AHF - Key Persons
Agapito Diaz has dedicated a lifetime of service to public transit/transportation at the local and state levels. He served as the director of revenue for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and completed a dedicated 12-year tenure of service for the New York City Department of Transportation. Diaz graduated from Harvard University with a master's degree in public administration and received a master's in education from Rutgers University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Vice President, Healthcare Center Operations
AJ Alegria serves as AHF's Vice President of Healthcare Center Operations. In this role, he is responsible for the non-clinical operations of AHF's domestic Healthcare Centers. Before this role, AJ joined AHF in 2015 as the Senior Director of Client Experience, where he was responsible for creating the organization's Client Experience program.
AJ also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Impulse Group, a global AHF affinity group. Since joining Impulse Group in 2014 as the founding President of the South Florida chapter, AJ has served this group by developing and leading its global financial and operational functions.
Prior to joining AHF, AJ spent 18 years working in various leadership roles in the retail banking segment in Los Angeles, CA and the South Florida region. AJ holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a Master's Degree in Management and Leadership from Purdue University.
Albert Ruiz has been an advocate for AIDS Healthcare Foundation since its inception in 1987. He was instrumental in the development of the "WEHO Lounge" - AHF's flagship HIV testing site/coffeehouse.
Confronting his own HIV status head-on, Albert became a certified HIV testing counselor. He began testing at "Out of the Closet" stores and AHF Wellness Centers. Ultimately, Albert advanced into Program Management in the AHF Public Health Division. In his 15 years of service, Albert oversaw the development and implementation of AHF's Wellness Center programs across the United States.
A believer in lifelong learning, Albert has attended East Los Angeles College, California State University Los Angeles, and the Southern California School of Culinary Arts. Albert looks forward to advancing the mission of the Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Vice President, Human Resources
As Vice President, Human Resources, Anita Castille oversees both Global and Domestic HR activities for AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).
Castille joined AHF in 2012. Passionate about her work with AHF, Anita continues to focus on getting the very best out of people while ensuring that organizational culture and practices are in no way disparate. She touts a strong emphasis on employee and labor relations, organizational development, talent acquisition, change management, policies and procedures, compensation/benefits administration, and affirmative action.
Prior to joining AHF, Anita was Managing Partner with Executive Focus, an HR Consulting Firm. She has also held leadership positions with Bank of America, Universal Music group, and Primedia Publishing.
Ms. Castille holds a Bachelor's Degree from the California State University at Long Beach and a Master's in Business from Northrop University. She is an Advisory Board Member for the Brotherhood Crusade, Board Member Inglewood Educational Foundation, Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Associate Member of Jack and Jill of America Inc., and a member of the Inglewood Pacific Chapter of the LINKS Incorporated.
Anita Williams has worked in the field of HIV/AIDS and Public Health for 30 years, and has been an advocate for affected & infected individuals. She is the co-founder, and Senior VP of Project Africa Global, Inc, a non-profit with an emphasis on education, orphans, and medical and humanitarian services in both the USA & Africa. She is the Vice President of a non-profit The Economic Development Fund Foundation and was awarded the African Diamond Award by African Vibe Magazine for creating sustainable health solutions within African communities".
She is a long time Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in foster care, as well as a volunteer and benefactor for Whitney Young Continuation High School, Los Angeles. She is an advisory member for both The ZONDLE Boys Home & Orphanage, and McCorkindale's Children Village & Farm in Manzini, Swaziland. She served as the Principal investigator "Prospective study on the risk of HIV transmission in neonatal blood and blood product transfusion recipients early in the HIV epidemic. Anita received her BSN from Florida A & M University in Tallahassee, Florida.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Domestic Vice Chair
Cynthia Davis has a Master's degree in public health from the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is an Assistant Professor and Program Director in the College of Medicine and College of Science and Health at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. Davis was instrumental in the development of the first dedicated mobile HIV testing project in Los Angeles County in 1991.
She joined AHF's board of directors in 1988, served as an advocate for the development of the first women's HIV treatment clinic in South Los Angeles, and helped develop and operate Agape House, a residential care facility for HIV positive women and their dependent children. She also initiated the nationally and internationally recognized Dolls of Hope Project, which makes and distributes handmade cloth dolls for HIV/AIDS orphans. She is passionate about her work and has been tireless in her efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS on a local, national and international level.
Job Titles:
- Director of Global Policy & Comms
Diana Hoorzuk is a councilor in the local government structure of eThekwini Municipality based in Durban, South Africa.
Hoorzuk is also employed as an admin manageress in a company dealing with people search and as a council member of the Mangosuthu University of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Chief of Managed Care
Donna Stidham, RN has been involved in the care of people with HIV disease since the beginning of the epidemic. She began working with what is now known as HIV/AIDS as a nurse epidemiologist when the first cases of immune deficiency were reported to the Centers for Disease Control.
In 1984, Stidham was instrumental in the opening of the first AIDS inpatient unit in a for-profit community hospital in the U.S. She has continually focused her efforts on developing systems of care that support the expertise necessary to treat people with HIV. Stidham joined AHF in 1994 to lend her expertise in health systems and managed care to the development and implementation of Positive Healthcare, the first capitated managed care program for people with HIV.
In overseeing Positive Healthcare, Stidham has brought current, specialized HIV/AIDS and internal medicine to clients in California and Florida under a chronic care model. The program integrates the provider, patient, and medical system into a team to reach successful health outcomes. It also provides educational opportunities for medical staff, patients, patients' families, and partners, and the HIV community.
Stidham consults with multiple state Medicaid programs to promote the concept of specialty design for chronic conditions such as HIV/AIDS. She is working with AHF's global leadership to bring managed care health system concepts to resource-poor countries.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Northern Bureau Chief & VP of Finance
Donna Tempesta serves as AHF's Northern Bureau Chief & VP of Finance. Donna is a Certified Public Accountant and manages the operations and expansion of AHF's Northern Region. Ms. Tempesta also oversees the national financial performance of AHF Pharmacy.
During her tenure, AHF has expanded its operations in the North by over 5,000 patients, including agency affiliates (AHF Federation) and provider practice acquisitions, and has helped drive growth in the Pharmacy Division, which is expected to exceed $1.5 billion in revenues in 2017.
Prior to joining AHF, Donna was the VP of Finance for Allion Healthcare - which was acquired by AHF in 2012. Prior to Allion Healthcare, Donna was a Senior Manager at KPMG where she spent 10 years of her career in public accounting serving a combination of publicly held corporations and healthcare institutions. Donna received her Bachelor's Degree from Hofstra University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Medical Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Chief Medical Officer for AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Dr. Millner is currently the Chief Medical Officer for AIDS Healthcare Foundation where he oversees the day to day operations of the Department of Medicine. He chose HIV medicine after his roommate from medical school died the year after they graduated. He stated that his roommate died alone and in shame because how stigmatized he felt about getting AIDS. This was four years before the new antiretroviral HIV medicines were available. It was at that moment he decided to dedicate his life so that others would not have to experience what his roommate experienced. He became a National Health Service Corp physician practicing HIV medicine at a FQHC in West Baltimore, Maryland in a Ryan White clinic that emphasized an interdisciplinary team approach to patient care.
He continued practicing medicine in communities greatly impacted by social determinants of health including serving as a Medical Director with the Califonia Department of Corrections and then joined AHF in the Spring of 2016 where he continues that journey both as a clinician, researcher and administrator. During his tenure at AHF he has served in multiple roles all while continuing to practice cutting edge and compassionate medicine. Those include Medical Director of multiple healthcare centers, Western Regional Medical Director, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and now as CMO. He states the he is proud to be working at an organization which not only provides exemplary comprhensive care but advocates for those who cannot advocate for themselves.
Dr. Millner received his undergraduate degree from Occidental College and his medical degree from Drexel University School medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He then returned to Los Angeles to complete his residency in Internal Medicine at UCLA School of Medicine. He grew up south Los Angeles and experienced health care disparity which shaped his decision to practice medicine in underserved communities similar to where he grew up. He is a vegan who plays tennis and actively works out three times a week.
Dr. Condessa Curley, a graduate of the University of California, Davis (UCD) School of Medicine, completed her residency training and fellowship at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine/California Hospital Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program and obtained her Master's Degree in Public Health (MPH) from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Public Health. She is a board-certified Family Physician with specialties in Maternal and Children's Health and Public Health.
Dr. Curley is an Area Medical Director for one of the nation's largest public health departments. She is an active board member of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and co-chair of the AHF Black AIDS Crisis Task force (ABACT)- Faith committee. Dr. Curley is the recipient of numerous awards and acknowledgments for her work in the United States, Haiti, and Africa. She is the co-founder of Project Africa Global Inc, a 501 C, a 100% volunteer organization providing medical care, education, and training in low-income countries and the United States.
Her passion for ensuring the health and wellbeing in communities of color as well as marginalized populations, both locally, nationally, and internationally through the development of sustainable community partnerships and collaborations, continues to be the fuel that drives her.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Professor and Former Chair of Psychiatry at the Charles Drew University School of Medicine
Dr. Curley Bonds is a professor and former chair of psychiatry at the Charles Drew University School of Medicine and Science. He holds a dual appointment as a health sciences clinical professor in psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
He is the Chief Deputy Director for Clinical Operations for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. He is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a fellow of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine.
As a health equity scientist, educator, and wellness professional, Dr. Jammie Hopkins is committed to operating at the intersections of research, practice, and policy to promote healthy lifestyles and eliminate health disparities among vulnerable populations. Dr. Hopkins is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine, and an Adjunct Lecturer at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Founder and CEO of TruEvolution
Gabriel Maldonado, MBA is the Founder and CEO of TruEvolution - an LGBT justice and HIV/AIDS advocacy organization in Riverside, CA. Gabriel leads with human rights as an approach to public health, concentrating his efforts on addressing key issues impacting LGBTQ youth of color.
Originally from Compton, CA, Gabriel has been a community organizer for 10 years and now serves as Vice-Chair for the Ryan White Planning Council in San Bernardino and Riverside county. He was also appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS by the U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services. Most recently, Gabriel was voted as the now youngest member on the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Board of Directors.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Communications
Job Titles:
- National Communications Director
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Chief of Operations / Risk Management and Quality Improvement
Laura Boudreau's role as Chief of Operations/Risk Management and Quality Improvement is to unite the various and complex functions and operations of the organization. She ensures that all of the gears mesh as smoothly as possible in order to accomplish AHF's mission. Laura also has an overarching responsibility to assess risk on a global and programmatic basis with a specific eye to bringing departments together to divide up functions efficiently, eliminate bureaucratic roadblocks, and diminish risk. In the quality improvement area, she contributes to developing, reviewing, and overseeing the establishment of quality standards that can be monitored routinely.
Before becoming Chief of Operations/Risk Management and Quality Improvement, Laura was an attorney for ten years in AHF's Legal Department, starting as a staff attorney and rising to Chief Counsel for Operations.
From 2016 to 2018, Laura acted as General Counsel for International Medical Corps before returning to AHF to assume her current role.
Lawrence Peters is a weaver of fine textiles and is the owner of Bewoven Studio. He also is a marketing, sales, media, and nonprofit consultant/advisor. He has held various management positions with Bonnier Corporation, Hachette Filipacchi Media (now part of the Hearst Corporation), Wenner Media, the Hearst Corporation, and Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. He was instrumental in the launch of POZ Magazine. Peters has served on the board of directors of AIDS Treatment Registry, Multitasking Systems of New York, and Village Care of New York. Peters joined AHF's board of directors in 2001.
He has also volunteered for numerous nonprofit organizations. He is the past chair of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Marketing Council and a past member of the DMA, the DMA Catalog Council, the New England Mail Order Association, the New York New Media Association, and Out Professionals. He has a master's degree in nonprofit management from New School University, and he received the Professional Decision Report Award. He has a Bachelor's in English from Georgetown University, from which he graduated magna cum laude.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
Lyle Honig Mojica is responsible for the day-to-day management of AHF's finance and accounting functions, including reporting, planning, and analysis.
Lyle was formerly employed as a senior business consultant with Arthur Andersen in Los Angeles. Major clients included Hyperion Solutions, a financial software company; Montgomery Watson Harza, a $500 million engineering service firm; and the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest school district.
He received his bachelor's degree in business with a concentration in accounting from Kansas State University in 1992.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Bureau Chief, Southern Region
Michael Kahane is responsible for AHF's daily business operations and business development in the Southern United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. He joined AHF in 2007 after a successful legal career.
Prior to joining AHF, Kahane was the Executive Vice President and General Counsel for American Media, Inc., the third-largest publishing company in North America. Before that, he was the Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Globe Communications Corp. He was also a partner at Deutsch, Levy and Engel, Chartered, a Chicago law firm specializing in First Amendment practice.
Kahane received his LL.M degree in intellectual property law from the John Marshall Law Center, his J.D. degree from Northwestern University, and his undergraduate degree from Purdue University.
Under Kahane's leadership, AHF has expanded domestic operations in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. Kahane has also overseen AHF's significant expansion throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.
Kahane has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including On The Rise - the Top 40 Young Lawyers in the United States presented by the American Bar Association, the Illustrious Luminary Award presented by Pride Ft. Lauderdale, the Gift of Life Award presented by the Haiti Ministry of Health and the Margaret Roach Humanitarian Award presented by the Urban League of Broward County.
In addition to his commitment to expanding services and resources for people living with or impacted by HIV, Kahane is also proud of his bureau's work in providing emergency relief from natural disasters occurring in geographies under his supervision, including emergency relief work in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew ravaged the island and emergency relief work in Puerto Rico after the destruction caused by Hurricane Irma.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Leadership Team
- President
- President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Michael Weinstein is the president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization. Before becoming involved in HIV/AIDS-related issues in the 1980s, he was a businessman and graphic designer. Since 1986, Mr. Weinstein has been a leader in the fight against HIV and AIDS. As president and co-founder of AHF, he oversees a multi-billion dollar organization whose mission is to provide "cutting-edge medicine and advocacy regardless of ability to pay." AHF currently serves over 1.5 million clients in the United States, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific region, and Eastern Europe.
Under Weinstein's leadership, AHF has grown from a group of friends dedicated to the creation of dignified care for people in the last stages of AIDS to the largest AIDS organization in the United States. The Foundation now operates in over 730 treatment clinics in more than 45 countries globally: over 68 outpatient AHF Healthcare Centers in over 16 states as well as in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. AHF also operates more than 60 pharmacies in over 17 states and also operates a clinical research unit. Under its Positive Healthcare brand, AHF operates managed care programs for people living with HIV and/or AIDS in California, Florida, and Georgia.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- High Commissioner
- Vice Global Chair
Mrs. Angelina C. Wapakabulo is the High Commissioner. In February 2009, the President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, appointed Wapakabulo Uganda's Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya as well as Uganda Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Program and UN-HABITAT. Wapakabulo has been associated with AHF since 2001 and served as the bureau advisor for the East/West Africa Bureau for three years.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Bureau Chief, Africa
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Senior Vice President
Peter Reis is integrally involved in leading management and growth strategies for all of AHF's core businesses, including US-based clinics specializing in HIV care, Medicaid and Medicare managed care contracts in California and Florida, a growing pharmacy division, a research program, and a retail chain of thrift stores. Originally hired as a financial analyst in 1995, he moved up to become the health plan administrator in 1996, the director of business development in 1998, and the vice president and chief financial officer in 2000.
As an analyst, Reis developed a financial plan to launch the nation's first capitated managed care plan specializing in HIV. He was also responsible for managing and monitoring fiscal performance. Reis led AHF's expansion beyond California by negotiating with the State of Florida for a disease management contract for Medicaid beneficiaries with HIV and supervising the program's implementation. As VP and CFO, Reis led a transformation of internal systems, including installing an organization-wide electronic medical record, implementing new pharmacy and managed care claims processing systems, and enhancing existing purchasing and accounting systems.
Before joining AHF, Reis worked as a financial analyst for the Jeffrey Goodman Clinic, an LA-based HIV medical and testing program. Prior to that, he was an analyst for a Boston-based investment bank. Reis holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Rev. Kelvin Sauls, born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, is an ordained Elder in the California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Throughout the United Methodist connection, he is a mentor, coach, and advocate in the areas of transformational spiritual leadership, social justice ministries of equality and dignity, economic equity, and multi-ethnic congregational development for community upliftment and empowerment.
A former executive and congregational strategist with two General Boards and the Annual Conference, Rev. Sauls is a passionate bridge-builder for cross-cultural and multi-ethnic congregational development in racially diverse communities.
As the Senior Pastor of Holman United Methodist Church, Rev. Sauls is committed to leveraging Holman's legacy to engage in relevant multi-generational and vibrant multi-cultural ministries of hope and healing, compassion and restoration towards a more just and fair beloved community and world house. Through his catalytic and collaborative leadership, Holman continues to re-emerge as a hub of hope and healing, and a center of wellness and wholeness for the greater Los Angeles region.
His collaborative leadership has him involved in the following community justice initiatives in Los Angeles, California and throughout the United States:
City Commissioner on the Los Angeles Homeless Services Commission
Co-Founder of the South Los Angeles Transition Age Youth Foster Care & Homeless Collaborative, he now serves as the President of the Board of Directors
Co-Convener of the Justice Not Jails Initiative of Progressive Christians United
Co-founder of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, he now serves as President of the Board of Directors
Co-Founder of the Priority Africa Network, he now serves on the Board of Directors
Board of Directors, The KOSHLAND Fund (San Francisco Foundation)
Board of Directors, The Faith & Money Network
Within the United Methodist Church, Rev. Sauls provides leadership in the following areas:
New Ministries Essential Ministries Team in the California Pacific Conference
Board of Directors, National Justice for Our Neighbors (The United Methodist Committee on Relief/UMCOR)
Convocation of Pastors of Black Churches (United Methodist Publishing House).
A published writer, poet and percussionist, and one who is passionate about fully exploring the depth, diverse and dynamic intersections of life, Rev. Sauls is married to Rev. Judi Wortham-Sauls, an ordained Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Rodney L. Wright, MD, MS, has been actively involved in research, treatment, and education aimed at combating HIV/AIDS since the 1980s. Dr. Wright is currently the Director of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the Montefiore Medical Center - Wakefield Campus and an Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, NY. Dr. Wright received his MD degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and is a maternal fetal medicine specialist focusing on the needs of HIV+ women. He has conducted research as an investigator with the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG).
Dr. Wright was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to the NY State AIDS Advisory Council and was co-chair of the Care Committee for the Governors Task Force to End the AIDS Epidemic in NY State. He is also co-chair of the New York State Perinatal HIV Guidelines Committee. In addition to his work domestically, Dr. Wright frequently works in Sub-Saharan Africa and is actively involved with the Human Resources for Health Program, which provides medical education and training in Rwanda.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Chief Pharmacy Officer
Scott Carruthers, Pharm. D. chairs AHF's Pharmacy Executive Committee and serves on several others, in addition to his role as the Chief of Pharmacy. Carruthers has over 25 years of management experience in supervision, budget development, profit and loss, strategic planning, marketing, operations, and new business development. He previously owned and operated two pharmacies.
Carruthers's experience spans retail pharmacy, acute care hospital, long-term care pharmacy, home infusion, durable medical equipment, and other specialty pharmacy operations. Moreover, he's had direct responsibility for over 500 employees in a multi-state for-profit organization.
Carruthers was also involved in developing a patient medication compliance packaging system that led the U.S. Pharmacopeia to adopt standards for multiple-dose packaging. The National Boards of Pharmacy then also implemented standards for dispensing in a multiple-dose adherence package.
Carruthers has served two terms on the California State Board of Pharmacy, by appointment of Governor Deukmejian. He is a past president of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists and has a California Community College teaching credential.
The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists has honored Carruthers with their highest award, the George F. Archambault Award, for outstanding achievement in pharmacy practice.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Executive Director of Safe Schools South Florida
Scott Galvin is the longest-serving Councilman in North Miami's history. First elected in 1999, May 2019 began his sixth consecutive term as District 1 Councilman. A graduate of North Miami Senior High School and Florida International University, he also serves on the board of directors for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a global non-profit organization with a budget of $1.7 billion, providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 1 million people in 44 countries.
Professionally, Galvin is the Executive Director of Safe Schools South Florida, a non-profit focused on eliminating bullying of LGBTQ youth.
During his tenure, Councilman Galvin has sponsored legislation creating the Arch Creek East Environmental Preserve. He has advocated for parks and open spaces, as well as founded the Arch Creek East Neighborhood Association and the North Miami Historical Society.
As the City of North Miami's first openly gay elected official, Galvin is also the longest-serving LGBTQ legislator in the state of Florida.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary for the Insurance Subsidiaries of Universal American Corp
Steve Carlton is Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary for the insurance subsidiaries of Universal American Corp. He also serves and Chief Privacy Officer for all of Universal American Corp.'s business units. Prior to his current position, he was Senior Regulatory Counsel for the Georgia Department of Insurance. He received his J.D. from the University of Georgia and his B.A. in Economics from Emory University, magna cum laude. Steve currently resides in Orlando, Florida.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Chief of Public Affairs and General Counsel
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- National Director of Advocacy
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Vice President, Public Health Division
William Arroyo, M.D., is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Keck USC School of Medicine. He has served on AHF Board of Directors for more than twenty-five years. He was formerly an associate medical director of Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. He currently serves as an advisor to various organizations, including the California Department of Healthcare Services regarding the state's Medi-Cal plan, the CA Medical Association, and the National Latino Behavioral Health Association. He serves on a state prison Commission, CA Rehabilitation Oversight Board representing the Speaker of the CA State Assembly; he was formerly a member of the CA Juvenile Justice Commission. He serves on a state prison Commission, CA Rehabilitation Oversight Board representing the Speaker of the CA State Assembly; was formerly a member of CA Juvenile Justice Commission. He has previously served as a member of First 5 LA Commission (Alternate), board of County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California; SAMHSA Task Force on Eliminating Mental Health Disparities. He previously served on an advisory panel to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in regard to family detention facilities. He has been honored for his advocacy work in health and mental health by local, state, and national organizations.