Our Board of Directors & Leadership

Managing a community health non-profit requires the best and brightest leaders in their field. We are proud to be led by a diverse team of talented individuals who are committed to the Erie Family Health Centers' values.

ERIE FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS 2020-21 DIRECTORS

The majority of Erie’s Board proudly consists of members who are actually served by our health centers, ensuring our community responsiveness and accountability.

Matt Aaronson
Partner and Managing Director
The Boston Consulting Group

Rosalie Alicea, Vice Chair
Reyes Holdings, LLC

Betzy Berganza
Senior Director
YWCA Lake County

Nancy Bock
Community Volunteer

Michael Boyd
Community Volunteer

Celeste Castillo, Secretary
Community Volunteer

Ernest Chang
Strategy Advisor
BMO Harris Bank, N.A.

Michael Cole
Senior Vice President
HMS Holdings

Linda Cushman
Former Consultant
Hewitt Associates

Dr. Carolyn Ann Dickens
Assistant Professor
College of Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Lisa Dykstra
SVP & Chief Information Officer
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Iman Emamifard
Community Volunteer

William G. Kistner, Treasurer
Retired Partner
Ernst & Young

Brian P. Marsella, Chair
Market President – Midwest
Cigna HealthCare

Eric Mayeda
Director
The Chartis Group

Judy Mendez
Community Volunteer

Richard J. Romanowski
Community Volunteer

Rev. Ed Sarden
Senior Minister
Christian Church Center

Jill Simon Svoboda
Community Volunteer

Darryl Tom
Counsel
Shaw Legal Services, LTD.

Katherine Wilson
Community Volunteer

Our Leadership

CEO

Strategy and Business Development

Finance

Development

Human Resources

Operations and Programs

Clinical and Medical Operations

Specialty Leadership

Site Medical Leadership

Compliance Officers

CEO

Lee Francis, MD, MPH

President and CEO

Bio

Strategy and Business Development

Nicole Kazee, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President Strategy and Business Development

Bio

Kevin Davis

Director Marketing and Communications

Bio

Kevin Davis serves as the Director of Marketing, Communications, and Community Engagement. Kevin provides leadership and strategic direction to share Erie’s story and effectively reach current and future patients, employees, and community partners. He brings 15 years of marketing and branding experience in the nonprofit and education sectors to Erie, including leadership roles at City Year Chicago, North Park University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Kevin serves on the Public Relations Society of America Nonprofit/Association Executive Committee, on the general board of directors for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and is a member of the 100 Black Men of Chicago.

Kate Birdwell

Senior Communications Manager Marketing and Communications

Bio

Kate Birdwell is the Senior Communications Manager at Erie Family Health Centers. In this capacity, she focuses on internal communications to Erie’s 700+ staff, marketing outreach to over 82,000 patients, media and public affairs, and serves as Erie’s chief copywriter. Prior to joining the Marketing team, Kate directed all aspects of Erie’s Annual Fund campaign to generate individual support for a large FQHC with 13 locations, including donor communications, prospecting, campaign material development, campaign analysis, gift stewardship and special event management. Her experience also includes 12 years in the arts and culture sector, working in various fundraising, event planning and other administrative roles for a variety of Chicago’s world-class cultural organizations. Kate holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Northwestern University, with a concentration in radio/television/film.

Annet Miranda

Associate Director Community Engagement

Bio

Annet Miranda is the Associate Director of Community Engagement for Erie Family Health Center. She is responsible for developing, expanding, and maintaining positive relationships between Erie with community leaders and their institutions; and works in partnership with others to create and support programs that promote health and access to health. She collaborates extensively both externally and internally to make meaningful connections between Erie and the communities it serves.

Lupita Monroy

Associate Director of Managed Care

Bio

Finance

David Bruce, CPA

Chief Financial Officer

Bio

David Bruce joined Erie Family Health Centers (Erie) in 2015 as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Mr. Bruce is responsible for leading the development of Erie’s financial strategy and for the success of its financial operations. Mr. Bruce is charged with providing strategic financial leadership for Erie, ensuring that Erie adopts innovative approaches and maintains strong financial systems to support current operations and future growth. In addition, he guides Erie’s information technology efforts and provides direction and oversight to the organization’s 340B pharmacy program.

Scott Spencer

Director of Finance

Bio

Development

Melissa Hilton

Vice President, Development Executive Director, Erie Family Health Foundation

Bio

Sandra Del Toro

Director Government Grants, Foundation Relations

Bio

Sandra Del Toro is the Director, Government Grants and Foundation Relations. In this role, Sandra is responsible for leading Erie’s government, foundation and corporate grants program, which raises more than $25 million annually to support critical programs that benefit Erie patients and advance our mission.

Sandra has more than 20 years of experience in non profit administration and leadership including serving as deputy director, where she partnered with the executive director on execution of strategic initiatives and oversaw policy, communications, program development, strategic planning, and resource development. Previously, she has served in senior leadership capacities at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Mujeres Latinas en Acción and the Southwest Organizing Project, and led statewide legislative and advocacy work at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. She received her Master’s degree in Public Policy Studies from the University of Chicago and her undergraduate degree from Stanford University. Sandra was a fellow in the 2012 class of the National Hispana Leadership Institute, which included studies at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Center for Creative Leadership.

Cathy Junia

Associate Director of Individual Giving and Events

Bio

Cathy Junia is the Associate Director of Individual Giving and Events. In this role, Cathy is responsible for developing and leading the strategy for sustaining and growing individual donations and event revenues to support Erie’s mission. She oversees a comprehensive fundraising program that includes annual giving, major and restricted gifts, capital contributions and planned gifts, workplace giving, and volunteer engagement. In addition, Cathy is in charge of designing and executing fundraising events that raise vital funds and help build and grow individual and corporate relationships.

Human Resources

Valeria Stokes, EdD

Vice President Human Resources

Bio

Adriana Diaz

Director Employee Engagement and Change Management

Bio

Adriana has over 23 years of progressive experience in Human Resources in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Instrumental in increasing employee retention and partnering with members of management to identify and effectively implement engagement strategies. She has spent the last 16 years with Erie in an evolving and exciting role that has seen Erie develop and maintain a reputation as an innovative employer of choice, while being recognized as a Top Employer by the Chicago Tribune five times.

Operations and Programs

Amy Valukas

Chief Operating Officer

Bio

Victoria Whildin

Senior VP Operations

Bio

Elizabeth Bennetts

Director of Process Improvement

Mary Bogasky

Director of Compliance and Risk Management

Hannah Chi

Director of Operations
Humboldt Park

Shira Dunn

Director, Population Health &
Clinical Quality Integration

Carla Jones

Director of Operations
Erie Evanston/Skokie

Marisol Jimenez

Regional Director Operations

Hannah Keel, DNP

Director of Clinical Operations
Erie West Town

Kelly Klingensmith

Director of Operations Erie Foster Avenue

Suzanne Kunkel

Associate Director Patient Access Operations

Josephine Llaneza

Senior Director Patient Programs and Health Equity

Betsy Lopez

Manager of Operations Erie Helping Hands

Bridget Magner

Associate Director of Patient Programs and Health Equity

Maria Matias

Associate Director of Maternal and Child Health

Kellie Medious

Senior Director Patient Access Operations and DEI Officer

Geoyia Nightengale

Senior Manager
Adolescent Programming Operations

Miriam Rodriguez

Director of Operations at Erie HealthReach Waukegan

Robin Varnado

Senior Director Operations

Jesus Villanueva

Director of Administrative Operations

Kim Williams

Director of Operations Erie Division Street and Teen Center

Ruben Zarate

Director Facilities

Clinical and Medical Operations

Dr. Caroline Hoke

Chief Clinical Officer

Bio

Specialty Leadership

Tracy Irwin, MD

Hospira Foundation Endowed Medical Director of Reproductive Health

Bio

Tracy Irwin, MD, MPH joined Erie Family Health Center in 2018 as the Hospira Endowed Medical Director of Reproductive Health. At Erie Dr. Irwin oversees a reproductive health workforce and clinical programs that spans 40 miles and provides obstetrics and gynecologic services at 13 outpatient sites and three partner hospitals. Her clinical practice includes the full scope of obstetrics and gynecology with a special focus on vulnerable populations.

Lisa Kearney, DDS

Clinical Director Oral Health

Bio

Dr. Lisa Kearney joined Erie Family Health Centers in March of 2007 and became the Clinical Director of Oral Health at Erie in August 2012. In this role, Dr Kearney drives the clinical vision of the Oral Health Program at Erie. She strongly believes that healthcare is a human right and supports Erie’s mission to provide quality, affordable care to support healthier people, family, and communities.

Deborah Midgley, MD

Medical Director Adult and Family Medicine

Bio

Dr. Deborah Midgley is a Family Physician who joined Erie Family Health Centers in 2003. As Medical Director of Family and Adult Medicine, Dr. Midgley is responsible for recruiting and retaining Family and Adult Medicine providers throughout Erie. She supports the Site Medical Directors at Erie's HealthReach Waukegan, Foster Avenue, Helping Hands and Humboldt Park health centers as well as working with academic partners to support Family Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency programs throughout Erie.