The People Powering Our Mission
Coi (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. Coi has a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Education and has dedicated over twenty-five years to social services and advocacy for underrepresented communities.
Côi came to CCHC from the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) as the Director of the Pacific Islander and Asian Family Center and Director of IRCO’s Community Development program. She sits on the Governor-appointed State of Oregon Healthcare Workforce Committee, the State of Oregon Racial Justice Health Equity Committee, and is a board member and treasurer for the Coalition of Communities of Color C4 Building Power for Communities of Color. She was also the former State of Oregon Youth Development Council person, Attorney General appointed Biased and Hate Crime Steering Committee member, and Mayor appointed City of Portland Human Rights Commissioner.
Her identity and background continue to be the catalysts for her passionate work with communities of color, immigrant and refugee communities, and underrepresented and low-income communities.
Keara (she/they) is a second-generation Oregonian, raised in N.E. Portland who 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 is a community health worker.
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, as well as a racial equity and social justice lens. She has held various roles in over 20 years in the health field, and has 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 leadership team member of the Community Health Worker Center for Research & Evaluation.
Edward (He/him) has over 10 years of experience in emergency management and preparedness. 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.
Ed is also the founder 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 (she/her) is a first-generation daughter of immigrants. She was born and raised in Cornelius with three siblings. Thanks to her parents’ hard work, she attended Oregon State University, where she received a bachelor’s in Public Health. Go, Beaves!
Liliana has over six years of experience working with underrepresented communities, from informing to advocating for immigrants and refugees. 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, social, and success opportunities.
Liliana joined CCHC to work toward a better future and a better now for her community. In her free time, she enjoys building Legos with her boys and searching for rare Pokémon cards!
Ski-Ter Say (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 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 lifelong 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.
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 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 (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.