Congratulations to the 2021 NACHC Grassroots Advocacy Award Recipients!

We are incredibly grateful to honor 2021 recipients of the NACHC Grassroots Advocacy Awards. All recipients were nominated by their peers for this recognition. Please take a moment to learn more about these advocates and their work.

The 2021 NACHC Grassroots Hall of Fame Inductees

Grassroots Hall of Fame inductees have all made lasting contributions to ensuring the creation, survival, and strength of Community Health Centers and the health center movement through their dedicated and tireless advocacy efforts over many years.

Andrew R Behrman, MBA
President & CEO, Florida Association of Community Health Centers
Click here to learn more about Andrew.

Ernesto Gómez, Ph.D.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, CentroMed, Texas
Click here to learn more about Ernesto.

Linda Y. Flake, MBA
President/CEO, Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers, New Jersey
Click here to learn more about Linda.

Stan McKee
Board of Directors, Carevide, Texas
Click here to learn more about Stan.

Berneice Mills-Thomas, RN, MSM,MPH, MBA
Chief Executive Office, Near North Health Service Corporation, Illinois
Click here to learn more about Berneice.

The 2021 NACHC Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Awardees

The NACHC Grassroots MVP Award is named in honor of the late Elizabeth K. (Betsey) Cooke, whose constant effort and unflagging persistence as an advocate for Community Health Centers and health center patients set an example for all Health Center Advocates to follow. All honorees have gone above and beyond in their efforts to ensure that their Members of Congress actively supported health centers or to establish and expand grassroots advocacy efforts at their health center or in their state.

Margarethia G. Bledsoe
Director of Marketing & Outreach, The Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc.
Click here to learn more about Margarethia.

Sarah M. Francois
Director of Fund Development & Marketing, Progressive Community Health Centers, Wisconsin
Click here to learn more about Sarah.

Michael Glas
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Carevide, Texas
Click here to learn more about Michael.

Celeste Harrison
Chief Executive Officer, MEHOP, Texas
Click here to learn more about Celeste.

Perla Herrera
Board Secretary, Access Community Health Network Board of Directors, Illinois
Click here to learn more about Perla.

Beth Keeney, MBA
SVP Community Health Initiatives/COO Community Health Center Programs, LifeSpring Health System, Indiana
Indiana Primary Health Care Association Board of Directors
Click here to learn more about Beth.

Amber Kirchhoff, MA
Director, Public Policy + Government Affairs, Illinois Primary Health Care Association
Click here to learn more about Amber.

Helen Labun, MSc, MFA
Director of Vermont Public Policy, Bi-State Primary Care Association
Click here to learn more about Helen.

Sara LeMaster
Manager, Government Relations and Public Policy, Community Health Center Association of Connecticut
Click here to learn more about Sara.

Katherine K. McLeod
Chief Executive Officer, First Choice Primary Care, Georgia
Click here to learn more about Katherine.

Jody Sahota
Advocacy and Communications Manager, Alameda Health Consortium, California
Click here to learn more about Jody.

Marielys Santiago Matos, B.A. M.S.
Public Health Specialist, Asociación de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico
Click here to learn more about Marielys.

Kimberleigh Joy Smith, MPA
Senior Director for Community Health Planning and Policy, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, New York
Click here to learn more about Kimberleigh.

Meghan Spinelli
Vice President of Community & Government Relations, CompleteCare Health Network, New Jersey
Click here to learn more about Meghan.

R.B. Tucker, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer, South Central Primary Care Center, GA
Click here to learn more about R.B.

Edgardo Joel Vázquez-Fonseca, MPH, DrPH(c)
Public Health Specialist and Organizational Development Consultant, Asociación de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico
Click here to learn more about Edgardo.

Congratulations to the 2020 NACHC Grassroots Advocacy Award Recipients!

Due to the cancellation of the 2020 NACHC Policy & Issues Forum, the 2020 Grassroots Advocacy Award Recipients were never adequately recognized for their achievements. We are incredibly grateful to honor these awardees. Please take a moment to learn more about these advocates and their work.

The 2020 NACHC Grassroots Hall of Fame Inductees

Grassroots Hall of Fame inductees have all made lasting contributions to ensuring the creation, survival, and strength of Community Health Centers and the health center movement through their dedicated and tireless advocacy efforts over many years.

Yvonne G. Davis
Vice-Chair of the Board, Health Care Partners of South Carolina,
Consumer Board Member Representative, NACHC Board of Directors
Click here to learn more about Yvonne.

Virginia “Ginger” Fuata
Board of Directors, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Hawaii Board Member Representative, Region IX,
NACHC Board of Directors
Click here to lean more about Ginger.

Larry McCulley
President and Chief Executive Officer, SIHF Healthcare, Illinois
Click here to learn more about Larry.

Jean Sisneros
Chair of the Board, STRIDE Community Health Center, Colorado
Click here to learn more about Jean.

Brent Wilborn
Director of Public Policy, Oklahoma Primary Care Association
Click here to learn more about Brent.

The 2020 NACHC Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Awardees

The NACHC Grassroots MVP Award is named in honor of the late Elizabeth K. (Betsey) Cooke, whose constant effort and unflagging persistence as an advocate for Community Health Centers and health center patients set an example for all Health Center Advocates to follow. All honorees have gone above and beyond in their efforts to ensure that their Members of Congress actively supported health centers or to establish and expand grassroots advocacy efforts at their health center or in their state.

Kimberly Chang, MD
Physician, Asian Health Services, California,
Vice-Speaker of the House,
NACHC Board of Directors
Click here to learn more about Kimberly.

Gail Diggs
Director of Outreach and Community Services,
Rural Health Services, South Carolina
Click here to learn more about Gail.

Timothy Fraser
Vice President of Government Affairs, Health Center Partners of Southern California
Click here to learn more about Timothy.

C. Dean Germano
Chief Executive Officer, Shasta Community Health Center, California
Click here to learn more about Dean.

Felicita Monteblanco
Formerly the Policy and Advocacy Officer, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, Oregon
Click here to learn more about Felicita.

Serena Muniz
Public Affairs Manager and Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator,
Union Community Health Center, New York
Click here to learn more about Serena.

Teresa Rios-Bishop
Director of Membership and Development, Ohio Association of Community Health Centers
Click here to learn more about Teresa.

Laura Ringer
Formerly the Outreach and Event Coordinator,
Oconee County Healthcare, Georgia
Click here to learn more about Laura.

Libby Thurman
Interim Chief Executive Officer, Tennessee Primary Care Association,
Click here to learn more about Libby.

Felix M. Valbuena, Jr., MD
Chief Executive Officer, Community Health and Social Services (CHASS) Center, Inc., Michigan,
Clinician Representative, Region V, NACHC Board of Directions,
Click here to learn more about Felix.

Cyrus Winnett
Interim Chief Executive Officer,
Illinois Primary Health Care Association
Click here to learn more about Cyrus.

Leslie Wolcott
Communications Coordinator,
North Carolina Community Health Center Association
Click here to learn more about Leslie.