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Ann Britt
boona cheema*
Dave Jones
Stephen Schilling
Diane Takvorian
Karin Wandrei
 Ann
Britt,
President and CEO
Valley Community Clinic
North Hollywood, CA
Britt began working at the Valley Community Clinic (VCC) in the late 1970s as a
volunteer, completing the experiential hours required for licensure as a
marriage and family therapist when the organization had a budget just over
$100,000. In the early 1980s, Britt assumed leadership of VCC — and under her
helm, the organization has since grown to a highly respected community health
center with a budget of close to $7 million. VCC provides underserved residents
in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley with free and low-cost primary medical,
mental health, dental, optometry and health education services.
 boona
cheema*
Executive Director
Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency
Berkeley, CA
boona cheema was born and raised in India, immigrating to the United States in
1971, where she became a Unitarian Universalist Minister and began working for
Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS). Seven years later, cheema
assumed the role of executive director and has overseen BOSS’s growth over three
decades — from a small direct service project serving the homeless mentally ill
to a large, influential organization with 25 programs dedicated to helping
homeless, poor and disabled people achieve health and self-sufficiency. As the
organization’s lead executive, cheema has forged partnerships with faith groups,
schools, business leaders and service providers and is a trusted resource to
policymakers regarding the needs of poor and disabled community members.
* Ms. cheema uses lowercase initial letters “b” and “c” in her name.
 Dave
Jones
Chief Executive Officer
Mountain Valleys Health Centers, Inc.
Bieber, CA
Jones was hired as executive director of the former Big Valley Medical Center in
1987, when he retired from the U.S. Coast Guard after 20 years as a commissioned
officer. Under his leadership, the medical center experienced tremendous growth.
A merger with another clinic corporation and the formation of other strategic
partnerships helped create what is now known as Mountain Valleys Health Centers
— a six-site provider of primary and emergency care, obstetrics and mental
health services for residents within a 10,000-square-mile area of rural
northeastern California.
 Stephen
Schilling
Chief Executive Officer
Clinica Sierra Vista
Bakersfield, CA
Schilling brought a background in business administration and community service
to Clinica Sierra Vista (Clinica) when he began working there 30 years ago.
Since then, the organization has solidified its infrastructure and has developed
into a network of ambulatory community health centers in the Central Valley.
Clinica serves diverse rural and urban populations at 14 sites over an area of
1,200 square miles. In addition to multi-specialty medical and dental services,
the community health centers provide a full range of health education,
prevention and outreach services to underserved residents in Kern and Inyo
Counties.
 Diane Takvorian
Executive Director
Environmental Health Coalition
San Diego, CA
Takvorian assumed executive leadership of the Environmental Health Coalition (EHC)
23 years ago, bringing with her a rich background in advocacy and policy
development for the health and welfare of underserved communities. Under her
leadership, EHC has developed into one of the oldest and most effective
grassroots organizations in the country that is dedicated to protecting public
health and the environment. EHC works to empower low-income San Diego residents
who are disproportionately affected by unhealthy environmental toxins to educate
and organize community members and to advocate for policy changes that protect
community health.
 Karin Wandrei
Executive Director
Mendocino Family and Youth Services
Ukiah, CA
Wandrei joined Mendocino Family and Youth Services seven years ago, bringing
with her 23 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. At that time, Mendocino
County had no adolescent substance abuse treatment services — except for one
clean and sober classroom — despite the fact that the county had a serious
problem with adolescent substance abuse. Under Wandrei’s leadership, Mendocino
Family and Youth Services has emerged as an important area provider of youth
substance abuse prevention and treatment services, mental health counseling,
family support and after-school programs for rural Mendocino County communities.
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