Message from Sierra Health Foundation

As we enter the fall season, we are pleased to connect with you to share Health Leadership Alumni Network news. We hope you enjoy reading about the Health Leadership Program and what your Alumni Network colleagues are doing. As you will see below, Class XIII begins soon, we are getting ready for the next Alumni Network event and Alumni Network members have much to report about their work.

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Connect at the October Alumni Event

Please plan to join us on Oct. 21 at Sierra Health Foundation for a day of reconnection, insight and discussion. The meeting, titled Let’s Continue the Journey of Leadership, is being designed by an alumni team along with Rich Callahan. We’ll begin at 9:30 a.m. with reflections – of course! Sierra Health Foundation President and CEO Chet P. Hewitt will be our featured speaker, sharing his leadership journey. Conversations about leadership concepts and practices that have inspired you and that you’ve used in your work will be the focus of the afternoon.

We’ll begin at 9:30 a.m. and go to about 4 p.m. Registration is open until Oct. 13. Register online now!

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Health Leadership Program Class XIII begins

We are thrilled to welcome the 27 members of Health Leadership Program Class XIII, which begins Sept. 28. Class members are current or emerging leaders in organizations that work to improve community health and well-being and reduce health disparities across a broad range of issue areas such as education, mental health, housing, health advocacy, legal services, access to health services, population health, social services, environment and youth development.

See the Class XIII member list on the Health Leadership Program web page. Alumni and current class members can log on to the Health Leadership dashboard and view Class XIII member profiles.

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Alumni Network member news

Lyn Corbett, Class VIII
Lyn has been accepted to the University of San Diego and will begin pursuing a PhD in Leadership Studies this September. The PhD in Leadership Studies program is internationally known for providing multi-disciplinary perspectives on questions of leadership and management in the for-profit, governmental and nonprofit/nongovernmental organization sectors. While Lyn pursues his degree, he will stay on as the President of The Pivotal Group Consultants Inc., a California-based consulting firm providing organizational development and executive coaching services to nonprofit organizations across the country. He also will remain a faculty member of the Health Leadership Program. He is excited to meet the incoming HLP Class XIII participants!

Bob David, Class II
Bob continues to serve as the director of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), which received, through the 2016 Budget Act, a one-time General Fund augmentation of $33.3 million to support primary care residencies in areas of unmet need throughout California. OSHPD’s Healthcare Workforce Development Division will administer the funds through the Song-Brown Program.

Teri Duarte, Class III
“In May I started work at the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. As a Land Use and Health Planner, I review and make recommendations on development proposals so that what gets built more effectively promotes public health.”

Teresa Favuzzi, Class VI
Teresa serves at the Executive Director of the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers. She would like to share information about the FreedomTech Financial Loan Program, a new low-interest loan program for individuals with disabilities in California. Loan amounts range from $500 to $15,000 and can be used to purchase anything that helps improve quality of life such as vehicle modification, hearing aids, ramps, wheelchairs, scooters and more! Learn more online.

Edward Figueroa, Class VI
“On November 1, 1996, I began what would so far become a twenty-year commitment to serving the mission of St. Mary’s Dining Room in Stockton and the clients we serve. I am committed to working each day with our dedicated staff and board to fulfill our mission to feed the hungry, care for health issues and restore human dignity.”

Caroline Fruth, Class XII
Caroline is the Director of Youth Services for the Alliance for Community Transformations. One of the youth programs, CASA of Mariposa County, was recently awarded a grant by the California Office of Emergency Services to provide respite care to foster, adoptive and biological parents of child abuse victims in Mariposa County.

Melissa Guajardo, Class X
“I began a new position on Sept 6. I’m the Operations Director with the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence.” The organization promotes the collective voice of a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals, working to eliminate all forms of domestic violence.

Britta Guerrero, Class VIII
“Sacramento Native American Health Center (SNAHC) continues to be the third Urban Health Organization nationally with Patient Centered Medical Home certification. SNAHC recently completed the first phase of our innovative Capacity Expansion Project, which was developed to address the ever-increasing demand of quality and holistic care of the community. On August 8, SNAHC hosted a pre-launch event for National Health Center Week, which included supportive speeches and recognition by Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui, Councilmember Steve Hansen, Executive Director of Capitol Health Network Steve Heath, our community and patients.”

Lisa Joseph Boch, Class II
“I am currently a contractor working in Community Organizing/Advocacy and Grant Writing for Placer People of Faith Together, a member of the PICO California Federation, working to create change, strengthen lives, and revitalize communities by increasing health and Justice 4 All. I earned my B.S. in Career and Technical Education with a Multi-Subject Teaching Credential and my M.Ed. (Behavioral Sciences – Gender Equity Studies) at Sierra College and Sacramento State. I continue to work in areas where addictive and co-occurring disorders are part of the human experience by being a Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer along with CADC II and CCPS Credentials.”

Palvinder Kaur (Dhillon), Class XI
Palvinder is an MPH candidate at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.

Richard Knecht, Class I
Richard continues in his role with the state’s Departments of Social Services and Health Care Services, as Transformation Manager, facilitating creation of shared management processes, in implementation of collaborative and integrated service models required by both the Katie A settlement agreement and the state’s Continuum of Care reform efforts.

Bill Locker, Class III
After 22 years working for public benefit corporations, Bill moved back into the private sector in September 2015. He is the CEO of Sage Network and Communications, an IT/telecom corporation serving more than 600 clients from San Francisco to San Diego. He is still able to give back, as Sage offers significantly discounted rates on all services to nonprofits and governmental organizations.

Betty Low, Class III
“I am now the Director of Community Impact with the Sacramento Kings. Our priorities are Health, Education and Sustainability. We are committed to supporting the growth and development of the Sacramento community through strong, creative, innovative and impactful partnerships and programs.”

Justin Margolis, Class XI
Justin serves as the Butte Parent Café Coordinator at Valley Oak Children’s Services. “In July, I started the InsideOut Dad Program, which works with incarcerated fathers on inner growth and guidance to be great and more present fathers regardless of their incarceration and to understand the importance of a father in the life of a child. I am running a father and child activity group to strengthen the bonds between fathers and their children while really emphasizing the importance of a father in their child’s life and nurturing a village type approach for men with other men. I have been the chapter organizer of Butte Co. Parent Voices, a parent-led advocacy group to empower parents to fight and advocate for increased funding for child care, updated income guidelines and more child care slots. We encourage all parents on the child care payment program to join their local Parent Voices chapter. Personally, I am back in school to finish my last community college courses so I can graduate and transfer to Chico State, and I am a part of a bike club called B.A.C.A, Bikers Against Child Abuse, which has a mission to create a safe environment for abused children.”

Scott Mautte, Class VI
“I celebrated my 5th year employed at the University of California 4-H Youth Development Programs and was promoted to CA 4-H Statewide Program Representative of Volunteer Development and Positive Youth Development.”

Michael Minnick, Class VIII
Michael is currently running unopposed as a candidate for school board in Sacramento City Unified School District-Area 4. In December he will begin his term as Trustee serving the children and families of the district.

Angela Minniefield, Class VIII
“I had my 4th Anniversary as Vice President of Advancement, Strategic Development and External Affairs at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) on April 2nd. CDU is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and we are bringing back Jazz at Drew on October 1st. Jazz at Drew is a community festival that bridges music and health. The festival was held for 18 years and has been on hiatus since 2008. We are excited about bringing it back!

Michael Petersen, Class X
“After five years commuting from San Francisco to San Jose every day, I finally found a job much closer to home. As of June 2016, I started a new position with the City and County of San Francisco. I am working in the Department of Public Health and my title is Director Primary Care Youth and Adolescent Programs. I oversee a network of clinics called the Community Health Program for Youth.”

Irlanda Ramirez, Class XII
“Since 2015, community members, parents and I, representing the Dolores Huerta Foundation, have been working on the approval of the Farm to School Procurements. In May 2016, the School Board members approved this component for being added into the School Wellness Policy of Woodlake Unified School District.”

Shari Roeseler, Class XII
“Society for the Blind was named 2016 Outstanding Rehabilitation Agency of the Year by the Northern CA Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of The Blind and Visually Impaired. We received the award in late May.”

Anna Rosenbaum, Class XII
Anna began working as the Senior Program Director for the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California in June 2016. She and her husband also happily welcomed their first child over Labor Day weekend.

Sister Cora Salazar, Class II
“I moved to Burlingame last Jan. 2. Being in active retirement (nuns never retire) I do various volunteer work here at our Mercy Center and Convent. There’s about 50 sisters living here in this huge campus. We have a high school, a retreat center and retirement home called Marian Oaks. Our Retreat Center is an international site for many activities, including sabbatical programs for both religious and laity. We have renowned guest speakers who come and draw a crowd from all over the world.

Katie Valenzuela Garcia, Class XI
Katie was appointed to the AB 32 Environmental Justice Advisory Committee last year. She immediately initiated a campaign to extend the 2030 Target Scoping Plan timeline to allow for extended community engagement, and the committee just completed its first round of nine workshops that generated more than 700 comments from residents of disadvantaged communities.

Rogelio Villagrana, Class VII
“I am very happy to share that as of June 30, 2016, I am the new Director for the UC Davis Early Academic Outreach Program. I am excited about being able to continue to serve youth in the Sacramento region who are the first in their family to go to college.”

Andrew Woodruff, Class XII
“Plumas County Public Health Agency just hosted its second meeting for the Northern Sierra Opioid Safety Coalition. We had over 50 individuals in attendance, representing four counties and over 20 agencies.”

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