Health Equity Advisory Committee

Health Equity Advisory Committee

From top left to right: Health Equity Advisory Committee Members Joyce Clark, Mervin Adams, Sahar Lawrence, Kadian Edobor, and Trayce Booth. Bottom from left to right: Board of Health Members Jennifer Childs-Roshak, Phillomin Laptiste, Manny Lopes, Chair; Rita Nieves, Rebecca Gutman.

The Health Equity Advisory Committee (HEAC) is an advisory body of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). The HEAC participates in the planning, development, and implementation of BPHC Strategic Plan's Racial Justice and Health Equity priority area and ensures that BPHC's work is responsive to community needs.

Committee Members

The HEAC is composed of ten committee members appointed by BPHC's Executive Director. Members serve a 2-year term. Members are Boston residents that reflect the spectrum of socio-demographic groups most impacted by health inequities and represent a range of community experience and expertise.

Meetings

The HEAC meets once a month and no more than ten times per year.

Activities

The HEAC advises programs and public health service centers at BPHC on communications and public awareness campaigns, programs and services, strategic planning, and policy development.

Application

The deadline to be considered for the 2019-2021 cohort of the HEAC ended on July 8, 2019. If you would like to be considered for a future position on the committee, submit your application here.

Contact

healthequity@bphc.org

Meet the 2019 – 2021 Committee Members


Apolo J Cátala Gámbaro is an urban farmer with a commitment to sustainable farming and a firm belief that food is medicine. He currently manages the OASIS on Ballou Urban Farm. He hopes to establish a cooperatively owned farming enterprise to grow nutritious food to impact the health of city residents.	Durrell J Harris is the Director in the Community Coordination Department of Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. Durrell serves on the Dorchester Board of Trade, Athletes without Borders, and the Cummings Foundation – Sustaining Grants Partners Committee.

Joyce Clark is a lifelong resident of Boston. She is an executive member and Climate Change & Environmental Justice Chair of the New England Area Council of the NAACP. Joyce is a doula with a passion for ensuring that Boston families and children are treated with respect and dignity and can achieve their fullest potential.	Kadian Edobor is a program coordinator for Sister2Sister at Action for Boston Community Development, Inc and unit coordinator for the emergency department at Boston Medical Center. Their daily work includes STI prevention for young women and group level interventions for girls to promote body awareness, safety, and wellness.

Maeva Veillard is the administrative coordinator at the Immigrant Family Services Institute. She is pursuing a Master's in Public Health at Tufts University School of Medicine. Maeva intends to work in public health to help eradicate racial disparities in healthcare.	Mervin Adams was born in Dominica, West Indies. She is a Nurse Practitioner with a focus on home visits in the community. She is active on various committees in her church and serves as a friendly volunteer visitor at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital.

Sahar Lawrence is a Program Coordinator for the Boston Housing Authority and leads the Grove Hall Trust, a non-profit that invests in community led projects in Roxbury & Dorchester. Her interest in health and community equity led her to various advocacy roles, such as GirlTrek and the Harvard School of Public Health’s Leaders in Health program.	Tiana L Bonner is the Director of the College and Financial Empowerment Program at Inquilinos Boricuas En Acción (IBA). She has dedicated her work to promoting educational equity, economic sustainability, social and political inclusion for individuals and families of color. She has been featured as a panelist contributing to conversations such as: The Potential of Youth Credit Building with Boston Builds Credit.

Trayce B Booth is a long-time resident of the urban community of Boston. She is a single parent of four adult children, a grandmother of seven, and owner of one precious dog. She serves on the Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the Sustainable Development Committee at Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative. Trayce volunteers her time with Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corp Fair Foods.	Vilma Uribe is a Latinx queer femme from Texas who made Boston her home eight years ago. She advocates for survivors of domestic, sexual violence, and discrimination. She currently serves as Assistant Director of Advocacy at the Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center of Brandeis University and previously worked with The Network/La Red and Fenway Health.