Staff
Côi Vu, Executive Director
Côi (she/her) is a first generation refugee from Vietnam, born in a refugee camp in Malaysia, and has called Oregon home for over four decades. She has dedicated over twenty years in social services and advocacy for underrepresented communities.
Côi came to CCHC from the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) as their Director of the Pacific Islander and Asian Family Center. She is the Governor appointed State of Oregon Youth Development Council-person, Attorney General appointed Biased and Hate Crime Steering Committee member, Mayor appointed City of Portland Human Rights Commissioner, State of Oregon Racial Justice Health Equity advisor and Board Member and Treasurer for the Coalition of Communities of Color C4 Building Power for Communities of Color.
Her identity and background continues to be the catalyst for her passionate work with communities of color, the immigrant and refugee communities, and underrepresented and low-income communities.
Keara Rodela, Health Equity & Community Partnership Manager
Keara Rodela (She/They) is a 2nd generation Oregonian, raised in N.E. Portland and earned her Master of Public Health in Global Maternal Child Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, holds a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education from Portland State University, and was part of the 2nd We Are Health, Afro-centric CHW Training.
Keara is a Black, queer woman who is committed to redressing the social determinants of health affecting her communities, utilizing the Community Health Worker model, popular education philosophy, and a racial equity lens. She has held various roles in her 20 years in the health field, and the honor of championing the CHW profession through her past role on the national Community Health Worker Core Consensus (C3) Project, Phase 2 Assessment Advisory Group and currently as member of the National Community Health Worker Common Indicators (CI) Project.
Edward Colson, Emergency Preparedness Technical Adviser
Edward Colsen (He/him) has over 10 years of emergency management and preparedness experience. He has worked in emergency communications as a dispatcher for AMR Ambulance and Lifeflight. His most recent experience was with OHSU for the past 9 years working in healthcare emergency management and communications, working with area hospitals and EMS systems in disaster preparedness planning and training. He is also the owner of Ready Northwest, an emergency management consulting firm that works with organizations to plan for, respond to, and recover from disasters and hazardous events.
Liliana Huerta, Community Health Worker Coordinator
Liliana Huerta,(she/her)is a first generation, daughter of immigrants. She was born and raised in Cornelius along with three siblings. Thanks to her parents’ hard work, she was able to attend Oregon State University where she received a bachelors in Public Health. Go Beaves!
Liliana has over 6 years of working with underrepresented communities, from informing to advocating for immigrants and refugees. She is very excited to join CCHC and work with impacted communities on Commercial Tobacco Prevention. Her mission is to support dismantling the root causes of tobacco usage among the impacted communities. Along with her colleagues at CCHC, she is thrilled to inform, educate and advocate with communities to build community reliance. It is important for her that BIPOC communities dismantle systemic barriers as these situations hold back our educational opportunities, social opportunities, and success.
Liana joined CCHC with the intent to not only work toward a better future, but for a better NOW for her community. During her free-time Liana enjoy building Legos with her boys and searching for rare Pokémon cards!
Ski-Ter Say, Health Navigator and Enrollment Specialist
Ski (she/her) was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, where she spent her childhood. She came to the United States in 2007 in pursuit of a better life. She is a sociology major at Mt. Hood Community College. Since she is also a refugee and an ethnic minority, she had a hard time adjusting to life in the United States, just like our refugee immigrant. As a result, she has a strong desire to assist others and is dedicated to improving access to health care for underserved communities in the Greater Portland area. She has transformed herself and committed herself to serving the elderly, low-income families, and other underserved populations in the Portland metro region. Ski has collaborated with numerous departments of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) and the Oregon Department of Social Services.
Additionally, Ski has more than seven years of experience working with nonprofit organizations. She can provide numerous abilities, including public relations, advocacy, conflict resolution, motivational interviewing, and community development. This motivates her to engage with the community in numerous ways. She provides resources, facilitates connections between communities and organizations, and aids those in difficulty. She has a deep commitment to justice and equality. She spends her time away from work with her family.
Gina Ifenuk, Community Health Worker, Supportive Housing
Gina comes to us as a Resident Services Assistant at Providence Nursing Center. Before that, she worked at IRCO as a Community Health Worker with immigrants and refugees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her experience stems from her work in Honolulu, Hawaii, as a case manager with the Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC) and an Assistant Outreach Coordinator with the Medical-Legal Partnership for Children in Hawaii. Gina earned her BA in Psychology and Mental Health Studies from George Fox University.
Gina is a proud Chuukese from the Federated States of Micronesia. Her passion for social justice is deeply rooted in her upbringing. Growing up in Hawaii, she saw firsthand the harmful implications of systemic racism and inequality. Her lived experiences have made her a life-long advocate for educating and empowering underrepresented communities to create change. In her free time, Gina loves to be active with her family. You can always find her hiking, running, or doing some type of workout. She also loves to read, write, and binge-watch documentaries.
Joyce Kinyange, Community Health Worker
Prior to becoming a Community Health Worker at the CCHC, Joyce worked in the Non-Profit sector in Africa. Throughout her career, she has prioritized social development and entrepreneurship, mainly dedicating her efforts to assisting female business owners and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in formulating strategies that promote business growth in Africa. When she relocated to the Pacific Northwest, she transitioned to a freelance role as a Swahili Interpreter working with the East African immigrant community in the Portland Metro Area. Her unwavering commitment remains focused on fostering an environment that encourages success through networking and collaboration.
She has a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies and a Master’s Degree in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Oregon. Joyce is dedicated to serving her community and particularly mentoring younger and vulnerable populations to access resources that positively impact their lives.
Adriana Vasquez, Community Health Worker and Enrollment Specialist
Adriana (she/her) is a first-generation Oregonian, raised in Washington County, and earned a Political Science degree from Portland State University. She is passionate about helping underrepresented communities, having done so for the past two years as a community health worker.
Adriana joined CCHC to work closely with the Latino/a/x population in Washington County and help break down barriers to healthcare access, and is excited to focus on reconnecting with the community there. During her free time, Adriana enjoys traveling to Mexico, cooking new recipes, and baking.