People

Kelechi Uwaezuoke is the Assistant Director for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnerships at SF BUILD at San Francisco State University. Her research interests include exploring the educational experiences of historically under-represented premed students in the UC system, the role of pipeline programs in increasing health workforce diversity and program evaluation as a means of identifying best practices for increasing educational equity and sustainable institutional change. She has extensive experience working with historically underrepresented and disadvantaged students pursuing careers in health and marginalized communities to address health inequities. She has spent the last decade managing and evaluating programs that impact students and communities of color throughout the state of California. Dr. Uwaezuoke is the San Francisco State University SF BUILD Liaison to the LCOE APP program.

Sandra R. Hernández, is president and CEO of the California Health Care Foundation. Prior to joining CHCF, she was CEO of The San Francisco Foundation. She previously served as Public Health Director for San Francisco. In 2018, she was appointed by Governor Brown to the Covered California board of directors. In 2019, she was appointed by Governor Newsom to the Healthy California for All Commission. She also serves on the UC Regents Health Services Committee and the UC San Diego Chancellor’s Health Advisory Board. Sandra practiced at San Francisco General Hospital in the HIV/AIDS Clinic from 1984 to 2016 and was an assistant clinical professor at the UCSF School of Medicine.

Dr. Tomás Aragón is the director of the California Department of Public Health and the State Public Health Officer. As CDPH director, he strives to embody and promote the universal values of dignity, equity, compassion and humility, working through collaborative partnerships to mobilize communities and institutions to transform policies and systems towards a culture of equity, antiracism, healing and health. Dr. Aragón has served in public health leadership roles for more than 20 years; communicable disease controller, deputy health officer, state public health officer, community health and chronic disease epidemiologist.

As an undergraduate, Dr. Diaz was co-founder of UC Davis CHE, a Latino Pre-medical club in 1972. He co-founded Clinica Tepati, a free clinic for Spanish-speaking patients in 1974 where he has volunteered as an undergraduate student, medical student, resident and attending physician. He graduated from the UCSF School of Medicine and is a board certified Family Practice and Occupational Medicine. He was a founding member of the National Hispanic Medical Association, the National Hispanic Health Foundation and the National Hispanic Pharmacists Association. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Hispanic Health Foundation. He is a Volunteer Clinical Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine of the University of California, Davis and at CA Northstate University College of Medicine.

The first-born daughter of Mexican immigrants, Leti began her education in the U.S. speaking only Spanish. Despite an unwelcoming school environment, she was the first member of her extended family to complete high school gaining admission to Stanford. In 1994 she joined the faculty at SF State, focusing her professional efforts to “give back” to the communities who supported her professional advancement. She remains motivated by Cesar Chavez’ words, "We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community." 

Jeff Oxendine, MBA, MPH has been a health executive, educator, author, consultant for over 30 years. Jeff is currently a California leader and consultant in health workforce and diversity, the CEO of Health Career Connection, Co-Director of the California Health Professions Consortium and Director of Health Workforce and Diversity at the UC Berkeley Center for Healthcare Innovation and Organizational Research (CHOIR). He previously served as Associate Dean at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and a lecturer at the Harvard School of Public Health. Jeff’s passion is inspiring and empowering students and health professionals to discover and achieve their authentic health careers.

Dr. Rios serves as President & CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association and president of NHMA’s National Hispanic Health Foundation to direct educational and research activities.

Dr. Rios also serves on Better Medicare Alliance and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda Boards of Directors, Centene Health Policy Advisory Committee, Centene Health Equity Committee, Cancer Treatment Centers for America Hispanic Advisory Council, Morehouse Health Equity Committee, Office of Research on Women’s Health Advisory Committee, NIH, US Department of Health and Human Services, and the VA National Academic Affiliations Council.

Isela Ford is an experienced Special Program Coordinator with a demonstrated history of working in public health. Isela has worked with the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Office of Health Equity, which seeks to address health disparities and workforce inequities to create a culture of equity and inclusion, and allow all San Franciscans to enjoy health and prosperity.

Chris Iglesias is a visionary leader who has dedicated his career to executing a social equity agenda through innovative and strategic public-private partnerships. As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Unity Council (TUC), he leads one of East Oakland’s most vital community assets—a 53-year-old social equity development organization devoted to improving the quality of life for the residents of the largest Latino neighborhood in the Bay Area—Oakland’s Fruitvale District—through a place-based economic and intergenerational equity agenda.