Our mission is to change lives by improving health & wellness.

Evi Hernandez has 25 years of work experience in the field of public health, with 21 of those years working within the non-profit sector at the California Health Collaborative (CHC). His work experience has been primarily in the areas of tobacco control, alcohol and other drug prevention, teen pregnancy prevention, youth development, and the prevention and management of chronic diseases. He currently serves as the Senior Director of Programs at CHC. He is affiliated with various health initiatives and community service/volunteer organizations throughout California. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science from California State University, Fresno.

Since joining CHC in 2001, Evi’s been responsible for managing a wide range of grant-funded programs with funding from sources such as: California Department of Public Health, First 5 California, First 5 Tulare County, First 5 Merced County, California Office of the Patient Advocate, Komen for the Cure (Sacramento and Central Valley Affiliates), and the Fresno Regional Foundation.

Daisy Lopez is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrant parents and currently serves as Senior Director of Program Services in the Central Valley region. Rooted in culture, service, and community, Daisy works alongside 11 teams to advance sexual and reproductive health rights, promote health through tobacco control policies, engage youth in healing-centered substance use disorder prevention, enhance youth mental wellness through culturally centered practices, and create equitable access to the outdoors. Daisy has dedicated the last 17 years of her career to advancing health equity and social justice through policy, systems and environmental change efforts where she’s worked alongside hundreds of young people and community residents to elevate local stories and advance community healing. She holds three degrees from Fresno Pacific University, including a Bachelor of Arts in Restorative Justice, a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies and a Master of Arts in School Counseling with an active Pupil Personnel Services credential.

Brandi Muro, MPH received her Bachelor of Science in Health Science, Healthcare Administration from California State University, Fresno. Mrs. Muro continued her education at Fresno State and received a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in 2004. Mrs. Muro oversees several programs including the RPPC Program, the Nutrition Education Obesity Prevention Program, the Diabetes Education Program and multiple Maternal Wellness Programs. She has direct experience and expertise working with CDPH, USDA, LHD’s and many CDPH-funded and non-funded partners throughout California.

Teresa Ogan, LCSW, completed her Masters of Social Work at Sacramento State University and has over 25 years of experience in social services having worked with children with special needs, in a wraparound program for children/youth and their families in or at risk of out-of-home placement, and with older adults, caregivers and family members. Teresa serves or has served on a variety of boards and commissions including as President of the Multipurpose Senior Services Program Association Executive Committee, the Sacramento County Adult and Aging Commission, Chair of the Yolo/Sutter Aging and Disability Resource Connection Advisory Board, a member of the Sacramento County Aging and Disability Resource Connection Advisory Board, the California Chronic Care Coalition Advisory Board, American River College Gerontology Advisory Committee, the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity Advisory Committee, and the UC Davis Latino Health Community Advisory Board. Teresa has been married to her partner for 17 years and enjoys time with her pets, playing pickleball, and road trips. 

Clara Omogbai, DrPH, MPH, MLS has been with CHC since 2013 and serving as a Program Director for the Every Woman Counts ( EWC) program since 2020, has a diverse and unique professional and educational background which consists of both international and local experience in public health practice.

Clara started working with underserved populations as a teenager in Ibadan, Nigeria during her undergraduate program at the University of Ibadan – when her team implemented and developed a project (The African Child Foundation) for at-risk youths/children (street children) in Ibadan. After these undergraduate studies, Clara worked with the Ogun State Government Emergency Relief Agency in Nigeria and visited war sites to assess community needs and strategized the distribution of relief materials to victims displaced by war.

In addition, Clara has worked directly with HIV/AIDS individuals – provided counseling and organized support groups.  She has managed a nationwide train the trainer program on HIV/AIDS for heterosexual African American women through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Clara has conducted research and published research papers on HIV/AIDS among different populations. Clara’s most current professional experience and research focus is as the Chair of the Statewide Committee on breast cancer disparities among historically marginalized populations, health equity, and women’s health.

Monika currently serves as a Director of Program Services for the California Health Collaborative in Southern CA and has been with the organization since 2018. She currently provides oversight to the San Bernardino County Tobacco Control Program, Kings County Tobacco Control Program, and the COVID-19 Education Program. Monika has also previously worked for the Alameda County Department of Public Health providing technical assistance to their Public Health Commission and assisting with the department’s health equity projects. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and Spanish from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Biostatistics and Epidemiology from the University of Southern California.

Katherine Moose is a Director of Program Services at the California Health Collaborative, overseeing several grants, all in rural areas, and all with the goal of eliminating the death and disease that is perpetuated by the tobacco industry.  She has a master’s degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego, is a former smoker herself, and has witnessed throughout her lifetime how successful California Tobacco Control has been in changing social norms around smoking and reducing overall smoking rates.  She has been working in tobacco control since 2012, is co-author on several research articles, and has been an invited speaker at numerous statewide and national conferences.  She loves working in tobacco control, being a part of real change, and it helped her to finally quit smoking!

Jennifer Acidera is a Director of Program Services in the Central Valley region and has been with the organization since 2016. She is the proud daughter of Mexican and Filipino immigrants who greatly influenced her passion to serve underserved communities and build her profession in the public health field. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Fresno State. Jennifer has had over 10 years of experience in implementing health, wellness and prevention programs. She has had the opportunity to work alongside various teams and young people to improve access to STI testing and treatment, identifying resources for farmworker and high need communities in Kings County, and promote health through tobacco-related policies to decrease exposure and access to tobacco products with health equity lens.