Board of Directors & Executive Staff

Dr. Shakari Lee, Executive Director

Dr. Shakari Lee 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. Lee 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.

Sherre Delaney, Executive Assistant

Sherre Delaney is a Denver Native who has volunteered with several nonprofits since her youth. Shortly after her first year in college she discovered her passion for event coordinating and business management. Since then she has helped coordinate various events for non-profit organizations for more than 15 years. She is dedicated to breaking barriers that placed suppress the growth of the black community, ensuring our youth have a sustainable future.

Dr. Terri L Richardson, Vice Chair

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

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Christina Yebuah, Secretary

Christine has a Masters in Public Administration and Public Health, specializing in community-informed policy, and is currently a Maternal Health Manager at CDPHE. She also has expertise in qualitative research, community-informed practices, and health equity.

Calvin Shaw, Treasurer

Calvin earned his BS and MBA in accounting from the HBCU, Lincoln University. He has worked in the Higher Education, Financial Services, Oil and Gas, and SportsBook industries. He hopes to teach younger generations in our community about healthiness.

Jerome Blackwell MT(ASCP), LSSMBB

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jessica V. Jackson, JD

Jessica is a practicing attorney who is originally from Denver, Colorado. She currently serves as a co-chair of the Women’s Trial Lawyers Network, the woman-focused section within Colorado Trial Lawyers Association.

Nathifa Miller, JD, CDP®

Nathifa is a Workforce Development Manager, Equity Specialist. Since transitioning in the public health arena, Nathifa leads efforts in coordination and facilitating cross-sector stakeholders in the charge of eradicating the inequities related to the African American/Black infant mortality rate.

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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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.

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