Half the BACH Steering Committee positions are filled at each year’s annual meeting. The following individuals were elected or re-elected at the 2012 meeting and will begin serving their two-year terms on January 1, 2013.
Three are new to the Committee: Magnolia Contreras, Director of Community Benefits at Dana Farber Cancer Institute; Corey Yarbrough, Executive Director of the Hispanic Black Gay Coalition; and Debbi Rooklin, Clinical Director at Pine Street Inn.
At-large Members
Kevin Hepner
President and CEO, United South End Settlements
Kevin Lee Hepner became President & CEO of USES in January 2008, after serving as the Vice President at Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston, MA, for more than five years. He is a long-time resident of the South End, living right down the street from USES’ buildings. Kevin is a current instructor at Boston University’s School of Social Work. He currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for the South End Community Health Center and the Massachusetts Bay Self-Insurance Group. Kevin received his BSBA in Accounting from Shippensburg University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Corey Yarbrough
Executive Director, Hispanic Black Gay Coalition
A native of Norfolk, VA, Corey graduated from James Madison University with a degree in Justice Studies and a concentration in Global Justice and Policy. As his capstone project, he analyzed the relationship between the LGB and Black community in a report entitled: “The Missing Link: Incorporating Black LesBiGays into the Movement for Racial Equality.”
After graduating, Corey completed the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship with the Congressional Hunger Center. Under the program, he worked with Pittsburgh communities to develop effective responses to the barriers food stamp eligible households face in applying and receiving food stamps. Afterwards, he worked closely with the National Coalition for the Homeless to expand the organization’s civil rights agenda. In doing so, he sparked national attention to violence against individuals experiencing homelessness and launched a national campaign to register homeless and low-income individuals to vote.
Upon moving to Massachusetts, Corey worked as a community organizer with Stand for Children and Program Manager for Let’s Get Ready. In 2011, he served on the Executive Board for the Massachusetts Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth and currently sits on the Leadership Advisory Council for the National Black Justice Coalition.
Organizational/Individual Hospital and Health Center Representatives
Magnolia Contreras, MSW, MBA
Director of Community Benefits, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Magnolia A. Contreras is the Director of Community Benefits at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Magnolia is charged with helping the Institute carry out its community benefits mission through the delivery of evidence-based cancer prevention, screening and early detection programs. As a six year breast cancer survivor, Magnolia brings a unique perspective of the cancer experience that all women can relate to. Magnolia credits the Lynn Community Health Center for serving as the foundation for what has become her life’s work and passion.
Today, she has over twenty years of experience in the non-profit sector working on issues related to public health, social services, and community health care. Her work is grounded on sound social work, public and community health theories that incorporate social justice and human rights principles. By choice, she has specialized in the provision of services to communities of color and socially disadvantaged populations.
Magnolia also serves on several boards of director such as ACCESO, a Boston-based non-profit group that brings humanitarian aide to Cuba, LynnArts, and the Lynn Community Health Center, where she chairs the Capital Campaign Committee that seeks to raise $6M towards their new building. She has also received numerous awards and recognition for her professional and volunteer endeavors.
Magnolia is a graduate of Boston College, Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work and Suffolk University Sawyer Business School.
Paula McNichols
Executive Director, Brookside Community Health Center
In 1972, Paula went to work for Brookside as a part-time Medical Technologist and has been there since. She has held a succession of positions: Lab Supervisor, Health Center Operations Manager, Assistant Director for Finance and Operations, and finally becoming Executive Director in 1990.
In addition to her work at Brookside, Paula is actively involved in a variety of projects at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Partners HealthCare System and the Mass. League of Community Health Centers where she is currently a member of the Boston Conference of Health Centers, a member of the League’s Governmental Affairs Committee and the Board of Directors. Paula is also on the Boston Visiting Nurses’ Board of Directors, a member of the Jamaica Plain Health Planning Committee and the community health center representative to the citywide Alliance. Paula has held board positions at other organizations and institutions such as the Massachusetts College of Art, City Year and Neighborhood Health Plan and was a member of the Tufts Health Plan Advisory Committee. She continues to be actively involved in a broad variety of community initiatives, both locally and across the state.
Neighborhood Coalition Representatives
Dumas F. Lafontant
Roxbury Community Alliance for Health
Dumas F. Lafontant is Vice-President of Enfant Haitien Mon Frere, a Haiti-based orphanage that seeks to eliminate poverty among children and youth. Currently, Lafontant works at Whittier Street Health Center as the Director of Community Relations; in addition, he manages Lower Roxbury Coalition a Community Connections coalition funded by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. Lafontant facilitates an annual Leadership Seminar for resident and community leaders of Roxbury a neighborhood of Boston, MA. He is a member of the Boston chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. Finally, Lafontant earned and Executive Master of Leadership from the School of Policy, Planning and Development from the University of Southern California. He is the proud father of Gabriel and Ita.
Jamiese Martin
Franklin Field Franklin Hill Dorchester Healthy Boston
Jamiese V. Martin is the Coalition Coordinator of Franklin Field Franklin Hill Dorchester Healthy Boston. Over the past several years, she has worked with residents, local and state government as well as the non-profit community to develop programs and opportunities that strengthen families. She has an ongoing interest in the improvement and success of the Boston Public School (BPS) System. While her son was enrolled in BPS, she served on both School Parent Council and School Based Management. Her son, Axel Starke, is a proud graduate of the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. Jamiese serves on the Board of Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center where she is a strong advocate for culturally competent mental health services. She is also a member of the Community Research Advisory Board at UMASS Boston’s Horizon Center and a member of the Friends of Franklin Park Zoo.
Debbie Rooklin, Ed.M., LMHC
South End Healthy Boston
Debbi is the Clinical Director at the Pine Street Inn, Stabilization Program. She brings expertise in working with individuals affected by homelessness, chronic mental health needs, and addiction issues. Debbi owns her own private practice in the North Shore. She also works with area medical residents and physicians to educate them on addiction issues, especially related to the best practices in chronic pain management.
John Riordan
Jamaica Plain Tree of Life/Arbol de Vida Coalition
As Director of Community Partnerships for Boston Children’s Hospital, John develops and maintains strategic partnerships with community-based organizations and City agencies focused on improving the health and well-being of children and families. He served as Children’s representative on BACH’s Strategic Planning Team and as one of two hospital representatives on BACH’s Steering Committee. Previously, John served as Vice President of Boston Children’s Museum, where he oversaw education programs and museum operations. As Director of Business and Civic Affairs for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, he served as liaison to major clients and business, civic and trade organizations and coordinated community health programs. As Director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, he oversaw constituent services and, subsequently, as Chief of Staff to the Mayor, John coordinated the work of the City’s 60 departments.
Kay Walsh
South Boston Collaborative Advisory Network
Kay Walsh has been working in public health for close to 40 years. Initially trained as a social worker, she has experience working directly with youth and alongside the police. Kay also considers herself a “grassroots fool” because of her community organizing experience with Boston Against Drugs. A first generation Irishwoman, she personally identifies the importance of health on the individual, family and community. Forever committed to her work, Kay sees the potential spirit of change in “Southie” for the betterment of future generations.
That is why Kay helped form South Boston Collaborative Advisory Network (SBCAN) in 2006 and joined the Boston Alliance for Community Health (BACH). SBCAN’s members consist of partnerships with governmental agencies such as the Boston Police Department and the Boston Public Health Commission, and over 35 nonprofit agencies including substance abuse treatment and prevention healthcare providers, the South Boston Community Health Center and other community agencies. In an interview with Kay, who is now the coalition coordinator, she emphasized the crucial role residents play in the coalition: three tenant task forces from local housing developments are connected with the coalition and Kay estimates that overall 75% of the coalition is comprised of residents that sit on the board and participate in meetings. She acknowledged the importance of this number when she said “we would not exist without them and we remember that.”
SBCAN has worked on many projects to improve the health of residents over the years. The most recent accomplishment is the addition of the “Family Fun Zone” to the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The Family Fun Zone provides an alcohol-free safe space that many families seek. Additionally, SBCAN and other advocates won an important victory with the MBTA’s decision to no longer post alcohol advertisements. Although Kay lamented that it took seven long years to achieve this, she commented that in the end it was absolutely worth it. Despite the MBTA’s huge deficit, the advocacy campaign spoke to the heart of public health with educational visits to elected officials complete with statistics on youth alcohol consumption when influenced by industry advertising.