NEWSROOM

Distinguished Leaders from Diverse Backgrounds Join EHF Board

PHOENIX, January 13, 2022 — The Equality Health Foundation (EHF) is honored to welcome five new board members elected during the board’s annual meeting held December 23. Board members include Maria Harper-Marinick, Paul Luna, Chris Camacho, Todd Sanders and Tony Astorga.

The Equality Health Foundation is a new non-profit organization that aims to level the healthcare playing field in culturally diverse and under-resourced communities. Their goal is to expand access to care, accelerate health education, and eliminate healthcare inequalities so that everyone has an opportunity to lead longer, healthier lives.

“We welcome and are thankful for our new board members,” said Tomás León, Equality Health Foundation president. “Their diverse background and breadth of expertise will create new opportunities and result in a real impact for the individuals and communities we serve.”

New board members join the Equality Health Foundation board from a variety of professional backgrounds:

Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick is a national leader in higher education and a strong advocate for access to opportunity, equity, and student success. She served the Maricopa Community College District, one of the largest community college systems in the nation, for almost 30 years in a variety of leadership roles, most recently as Chancellor. She is a Senior Fellow for the College Excellence Program and The Aspen Institute. “Issues in Higher Education” named Maria one of 25 exceptional women leaders who have made a difference in higher education.

Paul Luna is President and CEO of Helios Education Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to creating opportunities for individuals in Arizona and Florida to succeed in postsecondary education. Luna is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the organization, cultivating strong community relationships and initiating strategic partnerships in Arizona and Florida for the Foundation. Prior to joining Helios in 2006, Luna served as President of Valley of the Sun United Way. As a first-generation college student, he attended Stanford University where he earned a degree in Civil Engineering.

Chris Camacho serves as the President and CEO at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, one of the longest standing public-private partnerships for economic development across the country. He previously served as the organization’s Executive Vice President. During his tenure, GPEC has led the attraction of more than 230 companies creating 38,881 jobs and $2.9 billion in capital investment. In 2016 he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to serve on the U.S. Investment Advisory Council, to advise the Secretary on foreign direct investment policies and strategies.

Todd Sanders is currently President and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. Prior to assuming his current role, he represented the interests of the business community in the State Legislature as Vice President of Public Affairs for the Phoenix Chamber. Prior to joining the Chamber, Sanders served as a Policy Analyst for the Arizona House of Representatives in the areas of taxation, environment, political subdivisions and international trade.

Tony Astorga retired in 2011 from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona where he served for over 22 years as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He also held the position of President of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mexico from 1994-1999 and Chief Business Development Officer from 2009-2011 during his tenure at BCBSAZ. He has previously served on various community and business boards and has been involved in community leadership roles as co-chair of the Governor’s Citizens Finance Review Commission, Maricopa Community Colleges’ ACE Campaign Cabinet, and Governor’s Film and Television Commission.

“We believe everyone should have access to resources that enable and encourage healthy living,” said Frank Placenti, board chairman. “A vision like this cannot be accomplished alone and requires a passionate group of community leaders like our newest board members to make a sustainable and transformative change.”

For more information about the Equality Health Foundation, visit https://www.equalityhealthfoundation.org.

About Equality Health Foundation

The Equality Health Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing equal health for all and leveling the healthcare playing field in diverse, underserved communities. The Foundation works to expand access to care, accelerate health education, and eliminate healthcare inequalities so that everyone in the community has an opportunity to lead healthier and longer lives—a movement for advancing equal health for all. For more information, visit equalityhealthfoundation.org or follow @EQHFoundation on Facebook, @EQHFoundation on Twitter, and @EQHFoundation on LinkedIn.

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