To ensure SWEHSC executes its mission to research EH concerns of Southwestern communities, we have established a Community Advisory Board that serves as the SWEHSC Stakeholder Advisory Board. In the Southwest, the term “stakeholder” conjures recollections of colonialism and manifest destiny and is hence not culturally appropriate for the communities we serve. Thus, we have elected to use a CAB to underscore the importance of community concerns and needs in driving SWEHSC research.
The CAB strengthens and facilitates multi-directional communication between the SWEHSC IAB and our community partners. CAB members represent local, regional, and federal agencies. The CAB meets biannually to review updates from SWEHSC researchers, identify new and emerging community EH concerns, and strategize about how to ensure that findings are translated into both knowledge and action. The CEC meets more frequently with individual CAB members as needed to ensure that SWEHSC is responsive to current needs in the community. The CAB comprises members representing our Indigenous, Latinx, and rural populations with extensive experience serving these populations in the Southwest.
| First Name | Last Name | Title | Expertise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mae-Gilene | Begay | Forest Lake Chapter President – Navajo Nation | Community (CAB), Tribal Health (CAB) |
| Maria | Dadgar, MBA | Executive Director, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona | Tribal Relationships (CAB) |
| Gail | Emrick, MPH | Executive Director, Southeast Arizona Health Education Center | Border/Rural Health Disparities (CAB) |
| N. Levi | Esquerra, MSW | Senior Vice President for Native American Advancement & Tribal Engagement, University of Arizona | Tribal Relationships (CAB) |
| Beth | Francis, MS | Health Care Professions Program Manager, Pima Joint Technical Education Department | Health Education (CAB) |
| Francisco | García, M.D., M.P.H. | Chief Medical Officer and Deputy County Administrator, Pima County | Community (CAB), Public Health (CAB) |
| Ben | Gerhardstein, MPH | Public Health Advisor, Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) | Environmental Health (CAB) |
| Yolanda | Herrera | Chairwoman, Unified Community Advisory Board, Tucson International Airport Area Superfund Site | Community (CAB), Public Health (CAB) |
| Nancy | Johnson, RN, PhD | Chief Operating Officer, El Rio Community Health Center | Health Care (CAB) |
| Fátima | Luna | Chief Resilience Officer, Office of the Manager | City of Tucson | Environmental Health (CAB) |
| Daniel | Sestiaga, MPH | Program Manager, Indigenous Resilience Center, University of Arizona | Community (CAB), Tribal Health (CAB) |
| Natalie | Shepp | Senior Program Manager, Pima County Dept. of Environmental Quality | Community (CAB), Environment (CAB) |
| Mazda | Shirazi, MD, PhD | Medical Director - Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, PEHSU Regional Consultant | Environmental Health Care (CAB) |
| Elizabeth | Walton | Executive Director, American Lung Association | Public Health (CAB) |
| Ann Marie | Wolf | President, Sonoran Environmental Research Institute | Environmental Health (CAB) |