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Julia Liou, CEO Asian Health Services, AHC Board Chair

Julia Liou, MPH, is Chief Executive Officer of Asian Health Services (AHS). Ms. Liou previously was Chief Deputy of Administration at AHS, where she has served in various roles since 2000.

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Born to immigrants originally from Taiwan and Hong Kong, Ms. Liou has spearheaded key initiatives, programs, and departments at AHS, and in the Oakland Chinatown and Asian community, including the Revive Chinatown Project, and the California Health Nail Salon Collaborative. During her tenure with AHS, Ms. Liou has led the charge in strategic planning, development, the AHS Business Council, communications, advocacy and fundraising campaigns, and with cornerstone relationships.

“Twenty years ago, I fell in love with AHS’ dual mission of advocacy and services,” said Ms. Liou. Whether forging coalitions or calling attention to neglected needs, fundraising for civic engagement or lifting up patient voices to change policies, she says, “I joined AHS with a deep desire to work in the AAPI community. I went on the clinic tour and in the patients I could see my own immigrant grandfather. He didn’t speak English, had a hard time finding a job, and was fortunate to have a provider who spoke his language given the health issues he faced. I have always wanted to carry forward to others the positive impact he experienced.”

In recent years, Ms. Liou has catapulted AHS’ development successes in donor gifts, capital campaign fundraising, events, and grants from government and foundations. She also led planning and implementation of multiple agency strategic initiatives, ensured compliance with federal community health center regulations and standards, and oversaw public relations, branding, and communications.

During the COVID pandemic, Ms. Liou collaborated with the health centers throughout the nation through the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) to successfully advocate for a federal funding stream that seeds innovation and technology for community health centers nationwide. Ms. Liou earned her Bachelors of Art from Wellesley and Masters in Public Health from UCLA, and sits on numerous boards including Kaiser Permanente National Research Board, California Primary Care Association and co-chairs NACHC’s Innovation Advisory Council.

 

 

Liz Perez-Howe, CEO Axis Community Health, AHC Board Treasurer 

Liz Perez-Howe was named CEO in June, 2022, prior to that she was the Chief Operating Officer for Axis.

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Growing up in a low-income household, Liz holds a deep, personal connection to Axis’s mission of providing accessible, affordable, and compassionate healthcare that fosters the well-being of all community members. She owes much of who she is today to safety net programs like Axis, that made it possible for her to live a healthy and successful life. After earning her degree in Psychology at Southeastern University, Liz pursued a master’s in Mental Health Counseling at Georgia State University. Her professional journey includes directing regional operations for Sylvan Learning Center in Northern California and directing services at a 19-county mental health agency in Georgia.

In 2013, Liz joined Axis Community Health as the Director of Clinic Operations. In this capacity, she laid the foundation for the operational excellence of all Axis clinics while providing effective and inspirational leadership. Her accomplishments in this role propelled her to the position of Chief Operating Officer. In this capacity, she played a pivotal role in overseeing Axis’s expansion into dental, acupuncture, and chiropractic services, and was instrumental in ensuring the continued operation of Axis clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Liz was unanimously selected as Axis’s new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Sue Compton. In her role as CEO, Liz is committed to breaking down barriers to healthcare, advocating for policy changes, and forging partnerships with community organizations.

 

Zettie D. Page, III, CEO Bay Area Community Health

Zettie D. Page, III, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer (CEO), joined Bay Area Community Health, in January 2013.

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Dr. Page is a former FQHC CEO with a career focused on increasing access to care while decreasing disparities in healthcare through stabilizing and transitioning community health centers as primary safety net providers within their service areas.

He has over 20 years of experience working with FQHC’s and recently served as CEO for Salud Para La Gente in Watsonville where he led organizational expansion from 13 to 23 sites, a strengthening of governance, revision to the strategic plan, and implementation of an electronics record system. He also secured nearly $8 million in grants to improve clinics. Dr. Page worked as an Executive Director of Plains Medical Center in Limon, Colorado. Dr. Page speaks fluent Mandarin, holds a doctorate of medicine in general medicine, a doctorate in social work, and three Masters Degrees in Social Work, Health Education and MBA. He has retired from 36 years of military (reserve) service as a Colonel.

Dr. Page is currently the Chairman of HHS’s National Advisory Council on Migrant Health, a member of the board of directors for the CA School Based Health Clinics Association and a well-known leader working with agencies on transformational change. His leadership experience and track record of successfully delivering organization stability is key for BACH to sustain its mission and services to the community in the new health care environment.

 

Jane Garcia, CEO La Clínica

Ms. Jane García has led La Clínica de La Raza since she became CEO in 1983 and the strength of her leadership is apparent when looking at the organization itself.

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La Clínica has grown from a $2 million dollar project to an over $92 million dollar institution. La Clínica employs over 800 staff and serves over 74,000 patients across 30 sites in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano Counties. La Clínica is one of the largest community health clinics in the state of California.

Ms. García is an advocate and activist with a passion for preserving community health care for all residents regardless of ability to pay. Her commitment to community health care has been recognized on numerous occasions. The most recent of which include La Clínica’s recognition as a “Public Health Hero-Organizational Hero Award” from UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health and Ms. García’s recognition by the San Francisco Business Times as a Healthcare Hero in the Community Impact category.

Ms. García received a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and a Masters in Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley.

 

David B. Vliet, CEO LifeLong Medical Care, AHC Board Vice Chair

David B. Vliet comes to LifeLong Medical Care with a wealth of experience in the community health center movement.

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Prior to his position at LifeLong Medical, David was the CEO of Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center (TVHC) in Hayward, CA. For more than seven years, David has led a strong team at TVHC, home to seven primary care clinics, three dental clinics, and three school-based health centers staffed by 300 health professionals.

From 2002 through 2012, prior to assuming the role of CEO at TVHC, David led Central Texas Community Health Centers, first as Chief Operating Officer for three years followed by seven years as CEO. Central Texas Community Health Centers is one of the largest community health center systems in the State of Texas.

David has co-led efforts to develop future diverse community health leadership at the local and nation level, forming “Conversations: Leadership Diversity”, a series of meetings and network of leaders of color across the health center movement. He is a frequent speaker at local, state and national forums and focuses on the development of tomorrows leaders.

 

Natalie Aguilera, CEO Native American Health Center, AHC Board Secretary

Having dedicated over 18 years to Native American Health Center (NAHC) Natalie became its CEO on November 1, 2023.

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After dedicating over 18 years to NAHC, Natalie became its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective November 1, 2023.

With a Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a Master’s in Public Administration from Syracuse University, Aguilera brings extensive experience and a profound understanding of the local community to this role. She follows in the footsteps of her grandmother, Alice Carnes, who worked tirelessly for the Native community and was instrumental in establishing the Intertribal Friendship House (IFH) in 1955.

Natalie has led significant initiatives, including launching the Seven Generations Scholarship Fund, through which NAHC has expanded its commitment to the future wellness, healing, and success of the Native American community. With a strategic vision, she has also accelerated NAHC’s expansion into housing development. In 2024, NAHC will own 36 affordable housing units above their 7 Directions clinic, and the new 3050 International Boulevard building that NAHC is breaking ground on in early 2024 will feature expanded dental services, a cultural community center, and an additional 76 units of affordable housing.

Natalie’s work and advocacy extends to the statewide and national level. Natalie is an active leader and serves as a Board Member with the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health (CCUIH), as well as a leader with the National Council of Urban Indian Health organization (NCUIH).

When not serving her community, Aguilera enjoys Golden State Warrior games and spending weekends with her family at the baseball field or basketball gymnasium, traveling, and making new memories with family and community.

 

 

Andrea Schwab-Galindo, CEO, Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center

Andrea Schwab-Galindo joined TVHC in January 2013 and has grown with the organization from her role as Compliance and Risk Management Manager to Director of Quality and Compliance, to Chief Administrative Officer, to her current role as CEO.

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As CEO, Andrea oversees all departments of the health center and is responsible for developing and implementing the organization’s strategic plan, developing relationships with community groups and members, and advocating for TVHC and other community health centers.

Andrea has over 15 years of experience in community health and nonprofit program management. Prior to her work at TVHC, she held various positions at other community health centers, where she managed programmatic and compliance components of federal contracts and programs. She has worked with various nonprofits in South America, implementing microfinance, sustainability, and community health projects. Andrea has also served on multiple nonprofit boards throughout Alameda County.

Andrea received her Bachelor’s degrees from the University of California, Berkeley in Legal Studies and Latin American Studies, a Master’s degree in Public Health from San Jose State University, and a Masters Certification in Corporate Health Care Compliance from George Washington University. She is also a graduate of the Healthforce Center at UCSF, Clinic Leadership Institute.

Andrea is also a recipient of the 2019 Emerging Leader Award from the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy and the National Association of Community Health Centers.

Originally from Cartagena, Colombia, Andrea made the Bay Area her home over 25 years ago. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling abroad, and being crafty. With her firm belief that healthcare is a human right, Andrea works with passion toward advancing health equity, civil rights, and empowering the future of the community health center workforce. She resides in the East Bay with her husband, son, and two mischievous dogs.

 

Robert Phillips, CEO, West Oakland Health

Robert Phillips joined West Oakland Health as its CEO in 2022.

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Robert is a collaborator and experienced organizational leader who has worked on local, state, and national health policy, health equity, and social technology issues for over 25 years. He was President and CEO of Alluma, a nonprofit social enterprise that uses technology to connect people with public benefits and services. He also has held senior leadership positions with The California Endowment, the Sierra Health Foundation, and Kaiser Permanente