OUR LEADERSHIP
Although a work in progress for years prior, the Texas Association of Promotores and Community Health Workers (TAPCHW) was officially established in 2019. We were established to address the need for a statewide association, based on a statewide CHW survey conducted in cooperation with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) in 2015.
TAPCHW leadership is comprised of experienced, passionate, and motivated certified CHWs and CHW Instructors from CHW training centers and local/regional coalitions & associations across the great State of Texas including: Northeast Texas Community Health Worker Coalition, West Texas Community Health Worker/ Promotores Association, West Texas AHEC, National Community Health Worker Training Center - Texas A&M, DFW-CHW Association, Texas Gulf Coast CHW/Promotores (TGCCPA), & Tyler Junior College.
Ashley Rodriguez
President of the Board
Ashley is an experientially certified CHW and CHW Instructor that has worked in public & community health for over 13 years.
Roxana Lopez
Vice President of the Board
Roxana is a certified CHW, with 10 years of experience & leads the West Texas Community Health Worker/Promotores Association.
Dr. Denise Hernandez
Secretary of the Board
Dr. Hernandez is a certified CHW Instructor & is the founder & Executive Director of the DFW-CHW Association.
Denise Martinez
Treasurer
Denise is a certified CHW Instructor and works for the The National CHW Training Center (NCHWTC) is housed within the Center for Community Health Development (CCHD), located at Texas A&M University’s School of Public Health as the Training Center Manager.
Dolontria Bryant-Williams
Membership Co-Chair
Dolontria is a certified CHW with 12+ years experience & the NACHW Ambassador of Texas. Dolontria has spent her career with the Houston Health Department and currently works as a Community Liaison.
Gloria Carter
Membership Co-Chair
Gloria Carter is a certified CHW. She works as a Family & Community Health Agent - Cameron County for the Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension Program.
Kim Bush
Board Member at Large
Kim is a certified CHW Instructor and serves in leadership for the Northeast Texas Community Health Worker Coalition. She works as the Program Director at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler.
Dr. Julie St. John
Board Member at Large
Dr. St. John is a certified CHW Instructor with decades of experience. She is currently a Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health,
Associate Dean , Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences with TTUHSC.
Ricardo Garay
Board Member at Large
Ricardo is a certified CHW instructor & board member of the National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW).
Tarri Wyre
Board Member at Large
Tarri is a certified CHW Instructor and is the Manager of Community Health Workers, under the Community Benefits Corporation of Memorial Hermann.
Schechem Sauls
Board Member at Large
Shechem Sauls is a certified CHW & CHW Instructor. He is a Public Health & Social Services expert and works as the Health Area Center Manger at CommUnityCare Health System in Austin.
Christie Cofer
Board Member at Large
Christie is a certified CHW and serves in leadership for the Northeast Texas Community Health Worker Coalition. She works as a Patient Navigator at UT Health Northeast.
Yamaceeta Jones
Board Member at Large
Yamaceeta is a certified CHW with over 25 years experience as a patient care coordinator. She currently works as a Program Director/Consumer Advocate/Attendant Care Manager for Astrocare CLASS I
WHAT WE DO
Our Mission is to support and expand opportunities for the CHW profession at the state and local level through advocacy, education, empowerment, and policy.
OUR GOALS
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Offer a statewide annual CHW conference
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Promote statewide projects and opportunities for CHWs
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Amplify and promote local CHW associations projects/events
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Support CHW and CHW Instructor continuing education efforts
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Engage in advocacy for the CHW/Promotora workforce
TAPCHW Interim Board of Directors (from left to right, top row): Kim Bush, Christie Cofer,Ashley Rodriguez, Denise Martinez, Julie St.John, Denise Hernandez. (from left to right, bottom row): Katy Nimmons, Debra Flores, Roxana Lopez, and intern Callie King. Not pictured: Dolontria Williams.
Photo taken November 2019
Our Affiliate Member Organizations
