Community Advisory

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.

MEMBER, NAME TITLE - ORGANIZATION EXPERTISE
MAZDA SHIRAZI, MEDICAL DIRECTOR - ARIZONA POISON AND DRUG INFORMATION CENTER, PEHSU REGIONAL CONSULTANT Environmetal Health Care
N. LEVI ESQUERRA, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR NATIVE AMERICAN ADVANCEMENT & TRIBAL ENGAGEMENT - UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA Tribal Relationships
FRANCISCO GARCIA, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER AND DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR - PIMA COUNTY Public Health/Community
MARIA DADGAR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - INTER TRIBAL COUNCIL OF ARIZONA Tribal Relationships
BETH FRANCIS, HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS PROGRAM MANAGER - PIMA JOINT TECHNICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Health Education
YOLANDA HERRERA, CHAIRWOMAN - UNIFIED COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD - TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AREA SUPERFUND SITE Community Public Health
GAIL EMRICK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - SOUTHEAST ARIZONA AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER Border/Rural Health Disparities
BEN GERHARDSTEIN, PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISOR - AGENCY FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND DISEASE REGISTRY (ATSDR) Environmental Health
NANCY JOHNSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - EL RIO Health Care

DANIEL SESTIAGA, PROGRAM MANAGER - INDIGENOUS RESILIENCY CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Community/Tribal Health
ANN MARIE WOLF, PRESIDENT - SONORAN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Environmental Health

MAE-GILENE BEGAY, FOREST LAKE CHAPTER PRESIDENT – NAVAJO NATION
Community/Tribal Health
NATALIE SHEPP, SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER - PIMA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Environment/Community