Who We Are
Your Health and Well-being Advocate
Healthy Petaluma is working to make southern Sonoma County a place where everyone has equitable access to health and wellness services. As a community-owned and -operated public agency, we've been dedicated to fostering a healthier community for more than 75 years.
Our Staff
The Healthy Petaluma team is here to further our mission of improving the health and well-being of southern Sonoma County. Get to know more about the people here at Healthy Petaluma who are dedicated to creating a healthy community for all.
Ramona Faith, MSN RN
Chief Executive Officer
rfaith@healthypetaluma.org
Ramona Faith is a health care executive with more than 25 years of health care leadership experience. She has served southern Sonoma County as Chief Nursing Officer and Administrator for Petaluma Valley Hospital and as a health care consultant in the areas of hospital operations, quality, and risk. She joined the Petaluma Health Care District as CEO in April 2011, with a commitment to Healthy Petaluma's mission to improve the health and well-being of the residents of southern Sonoma County.
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Andrew Koblick
BS Finance
Controller -
Tami Bender
HeartSafe Community Program Manager
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Benjamin Spierings
Community Health Program Manager
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Angela McGlade
Staff Accountant
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Jasmine Gonzalez
Community Health Worker
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Johanna Duran
Community Health Worker
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Juliana Dougan
Administrative Assistant / Board Clerk
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WENDY ANGUIANO
Special Projects Coordinator
Our Board
The Healthy Petaluma board is here to further our mission of improving the health and well-being of southern Sonoma County. Get to know more about the people who are dedicated to creating and supporting a healthy community for all.
BY-ZONE ELECTIONS
Our Board of Directors is currently elected under an at-large election system, where directors are elected by voters of the entire District. Healthy Petaluma is committed to following the extensive public hearing process provided for in the California Elections Code 10010. Click here to learn more and stay up to date about the upcoming public hearings.
Brian Dufour
President
bdufour@healthypetaluma.org
Brian Dufour spent 17 years in the financial services industry, working in leadership roles for Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Fidelity Investments. In 2016, Brian refocused his professional life on service to his community. Brian was a Nutrition and Dietetics Technician and Assistant Health and Wellness Coordinator for the Roseland School District. He served as Tobacco Education and Prevention Program Coordinator at Petaluma City Schools and is currently the COVID-19 Coordinator for the school district. Brian is also a board member for the North California Center for Well Being and has been a member of CHIPA since 2013.
Term dates: 2020 - 2024
Elece Hempel
Vice President
ehempel@healthypetaluma.org
A 20-year Petaluma resident, Elece Hempel joined Petaluma People Services Center in the spring of 2004 as Community Resource Manager, in 2006 served as Associate Executive Director and in 2011 as Executive Director a position she currently holds. She has an extensive background in sales, marketing and general management, gained from more than 15 years of experience in the software and services industry. Elece also has served on various boards in the community, including the Healthy Community Consortium, the Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking, KJHS, PTSA, Little League, and others.
Term dates: 2020 - 2024
Crista nelson
Secretary
cnelson@healthypetaluma.org
Crista Nelson has 25 years of experience in community health nonprofit positions. She is executive director of Senior Advocacy Services, an agency providing activism, educational services, and collaborative resources for aging populations. Prior to this role, she served as business manager for the Family Life Center, a youth treatment facility, and finance director of Senior Access, which cares for individuals afflicted with dementia. In addition to her role on Healthy Petaluma’s board, Crista serves as board president of the state association California Long Term Care Ombudsman and is a board member for the Congress of California Seniors.
Term dates: 2022 - 2026
Jeffrey Tobias, MD
Treasurer
jtobias@healthypetaluma.org
Jeff Tobias has dedicated his 35+ year career as a physician to improving human health, including 10 years in clinical and academic medicine in the areas of internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and critical care medicine, and 26 years in the biopharmaceutical industry as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. He is skilled at finding innovative solutions to complex problems in a highly regulated environment and in building teams focused on achieving excellence.
Term dates: 2020 - 2024
Cheryl Negrin, NP
Member-at-Large
cnegrin@healthypetaluma.org
Cheryl Negrin has been involved in women's health services and family practice services since 1968. She started at the Haight Free Clinic in San Francisco, volunteering as a reproductive health and drug abuse counselor. She also volunteered at Planned Parenthood in a similar capacity. Cheryl was one of the founders of the Petaluma Free Clinic and continued to coordinate it for 10 years. After the Petaluma Free Clinic closed in 2002, Cheryl opened the Phoenix Teen Clinic to meet the community's needs. She is a family nurse practitioner, a physician's assistant, has a masters of science in nursing, and is a certified public health nurse. She is the volunteer director of the Phoenix Teen Clinic and mentors teens to operate the clinic as health care workers and reproductive health educators.
Term dates: 2022 - 2026