Since July 2024, Juliana Gonzales has served as THI’s chief operating officer, bringing 20+ years of nonprofit operations and leadership experience to the COO role. Prior to joining THI, she was the vice president of client programs and services and oversaw a portfolio that included food Is medicine and non-medical drivers of health efforts. Prior to that, Gonzales has held leadership roles in diverse nonprofit settings, including healthcare clinics and systems, housing, domestic and sexual violence, and women’s sports. She has been active in Central Texas nonprofits for several decades and has lived in Austin since 2001.

Andrea “AJ” Jacks, PhD, serves as THI’s chief research and evaluation officer, bringing with her over 15 years of experience in equity-focused, action-oriented, mixed methods research. Prior to joining THI, Jacks was the research director for E3 Alliance, an education-focused collective impact organization in Central Texas. Prior to that she served as the division administrator for research and evaluation in the Prevention and Early Intervention Division of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. She has also held positions with the Texas Legislative Council, the Center for Public Policy Priorities, and the National Skills Coalition. She holds a doctorate in public administration and policy from Arizona State University, a master’s in public policy from Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s in sociology from Colgate University.

Danie Connick serves as the controller at Texas Health Institute. Previously, she served for ten years as a director of accounting and operations in the substance use disorder field and has been in the nonprofit arena for the last five years. Prior to that, she was a controller at a medium-sized home health organization in Austin. She loves accounting and exploring ways to save and thoroughly enjoys the collaboration from members of the team. Connick earned her Bachelor of Arts in accounting from Texas State University and went on to get her master’s in accounting from New Hampshire University.

Ruby Gonzalez is an experienced professional with a background in accounting and finance. Her career in accounting began at CHRISTUS Health as a corporate staff accountant. Once the CHRISTUS Corporate Office moved to Dallas she then transitioned to CHRISTUS Foundation for Healthcare as an accountant II. Gonzalez has demonstrated expertise in managing financial functions, ensuring accuracy, and providing valuable reporting to business managers. Her skills include financial analysis, balance sheet reconciliations, and proficiency in various software tools. Gonzalez has maintained a commitment to accuracy and excellence throughout her career.

Kara Hill, senior director of health integration at Texas Health Institute, has over twenty-five years of experience in the nonprofit sector, leading organizations and programs serving under-resourced populations. Her passion is to serve, support, and strengthen vulnerable communities. Her recent focus is on community-based interventions and team-based integrated behavioral health while promoting value-based care and contracting.

Hill has served the Greater Houston area over the last ten years, leading health care organizations and working collaboratively with local and state governments, funders, hospital systems, safety net clinics, clinicians, and staff to transform care delivery. She has also overseen programs that work collectively and collaboratively with communities to physician and mental health, housing stability, and resilience.  

Hill started her career working with families experiencing homelessness. She leveraged funding resources from various local and state entities to convene stakeholders from multiple sectors, including federal, state, and local governments, while partnering with organizations to implement evidence-based best practice housing-first models throughout Ohio’s urban and rural areas. Replicated across the U.S., this program is now recognized nationally as Rapid Re-Housing and is funded by the Federal Government’s Housing and Urban Development offices.

Hill earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Bowling Green State University and her Master of Health Administration from Texas A&M University. She is a doctoral student in health care administration at Oklahoma State University.

Autumn Jones is the communications and convenings coordinator at Texas Health Institute. An Emmy award-winning journalist, Jones has spent several years as a multimedia reporter in Texas covering issues such as climate change, education, and public health. With her expertise in storytelling combined with her passion for equitable healthcare and sustainability, Jones utilizes strategic communications to further THI’s mission to advance the health of all.

Jornae Rideaux began her career by implementing programs at a Title I high school for  HealthCorps, which cemented her love for youth and public health. With over 12 years of experience in health promotion and prevention and more than eight years in program planning and implementation, Rideaux is passionate about community and relationship-building to address disparities and improve living conditions for vulnerable populations. Currently, she serves as the program manager for the Hiram Clarke Community Resiliency Project, a collaborative of residents, organizations, leaders, and students dedicated to enhancing family well-being and fostering unity in the Hiram Clarke community. A native of Houston, Rideaux is also an enthusiastic vegan foodie.

Claire Rowan is a research analyst coming to THI following an ORISE fellowship with the CDC’s Climate and Health Program. Her background is in epidemiology and data analysis with a commitment to addressing environmental health outcomes and violence prevention. As a fellow and a consultant for academic institutions and nonprofit organizations, Rowan has conducted data collection and analysis, spearheaded research projects, and assisted in synthesis of research findings that inform evidence-based interventions. She has a proven track record of successful collaboration across stakeholders including community-based organizations, policymakers, and the public. Rowan has a bachelor’s degree in public health from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in epidemiology from Emory University with a certificate in climate change and health.

Javoszia Sterling-Lewis currently serves as a project manager in the research and evaluation team at Texas Health Institute. She is a solutions-focused leader with a remarkable track record of driving quality improvement and enhancing patient satisfaction. With a master’s degree in public health from National University San Diego, Sterling-Lewis has honed her expertise in developing, executing, evaluating, and enhancing sustainable programs centered on patient experience and safety, aiming to make a lasting impact.

Sterling-Lewis’s passion lies in making a positive difference in the health care sector, and she has successfully led various quality and process improvement projects for county, state, federal, and community-based health care organizations. Her ability to implement effective strategies has garnered commendable results and elevated the performance of these organizations.

Her previous work includes leading the quality department at Prism Health North Texas, where she engaged staff, prepared policies, and created on-site continuous quality teams. Prior to that, she managed multiple patient safety and improvement of care projects for one of CMS’s Quality Improvement Organizations, serving patients with End Stage Renal Disease across Texas. With a strong commitment to creating quality projects in response to accurate and validated data sources, Sterling-Lewis took some time in the state department to sharpen her analytical skills in the public health domain.

Misty Tijerina is a skilled and versatile visual content specialist with over 11 years of experience in events and digital marketing. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design from Texas Woman’s University, she began her career in branding and events and continued to expand her skills in user experience through research, design, and development for web and data visualizations. Tijerina designs print and digital graphics, utilizing web, email, video, and social marketing for communications and both in-person and virtual events. With a diverse background and extensive experience, she aims to make a significant impact in advancing the health of all.

Brianna Tofel is a research and evaluation senior analyst at Texas Health Institute working with the research and evaluation team. She is passionate about community health and focused on building innovative solutions to address health disparities and promote health equity. Her experiences working with the Junior League of Bryan–College Station ignited her passion for community health and well-being. During her eleven-year tenure with the organization, she served in many leadership roles, including community vice president and as a member of the board of directors. Tofel holds a Bachelor of Science in marketing management and a master of public health degree, focusing on health promotion and community health sciences, from Texas A&M University. Additionally, she completed a maternal and child health certificate, reflecting her commitment to addressing maternal care and childhood poverty issues.

Meghan Varghese currently serves as the communications manager at Texas Health Institute. She started at THI as a graduate intern in 2017. Since then, she has held numerous roles at the institute spanning project analysis, event coordination, and communications. Varghese earned both her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Science in Social Work with a concentration on administration and policy practice from The University of Texas at Austin. Outside of work, she volunteers at a local Bible camp as a program director.

Hammad Ali is a passionate public health leader with 17 years of experience spanning 15 countries. He has extensive experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs, and research studies including clinical trials. His areas of interest include infectious diseases, surveillance, global health, strategic information, data systems and modernization, digital health and capacity building. He has published 65 peer-reviewed papers and his work has been cited more than 12,000 times.

Helen Kent Davis is the founder and principal of HKD and Associates, a health care consultancy providing policy analysis and strategy to help clients promote more accessible, equitable, and cost-effective health care. Among the issues on which she has expertise are Medicaid and the state’s health care safety net, public and private health care coverage, primary care, rural health, and women’s, perinatal, and children’s health. Prior to founding her own firm, Kent Davis worked at the Texas Medical Association for more than 30 years, most recently as the associate vice president of governmental affairs. At TMA, she earned a trusted reputation for her expertise, savvy understanding of Texas’ policy-making process and ability to develop effective partnerships, working together to improve health care delivery and outcomes. Away from work, she loves spending time with her husband, son and two dogs as well as swimming at Barton Springs, gardening and traveling.

William Moore is principal at The Strategy Group, an international consulting firm supporting nonprofits, foundations, and communities, and vice-president of Youth Development Strategies Inc. He is a senior fellow at the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, senior associate for rural health at Texas Health Institute, and is the rural health advisor to the St. David’s Foundation. Moore serves on the Board of Directors for the Association for Consultants to Nonprofits.

Moore is an educational psychologist, trained at the University of Kansas, with a diverse and successful career as an educator, research and evaluation director, entrepreneur, and senior executive in philanthropy and nonprofits. He has led or been a member of interdisciplinary teams conducting research on breast cancer, mental health, community health, “hotspotting” studies of disease burden and access to health care for marginalized and isolated populations, urban education reform, and youth development.

Moore previously served as commissioner for the Human Relations Commission for the City of Olathe, KS; a member of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review – Midwest Comparative Effectiveness Advisory Council; Academy Health, Disparities Interest Group Advisory Board; Rural Patient-Centered Medical Home Initiative, National Advisory Group; and on the Council on the Future of Public Health in Kansas. He participated for several years in the White House Rural Health Council–Public-Private Partnerships sponsored by Grantmakers in Health, the National Rural Health Association, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Moore’s work has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals. His ongoing work on resident-led social impact networks can be found in this Grantmakers in Health, Voices from the Field publication and The Foundation Review and here.

Eileen Nehme is a community health consultant working to shift policies, systems, and environments towards population health and health equity. She helps clients find, collect, and use data, identify and tailor relevant evidence-based practices, build successful cross-sector partnerships, and assess impact. She has over 20 years of experience in local public health, community nonprofit, and academic settings, and teaches epidemiology and population health at the UT Austin School of Nursing. She holds a PhD in epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center, a master’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor’s degree in natural sciences and behavioral biology from the Johns Hopkins University.

Laura Rapp provides evaluation, research, data collection, data translation, and strategic planning support. She is motivated to make data and evaluation useful with a focus on improving and supporting programs, communities, policies, and people’s lives. She has over 10 years of applied experience in this area working with universities, nonprofits, coalitions, health care agencies, and government agencies, and her main content areas are behavioral health and public health. Rapp earned her PhD in sociology from the University of Delaware.