Lourdes is an executive director at a nonprofit and is passionate about health, education and empowering people to be the best version of themselves. She excited about the program because she believe in the social determinants of health as a way for systemic change and she look forward to learning more about Central Health and how to become an asset to better health access.
Teresa has a background in sociology, epidemiology and health research and has worked as a policy analyst in various departments in Health and Human Services. She looks forward both to learning more about Central Health and to connecting with others striving to make our community a good place for everyone living in it.
Megha is a social-tech entrepreneur that focuses on innovation and building community for the aging population. She works as the Director of Care Services at Aspire to Age, PBC. Building systems and programs that are culturally competent and understanding social determinants of health in populations brings her joy. She is excited to join the Community Health Champions Program to further expand her knowledge of our health systems and be of service to our community.
Elijah is a math and pre-medical student at The University of Texas, as well as a practicing EMT and paramedic student. With a strong interest in research, he wants to explore new ways to push the boundaries of medicine and improve access to healthcare for everyone. After graduating, he hopes to attend medical school and is very excited to work with other Community Health Champions who are dedicated to improving healthcare access in the Travis County community.
Rebecca is an empathetic leader who seeks to deeply understand health issues and impacts. She is passionate about collaborating with others to transform understanding into practical and evidence-based solutions.
Tarryn Sanchez serves as the Campaign Manager for Okay to Say™ at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. She is a passionate advocate for creating strong, healthy communities. She is grateful for the opportunity to further invest in the Travis County community through this program.
Pilar is from El Paso, Texas but has lived in Austin for over 30 years. She serves on the CommUnityCare Board of Directors. Pilar has served the most vulnerable population in Austin through the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) and its non-profit, Austin Pathways, for over 20 years. Working with very low-income HACA residents is her passion. Spending time with her 11 year-old daughter and her husband is what she loves to do in her spare time.
Phoebe Romero is passionate about the intersection of climate policy and social equity. She currently works at the City of Austin Office of Sustainability focusing on strategies that reduce environmental impact and improve quality of life outcomes for historically impacted communities. She’s excited to meet local leaders working in community health and is looking forward to building connections and collaborating.
Regina loves being an advocate for her community, specifically the Hispanic community. She is excited about participating in this program because she wants to understand more about the needs and challenges of Hispanics in Austin and Travis county when it comes to health. Regina is passionate about this topic and is willing to help families become Health Champions.
Spending the last 18 years involved in building social movements and focused around issues of community health, Jose has been dedicated to seeing a better future for working class communities in the region. Working with Foundation Communities Health Coverage program, he enjoys connecting with new people and helping to eliminate barriers to access to care.