OFFICE OF HEALTH EQUITY

Advisory Committee Member Bios

The OHE-AC consists of a broad range of experts, advocates, health clinicians, public health professionals, and consumers who understand the importance of the health and mental health disparities and inequities of historically vulnerable, marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities.

Ana González-Seda

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Ana González Seda, MPH is the Director of Programs for the San Diego/Imperial Valley Chapter for the Alzheimer's Association. She oversees the education, social engagement, diversity, and inclusion for the chapter, focusing on senior health, people living with Alzheimer's and their care partners. Ana has worked in the non-profit health sector for leading organizations in San Diego for over 25 years focusing on engaging communities of color. Ana sits on community boards which support quality affordable housing and livable neighborhoods, foster economic self-sufficiency and stimulate investment. As well as engaging communities of color to participate in translational research through university-based educational institutions. Ana most recently became a fellow for the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) under the Leadership Institute established to train Latina leaders in leadership and advocacy skills to create fundamental change within their communities statewide. Ana is bi-cultural and bi-racial raised in San Diego. She received her bachelor's degree in Sociology from San Diego State University and earned a Master of Public Health with an emphasis in Health Services Administration. Ana recently received a certification in Project Management from the University of Redlands. In her free time, Ana enjoys spending time with her vivacous seven-year old son and her husband, residing in San Diego.

Aaron Gardner

Aaron Gardner is an epidemiologist and program evaluator for the Epidemiology & Program Evaluation Branch of the Riverside County Department of Public Health (DOPH). Aaron's 20 years of social science and epidemiological research experience includes 14 years investigating infectious and chronic disease in Riverside County with a focus on social epidemiology. His past research have included novel substance abuse treatment models for gay and bisexual men and African Americans. In the last decade, his research focus has shifted to health equity and the the social and environmental determinants of health and its impact on the chronic and communicable disease burden and life expectancy in minority populations and women. Aaron is on the forefront in research and policy development in his local health department coordinating the development, implementation, and evaluation of an innovative public health workforce training series and producing many of the county's first health reports on specific populations including the LGBT and transgender community.

Simran Kaur

Simran Kaur is Director for the Center for Community Health at Valley Children's Healthcare, focused on improving the health and wellness of children in the Central Valley where they live, learn and play. She currently serves on the Fresno County Commission on the Status of Women. Previously, Simran was the Western Region Director for the Sikh Coalition, the nation's largest Sikh civil rights organization. In 2012, she led efforts to pass the California Workplace Religious Freedom Act, now the nation's strongest protection against religious discrimination in the workplace. In the past, Simran has served on the Board of Directors for The Women's Building, a women-led community space and has served as the Affirmative Action Officer on the Board of Directors for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Northern California. She is an active member of the Sikh American community in California and her work was published in "Her Name is Kaur" an anthology of stories about Sikh American women.

Jo Ann Julien

Jo Ann Julien leads the Office of Health Equity within Public Health Services, Health and Human Services Agency for the County of San Diego. She is also on the Center of Excellence for Health Promotion and Health Equity led by the University of California, San Diego.

Jo-Ann's public health career spans 20 years, starting at the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada, the Canadian equivalent of the Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health. Jo-Ann has worked in the area of cultural diversity and human rights at the federal level helping to create inclusive institutions.

Jo-Ann speaks French, and holds a B.A. in Communications and a Master's in Education, specializing in Counseling. She is trained in mental health first aid, risk communication, facilitation, deliberative dialogue, regulatory affairs, and public policy and is certified with the International Association of Public Participation. She will make an excellent addition to the Office of Health Equity Advisory Committee.

Terra Russell-Slavin

Terra Russell-Slavin, Esq. is the Director of Policy and Community Building at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the world's largest provider of programs and services for LGBTQ people, which she has been a part of for 15 years. Terra's policy work focuses on advocating for health and mental health services for the LGBTQ community, including HIV, STD and LBQT women's health; domestic, sexual violence, and hate crime services; and homeless youth and senior services. Terra regularly works in coalitions at the local, state, and national level with other community-based service providers representing LGBTQ community groups, larger community non-profits and governmental entities.

Terra is a subject matter expert on issues related to LGBTQ domestic violence and is Chair of the LGBTQ Subject Matter Committee for the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. An attorney by trade, Terra has a strong community health perspective. Terra received the Los Angeles County Betty Fisher Award for phenomenal leadership in the field of domestic violence and has been recognized by the National LGBT Bar Association as a Best Attorney Under 40. Terra is a graduate of Pitzer College and Northeastern University School of Law.

Angela Ball

Angela Ball has been the Director of the Division of Public Health Nursing for the Alameda County Public Health Department for 10 years and the COVID-19 Deputy Safety Officer. She is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing public health nursing programs, including the Older Adults/Healthy Results, In-Home Supportive Services, Adult Protective Services, Foster Care Assessment Center, Medically Fragile and Services to Enhance Early Development Units, Community Outreach and Pre-Eligibility Units, and the program with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office to reduce truancy among youth. Angela works towards improving access to and quality of care for incarcerated and detained individuals at the city and County holding cells, jails, and juvenile detention facilities through her management of the annual Title 15 jail inspections. At the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, Angela was responsible for ensuring the provision of high-quality breast and cervical cancer screening services to low-income, underserved women in Alameda County. Her past and current work has been with very sensitive, vulnerable populations and she has strong partnerships with organizations such as, First 5 Alameda County, academic institutions, CBOs, local hospitals, and professional organizations.

Dannie Ceseña

Dannie Cesena Dannie Ceseña (he/they) is a transgender, two-spirit descendant of the Chichimeca tribe and is the LGBTQ Program Manager for the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network. He has over 15 years of experience working with non-profits in program development and advocacy and extensive knowledge in creating Transgender, Gender Nonconforming (TGNC) healthcare collaborations utilizing upstream interventions and addressing the root cause of lack of access to TGNC affirming health care. His knowledge and leadership have assisted in the creation of two TGNC community health care clinics, and a monthly TGNC legal clinic, in Orange County. Dannie has become a trusted leader in LGBTQ health among partners in the California Tobacco Control Program. He is responsible for building We Breathe: Supporting Tobacco-Free LGBTQ Communities from the ground-up, and has established the program as a leader statewide, nationally, and even internationally.  Dannie is in high demand to present on LGBTQ health at trainings, meetings, and conferences throughout the country, and internationally. He is a graduate of CSU Long Beach with bachelor's degrees in English and Political Science and is a graduate of National University with a Master of Public Health degree.

Weiyu Zhang

Weiyu Zhang (she/her) is a Community Advocacy Manager with the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network. As a public health practitioner, Weiyu is committed to leveraging the vision, knowledge, and toolkit of public health to solve racial and social inequities. She advocates for policy and decision-making processes that center community self-determination and expertise for Black, Indigenous and other People of Color communities in California. Weiyu has more than seven years of experience working in public health and social justice, including doing community health education and community crisis response, organizing multicultural coalitions, and analyzing public policy. She also has a strong analytical background from training as a biomedical scientist and working in clinical cancer research and biopharmaceutical production. Weiyu holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology and Biotechnology from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Weiyu is a native speaker in Mandarin Chinese. In her free time, she loves exploring Northern California’s woods and lakes and is always trying new creative hobbies.

Jazmine Garcia Delgadillo

Jazmine Garcia Delgadillo is the Health and Equity Program Manager at the Strategic Growth Council. Jazmine has extensive experience translating research into health equity-centered policy, evaluating and designing community informed programs, and collaborating with diverse stakeholders and sectors, including community-based organizations, nonprofits, local government, associations, and policymakers. Previously, she served as a Health Policy Fellow for Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal where she had the opportunity to work on legislative health issues at the intersection of immigration and health. While a Doctoral Candidate, Jazmine also collaborated with California’s Primary Care Association, the National Collaborative for Health Equity, the District of Columbia’s Department of Public Health, Office of Health Equity, and Trust for America’s Health, among other organizations. Jazmine has a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a Master of Public Health degree and bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Bernadette Austin

Bernadette Austin is the Executive Director of the Center for Regional Change at the University of California at Davis where she works to build bridges across disciplines and support research that is community-engaged, policy-oriented, and equity-focused. Bernadette provides leadership on several multidisciplinary research projects, including developing tools to support affordable housing, understanding megaregion migration, supporting transportation equity, and advancing carbon neutrality. She serves as a regional and statewide thought leader on a variety of topics, including land use planning, social equity, and gender equity. Prior to her work at the Center for Regional Change, Bernadette founded a consulting firm specializing in community development and has worked for an affordable housing developer, redevelopment agency, community development financial institution, and several nonprofit community health organizations. Her projects include Sacramento's first true transit-oriented development, West Sacramento's first urban farm stand, and the first project in the country to implement a program combining housing vouchers and health services for adults living with disabilities.

Califia Abwoon

Califia Abwoon is a Peer Support Specialist (PSS), Certified Anger Management Coach (CAMF), Domestic Violence Management Facilitator (DMF), an Emotional Intelligence Rehabilitation Coach, and is in the process of earning her Substance Use Counseling License. She works with We Are Wayfarer, 1:1 Pilot Program developing relationships with the homeless population on Skid-row and in Long Beach. She advocates for underserved community members with mental health disorders who are homeless and lack effective case management services. She provides comprehensive mental health provisions that enhance the well-being of clinicians and patients. She also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Create Realistic Change Inc., a Peer Run Organization that is focused on the underserved community in Los Angeles. She is involved with the Service Area Advisory Committees (SAAC) 6 and 8, the California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations on the Peer Action League Committee, the Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) pilot Reentry Health Advisory Collaborative (RHAC), the Community Coalition (CoCo) founded by Congresswoman Karen Bass, and with A New Way of Life Re-entry Project with All Of Us Or None (AOUON). Califia experienced homeless for 20 years and is a violence, sexual, and mental abuse survivor. Califia provides a unique perspective to the Advisory Committee given her first-hand experience of being part of the community that the Advisory Committee serves.

Vong Mouanoutoua

Vong Mouanoutoua was the founding Advisory Board Member for the Hmong Helping Hands Project in the Central Valley. Vong represents and is part of the Hmong community in the central valley, a very vulnerable and underrepresented community. His prior experience include that of a program director in a non-profit for serval years. In that capacity he had the opportunity to write grants and supervise over $13 million in funding. Vong's current occupation with the Community Medical Centers and as a Councilmember for the City of Clovis has afforded him the opportunity to be part of the California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP), which has allowed him to learn more about the needs of the mental health services for diverse populations. Through his work at the Fresno EOC, Reading and Beyond, Community Medical Centers, CRDP Project and on the City Council, he has learned how important it is to provide services to communities that are many times forgotten.

Robin Carter

Robin Carter is the Interim Dean of the College of Health & Human Services at Sacramento State University. Robin Carter has over 25 years of experience as a social work professor and administrator. As a clinical social worker, she has worked with vulnerable populations, including the elderly, those with chronic health and disabling conditions, and people at the end of their lives. The focus of her scholarly and community work is mental health assessment and treatment; gerontology and equity and inclusion. She has been the principle investigator in several large grants and contracts serving students and totaling over $2 million. She has held board membership in multiple professional organizations, including the Sacramento Family Justice Center, Cal Post Doc Advisory Board and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. She is one of the founding members of the MLK Center at Sacramento State and in her previous role of Interim Executive Director of Diversity she was charged with developing the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Sacramento State.

Patricia Lee

Patricia Lee has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Rhode Island and is currently the Research Scientist for the Office of Medical Director (OMD) in the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Dr. Lee determines potential key areas of research in health disparities and inequities in the California Medicaid population, to be undertaken by OMD, and disseminates findings of scientific research in written reports. Prior to joining the OMD, Dr. Lee worked for the Office of Women’s Health (OWH) in DHCS. Before working for the state, she was an assistant professor in the department of Health Behavior at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health, and she was an associate scientist position in the UAB Minority Health Research Center.

Nancy Rodriguez

Nancy Rodriguez is a Health Program Analyst with Community and Field Services at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) South Bay Regional Health Office. She conducts the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs that promote authentic community engagement. Nancy serves as co-lead of the South LA/South Bay African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Community Action Team, a government-community partnership to address the alarming racial disparities in birth outcomes endured by African Americans in Los Angeles County. Her priority is to ensure that the voices of community members play a central role when planning and implementing community initiatives. Nancy's heavy involvement with the community will serve as a bridge for the Advisory Committee to engage directly with residents and obtain first-hand input on the various initiatives happening within the community. Nancy is a first-generation college graduate from a Mexican immigrant family. She completed her undergraduate education in Public Health Policy at the University of California, Irvine, and obtained her Master in Public Health (MPH) with an emphasis in Health Communication from the University of Southern California. Nancy is also a Certified Health Education Specialist and a Certified Healthcare Interpreter.

Héctor Manuel Ramírez

Hector Manuel Ramirez Héctor Manuel Ramírez (he/them/they) is an Apache and Mexican Two Spirits person occupying space in Yaanga, Tongva-Los Angeles, CA the ancestral lands of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. He is an Autistic person with a psychiatric disability and is hard of hearing, a lifelong disability rights advocate focusing on the intersections that impact disabled people, families, and communities.

He is a formerly institutionalized person and a consumer of the largest public mental health system in the country-Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health where he chairs the Latino UsCC. He is the first openly gay person ever appointed to the Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission, a board member of Disability Rights California, and the National Disability Rights Network.

He has been appointed to California's Governor Gavin Newsom's Behavioral Health Task Force to address the urgent mental health and substance use disorder needs across California and to the Los Angeles County Measure J Reimagine LA Advisory Committee, where he makes recommendations to the board of supervisors on strategies to address racial injustice through community investments such as youth development, job training, small business development, supportive housing services, and alternatives to incarceration.

Angelina Woodberry

Angelina Woodberry is currently a Consumer Advocate Liaison with Cal Voices in Sacramento County and brings 20 years of front line nonprofit social services experiences. Angelina has been involved in community based advisory boards for 14 years. She serves as a Peer Action League Member with the California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations and is a member on their Cultural, Racial Ethnic Equity Committee. She is also the Chair Sacramento County Children's Coalition. With her roles on these boards, she provides the unique perspective of a woman of color who came from the foster care system. She has been both a consumer of mental health services and the parent of a child with a physical disability and mental health challenges. Angelina previously worked as a mental health patients' rights advocate, representing people with lived mental health challenges in administrative hearings to help them fight for voluntary outpatient treatment.

Jei Africa

Jei Africa has made it his life's work to build equity and social justice in behavioral health care. Whether serving as a clinician, an admnistrator, an educator, or an activist, Jei constantly strives to integrate effective, culturally responsive and healing-focused practices into public health systems and services. As an immigrant and the first openly transgender behavioral health care director in California, Jei brings a deep connection to disadvantaged communities to his work. He champions love, compassion, belonging, justice, and equity at every turn. He is widely recognized as a thought leader who can transform his ideas into reality: Jei helped establish the first LGBTQ+ center in San Mateo County, created a resarch scholarship for aspiring Filipino clinicans, developed statewide leadership curricula grounded on equity, and put together a framework for providing high-quality, nuanced care to diverse populations, including justice-involved youth and adults. Jei draws his expertise from over two decades in the field. In that time, he has built relationships among diverse stakeholders to shape public policy, combat social stigma, and drive institutional change. He currently serves as director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services for Marin County and sits on several state boards and commissions.

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