Dr. Raggio has a background in clinical medicine, academia, research, public health and private practice, She also has extensive experience in creating, writing and reviewing grants, policy, legislation, implementing and overseeing Federal health programs. She has contributed to writing and implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Women’s Preventive Services Guidelines, Healthy Start to decrease Infant Mortality and more. Over the past year Dr. Raggio has been very involved in creating and implementing access to COVID-19 prevention, screening, testing, care, treatment and vaccinations throughout the country, especially for BIPOC, African American, LatinX/Hispanic communities, persons who are Homeless, Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers and other vulnerable underserved populations.

She has served as a clinician, consultant and on health center boards providing primary care, mental and oral health, Ryan White HIV AIDs, substance use disorder services, health care for the homeless, school- based health centers, birthing centers, mixed use senior housing, migrant and seasonal farm workers programs. She mentors students in Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math (STREAM).

Dr. Raggio is a graduate of Livingston College Rutgers University, Rutgers Medical School, and the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. She completed her residency training at Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center, in the Bronx. A master in Public Health and a Cardiovascular Epidemiology Fellowship, Dr. Raggio has attended New York Theological Seminary and the Semanario Teologico in Rio Piedras Puerto Rico.

Dr. Raggio is a licensed clergy (minister) at Abundant Joy Church, where her husband Rev. Dr. Willard W.C. Ashley is the founder and Pastor. Her ministry is dedicated to health equity, especially for Minority, underserved and vulnerable communities. She has been collaborating with other physician clergy providing conducting webinars on COVID-19 for faith base and community organizations.

Marilyn Rivera-Cintron was born in Jersey City. She attended Rutgers University where she matriculated at Douglass College (New Brunswick, NJ). She did some graduate work in NJIT and completed UCLA’s Anderson School of Business training for Healthcare Executives in 2004.  In 2005 she became the CEO of Alliance Community Healthcare, where she held various leadership positions. Ms. Cintron is currently finishing up her MPA/MHA at Farleigh Dickison University in 2025.

Ms. Cintron has been with the ACH organization for nearly thirty years.  She is a fellow of UCLA’s Health Care Executive Program and a fellow of the Women’s Policy Institute sponsored by the Women’s Fund of New Jersey.  Ms. Cintron is currently a Vice Chair and Board Member of the New Jersey Primary Care Association, Board Member of the Partnership for Maternal & Child Health of Northern New Jersey Treasruer, Steering Committee Member of Inclusive Health Communities for Hudson County, Co-Chair of Ending the Epidemic Task Force and Board Member of the New Jersey Family Planning Association Board Member and Co-chair of Provider Committee.  Member of Espiritu Latino for Re-entry in Jersey City with Gov. McGreevey and Appointed by Governor Phil Murphy to both the NJ Maternal Care Quality Collaborative and the COVID 19 Pandemic Taskforce on Health and Racial Disparities.  She serves as Co-Chair of the COVID 19 Taskforce. Is on the statewide NJ Health Information Network Advisory Council.  Board Member of the YWCA of Union County. Board Member of CarePoint Health System.

Ms. Cintron has received several awards over her years of service from various organizations, Hispanic, civic and faith-based organizations as well.

Marilyn Cintron is married with one daughter.  Grew up in Jersey City NJ and is an active member of her church.

Dr. Natalie Roche received her Baccalaureate degree in Biology from Barnard College, and Doctor of Medicine degree from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, both in New York. She completed her residency in Obstetrics at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City in 1984.

Dr. Roche began her career as a clinical instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University 1984- 85, and subsequently became an Assistant Professor at Charles Drew University School of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles. She served as an attending physician at King/Drew Medical Center, as well as the Medical Director of the Women’s Health Care Team, part of the Public Health Programs in Los Angeles. In 1987, Dr. Roche came back to the East Coast as an Attending physician at the Hospital of St. Raphael’s Obstetrics, Gynecology Department in New Haven, CT. From 1988 to 2000, she worked in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. During her tenure at Beth Israel, Dr. Roche served in a variety of roles including physician in charge of ambulatory Ob/Gyn, obstetrics service and gynecology service. She became Associate Chairperson of Ob/Gyn in 1991 and subsequently became Associate Medical Director of the Philipp’s ambulatory care center. From 1991 to 2000, Dr. Roche was Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York.

In 2000, Dr. Roche became the Attending Physician at University Hospital’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Newark and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School. She is currently Director of Gynecology Services and a member of Addiction Medicine consult service at University Hospital. Dr. Roche is presently an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School where she is the Director of the Generalist Division.

Reva Foster graduated Cum Laude from Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina with a Bachelor Science degree in Biology. She went on to pursue Graduate work in Microbiology at Miami. She received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Air Force. Reva has held several positions of responsibility throughout her professional career. Some of her past employers include Park Davis Pharmaceutical, Warner Lambert, Johnson & Johnson Eastern Surgical Dressing Plant where she served as Quality Assurance Supervisor, Domestic Operating Company, served as a Scientist Technical Assurance. Throughout her career with Johnson & Johnson she climbed the corporate ladder with increasing responsibilities, which included Manufacturing Manager, Quality Assurance Coordinator, Manager of Specification Department and International Auditor for North America, Central America and South America.

Reva started AVER Designs, a professional artistic company. Her company provided business plans, sales strategies and sample products for new businesses using a personalized template. In 1993, she was hired as the Director of the Willingboro Township Senior Citizen Center. She now serves as Executive Director of the Department on Aging where she is the chief administrator responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Senior Center programs; coordinate community resources, and collaborations, liaison with federal, state, and local organizations concerned with elderly issues. Her goal was to establish a state-of-the-art Senior Citizen Center and Program that would be continually recognized statewide and be a welcoming home away from home for our senior population. In 2007, her responsibilities for the Willingboro Township were expanded when she was chosen to head Community Affairs and subsequently Veterans Affairs Departments.  She has served nine years as the Chairman of the New Jersey Black Issues Senior Symposium, four years as 1st Vice Chairman and is currently State Chairman of the New Jersey Black Issues Convention. She was selected as the 2012 New Jersey State Delegate for United States President Obama.

Dr. Thomas R. Ortiz, a board-certified Family Physician, has been in the private practice of Family Medicine as the Founder and Medical Director of Forest Hill Family Health Associates, PA (www.fhfha.com) in Newark, NJ Northward since 1984. As Founding CEO of Health Practice Management Corp., a Health Care Consulting firm, he has established the Forest Hill Medical Arts Center for Specialty Care, bringing 16 subspecialty physicians into Newark’s Northward, expanding access to specialty care to a community in great need.

Most Recently, Dr. Ortiz has been named the Medical Director of the NJ Innovations Institute for Health Care, CMS funded Garden Practice Transformation Network, tasked with bringing practice transformation support services into a value based alternative payment models to primary care practitioners. He has also been tapped Clara Mass Medical Center, a, RWJ Barnabas Hospital, to be the first Medical Director for the Center of Excellence for Latino Health, serving the growing Latino communities with health promotions, awareness, career development, staff cultural competency and direct medical services, through the school systems and the churches.

With the advent of a national movement for healthcare reform and the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Dr. Ortiz has been leading the charge for urban primary care infrastructure development, medical neighborhood integration, value-based payment reform, technology innovation and an advocate for Patient Centered Medical Home principles for health care delivery. Leading physicians and other NJ health care stake holders, he served as past president of the NJ Academy of Family Physicians, representing over 1200 Family Physicians and other primary care practitioners in NJ.

A graduate of New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ and Mountainside Family Practice Residency Program in Montclair, NJ, Dr. Ortiz joined the National Health Service Corp. and has made a career as a public health advocate for universal access to primary care for all, focused on the poor and vulnerable populations.

Damali M. Campbell-Oparaji MD, FACOG, is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Health at Rutgers Health, New Jersey Medical School and Executive Medical Director of the NJ Department of Health Maternal Care Quality Collaborative. She received her Doctor of Medicine from Temple University School of Medicine and performed her residency at Mount Sinai School of Medicine (Jersey City Medical Center program). She has been a licensed medical doctor in New Jersey since 1997 and has served at Jersey City Medical Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center via Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and currently clinically works at University Hospital in Newark. She currently serves on the board of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey and the National Medical Association.  She is the current president of the New Jersey Medical Association and the treasurer for NJ Section of American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG).  Her work has been acknowledged by the Society for Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology, Student National Medical Association, the College of American Pathology (CAP)and the partnership for Maternal Child health of Northern NJ.

Gina Marie Miranda-Diaz is Health Officer (CEO) of the City of East Orange Department of Health and Human Services. She received a Doctor of Nursing Practice from UMDNJ-Public/Minority Health and a Master’s in public health (Community Health Education) and Nursing from Hunter College. 

She is a registered professional nurse in both NJ and NY, and is board certified as an Advanced Practice Public Health Nurse. Dr. Miranda-Diaz is a certified contact tracer, health education specialist, Home-Health Aide (HHA) program instructor, and advanced public health nurse. Prior to their role at Teaneck Department of Health, she was faculty at academic settings at Rutgers University School of Nursing (Education Opportunity Fund), Ramapo College, Felician University, and Lehman College.  As a health officer and director, she was charged with heading up Health Departments in municipalities in Northern New Jersey.

Her work in culturally competent care has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the American Journal of Nursing and Journal of Oncology Navigation and Survivorship. She has published chapters in two editions of the Policy and Politics in Nursing and Health Care and medical surgical textbooks.  She has presented her work and research both in the United States, Puerto Rico, and at international conferences. Her work has been recognized by the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, Institute for Nursing-New Jersey State Nurses Association, and she was inducted as a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine.

Anthony Welch is the Vice President and Chief Government Relations Officer at Cooper University Health Care, based in Camden, New Jersey. Mr. Welch, who came to Cooper in 2017, provides strategic guidance on public policy issues affecting health care and Cooper, and helps to oversee Cooper’s advocacy efforts in connection with legislative, policy, and regulatory initiatives at the federal, state, county, and local levels of government. Mr. Welch also serves as a board member of the Camden Coalition of Health Care Providers. Prior to joining Cooper, Mr. Welch served as Director of Policy and Strategic Planning for the New Jersey Department of Health. Previously, he served as a senior policy advisor in the Office of Governor Chris Christie. He has also served as vice president and chief operating officer for Newark Now, a community organization co-founded by Senator Cory Booker. In addition, he has served as a program officer at The Nicholson Foundation, a project coordinator at Rutgers University, and president of the national youth leadership organization Do Something, Inc. He received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Rutgers University-Newark.

Mariekarl Vilceus-Talty, President and CEO of the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey since early 2021, has been dedicated to transforming maternal health. She has redefined the organization’s vision, focusing on eliminating healthcare disparities and innovating new programs. Under her leadership, the Partnership is becoming an anti-racist organization, expanding community partnerships, and ensuring diverse voices are heard. She secured legislative funding for a diverse doula workforce training program and established the Center for Clinical Impact to enhance clinical expertise and patient outcomes.

Mariekarl has received numerous awards, including the 2024 EWNJ Salute to Policy Makers Honoree, the Nurses with Global Impact Award, and the March of Dimes’ Nurse Leader of the Year. She actively participates in various task forces and committees, such as the COVID-19 Advisory Taskforce and the Maternal Mortality Review Committee. Her extensive nursing career, including her Senior Director of Nursing and Patient Experience role at Jersey City Medical Center, shapes her perspective on patient-centered care.

Mariekarl holds an MA in Nurse Executive from Columbia University and a BS in Nursing from Adelphi University. She is a member of several professional organizations and serves as Chairwoman of Mission Granbois, a non-profit focused on improving health outcomes in Haiti.

Natasha Dravid joined the Coalition in 2013 and serves as Chief Strategy Officer, working to drive forward the Coalition's mission of strengthening equitable ecosystems of care in Camden, the state of NJ, and across the country. In this role she leverages over a decade of experience in complex care, clinical redesign and data-driven practice spanning a wide range of clinical and social focus areas. She brings deep expertise in operationalizing innovation projects that bring together CBOs, providers, payers, policymakers, and community members to reimagine healthcare delivery. She holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management, and a BA in English from Haverford College.

Marissa Davis has over 20 years of experience in public and community health. As Vice President of Community & Equity Initiatives, she is responsible for developing public-private partnerships, implementing population health policies and initiatives to expand community outreach and services to New Jersey's most vulnerable residents.

Her expertise extends to providing valuable input on the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of both existing and new projects. She creates and executes strategies to address complex issues such as food and housing insecurity, childcare, and poverty with a focus on equity, scalability, and relationship building. She provides technical assistance and direction to local YMCAs, SNAP-Educators, partnering state agencies, and other community-based organizations. Marissa’s commitment to equity and community health continues to drive positive change across New Jersey.

Prior to her role at the NJ YMCA State Alliance, Marissa was Director of the NJ Partnership for the Healthy Kids, where she was pivotal in uniting Trenton's partners and the community to improve access to healthy foods and physical activity, such as launching the Greenwood Ave. Farmers Market, establishing salad bars in schools, securing grants for fresh produce, building two playgrounds, and enhancing the healthy corner store initiative while coordinating city-wide food pantries.

During the pandemic, Marissa initiated Community Conversations: Pandemic Perspectives, NJ’s COVID-19 Storytelling Project in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Health. The project is comprised of nearly 800 collected experiences of vulnerable populations and the impact that COVID-19 has had in their lives. Transforming lived experience into policy and program change, the long-term goal is to improve systems while documenting a critical time in New Jersey’s (and the world’s) history. Analysis of the collection is being used, in part, to inform the development of New Jersey’s State Health Improvement Plan with Healthy NJ 2030.

As Executive Director of the department’s Office of Minority and Multicultural Health, Medina-Forrester is charged with ensuring health equity policies, practices, and programs are implemented to reduce and eliminate health disparities among diverse and marginalized populations. Much of her equity work is illustrated during the covid-19 pandemic. She co-leads the specific and vulnerable team for the COVID-19 vaccine plan. Medina-Forrester developed COVID-19 testing and mitigation strategies for migrant and seasonal farm workers, established vaccine implementation committees comprised of community members with access to critical populations, the department’s lead for the Paterson Community-based vaccine clinic in partnership with other state and federal partners, and, because of this experience, established a community-based vaccine clinic model with other subject matter experts. Mrs. Medina-Forrester is currently working to enhance communication to access specific and vulnerable populations through State Vaccine Call Center and other outreach initiatives. Witnessing the lack of resources for residents, she co-authored and awarded a multi-million dollar federal grant to support Covid—19 mitigation efforts for New Jersey’s racially and ethnically diverse populations.

Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, the sister city of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Amanda Medina-Forrester received her M.A. in experimental psychology from University of Texas-El Paso in 2001 where she studied social and cognitive stressors on cardiovascular system and received her M.P.H. with a concentration in community health from University of North Texas in 2003. Mrs. Medina-Forrester and her family reside in Flemington, New Jersey.

Sybil Trotta is the Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity/ Affirmative Action at the New Jersey Department of Children and Families. Ms. Trotta provides guidance to the Department on matters pertaining to equal opportunity, affirmative action, and civil rights activities. She is also responsible for ensuring that all Department employees work in an environment free from all forms of employment discrimination in accordance with the State Anti-Discrimination Policy and ensuring that the Department complies with applicable law, policies, and procedures.

She is also a member of the Department’s Race Equity Steering Committee that is tasked with researching and implementing evidence-based practices to reduce racial disparity in child welfare outcomes. She received her Juris Doctor from New York Law School and her undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Religion from Christian Brothers University.

Candice M. Alfonso is New Jersey’s Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) and Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in the Department of the Treasury. Ms. Alfonso, who joined Treasury in 2022, responsible for monitoring the State's public contracting process for participation by small and diverse businesses focusing on ways to execute strategies targeted toward greater utilization of these business enterprises. As CDO and Director of ODI, Candice also conducts outreach to diverse business enterprises and other entities regarding awareness of public contracting opportunities.

Prior to her role as CDO, Candice served as Chief of Staff of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA), overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Agency, information technology systems, operations and facilities management, human capital management, marketing, budgeting, and strategic planning along with other duties essential to the efficient administration of the Agency. Prior to her appointment as Chief of Staff, Candice staffed the Governor's Office of Economic Growth as a Senior Advisor for Economic Development where she helped business and industry navigate through the economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, advising the Governor directly on a number of important policies that impacted industry and all New Jerseyans. She also played a significant role in the Administration's successful effort to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ to the New Jersey/New York region. Central to her duties was the consideration of equity and inclusion presented in the State's winning bid strategy. Candice has remained part of the Administration's World Cup team throughout her tenure with the NJHMFA and in her role as CDO in Treasury.

Ms. Alfonso has over 20 years of multi-disciplinary supervisory, administrative management, and leadership experience and has served in all three branches of State government. Ms. Alfonso holds a BA degree in Sociology from St. Lawrence University, a Master of Public Administration from New York University, and a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in New Jersey, New York, and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Candice M. Alfonso is the Chief Diversity Officer of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Department of Treasury, located in Trenton, New Jersey. Ms. Alfonso, who joined NJHMFA in 2021, oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Agency, information technology systems, operations and facilities management, human capital management, marketing, budgeting and strategic planning along with other duties essential to the efficient administration of the Agency. Prior to her appointment as Chief of Staff, Ms. Alfonso served as Senior Advisor for Economic Development for New Jersey Governor Phil D. Murphy, with primary focus on the State’s economic response to COVID-19. She has over 20 years of multi-disciplinary supervisory, administrative management, and leadership experience and has served in all three branches of State government. Ms. Alfonso holds a BA degree in Sociology from St. Lawrence University, a Master of Public Administration from New York University, and a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in New Jersey, New York, and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. In December 2021, Ms. Alfonso was appointed as a Board Member to the Advisory Council for the Customer Experience Certificate Program at Seton Hall University, Stillman School of Business.

Aarin Michele Williams, Esq. (she/her) is an experienced and versatile attorney who works to champion the principles of equity, justice, and opportunity, over civility or respectability. She is barred in New Jersey, New York and the Southern District of New York and has appeared in various courts around the nation. She is an experienced civil rights litigator, social, racial, and reproductive justice movement lawyer. Aarin serves as the Chief Advisor to the Director at the New Jersey

Division on Civil Rights where she leads on special projects as designated by the Director. She has held various leadership roles with DCR leading teams in a landmark mortgage redlining matter with the DOJ, published civil rights reports on issues including the spread of white supremacy and bias in the state, promulgated our nation’s first of its kind Fair Chance in Housing Act and heads the Divisions home appraisal task force. Aarin represents the Division on various task forces including the Reproductive Rights Strike Force, Wealth Disparity Task Force, COVID-19 Task Force on Racial & Health Disparities and more.

Prior to DCR, Aarin worked as a reproductive justice and criminal defense lawyer with a national non-profit advocating for and representing, pregnant people who were charged with crimes or who faced punishment related to their pregnancy. In her role she provided legal advice, engaged in impact litigation, direct representation, coalition building, developed case strategies, worked to shift culture around drug policy, bodily autonomy, and state-sanctioned violence, and developed of legal and public education on various issues. For nearly a decade prior, Aarin was a zealous trial attorney as a New Jersey State Public Defender where she was a trial strategy trainer and lead lawyer handling complex felony criminal cases.

Aarin is originally from Georgia, graduate of Howard University and Rutgers School of Law-Newark and has served as an Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall Law School and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Lt. Licinio (Lee) Carvalho joined the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) in 2004. He has been with the Homeland Security Branch, Emergency Management Section for the majority of his NJSP career. Lt. Carvalho worked within the Emergency Response Bureau as a regional representative. His role included representing the Governor and State Director of Emergency Management at all emergency and disaster situations in the State. He monitored all hazards situations and assured proper response and recovery activities. Response to any activity provided interaction between local and state government to expedite the State’s response. These activities included State, County and Municipal EOC activations, participation in actual operations, and technical assistance during the response and recovery phase.

Presently, Lt. Carvalho oversees the State Emergency Operations Unit. The unit serves as a liaison to the State Director and/or their designee to provide situational awareness and resource management. The State Emergency Operations Center Unit provides coordination of the emergency response efforts of state agencies, allied agencies, county Offices of Emergency Management, and the private sector. They serve as the conduit through which the unmet emergency resource needs of the counties affected by a disaster are acquired from other counties, New Jersey State governmental agencies, other states, the Federal Government, allied agencies and private sector organizations.

Tina is the Senior Compliance Officer at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA), where she works with the Agency’s divisions on a wide range of initiatives.  Prior to joining NJHMFA, Tina worked at the Department of Community Affairs, Division of Local Government Services (DLGS).  While at DLGS, she conducted ethics investigations under the Local Finance Board.  She also collaborated with the cities of Camden and Trenton as part of the DLGS Transitional Aid Program.

Tina received her undergraduate degree in foreign languages from the University of Delaware. She earned a Master’s in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University-Camden.

Susan is an Assistant Deputy Director with the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety, where she works with the Division’s healthcare professional licensing boards and Drug Control Unit. Susan analyzes legislation and drafts rules on topics such as implicit bias, sexual misconduct, contraception, drug pricing, and medical cannabis.  Before joining the Division, Susan spent six years as a healthcare attorney, counseling healthcare providers in regulatory matters in New York and New Jersey. Susan holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and an M.P.A. from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. 

Christopher Wheeler, PhD is the Chief Data Officer of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. He is responsible for managing the Department’s data analysis and reporting functions. Before becoming Chief Data Officer, he served as the DCA’s local Government Services Research Economist, responsible for data and policy analysis and program evaluation for the Commissioner’s Office and the Division of Local Government Services. Dr. Wheeler holds a PhD in Public Affairs from Rutgers University-Camden, a master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Temple University.

Aracely Macias is a dedicated public health professional focused on promoting health equity through strategic policy priorities. Policy areas of experience include gender and racial inequities, criminal justice reform, education, disaster response and recovery, and climate change.

Aracely is currently the Senior Program Manager for the New Jersey COVID-19 Task Force on Racial and Health Disparities, within the Office of Minority and Multicultural Health at the New Jersey Department of Health.

Previously, she served in the Obama Administration as the Associate Director for Operations and Engagement, for the Office of Minority Health (OMH), at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In that capacity, she supported policy development and external engagement, reviewed and developed public health policies, and acted as a liaison to senior executive policy-level officials and stakeholders. She also supported strategic budget and management operations.

Prior to working at OMH, she was appointed as a Policy Advisor to President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force. Working closely with key partners, Aracely played a critical role in developing a comprehensive community needs assessment, which led to the creation of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy--a set of Federal recovery policy recommendations submitted to President Obama.

She has coordinated research initiatives across community health programs in partnership with the Rutgers University School of Public Health and the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. She also worked at the New Jersey Governor’s Office of Constituent Relations and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Aracely received a Master of Public Health in Health Systems and Policy from Rutgers University, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from The College of New Jersey.

Angelica Barreto-Galvez, Ph.D. is a Project Manager at the New Jersey Department of Health’s Office of Minority and Multicultural Health (OMMH). She plays a pivotal role in managing the New Jersey COVID-19 Task Force on Racial and Health Disparities, where she ensures the Task Force’s operations run smoothly to address racial health disparities during the pandemic.

In addition to her work on the Task Force, Angelica collaborates with the Specific Populations Unit at OMMH. She uses data analysis to support the development of targeted health initiatives for marginalized communities, helping to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes.

As an Eagleton Science Fellow, Angelica’s work closely aligned with her current responsibilities, seamlessly bridging her fellowship experience with her full-time role. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology from Rutgers University, where she conducted research on genomic instability in various diseases. Her scientific expertise continues to inform her approach to public health, particularly in designing evidence-based strategies to advance health equity.

In addition to her work at OMMH, Angelica is passionate about destigmatizing mental health. She is committed to fostering open dialogue and improving access to mental health resources, which aligns with her broader interest in public health and equity.