In order of appearance

​

Yasmin Tarver (she/her), Director of Workforce Development, Jenesse Center, Inc. and DV + Health Care Leadership Council Member

Yasmin Tarver currently serves as Director of Workforce Development, at Jenesse Center. In this role she is responsible for identifying new partnerships, as well as guiding the entrepreneurship, vocational education, social enterprise, employment and health education programs. Jenesse Center is a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive, culturally competent trauma-informed services to victims and survivors of domestic violence and their children. Yasmin has spent over 25 years as a stanch advocate for unserved and underserved communities, holding positions or serving on boards and committees that support youth, women, homeless families, education, housing and health. Yasmin believes that change happens when people are given the guidance they need to draw on their own strengths, thus, realizing their potential to live fulfilling, happy lives.

​

Richard Thomason (he/him), Policy Director, Blue Shield of California Foundation

Richard Thomason serves as director of policy at Blue Shield of California Foundation, where he leads the development of initiatives that leverage public policy to achieve the Foundation’s mission. Mr. Thomason joined the Foundation in 2009 as a program officer, and has led the Foundation’s efforts to make California the healthiest state, expand health coverage, improve access to care for vulnerable populations, and strengthen safety net healthcare systems. Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Thomason was the policy director for SEIU - United Healthcare Workers West, where he was deeply involved in the full range of healthcare reform and healthcare system issues facing SEIU and its membership. Previously, Mr. Thomason spent eight years as professional staff to the California Assembly in roles related to health and fiscal policy. In addition to his work in the California legislature, Mr. Thomason has also worked as a community relations representative for Kaiser Permanente and as legislative staff to U.S. Senator Bill Bradley. Mr. Thomason has been a member of numerous boards and commissions, including the Alameda Alliance for Health Board of Governors, the California Health Care Coalition, the Berkeley Community Health Commission, and the Alameda County Public Health Advisory Commission. Mr. Thomason has a Master’s degree in Public Affairs with a concentration in domestic policy from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts from Reed College.

 

Krista Colón (she/her), Executive Director, California Partnership to End Domestic Violence

As the organization’s Executive Director since the Spring of 2025, Krista has worked at the Partnership since 2012. Throughout her years at the organization, she has advocated on behalf of survivors and service providers, and has worked to increase state level resources and legislation to advance violence prevention efforts. She has successfully advocated for over $330 million in new funding for victim services and prevention and also secured the passage of legislation to address the wide range of issues impacting survivors. Her experience addresses economic justice, housing and homelessness, prevention, immigration, and alternatives to the criminal legal system. She regularly represents the Partnership on various state-level committees and task forces.  

​

Krista has consistently worked to support advocates and activists to build their skills and develop their leadership, with a particular focus on supporting their policy advocacy skills. In 2024 she received the Foundation’s Dr. Beatriz María Solís Award, recognizing her willingness to mentor, share expertise, and relationships that has strengthened community leaders and impacted community led policy advocacy to create a more just and vibrant future for all Californians. Prior to joining the Partnership, Krista worked at the National Network to End Domestic Violence, advocating for increases in federal funding for domestic and sexual violence programs and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. Previous experiences include working with at-risk youth, which fueled her passion for social policy issues. 

​

Krista received her Master’s degree in Public Policy with a concentration in Social Policy from American University and received a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from California State University, Long Beach.

 

Lisa James (she/her), Vice President, Health, Futures Without Violence

Lisa James is Vice President of Health at Futures Without Violence. As part of a National Health Initiative on Domestic Violence, Ms. James has collaborated with health care providers, domestic violence experts, and health policymakers in over 30 states across the U.S. to develop statewide health care responses to domestic and sexual violence and child trauma through training, health policy reform, and public education. She collaborates with national medical and nursing associations to enact effective health policy and programmatic health care responses to abuse and was the recipient of the American Medical Associations’ Citation for Distinguished Service for her efforts to train health care providers on domestic violence. Ms. James has co-coordinated the biennial National Conference on Health Care and Domestic Violence and currently partners with ACEs Aware initiative in California to link responses to children and families exposed to adversity to services and benefits available through Cal Aim. During her 29 years at Futures Without Violence, Ms. James has also led adolescent, maternal and perinatal health initiatives and has collaborated with leaders from non-governmental and health care organizations in Russia, Mexico, India, and China to build the capacity of health systems, providers, and community members to identify and help survivors seen in reproductive health settings. She is the mother of two and lives in Berkeley, CA. 

 

Kristen Aster (she/her), Executive Director, Executive Committee for Regional Homeless Alignment

Kristen is the Executive Director of the Executive Committee for Regional Homeless Alignment (ECRHA), an intergovernmental body created by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to develop one plan to address homelessness,  establish a common set of performance indicators, align resources, and provide oversight. Kristen previously served as Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at The People Concern, one of LA County's largest homeless services agencies. She has fifteen years of experience in government and community relations at the local, state, and federal levels across multiple organizations and issue areas and a master’s degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University, in Washington, DC

​

Aditi Shakkarwar (she/her), Housing Advocacy Manager, United Way of Greater Los Angeles

Aditi Shakkarwar (she/her) is the Housing Advocacy Manager at United Way of Greater Los Angeles. In her role she focuses on affordable housing policy advocacy, particularly around Measure A implementation for the new Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA). She currently co-leads the Our Future Los Angeles Coalition, which passed legislation authorizing the creation of LACAHSA in 2022, and ran the campaign to pass Measure A in 2024. Prior to working for United Way, she spent six years working for the California State Assembly as a field representative. She currently also serves on the board of Hollywood 4WRD, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing and ending street homelessness in Hollywood. Aditi is a Bay Area native and a proud alum of UC Davis, where she studied political science and Asian American Studies.

 

Brittney Daniel (she/her), Program Officer, Health, California Community Foundation

Brittney Daniel is a passionate advocate who has worked in the nonprofit sector and has been committed to strategies toward ending homeless services for over 10 years. She believes in the importance of community service and not only creating but facilitating systems change. In her previous role, she served as a community engagement coordinator at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority where her team coordinated the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, one of the largest homeless counts in the nation. As a Senior Health Program Officer at California Community Foundation, Brittney Daniel is a part of the team that stewards programs and partnerships related to healthcare access and advocacy for the most vulnerable Angelenos. Brittney’s work is informed by her expertise in community organizing and education, nonprofit management, and using data and mapping to support grantmaking that meets the community’s needs. Managing a six-million-dollar portfolio, her projects include capacity-building cohorts for community-based organizations to contract with Medi-Cal Managed Care plans, strengthening the social safety net which includes: wraparound services for people experiencing homelessness, and investing in a culturally competent health workforce. She also leads work on CCF’s Black Empowerment Fund, dedicated to supporting black-led and black-serving organizations across LA County 

 

She is a Geography Professor with a specialization in GIS and Cultural Geography, holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Geography and Urban Planning is a fellow of the 2024 Terrance Keenan Institute for Emerging Leaders in Health Philanthropy. 

 

Monica Dedhia, LCSW (she/her), Director of Community Health, Children's Institute

Monica Dedhia, LCSW, is a seasoned mental health leader with over 15 years of experience advancing community-based health access & engagement. As Director of Community Health at Children’s Institute, Inc., she leads initiatives that center Whole Person Care and equity-driven systems transformation. Monica has played a pivotal role in launching and operationalizing CalAIM initiatives, including Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports, with a focus on cross-sector collaboration and sustainable care models for historically underserved populations. Her work bridges clinical practice, community voice, and policy implementation to drive meaningful change in behavioral health systems. Monica holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern California and is deeply committed to co-designing solutions that promote health equity and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities.

 

Rosario Trejo (she/her), Deputy Housing Program Officer, Downtown Women’s Center

Rosario Trejo is the Deputy Housing Program Officer at the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC), where she leads a multi-disciplinary team delivering client-centered services across the housing stabilization continuum. With over 12 years of experience supporting women and gender-diverse individuals in Los Angeles, Rosario brings deep expertise in both direct service and program leadership. Since joining DWC in 2014, she has played a key role in shaping and implementing innovative housing models—both community-based and site-based—that prioritize dignity, equity, and long-term stability. Driven by a commitment to housing justice and trauma-informed care, Rosario’s work centers the lived experiences of those most impacted by homelessness and housing insecurity.

 

Sharon Rapport (she/her), Director, California State Policy, Corporation for Supportive Housing 

As the Director for California State Policy at the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), Sharon Rapport has advanced a California policy agenda for solving homelessness over the last 18 years. Ms. Rapport has been instrumental in passing CSH-sponsored legislation across health, housing, social services, justice, and child-welfare sectors, and leads a dynamic team of committed advocates. She has served on multiple councils, including an appointment to Governor Newsom’s Council of Regional Homeless Advisors, and served as Board Chair for Housing California.

 

Steven Shum (he/him), Senior Program Manager, Corporation for Supportive Housing

Steven Shum is a Senior Program Manager with the Corporation for Supportive Housing, and CSH's lead for healthcare and housing integration initiatives in Los Angeles County. Mr. Shum is an experienced housing and community development professional with more than 20 years of accomplishments providing consulting, training, advocacy/systems change and lending/grantmaking to expand housing and services opportunities for vulnerable populations — including individuals and families experiencing homelessness, long-term physical and behavioral health issues, child welfare involvement, and justice involvement.  

 

Kelly Bruno-Nelson (she/her), Executive Director, Medi-Cal/CalAIM, CalOptima

As Executive Director, Medi-Cal/CalAIM, Kelly Bruno-Nelson is responsible for oversight of the agency’s main health plan and its further development through the statewide California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative. She brings more than 25 years of experience serving vulnerable populations in Southern California through innovative work in health care and nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining CalOptima, Kelly was President and Chief Executive Officer of National Health Foundation (NHF), a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization working to improve the health of underserved communities. Prior to NHF, she was Vice President of ONEgeneration in Van Nuys, California, a nationally recognized organization that provided an intergenerational program of adult day health care and childcare that brought together frail elderly and young children. Her earlier career also included leadership roles at a nursing home and in hospital-based social work. Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Azusa Pacific University, a master’s degree in social work from California State University, Long Beach and a Doctorate in social work from University of Southern California.

 

Jessica Rosenbaum (she/her), Chief Operating Officer, Full Circle Health Network

Jessica Rosenbaum, MSW, MBA, is the COO of Full Circle Health Network.  As COO, Jessica is responsible for operationalizing all service lines, overseeing strategic growth, and partnering with providers to achieve success.  Full Circle went live in one county with ECM for Children and Youth in July 2023 and has since expanded to 42 counties with ECM, CS, and CHW.

Jessica has over 20 years of Behavioral Health experience.  Starting out as a licensed clinical social worker, Jessica was able to inspire hope in clients and challenge systemic norms to achieve improved outcomes. After 13 years as a clinician, she earned her MBA and began working for healthcare systems organizations. Jessica then spent 10 years implementing and operationalizing client contracts for managed care plans.  She has developed products, built systems, designed operational processes, and trained providers.  She is passionate about improving health outcomes and allowing providers to lean into their strengths. 

 

Debra Ward (she/her), Executive Director, YWCA of San Gabriel Valley

Debra Ward is the Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA of San Gabriel Valley, a multi-service community-based nonprofit serving the greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys. In this capacity, she leads a social change organization whose mission is to eliminate racism and empower women, families, and communities by promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. In conjunction with the Board of Directors and committed staff, they work collectively to address all aspects of the organization’s core programs that focus on serving the most vulnerable, including older adults, survivors of domestic violence, children and youth impacted by trauma and violence, and building resilient, equitable and healthy communities in the San Gabriel Valley region.   

 

Debra received her Master’s in Public Health from UCLA, School of Public Health. She is a lifetime learner, who has always sought opportunities to advance her leadership and personal development. In 2019, Debra completed a 12-month training program with the Executive Director Leadership Institute administered by the Executive Service Corps of Southern California. She was appointed to the Community Prevention and Population Health Task Force in Los Angeles County. Debra also serves as an expert advisory councilmember for Mathematica, addressing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) prevention through state Medicaid policy on behalf of the Blue Shield of California Foundation. Debra is also the current President of the Pasadena Delta Foundation, and has received many civic and community awards acknowledging her work in the community. In 2019, Business Life Magazine recognized Debra as one of their 2019 Women Achievers in San Gabriel Valley. She was also a recipient of the 2019 Women Wealth Warriors Award in Pasadena, California.