Congratulations to the 2021 NACHC Grassroots Advocacy Award Recipients!

We are incredibly grateful to honor 2021 recipients of the NACHC Grassroots Advocacy Awards. All recipients were nominated by their peers for this recognition. Please take a moment to learn more about these advocates and their work.

The 2021 NACHC Grassroots Hall of Fame Inductees

Grassroots Hall of Fame inductees have all made lasting contributions to ensuring the creation, survival, and strength of Community Health Centers and the health center movement through their dedicated and tireless advocacy efforts over many years

Andrew R Behrman, MBA

President & CEO, Florida Association of Community Health Centers

Click here to learn more about Andrew.

Stan McKee

Board of Directors, Carevide, Texas

Click here to learn more about Stan.

Ernesto Gómez, Ph.D.

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, CentroMed, Texas

Click here to learn more about Ernesto.

Berneice Mills-Thomas, RN, MSM,MPH, MBA

Chief Executive Office, Near North Health Service Corporation, Illinois

Click here to learn more about Berneice.

Linda Y.  Flake, MBA

President/CEO, Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers, New Jersey

Click here to learn more about Linda.

The 2021 NACHC Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Awardees

The NACHC Grassroots MVP Award is named in honor of the late Elizabeth K. (Betsey) Cooke, whose constant effort and unflagging persistence as an advocate for Community Health Centers and health center patients set an example for all Health Center Advocates to follow. All honorees have gone above and beyond in their efforts to ensure that their Members of Congress actively supported health centers or to establish and expand grassroots advocacy efforts at their health center or in their state.

Margarethia G. Bledsoe

Director of Marketing & Outreach, The Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc.

Click here to learn more about Margarethia.

Celeste Harrison

Chief Executive Officer,

MEHOP, Texas

Click here to learn more about Celeste.

Amber Kirchhoff, MA

Director, Public Policy + Government Affairs, Illinois Primary Health Care Association

Click here to learn more about Amber.

Katherine K. McLeod

Chief Executive Officer, First Choice Primary Care, Georgia

Click here to learn more about Katherine.

Kimberleigh Joy Smith, MPA

Senior Director for Community Health Planning and Policy, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, New York

Click here to learn more about Kimberleigh.

Edgardo Joel Vázquez-Fonseca, MPH, DrPH(c)

Public Health Specialist and Organizational Development Consultant, Asociación de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico

Click here to learn more about Edgardo.

Sarah M. Francois

Director of Fund Development & Marketing, Progressive Community Health Centers, Wisconsin

Click here to learn more about Sarah.

Perla Herrera

Board Secretary, Access Community Health Network Board of Directors, Illinois

Click here to learn more about Perla

Helen Labun, MSc, MFA

Director of Vermont Public Policy,

Bi-State Primary Care Association

Click here to learn more about Helen.

Jody Sahota

Advocacy and Communications Manager,

Alameda Health Consortium, California

Click here to learn more about Jody.

Meghan Spinelli

Vice President of Community & Government Relations, CompleteCare Health Network, New Jersey

Click here to learn more about Meghan.

Michael Glas

Deputy Chief Executive Officer,

Carevide, Texas

Click here to learn more about Michael.

Beth Keeney, MBA

SVP Community Health Initiatives/COO Community Health Center Programs, LifeSpring Health System, Indiana

Indiana Primary Health Care Association Board of Directors

Click here to learn more about Beth.

Sara LeMaster

Manager, Government Relations and Public Policy,

Community Health Center Association of Connecticut

Click here to learn more about Sara.

Marielys Santiago Matos, B.A. M.S.

Public Health Specialist,

Asociación de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico

Click here to learn more about Marielys.

R.B. Tucker, Jr.

Chief Executive Officer, South Central Primary Care Center, GA

Click here to learn more about R.B.