Leadership Team
Kiran Savage-Sangwan, MPA, Executive Director
Kiran Savage-Sangwan is the Executive Director of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN). CPEHN is a statewide multicultural health advocacy organization, focused on eliminating persistent health inequities and addressing structural racism in health care. Prior to becoming Executive Director in 2019, Kiran served as CPEHN Deputy Director and Health Integration Policy Director. In those roles, she was the chief architect of many CPEHN bills, in particular the groundbreaking bill to prohibit hospital patient dumping that became California law in 2018. Kiran has been instrumental in positioning CPEHN as a leader in the health equity field, expanding CPEHN’s work in public, mental, and oral health, deepening CPEHN’s local advocacy impact, and developing new partnerships and campaigns.
Kiran has a background in immigrant and mental health organizing and advocacy. Immediately prior to joining CPEHN, Kiran worked as the Director of Legislation and Advocacy for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) California. There, she led policy initiatives to improve access to behavioral health care and to reduce the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. Before NAMI California, Kiran worked at the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California as an Organizer, primarily focused on immigrants’ rights, and at the New York State Youth Leadership Council, which she co-founded.
Kiran graduated from New York University with a B.A. and a Master of Public Administration. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Community Catalyst and previously chaired the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission.. Kiran frequently testifies before state boards, commissions, and legislative committees, and is often cited by state and local media. She lives in Davis with her spouse and two daughters.
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Betzabel Estudillo, Deputy Director
Betzabel Estudillo joined the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN) as Deputy Director, Campaigns in 2026. As the organization’s senior campaign strategist, she oversees CPEHN’s statewide campaigns that advance racial and health equity. She works closely with the Executive Director and the management team to ensure alignment across the organization.
Betzabel has more than a decade of experience in immigration, worker rights, health, and public benefits, working across the non-profit and labor sectors. Her expertise includes developing and leading campaigns, policy development and analysis, legislative and budget advocacy, coalition building, and community organizing. She has led statewide campaigns expanding safety net access for Californians, including Food4All, Health4All, CalEITC for ITIN filers, and the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program.
Before joining CPEHN, Betzabel was Chief Engagement Officer at Nourish California, where she led organizational campaign strategy, communications, and cross-functional teams. She was also at the Miguel Contreras Foundation and the California Immigrant Policy Center.
Betzabel’s personal history as a former undocumented immigrant who was shut out of critical safety net programs fuels her commitment to health equity work.
Betzabel currently serves as Chair of the Development Board of Associated Students UCLA. Betzabel is a proud double-Bruin, having earned both her Master of Social Welfare and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles
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Aviva Prager, ADMINISTRATION Director
Aviva Prager graduated with a B.A. in Politics/Environmental Studies from Whitman College in Washington State. Previously, Aviva worked as the public policy intern at Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy (CHANGE) and as the science education intern at the Breast Cancer Prevention Partnership (formerly Breast Cancer Fund). Aviva’s experience includes researching environmental health disparities, program and administrative support.
Cary Sanders, MPP, Senior Policy Director
Cary Sanders earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to joining CPEHN, Cary worked as a policy analyst for the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC) promoting pro-immigrant policies that address and respect the needs and contributions of California’s diverse immigrant communities and their families. She has also worked as Assistant Policy Director for SEIU United Health Care Workers-West representing over 150,000 health care workers in California and as Policy Director for Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) in San Jose. Cary is proficient in Spanish after having lived and worked in Guatemala.
Weiyu Zhang, MPH, Policy Director
As a public health practitioner, Weiyu is committed to leveraging the vision, values, analysis and tools of “public health” to solve social problems. For the last decade, she has mostly worked in non-profit organizations and focused on areas such as policy analyses and advocacy, coalition building, community health education and health care navigation, and community-based crisis intervention, all aiming to build power with Black, Indigenous, immigrant and other communities of color in California. At CPEHN, Weiyu leads the newly formed “public health pod” and tackles issues such as racial equity in governance, equitable local budgeting, and leadership development for grassroots community organizations. She often draws upon her research and analytical skills from previously working as a scientist in biomedical research and biopharmaceutical production in Asia. Weiyu has an MPH from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology and Biotechnology from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Weiyu grew up in Sichuan, China – a region known for pandas and spicy food. As an immigrant and femme of color, she practices public health from a place of continued learning/unlearning, community care, and community self-determination. In her free time, she loves being in nature with her pup Kiwi (a sweet & sassy 14 pound terrier mix born in 2021).
Strategy & External Affairs
Johan Cardenas, Legislative Advocate
Johan Cardenas joined CPEHN in August 2022 as a Legislative Associate. Prior to joining CPEHN, Johan worked for Public Health Advocates (PHA) advocating for reducing distress, removing barriers to access, and increasing the cultural responsiveness of Public Health Services for communities of color.
Johan is a first-generation college graduate from Sacramento State University, where he earned his B.A. in Political Science.
His experience growing up in an unhealthy and unsafe environment allowed him to visualize a world where children could thrive, and he knew he wanted to be part of that change.
As a Legislative Associate, Johan looks forward to advancing policies and legislation that adequately assist in developing better systems and procedures that help improve the lives of underserved communities of color.
During his free time, Johan enjoys playing soccer and discovering new coffee shops.
Eve Banas, Sacramento Regional Organizer
Eve Banas (they/she) is the Sacramento Regional Organizer at the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network where they work to build and mobilize people power in support of local health equity priorities.
Prior to joining CPEHN, Eve served as the Advocacy Coordinator for the Sacramento LGBT Community Center. Here, she managed state and local policy tracking, youth leadership internships, and events to increase community belonging and pass state bills informed by LGBTQ+ youth priorities.
They currently serve as a board member for the Stonewall Foundation of Greater Sacramento and as the Community Outreach Director for the Capitol LGBTQ Association. Eve believes that we can build a more equitable world through collective action and by centering voices from impacted communities.
Eve has a BS in Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity with a focus on Global Disease Biology from UC Davis. In their free time, they enjoy growing food in one of Sacramento’s community gardens and exploring local restaurants, cafes, and bookstores.
oMAR ALTAMIMI, SENIOR Legislative Advocate
Omar Altamimi is the Senior Legislative Advocate at the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN), where he works to advance health equity policies that address systemic disparities impacting communities of color. In this role, Omar leads advocacy efforts on legislative and budget priorities, engaging with policymakers, coalition partners, and community organizations to drive meaningful change in California’s healthcare landscape.
Prior to joining CPEHN, Omar served as the Senior Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California, where they focused on civic engagement, civil rights, and legislative advocacy to uplift marginalized communities. They bring a strong background in policy research, coalition building, and strategic advocacy, with experience in both grassroots campaigns and legislative affairs.
Omar holds a passion for advancing policies that promote racial justice, language access, and equitable healthcare systems. They are committed to ensuring that historically underserved communities have a voice in shaping California’s health policies.
Emily Lintner, Digital Engagement Manager
Emily Lintner (she/her) joined CPEHN in July 2025 as the Digital Engagement Manager. She is responsible for managing CPEHN’s online presence (including social media, email, and website communications) as well as developing strategies to ensure CPEHN’s digital communications align with and raise engagement for the organization’s advocacy and policy priorities.
Prior to joining CPEHN, Emily served as the Deputy Communications Director for Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, where she used her digital communications expertise to keep constituents and followers informed about the latest news from the Supervisor’s office and LA County.
Emily received BAs in English and Political Science at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. In her free time, she enjoys running, exploring nature, and tinkering with her ever-growing collection of espresso machines.
Health Systems and Prevention
Cary Sanders, MPP, Senior Policy Director
Cary Sanders earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to joining CPEHN, Cary worked as a policy analyst for the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC) promoting pro-immigrant policies that address and respect the needs and contributions of California’s diverse immigrant communities and their families. She has also worked as Assistant Policy Director for SEIU United Health Care Workers-West representing over 150,000 health care workers in California and as Policy Director for Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) in San Jose. Cary is proficient in Spanish after having lived and worked in Guatemala.
Andrea Mackey, MPH, Oranizing Director
Andrea Mackey is the Associate Organizing Director at the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN) where she works to advance health equity and build people power toward long-term healthcare transformation. Rooted in her experiences as a mixed Filipina Scottish American and Community Health Worker, Andrea is committed to ensuring health policy reflects the voices and needs of the communities most impacted.
With over a decade of experience as an educator, organizer, and researcher, Andrea has equipped Filipinx/a/o American and Tongan youth with the skills to be lifelong learners and agents of social change. She has served as Project Coordinator with Youth and Allies Against Homelessness, a podcast host with the Filipinx/a/o Community Health Association, a Community Health Worker with the International Diabetes Center, and a high school educator with Pin@y Educational Partnerships.
Andrea earned her Master of Public Health in Health and Social Behavior from UC Berkeley and her B.A. in Neuroscience from Scripps College. Through her work, she continues to bridge community wisdom and policy power organizing toward a healthcare system rooted in solidarity, shared leadership, and collective care.
Selene Betancourt, MPP, Associate Policy Director
Selene Betancourt (she/her) is a Policy Coordinator at CPHEN. Before joining CPEHN, she worked as a research assistant at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, analyzing congressional actions on health care reform. As a former fellow with NARAL Pro-Choice California, she worked directly with statewide partners and NARAL volunteers to advocate for legislation that expanded reproductive freedom and reduced barriers to abortion access. She previously interned with Determined Health, where she was responsible for researching how states are addressing social isolation and loneliness for Medicaid and Medicare members.
Selene earned her Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was a proud union steward organizing her fellow graduate student workers in the largest higher-education strike in U.S. history. She was also a member of Survivors + Allies, a student research collective that advocates for survivors of sexual violence at the UCs. She directed policy development and led the advocacy team, meeting with state legislators and UC administrators to share Survivors + Allies’ findings and recommendations from their systemwide survey of the UC community.
Selene holds a B.A. in Theater from UC Santa Barbara and uses her theater directing background to weave storytelling into her policy advocacy work. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering as a board member on her local Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, cooking new recipes, and caring for her plants.
Asma Abdi, senior community advocacy cOOrdinator
Asma Abdi is a first-generation Somali American born and raised in San Diego. She currently serves as the Senior Community Advocacy Coordinator at the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN), where she co-facilitates a Coalition of Community Health Workers, Promotors, and Representatives (CHW/P/Rs) by cultivating partnerships and coordinating advocacy opportunities to advance health equity. Asma was a 2025 San Diego Leadership Alliance Fellow. Prior to her role at CPEHN, she worked as the Philanthropy Coordinator and Policy Associate at the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA). She was key in passing the City of San Diego’s Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance, managing the Refugee Experiences Report, and served as a key journalist in the All Rise newspaper. Asma is passionate about storytelling as a tool for building power. In her free time, she enjoys writing, strength training, spending time with loved ones, and exploring new places.
Public Health
Weiyu Zhang, MPH, Policy Director
As a public health practitioner, Weiyu is committed to leveraging the vision, values, analysis and tools of “public health” to solve social problems. For the last decade, she has mostly worked in non-profit organizations and focused on areas such as policy analyses and advocacy, coalition building, community health education and health care navigation, and community-based crisis intervention, all aiming to build power with Black, Indigenous, immigrant and other communities of color in California. At CPEHN, Weiyu leads the newly formed “public health pod” and tackles issues such as racial equity in governance, equitable local budgeting, and leadership development for grassroots community organizations. She often draws upon her research and analytical skills from previously working as a scientist in biomedical research and biopharmaceutical production in Asia. Weiyu has an MPH from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology and Biotechnology from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Weiyu grew up in Sichuan, China – a region known for pandas and spicy food. As an immigrant and femme of color, she practices public health from a place of continued learning/unlearning, community care, and community self-determination. In her free time, she loves being in nature with her pup Kiwi (a sweet & sassy 14 pound terrier mix born in 2021).
Operations
Aviva Prager, ADMINISTRATION Director
Aviva Prager graduated with a B.A. in Politics/Environmental Studies from Whitman College in Washington State. Previously, Aviva worked as the public policy intern at Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy (CHANGE) and as the science education intern at the Breast Cancer Prevention Partnership (formerly Breast Cancer Fund). Aviva’s experience includes researching environmental health disparities, program and administrative support.
Nahed Minawi, Senior ADMINISTRATION Manager
Nahed is the Senior Administrative Manager at CPEHN. She brings over a decade of experience managing complex organizational operations and leading high-visibility programs and events across nonprofit, cultural, and diplomatic settings.
Prior to joining CPEHN, she worked at the Doris Duke Foundation in Hawai‘i, where she supported the development of community partnerships and designed convenings focused on culture, the arts, and multi-stakeholder policy and governance.
Nahed has lived and worked in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Canada, and the United States, and brings a global perspective shaped by these experiences. She is passionate about mission-driven work and deeply committed to advancing efforts that promote equity and community well-being, particularly for underrepresented communities.
Kristy Lee, HR & Operations Coordinator
Kristy is a first generation Chinese American, born and raised in southern California. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a bachelor’s in English and a minor in International Studies, in which she has developed cultural sensitivity and analytical skills that propelled her into pursuing human resources as a career.
Previously, she has worked as an HR intern, HR assistant/recruiter, and as an HR coordinator that have honed her skills and expanded her knowledge in various sectors of the human resources field. Her expertise includes area of onboarding, offboarding, recruiting, employee relations, compliance, and benefits.
In January 2023, Kristy joined CPEHN as their Human Resources & Recruitment Coordinator. After discovering the job position and reading about CPEHN’s mission and goals, she was instantly attracted to the role as it aligns with her values and career path.
Jamie Brooke, Senior Events and operations coordinator
Jamie is a multidisciplinary artist, event planner, and builder of internal processes. She graduated with a degree in Theater and Anthropology at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Post-college, Jamie has a deeper focus on confronting systems of oppression, particularly as it pertains to race, gender, and class, based on her political education, lived experiences, and close relationships with communities of color.
Jamie is grateful for her experiences at JANE.hr, Power Street Theater Company, San Francisco Foundation, and New Conservatory Theatre Center, for the opportunities to grow as a theatre artist, program manager, event planner, and collaborator for social change.
Jamie is thrilled to bring her experiences to CPEHN and join the long lasting efforts to create equitable health outcomes for all Californians. In her free time, Jamie loves to sing, dance, hoop, participate in community events, and share quality time with family and friends.
Marlyn Pulido, MPH, ASsociate Research Director
Marlyn Pulido (she/her/ella) is a Southern California native with over a decade of experience engaging underrepresented groups in public health research and intervention programs. With roots as a bilingual community educator, Marlyn’s public health journey has been framed and motivated by her desire to build a more equitable and sustainable future for our communities. She has been a committed and effective advocate for health equity throughout her career, which most recently encompassed the management of academic research projects, collaborative leadership of community-engaged programs, and working in innovative ways to identify high-impact solutions for public health problems. She holds an MPH from UNC Chapel Hill and a BA from UCLA.
In her free time, Marlyn enjoys making art, traveling, and eating really good BBQ.
Stephany Strahle, Research Manager
As a Data Scientist with CPEHN, Stephany Strahle (she/her) seeks to leverage her foundation in health policy advocacy and communications to analyze, interpret, and advocate for data that more accurately captures the impacts of such policies. In her early public health career, she found a deep curiosity for how policies shaped health outcomes and the experiences of different communities, which led her to intern with health policy advocacy organizations in New Mexico. With an evidence-based lens grounded in social justice, she sought to bridge connections between policymakers, community advocates, and public health practitioners to elevate the voices of New Mexico’s underserved communities. She went on to gain further background working in the spaces of maternal, child, and reproductive health.
Stephany’s approach to data analysis is equity-centered and she aspires to connect data to the lived experiences of communities. She holds an MPH in Applied Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BSPH from the University of New Mexico. In her free time, she loves crafting/sewing, exploring the outdoors and new places, and keeping up to date on her movie/tv watchlist.
Kekoa Lopez-Paguyo, Grants Manager
Kekoa Lopez-Paguyo (ʻo ia/they/she) is a Native Hawaiian-Mexican-Filipino public health professional and community health advocate for data and health equity initiatives. Before joining CPEHN, Kekoa worked to advance health equity particularly focused on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities through public health research and advocacy. Most recently, Kekoa coordinated an NIH chronic disease research project with Pacific Islander community health workers (NHPI CHWs) focused on addressing diabetes risk and social determinants of health needs with the National Association of Pasifika Organizations (NAOPO) working in partnership with community health clinic leaders and community-based organizations across the US continent and US-affiliated Pacific Islander (USAPI) (i.e., Pohnpei and Yap) contexts.
They previously served as Program Manager of Regional Pacific Islander Taskforce, a Pacific Islander community health advocacy organization in the Bay Area committed to advancing data and health equity with NHPI community health advocates. Prior to working within Pacific Islander community health focused non-profits, Kekoa was one of six 2021-2022 inaugural APHA/KP Community Health Fellows placed within KP’s Office of Community Health to focus on KP enterprise-wide grantmaking strategies and regional KP grant-making initiatives (e.g., reviewing and scoring RFPs, working in cross-functional workgroups to underscore NHPI and American Indian/Alaska Native indigenous community health). Kekoa has an MPH from UC Berkeley School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Health: Science, Society, & Policy from Brandeis University.
Kekoa is from Kalihi, on the island of Oʻahu and currently resides in Oakland (on the ancestral and unceded land of the Ohlone people) with their fiancé and dog. When they are not being a geek over public health and social justice, they enjoy dancing hula with Kaulana Nā Pua ʻO Hawaiʻi halau in Hayward, collecting indoor plants, and pursuing too many creative hobbies.