CHCF - Key Persons

Alexa Lockwood

Job Titles:

Associate With CHCF 's Learning
Program Associate, Learning and Impact
Program Associate, Learning and Impact / Finance, Administration, and Information Technology

Alexa Lockwood is a program associate with CHCF's Learning and Impact team, which partners with the foundation's program teams to optimize impact by supporting organizational and field learning and evaluation. Before joining CHCF, Alexa worked at technology start-up companies including Jive Software, Slack, and Sisu Data, providing executive administrative support across a variety of business functions. Alexa received a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Amelia Cobb

Job Titles:

Senior Program Officer, People - Centered Care and Learning & Impact

Amelia Cobb, MPH, is a senior program officer for CHCF's People-Centered Care and Learning and Impact teams. She leads grantmaking to support maternal health as well efforts to advance equity across all CHCF's portfolios of work. Prior to joining the foundation, Amelia served as the manager for special projects in the Division of Policy and Strategy at First 5 LA, where she led several cross-organizational initiatives, including managing an $18 million Policy Advocacy Fund portfolio and serving as the Health Systems Team funding strategist for the Los Angeles County African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Initiative. Prior to First 5 LA, Amelia was president of the Wright Group, a social impact and human services consulting firm based in Washington, DC. She started her public health career as service fellow for the US Department of Health and Human Services. Amelia earned a bachelor's degree in nutritional sciences from Howard University, and a master's degree in public health from the George Washington University.

Amy Adams

Job Titles:

Senior Program Officer for CHCF 's Improving Access
Senior Program Officer, Improving Access

Amy Adams is a senior program officer for CHCF's Improving Access team, which works to improve access to coverage and care for Californians with low incomes. Prior to joining the foundation, Amy worked for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), leading a range of state and federal health care policy and research efforts. Her most recent work there focused on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), analyzing regulations and developing policy positions. Prior to that, she led a team working on Medicaid policy issues in California and other states, including public hospital and long-term care financing issues. Amy also brings program evaluation and assessment experience through her previous work as deputy director of a nonprofit research and policy organization and a private consultant to foundations, government agencies, and nonprofits. She received a bachelor's degree in American Studies from Yale College and a master's degree in social welfare from the University of California, Berkeley.

Amy Higgins

Job Titles:

Human Resources Manager

Amy Higgins is the human resources manager at CHCF. Prior to joining CHCF, she worked for the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County to implement and coordinate a reproductive health care clinic run by peer health educators. Amy earned a bachelor's degree in liberal studies, public administration from Humboldt State University and a certificate in Human Resource Management through UC Berkeley. Amy is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the Human Resource Certification Institute and as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) by the Society of Human Resource Management.

Ann Speyer

Job Titles:

Associate With CHCF 's People - Centered Care
Program Associate, People - Centered Care

Ann Speyer is a program associate with CHCF's People-Centered Care team, which works to ensure that Californians - particularly those enrolled in Medi-Cal - receive responsive, comprehensive, and coordinated care that supports their health and well-being. Prior to joining CHCF, Ann worked for Women's Community Clinic in San Francisco, where she served as the primary onsite point person and liaison for IT systems, coordinated all aspects of building care and maintenance, managed relationships with a wide range of support vendors and partner organizations, provided comprehensive support to the board of directors, and facilitated various training modules and committee meetings for staff, board, and volunteers.

Anne Sunderland

Job Titles:

Senior Communications Officer for CHCF 's Improving Access
Senior Communications Officer, Improving Access

Anne Sunderland is the senior communications officer for CHCF's Improving Access team, which works to improve access to coverage and care for Californians with low incomes. Prior to joining CHCF, Anne was communications manager at the Public Health Institute (PHI). Working closely with PHI's senior management, researchers, and project directors, Anne developed and implemented strategic communications initiatives to lift the visibility of PHI's work to key policymakers, funders, and industry leaders. Anne brings experience in health care financing and delivery, with previous positions as an analyst at Blue Shield of California and a health planner at La Clínica de La Raza, a Bay Area federally qualified health center. She also served as senior editor at the Institute for Global Health at UCSF. Her writing on health issues has been published by the Institute of Medicine and the San Francisco Chronicle, among other outlets. Anne holds a bachelor's degree in English from Dartmouth College and a master's degree in public health from UC Berkeley.

Avram Goldstein

Job Titles:

Senior Engagement Officer

Avram Goldstein is a senior engagement officer at CHCF, where he is the editor of The CHCF Blog. Av came to the foundation after serving for five years as communications and research director for Health Care for America Now, a national grassroots coalition in Washington, DC, that invested $60 million in the successful campaign to enact and implement the Affordable Care Act. His interest in health care and health policy arose during his 30-plus years with major news organizations. He covered physicians, hospitals, insurance companies, government health programs, and public health for the Washington Post, Bloomberg News, the Detroit News, and the Miami Herald. He held editing roles at some of those news outlets. Av also served as top editor at a newspaper for South Florida physicians and later at a daily newspaper for California lawyers. Av received a bachelor's degree in finance and insurance at the University of Miami.

Carlina Hansen

Job Titles:

Senior Program Officer for CHCF 's Improving Access
Senior Program Officer, Improving Access

Carlina is a senior program officer for CHCF's Improving Access team, which works to improve access to coverage and care for Californians with low incomes. Prior to joining the team at CHCF, Carlina worked at the Women's Community Clinic in San Francisco, where she served as the executive director for 17 years. Prior to her work at the clinic, she was a senior program coordinator at the Tides Center, a fiscal sponsor and nonprofit incubator. She serves on the boards of the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium and the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Organization. Carlina is a graduate of the Women's Policy Institute of the Women's Foundation of California and of the Clinic Leadership Institute, a project of the Blue Shield of California Foundation and UCSF's Center for the Health Professions. She holds a master's degree in health care administration from the University of California, San Francisco, where she now serves on the faculty.

Carlos Fernandez

Job Titles:

Senior Networking Administrator
Senior Systems Administrator
Senior Systems Administrator / Human Resources

Carlos Fernandez is senior networking administrator. Working with the IT team, Carlos uses his network skills to maintain and update CHCF's various IT/network projects. Prior to joining CHCF, Carlos worked for Global Document Solutions as a desktop support technician, primarily supporting faculty and staff. He provided support for all types of client technology including desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, and servers. Carlos holds a bachelor's degree in fire science from San Francisco State University and an associate's degree in computer science from California State University, East Bay.

Carol Pollard

Job Titles:

Executive Assistant
Parent Teacher Association President

Carol Pollard is an executive assistant at the California Health Care Foundation, where she supports the senior vice president of strategy and programs. Carol serves as a project manager for our project peer review and approval process, and acts as a liaison on behalf of the senior vice president with a wide range of external partners and stakeholders. Prior to joining the staff at CHCF, Carol served as the office manager at Consumers Union / Consumers Reports where she managed the full lifecycle of the organization's grants and partnered closely with colleagues to provide administrative, accounting, IT, and facilities support. She also supervised and mentored staff on the administrative team. Carol has more than 20 years of nonprofit administration, grants management, and operational experience. Carol currently serves as Parent Teacher Association president and is a school site council member in the San Lorenzo Unified School District.

Carolina Reyes

Job Titles:

Associate Clinical Professor, Maternal Fetal Medicine, School of Medicine, UC Davis Health / President

Catherine Teare

Job Titles:

Associate Director of CHCF 's People - Centered Care
Associate Director, People - Centered Care

Catherine Teare is associate director of CHCF's People-Centered Care team, which works to ensure that Californians - particularly those enrolled in Medi-Cal - receive responsive, comprehensive, and coordinated care that supports their health and well-being. She leads the foundation's work on behavioral health care, including behavioral health integration in primary care and behavioral health interventions for high-cost populations. She also manages projects related to the county role in health care delivery and oral health care. Catherine has worked at CHCF since 2011 and previously led the organization's efforts on enrollment in public programs, with a particular focus on consumer experience. Before joining the foundation, she worked as a consultant for safety-net health care providers, foundations, and local government, providing research and policy analysis in the areas of health care financing and delivery, public and private health insurance programs for children, adolescent health, reproductive health, HIV, and youth development. She also worked as director of policy for Children Now and as a health policy analyst for the National Center for Youth Law. She received a bachelor's degree in English from Yale College and a master's degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Challen Clarke

Job Titles:

Managing Editor

Challen Clarke is the managing editor at the California Health Care Foundation, where she oversees the production of all reports, infographics, and data visualizations. Previously, she was the executive assistant to the senior vice president of strategy and programs at CHCF. Prior to joining CHCF, Challen worked as an executive assistant for consulting firms Bain & Company and McKinsey & Company. Challen received a master's degree in fine arts from St. Mary's College.

Charles Reader

Job Titles:

Chief Talent Officer

Charles Reader is chief talent officer at CHCF, where he provides executive and operational leadership of human resources and talent management at the foundation. In this role, he develops strategies for staff engagement and development, talent acquisition, benefits administration, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Prior to joining CHCF, he was vice president of human resources for LEWIS Global Communications' US region, leading the overall human resources and talent management operations for more than 200 employees across four offices. Charles holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute, as well as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certification from the Society for Human Resources Management. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from Walden University.

Christopher Perrone

Job Titles:

Director of CHCF 's Improving Access
Director, Improving Access

Christopher Perrone is director of CHCF's Improving Access team, which works to improve access to coverage and care for Californians with low incomes. Chris was previously director of the foundation's Health Reform and Public Programs initiative, where he led efforts to improve the policies and practices that shape Medi-Cal and other publicly funded health care programs, and to promote greater transparency and accountability within these programs. Prior to joining CHCF, Chris served as director of planning for the Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance. He was the first external recipient of the Globe Award, given by the Office of Strategic Planning at HCFA (now CMS), for his work to improve the delivery and financing of acute and long-term care services for seniors with low incomes. He has also held positions with The Lewin Group, the American Psychological Association, and the Center for Health Policy Studies at Georgetown University. Chris received a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University.

Crystal Haswell

Job Titles:

Senior Policy Officer for State Health Policy

Crystal Haswell is a senior policy officer for State Health Policy in the foundation's Sacramento office, which leverages the foundation's data, expertise, and partnerships to help California's state government make informed decisions about health care. The State Health Policy office supports the work of policymakers and state agencies and departments, through research and analysis, technical support, policy briefings, and similar activities. Crystal comes to CHCF after four years at the California Department of Health Care Services, where she worked on Medi-Cal eligibility, including the expansion of Medi-Cal under the Affordable Care Act. She also spent six years in the pharmaceutical industry. Crystal received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Central Michigan University and a master's in public affairs from Indiana University.

Dalma Diaz

Job Titles:

Fellow

Dalma Diaz is a health equity fellow at the California Health Care Foundation, where she works with the Advancing People-Centered Care team to improve care delivery and outcomes for Californians experiencing homelessness, particularly those with complex health needs who have not been well served by the status quo. Prior to joining CHCF, Dalma was the strategic initiatives manager for the Home For Good initiative launched by United Way of Greater LA in 2010 to end homelessness in Los Angeles County. Most recently, her work at United Way focused on supporting cross-sector collaboration at the intersection of health and homelessness. She began her career focused on the education sector and later made homelessness her central interest. Dalma received a bachelor's degree in political science from UCLA and a master's degree in urban education policy from Brown University.

Danny Sandoval

Job Titles:

Associate and Office Manager at CHCF 's Sacramento
Sacramento Office Manager & Program Associate, State Health Policy

Danny Sandoval is program associate and office manager at CHCF's Sacramento office, managing all office and administrative needs. Sandoval serves as a liaison to legislative, state department, and stakeholder staff, and also coordinates logistical support for CHCF's Sacramento Health Policy Briefing Series. Prior to joining CHCF, Sandoval was assistant secretary to the Assembly Committee on Health. There, he processed bills and managed amendments as they made their way to the governor. His previous experience includes work in computer hardware and as executive assistant to the president of Business Design Associates, a workflow management consulting firm. Sandoval attended Chabot College in Hayward, CA.

David Carlisle

Job Titles:

Member of the Board
President & Chief Executive Officer, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science

Deborah Deas

Job Titles:

Member of the Board
Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and Pam Rubin Dean of the School of Medicine, University of California at Riverside

Diana Banki

Job Titles:

Associate With CHCF 's Market Analysis
Program Associate, Market Analysis and Insight

Diana Banki is a program associate with CHCF's Market Analysis and Insight team, which promotes greater transparency and accountability in California's health care system. Prior to joining CHCF, Diana worked for Kaiser Permanente, in several areas including continuing medical education and quality management. She also held the role of senior manager of clinical education at Vituity Practice Management. Diana holds a bachelor's degree in health care administration from California State University, East Bay.

Diana Camacho

Job Titles:

Senior Program Officer for CHCF 's Improving Access
Senior Program Officer, Improving Access

Diana Camacho is a senior program officer for CHCF's Improving Access team, which works to improve access to coverage and care for Californians with low incomes. Diana leads our body of work on telehealth. Diana was previously at Kaiser Permanente, where she led Medicaid care delivery collaborations and national community benefit strategy and grantmaking within the health care safety net. While at Kaiser Permanente, Diana led the development of a national telehealth initiative aimed at enhancing telehealth practice at Federally Qualified Health Centers and health care providers for people experiencing homelessness. Prior to Kaiser Permanente, Diana was director of community health at John Muir Health where, in addition to her community grantmaking, she led cultural competency, language access, and community needs assessments. Diana started her public health career supporting the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS as a social worker, health educator, and program coordinator. Diana earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a master's degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley. She is serving as a managing partner for the 2023-2024 cycle of the California Improvement Network, a project of the California Health Care Foundation that is managed by Healthforce Center at UCSF.

Ella Wolfgramm

Job Titles:

Program Associate, Communications

Eric Antebi - CCO

Job Titles:

Chief Communications Officer

Eric Antebi is chief communications officer for the California Health Care Foundation. He leads the team that uses data, stories, and solutions to make health care work for all Californians. He also oversees CHCF partnerships to support health journalism in California. Eric came to the foundation after spending more than two decades using communications to make social change faster. Previously, Eric was a senior vice president at Fenton, where he led much of the agency's work on branding, naming, messaging, and campaign design. In that role, he also served as a senior advisor to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, helping to launch national programs to strengthen vulnerable children and families and to expand opportunities for young men of color. Before Fenton, Eric served as the national press secretary for the Sierra Club in their San Francisco headquarters and as the director of conservation policy and advocacy for the Appalachian Mountain Club in Boston. Eric is a graduate of Brown University.

Felicia Cruz

Job Titles:

Associate With CHCF 's People - Centered Care
Program Associate, People - Centered Care

Felicia is a program associate with CHCF's People-Centered Care team, which works to ensure that Californians - particularly those enrolled in Medi-Cal - receive responsive, comprehensive, and coordinated care that supports their health and well-being. Prior to joining CHCF, Felicia worked at The Helmsley Charitable Trust where she served as a grants associate in support of initiatives to improve the health care of vulnerable populations in New York City and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Gillian Cervero

Job Titles:

Manager
Senior Grants Manager

Gillian Cervero is senior grants manager at the foundation, where she is responsible for daily grant operations such as reviewing agreements, approving payments, managing the grantmaking database, and ensuring smooth grantmaking procedures between Programs and Accounting. Her previous experience includes working as a program assistant and grants administrator at a children's health foundation, where she helped develop and implement their community grantmaking program. There, she later worked in the fundraising department as a manager of gifts and grants administration. She was also a national grants administrator at an environmental nonprofit, where she managed private, state, and federal grants. She is a board member of EdVenture More and a former board member of Peak Grantmaking (previously known as the Grants Managers Network). Gillian earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.

Gina Martinez

Job Titles:

Learning and Evaluation Officer, Learning and Impact

Gina is a learning and evaluation officer on the Learning & Impact team, which aims to optimize the foundation's impact by supporting organizational and field learning and evaluation. Prior to joining CHCF, Gina worked as a social impact researcher for 11 years at the intersection of community needs and public policy, most recently at Resource Development Associates Consulting, where she focused on behavioral health program evaluation. Gina has expertise in advanced research methods and design, as well as quantitative and qualitative data analysis. She is passionate about supporting communities through data-driven and evidence-based social change, and ensuring that evaluative work meets the needs of the those being served while maintaining methodological rigor. Gina holds a a BA in political science and history from the University of California, San Diego, and an MA and a PhD in political science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University in the Department of Political Science.

Hilda Martinez

Job Titles:

Senior Communications Officer for the CHCF Innovation Fund
Senior Communications Officer, Innovation Fund

Hilda Martinez is the senior communications officer for the CHCF Innovation Fund, which invests in technology and service companies with the potential to significantly lower the cost of care or improve access to care for Californians with low incomes. She also leads CHCF's communications efforts on telehealth. Prior to joining CHCF, Hilda served as director of communications for Interact Communications, a firm focused on the communications needs of community colleges, and the director of public engagement and communications for California State University, Long Beach. She spent part of her career as the communications director for Central Valley Health Network / Network for a Healthy California, a network of health care safety-net organizations in the Central Valley, and played a key role in the statewide enrollment campaign during the initial implementation of the ACA in California while serving as senior vice president at Mercury Public Affairs in Sacramento. She has extensive experience providing communications leadership and support for major state policy initiatives such as affordable health insurance, high-speed rail, and the state water bond. She received a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a master's degree in journalism from UC Berkeley.

Isabella Froman

Job Titles:

Content Strategist

Isabella Froman is a content strategist on CHCF's Communications & Engagement team. In this role, she uses the organization's three online communications channels - newsletter, website, and social media - to promote the programmatic goals and messages of the foundation. Prior to joining CHCF, Isabella worked in UX writing, content strategy, and education content writing for a variety of organizations including Google, Dell, and Optum Health. She received a bachelor's degree in cognitive science with a specialization in human-computer interaction from the University of California, San Diego.

James Precour

Job Titles:

Program Associate, Innovation Fund

Janet Boachie

Job Titles:

Fellow

Janet Boachie is a health equity fellow at the California Health Care Foundation, where she works with the CHCF Innovation Fund to expand its investment strategy to include seed-stage companies, where traditionally underrepresented entrepreneurs - specifically founders who are Black, Latinx, other people of color, or female - face disparities in access to funding. These founders are critical partners because they are often able to tap into their lived experiences to champion technology solutions that align with the foundation's mission of improving health care delivery to all Californians. Prior to joining CHCF, Janet was a strategy consultant for HealthDesignED at the Emory University School of Medicine, where she helped develop equitable tech-enabled solutions to meet patients where they are and at the right time. She also founded a voice and mobile application that provides health care options based on patients' insurance and location, as well as wait times for care. Janet received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of California, Irvine, and a master of science degree in social entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California.