communities.
Robert Nuñez
Sr. Communications Manager
Robert Nuñez (He, Him)
Robert is the Sr. Communications Manager for LCHC, he works jointly across LCHC departments to advance and elevate LCHC's legislative advocacy and statewide programs work through strategic communications.
Growing up in an immigrant household, Roberts’s passion lies in advancing solutions to issues that disproportionately affect immigrant/communities of color including migrant rights, healthcare access, and climate justice. Robert is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and minor in a Public Policy.
Outside of the office, Robert enjoys spontaneous Nor-Cal trips, and reminding Netflix that he is, in fact, still watching.
Paola A. Ilescas
Programs Sr. Manager
Paola Aracely Ilescas (She, Her, They)
Paola Aracely Ilescas is a Program Sr. Manager at LCHC, where she supports the development and implementation of multiple health equity programs and initiatives in collaboration with community organizations. While obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Cal State University San Marcos, she was interning with the Agricultural Health Program at TrueCare Health Center, formally known as North County Health Services, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). After graduation, Paola transitioned to Vista Community Clinic, where she was responsible for leading community engagement efforts alongside historically underserved populations as part of the Migrant Health Program.
Paola grew up in in North County San Diego, a region with strong immigrant and agricultural roots. For this reason, Paola has always been intentional in her journey to provide and connect farmworkers to resources. Throughout her career trajectory, Paola has come to learn that eliminating health inequity requires multi-sector partnerships and action. Last year, in addition to providing direct services to farmworkers, she participated in the COVID-19 Farmworker Study (COFS) as a Research Assistant representing the Farm Worker CARE Coalition. The study, a tri-state research project involving farmworker serving CBOs has actively engaged with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to address the structural inequities farmworkers face in the health systems.
As a certified Resident Leadership Academy (RLA) facilitator, Paola is passionate about community involvement at all levels of the policy development process. She is committed to integrating that vision at LCHC and beyond. Furthermore, as San Diego Leadership Alumnae, she believes in building leadership pipelines.
Paola is proud of being Venneh Xiza, the Zapotec name of her town and people. Outside her role, she volunteers to drop-off supplies for farmworkers in North County, rock climbs, and indulges in her favorite treat: Fruit!
Angela Maldonado
Youth Programs Manager
Angela Maldonado (She, Her)
Angela Maldonado is the Youth Program Manager at the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California- LCHC. Angela's duties at LCHC include fostering civic engagement for youth in the Sacramento area through our Z-VYBE Program, leading and providing support for our LCHC Health Justice Fellows Program, and directing LCHC Youth related community events and outreach. In the past, Angela has been an advocate for youth who have experienced abuse and violence throughout their lives and has advocated and provided guidance to survivors of Domestic Violence and Trafficking. Recently, Angela supported Immigrant families in Northern California who were affected by the LNU Fire receive direct assistance to help pay for rent and utilities.
Gissel Bojorquez
Administrative Manager
Gissel Bojorquez (Her, Hers)
Gissel Bojorquez is an Administrative Manager for LCHC. She supports accounts payable, accounts receivable, and grant tracking, serving as a Finance Specialist.
Mrs. Bojorquez has over 8 years of experience in both for-profit managed services and nonprofit sectors working as an Administration Coordinator and Project Manager for Business Executives, Health Practitioners, and Attorneys. In her previous role, she was a project coordinator for an IT Managed Service Provider for outpatient healthcare systems in Southern and Northern CA.
Gissel is passionate about working with finance and tech departments to ensure that they are able to effectively handle their daily operations. She strives to make a positive social impact to her Latina/o community with information regarding health and financial assistance programs, as well as helping them navigate the complicated process of applying for those benefits.
Gissel Bojorquez, born and raised in San Bernardino County is a first generation Mexican-American who has always been passionate about the work she does for her Latina/o community. In college, she studied Business Management Information Technology at Western Governors University and Applied Science of Food and Nutrition Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University. She graduated from the Emerging Latina Entrepreneur and Leadership Program at the National Latina Business Women Association Inland Empire Institute.
Gissel Bojorquez is a caring, compassionate and driven person. She loves to learn and work on personal and professional growth. As a life learner, she enjoys staying on top of the latest technologies, holistic wellness, family, and helping others in her community achieve their goals.
Luisa Aquino
Grant Writer
Luisa Aquino (She, Her)
Luisa Aquino is Grant Writer at the Latino Coalition of a Healthy California. In her role, Luisa is responsible for writing grants and reporting the work LCHC accomplishes. Luisa is a first generation Latinx college student with a Master of Science degree in Digital Social Media and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Southern California.
Growing up in a low-income community she witnessed the important role that healthcare played in providing hope for a better quality of life and future for many of her peers and their families. Luisa’s communication and digital social media education combined with previous work experience have given her a great foundation of knowledge in understanding trends, social media listening and building a firm foundation of the social media industry. Luisa is looking forward to making a positive impact on the lives of the Latinx community through outreach and spread of resources.
Michelle Lozano
Programs Associate
Michelle Lozano (She, Hers)
Michelle Lozano is a Program Associate at the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC). Michelle’s duties include managing the LCHC youth leadership program Z-VYBE social media accounts, assisting in the creation and facilitation of Z-VYBE in person youth empowerment lessons. Michelle has over four years of experience working with children from the ages of 6 months to 13 years old in accredited child care settings, and volunteered as a certified domestic violence advocate with My Sister’s House. Michelle previously worked for Sacramento State's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) as an instructional student assistant where she provided academic support and guidance to first generation, low-income, and educationally disadvantaged college students. Michelle is a South Sacramento native born to hard working immigrant parents from Michoacán, Mexico. Michelle is a proud Hornet from California State University Sacramento where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Family and consumer sciences with an emphasis in Family Studies and Human Development. She participated in My Sister's House Domestic Violence Advocate Training where she was able to receive training on how to serve her community through a culturally and linguistically appropriate lens. Growing up in South Sacramento Michelle experienced firsthand the socioeconomic needs of Sacramento community members and is ecstatic to be working to cultivate the next generation of Sacramento change makers. When she is not crafting or spending time with loved ones, Michelle can be found snuggled up with her dog Lola reading.
Juan Jose Mejia Palacios
Health Policy Associate
Juan Jose Mejia Palacios (Him, His)
Juan Jose Mejia Palacios is the Health Policy Associate for Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)-—the State’s leading policy organization advocating for health equity of the Latino community. In his role, he is responsible to report to the Director of Policy and will work to advance the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California’s mission to advance and protect Latinx Health in California through policy advocacy and policy research. Juan Jose has experience in advocacy and research in food insecurity and farmworker safety. Most recently, he worked at AmeriCorps as California State University San Bernardino- Palm Desert Campus Success Coach to identify and address the needs for Palm Desert Campus transfer students.
Mr. Mejia graduated from The City University of New York School of Public Health (CUNY SPH) with his Master of Science in Global and Migrant Health Policy. During his time at CUNY SPH, he was also a part of the American Public Health Association Student Assembly Advancement Committee and Policy Brief for Firearm Prevention. He is the son of immigrants from Mexico and grew up in Cathedral City. Growing up, he noticed systematic barriers that affected the Latinx community. His life goal is to advance and protect Latinx health through policy and advance to build healthier communities in California.
Stefani Andres
Communications Associate
Stefani Andres (She, Her, Hers)
Stefani serves as the Communications Associate for Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC) ⸺ a multi-issue policy organization advocating for policies and programs promoting health equity and racial justice for the Latine community in California. In this role, she supports the Communications Department with planning and implementing LCHC’s communications initiatives and other department projects, including policy advocacy and statewide programming. Stefani is a Chicana Communications professional with a background in graphic design, digital media, social media marketing, and management.
Stefani was raised in Southeast Los Angeles, a historically underrepresented community, where she navigated the complexities of being a first-generation Mexican-American. As she pursued Chicana/o/x Studies and Human Rights at the University of California, Davis, she recognized the significance of representation within systematic institutions, social policies, and activism. As a result, Stefani dove into Chicanx social policy issues, Chicanx Art, Design, and Human Rights, while gaining communications experience as the Publicity Coordinator for several organizations. Prior to her role in LCHC, Stefani served as a case manager for a national law firm, guiding clients through the federal disability process. Recently, Stefani has been involved in leading the newsletter and Patreon initiatives for the Broad Room, a local nonprofit organization, advocating for accessibility to art supplies and resources in Sacramento, CA.
With her work, she aims to raise awareness of social justice, health equity, human rights, and the importance of intersectionality among marginalized communities. As the Communications Associate for LCHC, Stefani plans to leverage her versatile digital media skills combined with her academic background to create compelling content that empowers and protects the health interests of the Latine community in California.
In her leisure time, Stefani enjoys hiking, thrifting, playing tennis, cooking homemade meals, creating art, planning home DIYs/renovations, and taking evening strolls.
Health Justice Fellows
Board of Directors
Efrain Talamantes, MD, MBA, MSc, FACP
Board Chair
Efrain Talamantes, MD, MBA, MSc
Dr. Efrain Talamantes is an internal medicine physician who is dedicated to serving historically underinvested communities and advancing health equity. He leads initiatives throughout the country to enhance leadership and diversity in the healthcare workforce. As the Chief Operating Officer of Health Services at AltaMed Health Services, Dr. Talamantes shapes the AltaMed experience across the entire health care delivery system spanning more than 40 clinics throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. He oversees every aspect of day-to-day care and incorporates patient-centered solutions to address social determinants of health.
Prior to becoming the Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Talamantes served as Medical Director for the AltaMed Institute for Health Equity and Medical Education, leading health services and community-partnered research and training to advance health equity and medical education. Cultivating the next generation of physicians remains a cornerstone of Dr. Talamantes’ work. His vision led to the creation of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited Family Medicine Residency program and pipeline programs throughout AltaMed that focus on advancing health equity and recruiting a new generation of health professionals dedicated to improving access to care.
Prior to joining AltaMed, Dr. Talamantes co-founded MiMentor, a nationwide mentoring network connecting thousands of members with health professional mentors. The organization's mission is to develop and support innovative and inclusive mentorship opportunities that will inspire the next generation of diverse healthcare leaders for underserved communities. He also served as Associate Director for the University of California, Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program, and co-directed the Center for a Diverse Healthcare Workforce (CDHW).
Dr. Talamantes currently serves as the Chair of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, he is a board member of the National Medical Fellowships, University of California, Riverside School of Medicine and the Chicago School of Psychology.
Irma Cota
Vice Chair
Irma Cota, MPH
From 1997 to March of 2018, Cota was the CEO of North County Health Project, also known as North County Health Services (NCHS). Under her leadership, NCHS went from five clinics with a $12 million budget to a system of 10 comprehensive health centers with a $74 million budget serving more than 66,000 patients. She also helped build capacity by expanding its primary care services, dental services, behavioral health and specialty care.
Cota came full circle in her professional career when she was hired at NCHS as its CEO. She began her career at NCHS in 1977 by running a rural clinic and also spent five years from 1982-87 as Maternal and Child Health Director.
In addition, Cota served as Chief Administrative Officer at San Ysidro Health Center from 1987-91 and Chief Administrative Officer at Sharp Healthcare nonprofit The Birth Center and its Physician Affiliate Ob-Gyn Consultants from 1991-97.
She graduated from San Diego State University in 1976 with a bachelor’s of science in community health and received her master’s in public health from San Diego State University. She earned executive healthcare leadership certifications from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and UCSD Extension as well as an executive leadership in nonprofits certificate from Harvard University. She serves on the advisory boards for San Diego State University School of Public Health and Rady Children’s Hospital D. Sanford Behavioral Health, as well as the board of directors of Latino Coalition for Healthy California.
Isabel Becerra
Treasurer
Isabel Becerra
Isabel holds a degree in Psychology from Pomona College of the Claremont Colleges. In addition, she has completed programs in Leadership and Advocacy from UC San Diego. For the past 27 years, she has dedicated her career to public health with an emphasis in serving the underserved communities cared for by community health centers. In these efforts, Isabel has been able to lead initiatives which empower communities across the country to address and overcome barriers to health equity. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of California Primary Care Association, CalOptima Health, Waymakers Foundation, and the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. Isabel also participates on numerous committees and has received awards for her service.
Since 2000, Isabel has been able to lead and represent communities in need in her hometown of Orange County. As the Chief Executive Officer, she spends her days negotiating and strengthening relationships that are aligned to ensure equal access to high quality, affordable and culturally competent health care for all. When not engaged in her role for the Coalition, you will find Isabel enjoying time with family at home or in the great outdoors either locally or across the country.
Xóchitl Castañeda
Secretary
Xóchitl Castañeda
Xochitl Castaneda is the Founding Director of Health Initiative of the Americas (HIA) at the School of Public Health, University of California (UC) Berkeley. A medical anthropologist by training, Xochitl was educated in Guatemala and Mexico and completed three post-doctoral fellowships: UC San Francisco, Harvard and Amsterdam University. She directed the Reproductive Health Department at Mexico’s National School of Public Health for seven years. Since 2008, she has served as a professor on Migration and Health at various UC campuses. Her fundraising efforts are significant, as she has received over 100 grants, from private entities, state and federal agencies.
Her leadership efforts to improve the health and the quality of life of underserved Latino populations is widely recognized. In 2021 she received the Mexican National Health Award, in the “Without Borders” category. In 2019, she received the Othli Award, one of the most prestigious distinctions presented by the Mexican Government to a person who have positively affected the lives of Mexican nationals in the United States. In 2010, the California Latino Legislative Caucus honored her with the National Spirit Award for her leadership to improve the health of Latino immigrants in the U.S. In 1999, she received the National Mexican Award on Social Science and Medicine.
Xochitl has over 200 publications and has served as a consultant for more than 40 national and international institutions. She has also served on the Boards of Directors, and other honorable membership positions of 20 organizations and programs including the California Wellness Foundation; The Mexican Museum in San Francisco; Medica Sur (a world-class hospital, which is part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network); California Immigrant Policy Center; CDC National Diabetes Education Program; the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California; and the National Council of Mexican Federations in North America (COFEM). She has contributed to the editorial board of 15 professional publications. She has presented the results of her academic and advocacy work in over 500 national/international conferences, symposiums, policy briefings, and other events. Bio summary Xochitl Castaneda
Xochitl’s vision and commitment has led to the creation of nationally recognized health programs for underserved populations. Under her direction, HIA coordinated for 22 consecutive years Binational Health Week (BHW). BHW is one of the largest mobilization efforts in the Americas to improve the wellbeing of Latino immigrants. She has created the Annual Binational Policy Forum on Migration and Global Health, a collaboration among 30 Universities and over 200 agencies. She is also the founder of the “Athenea Network” a world organization for Mental Health of Mobile Populations. She has signed 50 Memorandums of Understandings with state and federal institutions.
In 2020, she funded the Health Education for Latinos Program (HELP) a fund that provides scholarships to immigrant undergraduate Mexican students pursuing careers in health professions. HELP covers 37 counties in California and has awarded 135 scholarships to date. Through all these strategies, hundreds of thousands of low-income families have been served.
Berenice (“Bere”) Núñez Constant
Executive Committee Ad-Hoc Member; Policy Committee Chair
Berenice Nuñez Constant, MPH
Senior Vice President, Government Relations and External Affairs
AltaMed Health Services
Focus Areas: Healthcare, Latinos, Advocacy, Policy, Leadership
For more than two decades, Berenice has led policy and advocacy
strategies to eliminate inequities in healthcare, power and voting for
Latinos at the federal, state and local levels. Now as a c-suite executive, she is passionate about Latina leadership and serves on various boards including the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (Policy Chair), The Children’s Partnership (Board Chair), the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute, the SELA Collaborative, and is also Commissioner for the L.A. County Workforce Development Board.
Education & Fellowships:
MPH, University of California, Los Angeles
B.A., Sociology, California State University, Long Beach
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Health Policy Graduate Fellowship California Health Care Foundation, Aspen Ideas Health Fellow
Carmen Rita Nevarez, MD, MPH
Executive Committee Ad-Hoc Member
Carmen Rita Nevárez, MD, MPH
Carmen Nevarez is emeritus senior vice president, external relations and preventive medicine, at the Public Health Institute (PHI), a senior executive position she held from 1998-2021. Nevarez directed the PHI Center for Health Leadership & Impact (CHLI) since 2011, and currently acts as co-director. She is the creator and co-director of Dialogue4Health (D4H), since 2008.
Nevarez is a public health practice thought leader with over 40 years of experience currently working on collaborative leadership development for solving complex problems. As co-director of the California Overdose Prevention Network (COPN) and National Overdose Prevention Network (NOPN), she leads a national and statewide effort to advance best practices in overdose prevention and response among local coalitions, while building their capacity to function as learning and accountable organizations. As director of the National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH), she strives to advance health by increasing the capacity of leaders (1,627 globally to date) to transcend boundaries, work collaboratively, and transform their communities.
Nevarez has experience across a broad variety of positions including public health departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers, community health, clinical services, advocacy and national organizations, serving as clinician administrator, director, consultant, and practitioner. Her content expertise ranges from Latinx and women’s health issues, prevention of chronic disease, and advocacy strategies.
Nevarez has worked in both non-profit and government sectors. She is an innovator in web-based communications space, and is the creator and co-director of Dialogue4Health.org, an internet-based broadcasting station for conversations and skills building on a broad range of health topics, considered from multiple perspectives, with a national subscriber base of over 24,000. As past-president of the American Public Health Association, past-chair of the Langeloth Foundation, and director of the National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health, she contributes broadly to the national conversation about health. For 40 years, she practiced medicine part-time, providing services in low-income diverse settings.
Nevarez is also the principal of CRN Health Consulting LLC.
Luis Campillo
Board Member
Luis Campillo, MBA
Luis Campillo is the Los Angeles Regional Director for AARP California, based in the Pasadena office. In this role, Luis leads a cross-functional team focused on representing over 3.2 million AARP members in the state and positioning AARP as a trusted resource and leader regionally with elected officials, business and non-profit organizations. Luis leads the L.A. team of staff and volunteers who work to build and strengthen AARP’s multicultural and member relevance through advocacy, community outreach, meaningful volunteer engagement, and greater brand awareness. Luis also serves as the Voter Education lead for AARP California and has statewide responsibility for American Indian/Alaska Native audience engagement strategies.
Prior to joining AARP, Luis worked at the Ibarra Strategy Group, a leading government relations and public affairs firm in Washington, DC. Luis worked with congressional offices, federal agencies, state and local officials, and multicultural third-party groups on a variety of public policy issues including media, telecommunications, and technology. Luis also worked in the Office of U.S. Senator Jack Reed (Rhode Island) covering health care, Medicare, Medicaid, and housing issues. Luis started his career as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Public Policy Fellow with the National Immigration Law Center (NILC).
Luis has extensive experience as a volunteer leader. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC). From 2011 to 2016, Luis served on the Board of Directors of CHCI alongside Members of Congress, nonprofit, union and corporate leaders; serving as Treasurer and Executive Committee member during his last term. From 2007 to 2011, he served on the Board of Governors of the Brown Alumni Association, serving as co-chair of the Multicultural Alumni Committee from 2009-2011. Luis also served as an officer of the Brown University Latino Alumni Council (BULAC).
Luis holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Brown University and an MBA in Interdisciplinary business from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
Veronica Dela Rosa
Board Member
Veronica Dela Rosa, MBA
Veronica Dela Rosa has spent over 25 years in the health care industry. Veronica currently is the Executive Vice President of Operations at San Ysidro Health, Her responsibilities include overseeing Clinic Operations, IT, Population Health and Performance Excellence, HR, Compliance and Diversity and Inclusion initiatives.
Prior experience includes over 20 years as a health care administrator for Kaiser Permanente where her oversight encompassed the medical group’s Primary Care Services Division focusing on quality, access and innovative health care delivery services to over 600,000+ patients.
In both her career and community involvement, Veronica has a long history of advocating for: women’s health, social justice and health equity. She has helped shape multiple non-profit organizations as a board member, and continues that work today.
Marlon Maus, MD, DrPH, FACS
Board Member
Marlon Maus, MD, DrPH, MPH
Dr. Marlon Maus stands is a medical professional who combines his expertise as a board-certified ophthalmologist with a deep commitment to public health. Born in Mexico, he embarked on an academic journey to the U.S. for college, and this trajectory led him to both achieve board certification in ophthalmology and subsequently earn a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) from UC Berkeley. This blend of clinical and public health training is a result of his personal vision of healthcare.
During his tenure at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, one of the nation's premier eye institutions, Dr. Maus was deeply influenced by his experiences with health disparities, especially among underserved communities. This spurred him to delve deeper into public health, driving research into the intersections of aging, the built environment, and visual disability. Particularly noteworthy is his pioneering work on technologies like the WordWalk app, aimed at supporting physical activity and cognitive fitness in the elderly, and innovative studies employing artificial intelligence for diabetic retinopathy diagnosis in marginalized migrant populations.
Dr. Maus has an unwavering commitment to medical education. Whether at Wills, where he spearheaded resident education and the emergency department, or at UC Berkeley, where he manages a robust teaching schedule, his dedication to fostering the next generation is evident. Through his diverse clinical, academic, and research endeavors, Dr. Maus champions a holistic approach to health, underscoring the importance of understanding and addressing both clinical and social determinants of health.
Dr. Michael A. Rodriguez
Board Member
Michael A. Rodríguez, MD, MPH
Michael A. Rodríguez, MD, MPH is professor and vice chair in the Department of Family Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, founding chair of the UCLA Global Health Minor, founding director of the Health Equity Network of the Americas, Co-Director of the UCLA Firearm Violence Prevention Center, and founding director of the UCLA Blum Center on Poverty and Health in Latin America. Dr. Rodríguez is published widely in the areas of research that include, ethnic/racial and immigrant health equity, gun and intimate partner violence prevention, and primary care systems. He has consulted for the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Pan American Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Institute of Medicine. He is also a Board Member for Blue Shield of California, and the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. Dr. Rodriguez mentors and teaches UCLA faculty and trainees in a wide range of disciplines. Dr. Rodriguez completed his undergraduate training at the University of California, Berkeley; received his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; completed his residency from the UC San Francisco's Family Medicine Residency Program; received his Master of Public Health degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health; and was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at Stanford University.
Our Coalition
Our Impact
As 2024 comes to a close, we reflect on the incredible journey we've taken together—a year marked by community, unity, and growth. This year, we’ve had the opportunity to successfully pass legislation, introduce a number of new statewide programs, and expand our team. Our work has been a labor of love, a year of carefully tending to our work, a year of nurturing our relationships, a year of cultivating.
We’re incredibly proud to share LCHC’s 2024 annual impact report - Cultivar: Growing Health Justice Across California.
The report highlights program and policy milestones and highlights our significant growth as an organization, including:
- 265+ Statewide Partner Organizations and Coalitions Engaged
- $450K+ Investments in Latine and Indigenous CBOs and Businesses
- 364K+ Reach Across Media and Social Media Platforms
- LCHC Co-Sponsored Legislation (SB 1016) Signed by Governor
- Launched Three New Programmatic Initiatives: (Regional Power Hub Network, Latine and Indigenous Workforce Institute, Building Up Communities, Breaking Down Data)
Our History
