Comprehensive Health Education Foundation (C.H.E.F.®), long known for its mission to promote health and quality of life through education, announced that it has elected Nancy Nash and Rudy Vasquez to its Board of Directors. Nash currently serves as Cultural Resource Manager at Mid-Valley Hospital in Omak, Washington, and Vasquez is Multicultural Services Director in Seattle, Washington at Sea Mar Community Health Centers. Both Nash and Vasquez share a lifelong passion for and commitment to eliminating health inequities, bringing significant leadership and expertise in the field to their C.H.E.F. Board positions.
Nash has held a variety of positions at Mid-Valley Hospital since her arrival there in 2000, including Interpreting Program Manager, Cultural Competency Trainer, Grant Writer / Administrator, and Community Outreach and Health Access Coordinator. Previously, Nash served as Cultural Competency Trainer for Washington State Public Hospitals and Rural Health Care Workers, and she also hosted a weekly radio program focused on Latino health. Active within numerous community organizations, Nash has held volunteer leadership positions with Fuerza Latina of Okanogan County and Okanogan County Community Action Counsel. She is also a co-founder of the newly formed Latino Health and Wellness Coalition for Okanogan County, and is a member of the Washington Health Foundation's Health Disparities Advisory.
Vasquez is currently involved in several initiatives at Sea Mar Community Health Centers, all with a focus on addressing access to health-care. These include assisting with development of the Washington State Alliance for Healthy Communities of Color, the Consortium for Health Care Access in Pierce and Kitsap Counties, and the Institute for Latinos in the Health Sciences. In addition, after conducting a series of focus groups throughout Washington State to assess the needs among Spanish-speaking communities and those who serve them, Vasquez founded the Latino Health Network of Washington State, now known as Latino Health Northwest. Vasquez has participated on several boards and statewide committees, including the Advisory Committee on Mental Health to the Commissioners in Vancouver, Washington, and the Washington State Human Rights Commission. He also serves on the board of Northwest Health Law Advocates.
Larry Clark, C.H.E.F.'s President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are delighted to welcome Nancy and Rudy to our Board. As highly accomplished leaders who are dedicated to eliminating health inequities, they bring a shared sense of purpose, focus, and mission to C.H.E.F. Our Board, staff, and leadership team look forward to future collaboration with Nancy and Rudy, and are confident that their contributions will make a real difference in our work."
"It's an honor and a privilege to serve on C.H.E.F.'s Board," said Nancy Nash, "because the work we're both doing to eliminate health inequities is so perfectly aligned." Rudy Vasquez noted, "I greatly admire and identify with C.H.E.F.'s history of mission-focused innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit, and look forward to helping the organization in its vision to provide equal opportunities for health to all."
About Comprehensive Health Education Foundation
Founded in 1974, Seattle-based Comprehensive Health Education Foundation (C.H.E.F.®) is a nationally known nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote health and quality of life through education. With a focus on helping other health and human service organizations eliminate health inequities across ethnic, racial, and income groups, C.H.E.F. offers a unique blend of philanthropy and advocacy, as well as mentoring and training through its new MissionWise® division. For information about C.H.E.F. and MissionWise, please visit www.chef.org and www.missionwise.org or call 1.800.323.2433.