2024 Terrance Keenan Institute Fellows Named

Jordan Bellassai is a Program Officer at the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, where he stewards programs and partnerships related to older adults and health care advocacy. Jordan’s work is informed by his expertise in community organizing and using human-centered design to support healthy aging initiatives, as well as his personal roots in rural central New York. Since 2018, he has led or supported several innovative initiatives at the foundation, including campaigns that increased enrollment in public health insurance across New York State before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. He plays a key role in building out the age-friendly ecosystem by engaging grassroots organizations through Age Friendly: Go Local, a program that brings the healthy aging framework to the community level using the Equitable Evaluation Framework and trust-based philanthropy principles. Jordan is a graduate of the Health Foundation’s Health Leadership Fellows program. He lives in Syracuse, NY.

Rebeckah Berry is the Grant Program Director for the Roundhouse Foundation, which supports creative solutions to the unique challenges associated with rural culture and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. Rebeckah works alongside rural, remote, and tribal communities throughout Oregon to specifically improve access to health care, in areas of access to reproductive health, pharmacy, and mental health and well-being, as examples. She has spent almost 20 years of her career in various public health roles and the last eight years in granting and philanthropy. Before working for Roundhouse, Rebeckah led the creation of Regional Health Assessments and Health Improvement Plans in collaboration with the coordinated care organization, hospital system, public health departments, and education. Rebeckah is inspired by investing in urgent and vital needs with the understanding that building genuine relationships and trust will afford opportunities for larger systems-level changes.

Monica Beltran is a Program Officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan, where she supports the foundation’s systems change efforts to promote thriving children, working families, and equitable communities. Monica is responsible for identifying and nurturing opportunities for effecting positive systemic change within communities, executing programming efforts that are aligned with the organizational direction, and works closely with other staff to ensure the integration and coordination of initiatives as it relates to the foundation’s mission. She brings maternal and child health expertise, professional experience working directly with public health agencies to address inequities in birth outcomes, experience in philanthropy, and a passion for social justice. Prior to joining the foundation, Monica was a Program Officer at the Colorado Health Foundation where she leveraged the foundation’s investments to foster relationships across Colorado and nationally to improve the health and wellness of low-income residents.

Karen Ben-Moshe is a Policy Program Officer at Blue Shield of California Foundation. Her areas of expertise include policy solutions to address the social determinants of health, health equity, and fostering collaboration across sectors. Karen has over 15 years of experience working in public health and policy organizations, including working for the County of Alameda, ALL IN initiative, as a founding staff member of the California Health in All Policies Task Force, at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, La Clínica de La Raza, Children Now, and the University of California, Berkeley Center for Health Leadership. She is a coauthor of several publications on the Health in All Policies approach. Karen holds a Master of Public Health and Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University. She loves living in San Francisco, where she enjoys rooting for the A’s, baking brownies, and going to the farmer’s market.

Mason Chiang is an Associate Director at Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, where he supports three grant portfolios—the Global Cancer Disparities Initiative in both the United States and China, and the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program. His responsibilities include end-to-end grantmaking, developing social impact metrics and evaluations, and increasing equitable access for underserved communities. Mason is passionate about exploring the intersection between health equity, corporate philanthropy, and clinical pharmacy practice. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Washington and completed postgraduate training at Sutter Health California Pacific Medical Center and the Rutgers Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship/BMS. In his free time, Mason enjoys playing competitive volleyball, petting dogs, and traveling. He loves exploring new foods with interesting textures, vibrant flavors, and exciting sauces.

Brittney Daniel is a Senior Heath Program Officer at California Community Foundation, where she is a part of the team responsible for designing, developing, and implementing the Health Team’s portfolio strategy, goals, and grantmaking. She is also a geography professor with a specialization in geographic information systems and cultural geography. Brittney is a passionate advocate who has worked in the nonprofit sector and has been committed to strategies toward ending homelessness for over eight years. She believes in the importance of community service and not only creating but facilitating systems change. She holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in geography and urban planning. In her spare time, she loves pottery, working on puzzles, and spending time with family and her dog Oso.

Jan Delatorre is a Senior Program Officer at the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, a philanthropic foundation that works to improve the health and wellness of Michigan residents while reducing health care costs. Central to Jan’s work is collaborating with communities, government, and other philanthropic partners to implement policy, systems, and programmatic approaches to promote equitable food systems, opportunities for physical activity, and safe communities.

Megan Folkerth is Program Director of Health Policy and Systems at Interact for Health, a regional health foundation working to ensure people across a 20-county region in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana have a just opportunity to live their healthiest lives. She leads local health policy and systems efforts focused on the vital conditions for health and well-being as part of Interact for Health’s strategic goals to advance health justice. Megan is passionate about centering the perspectives of people affected by policies so that decisions are made with—not for—people. She is responsible for the development and execution of the overall strategy to advance policy and system change, including thought leadership, stakeholder engagement, direct advocacy, and grantmaking.

Courtney Frost is a Senior Program Officer at the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health (BCIFH), where she engages and collaborates with local elected officials and organizations to build healthy communities and address root causes that impact health. Courtney manages and supports statewide partnerships and programs with a focus on small, rural towns. She has been with BCIFH for nine years and has partnered with more than 100 cities and managed over $5 million of grant funds. Courtney has dedicated her career to the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors—she previously worked in development at the American Heart Association and National MS Society— and uses that experience to build trusted partnerships resulting in sustainable change. Courtney holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Eastern Washington University and a master’s certificate in nonprofit administration from Boise State University. She is married, and she and her husband have two living children. 

Brittany Giles-Cantrell is a Program Director at the de Beaumont Foundation, where she leads a portfolio of programs and partnerships to strengthen investments in public health systems, policies, and practices that center health and racial equity. Prior to joining the de Beaumont Foundation, Brittany served as a Senior Program Manager in Kaiser Permanente’s Community Health Department, where she held both national and regional roles to catalyze partnerships and investments in the health and well-being of communities experiencing inequities and injustice. As an experienced grantmaker, Brittany also led multisector philanthropic partnerships and community engagement strategies to advance access to health care and social health interventions. Brittany holds a Master of Public Health in health policy and management from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science in public health from the Gillings Schools of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sarah Hashmall is a Program Officer at The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, which is deeply committed to improving the quality of life for all Washington, DC, metropolitan area residents. Her portfolio focuses on health and wellness and includes health care provision and supportive services, food and nutrition, as well as coalition building and advocacy.  In addition, Sarah serves as the co-chair of Philanthropy DMV’s Healthy Communities Working Group, which convenes and mobilizes members around health and racial equity, with the goal of ensuring communities across all jurisdictions are thriving, and all people are living their lives to their fullest potential. Prior to her role at the Cafritz Foundation, Sarah worked at AIDS United, where she led communications efforts and ran a national AmeriCorps program focused on ending the domestic HIV epidemic. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys spending time with her dog and friends, painting, and group fitness classes.

Jennifer Holland is Policy & Community Engagement Director at the Horizon Foundation, where she nurtures relationships across Howard County, Maryland by engaging residents to advance policy changes that address the root causes of health inequities. As part of this work, she leads the foundation’s maternal and child health issue area and continues to lead local advocacy efforts in support of complete streets and expansion of reproductive health services in Howard County. She is a social justice and equity advocate committed to making systemic changes that will improve the health and well-being of her community. In addition, Jennifer was elected to serve in the Maryland General Assembly House of Delegates in 2022, representing Legislative District 10 in Baltimore County. Jennifer is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and the Patapsco River (Maryland) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated; a Silver Life Member of the NAACP; and attends Douglas Memorial Community Church in Baltimore, Maryland.

McClain Bryant Macklin is Vice President of Policy and Impact at Health Forward Foundation, a regional foundation focused on access to health care, the social determinants of health, and health equity with assets just under $1 billion. McClain leads Health Forward’s grantmaking in its six-county service area and policy and advocacy work on the local, state, and national levels. She joined Health Forward in 2020 as Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives. Before arriving at Health Forward, she was Director of Policy and Research at the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, Director of Policy for the KCMO Mayor’s office, and an attorney at Husch Blackwell. McClain serves on several local and national boards including the American Public Square; the Network for Public Health Law National Advisory Board; the Arvest Bank Advisory Board for Greater Kansas City; and the Notre Dame de Sion Board of Directors.

Christine Marcos is a Senior Program Officer at Moses Taylor Foundation, a private health conversion foundation working to improve the health of people in Northeastern Pennsylvania. As a native of the region, Christine finds it especially fulfilling to lead the foundation’s efforts to improve older adult health, champion nonprofit effectiveness, and expand school-based health. Highlights of her accomplishments include the fostering of a nationally recognized multisector collaborative addressing older adult isolation, the coordination of more than $300,000 in personal protective equipment for school nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the cultivation of a new statewide school nurse mentorship program. Prior to her start at Moses Taylor Foundation in 2018, Christine garnered a decade of experience with local health-related nonprofits and The Blue Ribbon Foundation of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania.  

Rachel Powell is Director, Health Equity & Strategy Office at CDC Foundation, where she brings over 10 years of public health program management, research, and evaluation experience. During her time at CDC Foundation, Rachel has managed several multimillion-dollar portfolios across topics such as Zika, emergency response, global cardiovascular, domestic cardiovascular, global drowning prevention, and more. She has experience with both nonfederal and federally funded projects. Other areas of interest include trust-based philanthropy, health communications, capacity building, maternal and child health, health equity, and more. Rachel has a doctorate in health promotion and behavior from the University of Georgia. She also obtained her Master of Public Health with a dual concentration in maternal and child health and health education and communication from Tulane University. Rachel graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in communications from Mercer University.

Liza Primeau is the Managing Director of Programs at the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation (MCHF), where she leads a team of program officers to implement the foundation’s grantmaking programs to support the health and well-being of underserved New Yorkers. Prior to joining MCHF, Liza spent 15 years in philanthropic consulting at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors in NYC and The Philanthropic Initiative in Boston where she worked with individuals, foundations, and corporations to launch foundations, design grantmaking strategies, develop operating plans, and implement philanthropic programs. Liza has experience building and developing programs in a broad array of issue areas including health, education, housing, human services, and social justice. Liza lives in Westchester County with her husband, Christian, and two young daughters, Virginia and Molly.

Danielle Reed is Director of Data and Impact at Mat-Su Health Foundation, where she shares and interprets data that informs strategy and decisionmaking to advance the foundation’s mission. She encourages a learning culture and works across the foundation’s various programs to support evaluation and impact. She has over 13 years of experience in disability-related research and program evaluation, with 10 years of experience working on systems change and brain injury specific projects. She serves on the foundation’s DEI leadership team and as president-elect for the Alaska Public Health Association. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering and a master’s in business administration. Danielle is originally from Michigan and has lived in Alaska for 16 years. She is an avid skier, mother to two adventurous children and an aging husky, and is happiest when with her family in the mountains or near a lake.

Krista Scott is a Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), where she advances the foundation’s work to dismantle structural barriers to heath for children and families, like systemic racism and sexism. A systems-focused child health expert working at the forefront of policy, advocacy, and equity, Krista joined RWJF in 2019. Her wide-ranging expertise in public health and education encompasses early childhood health, mental health, special education, and program development and support. Krista worked in direct service at many nonprofits serving children and teens and in government—always on behalf of or with children and families and always with care. She is passionate about changing the stories we tell ourselves about our worth, value, and inherent dignity as people, as families, and as communities so that we can use our collective resources to build a new future together.

Natalia Valenzuela Swanson is a Senior Program Director at Mary Black Foundation. Prior to joining the foundation in March 2015, Natalia worked at the Upstate Workforce Investment Board as the Associate Director. Natalia has a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Clemson University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Columbia College, double majoring in Political Science and French. Natalia proudly serves on the Steering Group of the Spartanburg Hispanic Alliance – Alianza Hispana network. She was born in Ecuador and her family moved to Kenya when she was a child. She, her husband from South Dakota, and their two-year-old daughter now call Spartanburg, South Carolina, home. Natalia loves walking under the sunrise and watching fútbol.

Chloe Wiley is Initiatives Manager at The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation where she manages a $40 million endowment and grantmaking programs to improve the well-being of communities across Louisiana. Previously, Chloe was the Founder and Director of Baton Rouge Bridge Academy, where she executed the development, launch, and operation of a start-up 501(c)(3) charter school committed to providing quality education for underserved students in North Baton Rouge. Chloe earned a Bachelor of Arts in mass communication from Louisiana State University (LSU) and a Master of Science in journalism from Northwestern University. She was recognized in Baton Rouge’s Forty under 40 and participated in Leadership Louisiana, Leadership Baton Rouge, and Philanthropy Southeast’s Hull Fellows program. Chloe teaches as an adjunct professor at LSU and serves on the boards of the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators, Teach for America Greater Baton Rouge Alumni, and Girls on the Run.