Executive Staff

Dr. Shakari Hood, Executive Director

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Dr. Shakari Hood began her collegiate studies in Indiana where she is an alumni of Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana University, and Indiana Wesleyan University. Shakari has obtained her masters degree in Human Resource Management and her doctorate degree in Business Administration with a focus in Healthcare Administration. Shakari has always had a passion for serving others with a commitment to making a difference in the communities of Colorado. Dr. Hood hopes to combine her educational background, personal experiences, and previous work in the non-profit industry to provide the underserved, marginalized, and minority communities with equitable outcomes through resources and tools to overcome social determinants of health.

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Theresa Wideman, Executive Assistant


Theresa was born and raised in Colorado with an upbringing that instilled values of compassion, empathy, and servant leadership. Whether volunteering in school clean-ups, organizing concerts to support Colorado’s homeless community, or donating at the local blood drives, Theresa consistently demonstrates her commitment to fostering positive change. Theresa has served as a dedicated Executive Assistant to other non-profit entities over the last several years. With a background in Administrative Support, Theresa is confident that her skill sets will play a vital role to the success of CBHC, while fostering collaboration across departments. Theresa aspires to leverage her life journey, and prior involvement in the non-profit sector, to empower the underserved.

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Board Officers

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Jerome Blackwell MT(ASCP), LSSMBB, Chair

A Sr. IT Solutions Consultant, Process Strategy & Architecture at Kaiser Permanente, Jerome has an extensive background in medical technology, LAB Sciences, and Lean Six Sigma. He enjoys supporting activities and programs that promote the equity of health and equality of Black members within the communities he interacts with.

Dr. Terri L. Richardson, Vice Chair

Dr. Richardson is a retired Internal Medicine Physician who serves on a number of boards.

Board Members

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Courtenay D. Brown

Courtenay is the Eastern Division Operations Manager for Yes! Communities. He has more than ten years of diversified leadership experience in the functional areas of human resources, operations management, strategic planning and organizational development.

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Mariamawit Desta (Mary Desta), PharmD

After learning that Black communities were more than 30% at an increased risk of death related to COVID-19, Dr. Desta changed her plan to open APEX pharmacy in Aurora to be a community center.

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Dr. Mehul Gandhi, MD, MBA

Dr. Gandhi is an internal medicine physician and the founder & CEO of DenTriage, which helps connects people to affordable urgent dental care. He hopes to combine his scientific and business backgrounds to bring novel, innovative ideas to life that can transform access to healthcare for all patients.

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Rita Hill

Rita is a Stakeholder Engagement Specialist at the U.S. Department of Transportation. With a background in International Development and Public Health, She is driven by her belief that prioritizing safety and accessibility for the most marginalized groups benefits everyone.

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Jessica V. Jackson, JD

Jessica is a native of Colorado who has practiced law as a solo practitioner for the last 15 years. Her law firm specializes in Plaintiffs’ Personal Injury and Criminal Defense. Prior to opening her own law firm, she was an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York.

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Tracie L. Randle

Tracie has a passion for helping both for and non-profit organizations succeed and is currently a sales and marketing consultant for Blackdoctor.org – the nation’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource for African Americans.

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Dawn Aladits

Dawn is an accomplished Senior Human Resource Professional with more than two decades of HR Management Experience working at Enterprise Holdings. Her expertise spans across multiple areas of Human Resources to include diversity equity and inclusion, community relations, and philanthropy. Dawn is experienced in strategic partnership and executing strategies around mission alignment, employee giving, and volunteerism. Dawn continues to find ways to make a difference in Colorado by aligning her support, to not only give back to the community, but also to educate the community.

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John Davis, Advisory Board Member

John volunteers his time to assist several non-profits with their efforts to obtain and maintain their tax exempt status, and assists low-income individuals with tax return preparation at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites during the filing season.