Our Team - Latino Center For Health

Agus Vega

Intern

Agus Vega is a family physician from Argentina and currently a student in the MPH program at the Global Health Department at UW. They practiced as a medical doctor in both hospital and community health center settings, focusing on primary prevention and the equitable management and expansion of resources within the community.

Driven by their passion for reproductive justice and equity, their research and activism primarily focuses on abortion, particularly in Argentina. By participating in a practicum at the Latino Center for Health, Agus seeks to gain insights and valuable experience in conducting community outreach activities and culturally responsive research for Latinx communities in Seattle who are living with or at risk of developing non-communicable diseases.

Danielle Veloso

Research Project Coordinator

Danielle Veloso (she/her) is a passionate health equity research coordinator. She graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a B.A. in Sociology and was a graduate student in Sociology at the University of Washington. She has previously worked as a research project coordinator for the VA Puget Sound, the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and the Harm Reduction Coalition. Danielle is committed to addressing racial and ethnic health disparities, improving life outcomes for underserved populations, and promoting equitable public policy.

Giselle Cárcamo Romero

Community Engagement Specialist

Giselle Cárcamo Romero (she/her/ella), MSW, was born in Lima, Peru where she studied and worked as an Organizational Psychologist. She moved to Seattle in 2001 and obtained a degree in Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences – Society, Ethics and Human Behavior and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Washington.

Giselle is a charismatic and compassionate leader who has worked with underrepresented minorities for over fifteen years. She is called to serve the community with an ethics of justice, collaboration and empowerment. She honors the wisdom that each community member holds change making power and follows their lead.

Giselle joins the Latino Center for Health (LCH) as the Community Engagement Specialist. She is committed to authentic and impactful partnering with Latinx communities and organizations in Washington State so as to collectively advance the health and wellbeing of Latinx communities. She leads two major bodies of work. One, she is creating opportunities to amplify community voices to inform and partner in LCH research priorities and activities. Two, she is building community capacity through the Health Science Workforce Development efforts of LCH. She leads our Graduate Student Fellowship Program that supports health science student scholars irrespective of legal status and promotes a path towards collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts aimed at addressing persistent disparities.

Giselle complements her workforce development efforts as a part-time lecturer at the University of Washington School of Social Work. She is a faculty member of the Community Centered Integrative Practice (CCIP) concentration and teaches the required Community Practice course for 2nd year graduate students.

Giselle Cárcamo Romero

Community Engagement Specialist

Giselle Cárcamo Romero (she/her/ella), MSW, was born in Lima, Peru where she studied and worked as an Organizational Psychologist. She moved to Seattle in 2001 and obtained a degree in Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences – Society, Ethics and Human Behavior and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Washington.

Giselle is a charismatic and compassionate leader who has worked with underrepresented minorities for over fifteen years. She is called to serve the community with an ethics of justice, collaboration and empowerment. She honors the wisdom that each community member holds change making power and follows their lead.

Giselle joins the Latino Center for Health (LCH) as the Community Engagement Specialist. She is committed to authentic and impactful partnering with Latinx communities and organizations in Washington State so as to collectively advance the health and wellbeing of Latinx communities. She leads two major bodies of work. One, she is creating opportunities to amplify community voices to inform and partner in LCH research priorities and activities. Two, she is building community capacity through the Health Science Workforce Development efforts of LCH. She leads our Graduate Student Fellowship Program that supports health science student scholars irrespective of legal status and promotes a path towards collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts aimed at addressing persistent disparities.

Giselle complements her workforce development efforts as a part-time lecturer at the University of Washington School of Social Work. She is a faculty member of the Community Centered Integrative Practice (CCIP) concentration and teaches the required Community Practice course for 2nd year graduate students.

Angie Hinojos

Executive Director, Centro Cultural Mexicano

Angie Hinojos is currently the executive director and co-founder of Centro Cultural Mexicano in Redmond. She received a degree in architecture from UC Berkeley and utilizes her experience as a public artist to strengthen community bonds. As a community organizer, Angie has focused on equity in education to increase access to higher education for underserved communities. Angie is a Trustee for Cascadia College, serves on the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs, and is a passionate advocate for social and racial justice.

Martin Valadez

Regional Director, Heritage University's Tri-Cities Campus | Interim Executive Director, Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Martin Valadez is currently the regional director for Heritage University’s Tri-Cities campus and the interim executive director of the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He was previously vice president for business development and external affairs at Tri-Cities Community Health and spent more that eight years at Columbia Basin College where he served as professor of history and intercultural studies, vice president for diversity and outreach, and CEO for the CBC Foundation. Valadez has served on a number of local and statewide boards and currently serves on the following boards: Gesa Credit Union, Mid-Columbia Libraries, ACLU of Washington, Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges and Charities Advisory Council for the Secretary of State of Washington. Valadez was born in Mexico, grew up in South Central Los Angeles, and has resided in Pasco, Washington since 2006.

Matías Valenzuela

Director of the Office of Equity and Community Partnerships for Public Health, Seattle & King County

Matías Valenzuela, PhD, is the director of the Office of Equity and Community Partnerships for Public Health – Seattle & King County. In the COVID-19 response, he directed community mitigation and recovery. He was also co-lead in the county’s team for the declaration of racism as a public health crisis in June 2020. Previously starting in 2015, he was the first director of the Office of Equity and Social Justice in King County, spearheading a countywide effort to address the root causes of inequities, especially racism, working with all county agencies and the community. Matias has worked at King County since 2000, including as a lead for equity and social justice at its inception in 2008. Previously in his career, he was a print and broadcast journalist in the United States and abroad. He has been a Fulbright professor in Nicaragua, and he is an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and Community Medicine. He currently serves on numerous local and national boards and advisory groups.

Jesús Hernández

CEO, Family Health Centers

Jesús Hernández, MPA, received his BA in business administration from Washington State University in 1992, and an MPA from the University of Washington in 2006. A first generation college graduate, Hernandez’s career has spanned three decades of progressive responsibility in areas of leadership including workforce development, education, healthcare, and finance. As CEO at Family Health Centers and previously for Community Choice Healthcare
Network, he led numerous undertakings to move the organization’s strategic priorities forward. This included reorganizing bylaws, leading network strategic planning, and serving as the lead grant writer to secure over ten million in federal grants for network development and health information technology.

Jimena Garcia

Board Member, Latino Community Fund of Washington State

Jimena Garcia is an impact-driven health equity leader with a track record of reducing health disparities and improving health outcomes of communities from historically underserved groups. She is a first-generation Mexican American and grew up in Imperial Valley, CA. Her passions include border health, mentorship, and collaborating on innovative solutions to improve the quality of healthcare delivery and access. She obtained her bachelor of science degree in neuroscience from the University of California Santa Cruz and possesses significant healthcare experience working at the intersection of health systems, payors, and federally qualified health centers.

Her curiosity leads her to constantly study and implement best practices to provide the best meaningful care for refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers through digital innovation, advocacy, and capacity building. She enjoys serving the boards of the Latino Center for Health at the University of Washington and the Latino Community Fund of Washington State as well as horse riding, traveling, and cycling.

Emely Diaz Barragan

Graduate Student Intern

Emely Diaz Barragan (She/Her/Ella) was born and raised in Yakima, Washington. She is a proud alumna of the University of Washington, where she earned both her bachelor’s degree in Public Health and Global Health and a Master of Social Work. She is deeply passionate about mental health and public health, with a strong commitment to advancing health equity for BIPOC and Latine communities through both research and practice. Emely joins LCH as a graduate student intern, helping support the center’s mission for culturally responsive practices and community-engaged methodologies through her research on Latina mental health and primary prevention strategies.

Her passion for public health is reflected in her teaching assistant role at the University of Washington School of Public Health department, where she helps teach public health undergrads about the history and practice of public health.