Working Together

Our People

Our team is led by an appointed board of Commissioners and three peer-elected advisory boards of community leaders, health care providers, and patients. The CHCM gathers input from these leaders on a monthly basis to advance the mission.

Personnel Types

Blessing Anoka, MPH

Data and Accountability Consultant

Grace Cobble, MPH

Senior Manager of Communications and Storytellng

Aja La'Starr Owens, MBA

Mobilization and Advocacy Manager

Ted Simpson, MBA

Implementation Manager, St. Louis and Southeast Missouri

Danielle Small

Implementation Manager, Kansas City

Kayla Thompson, M.Ed.

Senior Manager of Training and Technical Assistance

Dedicated Leaders

Board of Commissioners

The Community Health Commission is an appointed body of individuals dedicated to ensuring the financial sustainability of the health care safety net in Missouri, developing and sustaining an integrated health care system for those most in need, and serving as point-of-contact for State/Federal agencies regarding health care safety net issues.

Aramide Ayorinde

Family Care Health Centers

Kanika A. Cunningham

Saint Louis County Department of Public Health

Patty Davis

Children's Mercy Kansas City

Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis

City of St. Louis Department of Health

Sheila Grigsby, Chair

UMSL College of Nursing

Sharonica Hardin-Bartley

The School District of University City

Ray Harter

SSM Health

Rich Liekweg

BJC Healthcare

Kirk Mathews

MO HealthNet Division, Missouri Department of Social Services

Brett Morehouse

Missouri Hospital Association

Fred Rottnek

Saint Louis University; SSM Health; Assisted Recovery Centers of America

Spring Schmidt

Missouri Public Health Institute

Angeline Stanislaus

Missouri Department of Mental Health

Cheryl Walker

Walker Commercial Law Group, LLC

Sidney D. Watson

Saint Louis University School of Law’s Center for Health Law Studies

Joseph Yancy

Places for People (retired)

Advisory Board

Wellness & Care Advisory Board

The Wellness & Care Advisory Board represents the voices of those with firsthand experience navigating the healthcare system without insurance, under Medicaid, or through safety net programs like Gateway to Better Health

Sam Blue

Community Advocate

Candy Cannon

Community & Wellness Collective (Kansas City)

Kimberly Capone

Fresh Start Self Improvement Center, Inc.

Alecia Deal

Village of Moms STL

Jessica Douglas

Community Advocate

Joanna Grace Farmer

Retired (Kansas City Community Advocate)

Keely Finney, LCSW

Rejuvenating Comprehensive Services, Community Advocate

Wanda Gardner

National Kidney Foundation

Brandi Johnson

Community Advocate

Kimberly Jones

Community Advocate

Brandi Moore

Community Advocate

Vannessa Newsome

Community Advocate

Jacquelyn Randle

Community Advocate

Nia Sumpter, MA

Community Advocate, Sickle Cell Warrior

Brandy Thomas

VerusRx

Vivian Williams

Generate Health - Reaching 100 STL

Advisory Board

Community Advisory Board

The Community Advisory Board brings together individuals from social services agencies and grassroots organizations across Missouri to provide direct input on CHCM’s work.

Jennifer Abernathy

Mercy Hospital Southeast

Torri Anthony

Seeds of Empowerment STL

Teletia Atkins

Missouri Foundation for Health

Janelle Azmy

University of Missouri Extension

DJ Barnes

The Children's Place Kansas City

James Bryant

Reconciliation Services / Metropolitan Spiritual Church of Christ Kansas City

Christina Castellano

University of Missouri-St. Louis

Brie Davenport

Abstract Consulting

Anthony Davis

Criminal Justice Retiree

Atara Estes

St. Louis Integrated Health Network

Caroline Fan

Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation

Donna Garcia

University of Missouri

Lester Gillespie

Fresh Start Self Improvement Center, Inc.

David Haasis

STL MHB

Ronald Harris

Justin Idleburg

Cabanne District CDC

Jermecia Jackson

Black Mothers

Susan Jones

Community Mental Health Fund Kansas City

Rosetta Keeton, Chair

Retired, Community Advocate

Cristina Marquez

Kansas City VA Medical Center

MacKenzie Metheny

Fresh Start Self Improvement Center, Inc.

Jane Pfefferkorn

Mission Missouri

Antoinette Redmond

Neuru Kansas City

Jennifer Schmidt

Washington University in St. Louis

Andrew Shaughnessy

Limitless Horizons Consulting

Alicia Smith

PreventEd

Geoffrey Soyiantet

vitendo4africa

Dan Ta

Asian Americans and Immigrants

Brandon Tucker

St. Francois County Community Partnership

Sal Valdez

ECORN-MO

Christopher Walter

Serving Neighbors Charitable Foundation

Jessica Welch

Phoenix Family Kansas City

Devon Whitmore

DEAF, Inc.

Katlin Williams

Vivian Williams

Generate Health

Joseph Yancy, Chair

Places for People (retired)

Advisory Board

Provider Services Advisory Board

The Provider Services Advisory Board consists of healthcare or social service providers across Missouri who offer direct care in safety net settings or support its implementation.

Karen Bradshaw

SSM Health

Candice Brooks

University of Health Kansas City

Denise Buck

iFM Community Medicine

David Campbell, MD

iFM Community Medicine

Niraj Chavan

Saint Louis University & WISH Center at SSM Health

Chris Dailey

Mia Daugherty

Village of Moms STL

Ronnie Drake

Private Practice

Christopher Elliott

St Louis County Department of Public Health

Allie EuDaly

Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City

Alicia Evans

BHNSTL

Deidre Griffith

BHN STL

Jade James-Halbert

SSM Health

Rajeev John

Affinia Healthcare

Christie Becker Markovich

Queen of Peace Center

Karla Perez-Solorzano

Healing Heroic Healers Kansas City

Cori Putz

Preferred Family Healthcare

Fred Rottnek, Chair

Saint Louis University; SSM Health; Assisted Recovery Centers of America

Ron Tompkins

Nurses for Newborns

Rachel Winograd

University of Missouri-St Louis

Join a CHCM Advisory Board

By becoming a CHCM advisory board member, you join a growing movement to champion equity-centered, trauma-informed, community-driven solutions.  Our three advisory boards bring together individuals with lived experience, members of grassroots and community organizations, and healthcare and social service providers to inform CHCM’s work. These groups ensure that our work, policies and initiatives are responsive to the needs of Missourians. 

Join a CHCM advisory board