People

She joined Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago in October 2007. Karen has more than 20 years of experience in public health with special emphasis on HIV/AIDS prevention and policy.

As Director of State Affairs at AIDS Foundation of Chicago, she worked for eight years lobbying the Illinois General Assembly in support of policies and legislation focused on protecting the health and ensuring the rights of people living with and at risk for AIDS.

She also has considerable programmatic experience, managing a network of clinics funded to provide healthcare to people living with HIV/AIDS and a coalition of youth-serving agencies focused on expanding and enhancing HIV-prevention services for adolescents. Karen has a Master of Arts in Social Work from University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Oberlin College.

Dr. Kendricks is a pivotal force in advancing PHIMC’s public health initiatives. Her prior role as Senior Vice President of Programs at Ignite, a Chicago-based non-profit organization supporting youth and emerging adults experiencing homelessness and housing instability, showcases her commitment to uplifting marginalized communities through innovative leadership and program development.

Holding an EdD in Organizational Leadership from National Louis University, Dr. Kendricks’ research explores the relationship between Black Chicago youth and Chicago Drill Music culture. She also possesses a Master of Arts in Inner City Studies Education from Northeastern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Justice from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Dr. Kendricks’ diverse expertise in community engagement, youth development, and public health underscores her comprehensive approach to social justice and community empowerment. Dr. Kendricks sits on the Board of Directors of the Love, Unity & Values (L.U.V.) Institute, a non-profit that supports young adults ages 16-24 in Chicago’s under-resourced communities through career development, entrepreneurship, and professional development programming. Dr. Kendricks is featured in the 2024 documentary “As We Speak,” based on the book “Rap on Trial” which examines the implications of Rap lyrics in legal contexts.

Prior to joining PHIMC, Vivian served as Vice President of Finance and Operations for Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc., and before that, as Senior Manager with the Accounting Firm, Washington, Pittman and McKeever, LLC, where she provided CFO services to clients in multiple industries, developed and performed staff training, and managed tax planning and preparation, compilation, review, and audit engagements in the following industries: governmental, educational, non-profit, manufacturing and distribution, retail, and real estate. Vivian brings to PHIMC more than 25 years of experience in public accounting.

Vivian holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Chicago State University, and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Illinois CPA Society, and National Association of Black Accountants. She is also deeply involved in her community and church. She serves on the Boards of Mt. Sinai Hospital and The Friends Forever Foundation.

Prior to joining PHIMC in 2011, Shanda served as a Personal Assistant Supervisor at Department of Human Services. Shanda consulted with a care team of doctors, nurses, and other personnel to ensure a specialized care plan and budget for each client. Prior to that, she served as a Lead Senior Service Agent at FedEx for more than 16 years, assisting in Accounts Receivables, working with outside vendors, and supporting other departments within the corporate structure to ensure productivity and success.

In her spare time, Shanda enjoys comedy, music, game shows, hanging out with friends and family, and binge-watching various TV shows.

She spends half of her time working on general communications for the organization and half on the new Regional Substance Use Prevention Integration Centers (RSUPICs) program.

Madeline is a graduate of DePaul University’s School of Communication where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising. She was drawn to work for PHIMC because of her desire to promote equity and inclusion within the State of Illinois.

Jay has more than eight years of experience in the field of LGBTQ health. He managed an HIV prevention program focused on eliminating barriers to care for youth and was a crucial component in addressing the COVID-19 response at Howard Brown Health. Jay’s mission in his work is to promote health equity, social justice, and human rights for LGBTQ, marginalized, and underserved communities.

In Jay’s spare time, he loves to spend time with his two cats and partner, attend concerts, make music, and make the best of every moment life provides.

Before joining PHIMC, Julio served as the Associate Director of Youth Development for the Broadway Youth Center, where he supported teams focused on youth homelessness prevention, youth advocacy, program development, sexual and reproductive health, and resource advocacy. Julio has also worked on Chicago-based initiatives to define best practices for supporting LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness.

Julio truly believes that past mistakes cannot define who you are or who you can become. Julio is a December Capricorn whose favorite color is blue and he loves to travel.

Bryan provides consistent support to 15-20 organizations offering HIV testing and prevention services to individuals vulnerable to or living with HIV across Cook County. Bryan provides training and technical assistance, partner management, fiscal and program monitoring, data analysis, and reporting for RIG partner agencies.

An advocate, activist, and sometimes agitator, Bryan brings 20 years of experience in supporting people living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS, focusing on access and equity in care. A lifelong learner with lived experience and passion, Mr. Gooding is certified as an HIV tester/counselor, has been trained in multiple high-impact interventions, and holds an advanced certification in Community Health Work from South Suburban College.

Additionally, Kelly provides day-to-day support for PHIMC Staff on administrative and IT needs.

With a background in AmeriCorps, including VISTA and VISTA leader roles, she brings extensive experience in youth development and volunteer generation. Kelly also directed an AmeriCorps State program in Colorado, providing tax assistance to rural communities, and served on the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Southwest Region staff, providing training, operations, and professional development support for more than 330 members annually. Kelly attended Western Michigan University and received a Bachelor of Art in Interpersonal Communication with a minor in History. Outside of work, Kelly enjoys spending time with her rescue dog, Brinny. 

She has eight years of experience in the non-profit sector. Past roles include working with the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area in after-school programming and uplifting youth towards professional career pathways. She brings a passionate spirit to her advocacy for community health equity, rooted in her lived experience growing up in Chicagoland and observing healthcare challenges for communities of color.

Alisha holds a Master of Public Health from University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from University of Illinois at Chicago. Outside work, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, traveling, live music shows, baking, and photography.

Prior to joining PHIMC, Aleksandar worked to increase equitable care for the queer community in Macedonia, creating spaces for queer authenticity and joy, notably co-organizing Skopje Pride, Macedonia’s first-ever Pride parade. An activist, Aleksandar’s work centers building connections across differences to enact real, substantive, and sustained change toward liberation. Aleksandar is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago. They are also a Fulbright scholar and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Global Health Studies, Neuroscience, and Slavic Languages and Literature from Northwestern University.

Helema holds a Master of Accounting and Financial Management from Keller Graduate School of Management and earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from North Park University in Chicago. She brings to PHIMC more than 16 years of combined experience in public accounting and non-profit management. Helema has held previous roles at The Art Institute of Chicago as the Financial and Compliance Manager and served as a Senior Auditor with the Accounting Firm, Washington, Pittman and McKeever, LLC, which was founded by the first African-American Woman CPA.

In her free time, Helema enjoys playtime with her dog and watching RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Cynthia is passionate about collaborating with community and government stakeholders to develop infrastructure and strategies in order to improve health equity for marginalized populations and foster healthy communities. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Drexel University and her Master of Public Health with a Global Health Concentration from Northwestern University.

In her free time, Cynthia enjoys exploring used bookstores in various neighborhoods across Chicago and when the weather permits, reading her findings by the lake.

James has been working with PHIMC for over a year and a half and before this role, he worked as Program Manager for the Healthy Chicago Equity Zones initiative. In the past, he has also overseen HIV clinical programs located in Cook County Health funded by the Chicago Department of Public Health. He graduated with a Master of Public Health and has more than seven years of experience in the public health field. As an African-American man in Chicago, James has always wanted to support and give back to marginalized communities and assist in any way he could.

James’s hobbies include cooking, collecting Funko Pop figures, gaming, and spending time with his friends and family.

With over a decade of experience in project and program management, Meghana focuses on partnership development, strategic planning, and collaboration with thought leaders in adolescent and youth health. Her journey at PHIMC began in September 2017, following roles at the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and Mikva Challenge in Chicago.

Meghana holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago, driven by her dedication to social justice and equity, which is constantly fueled by the passion of young people. Outside work, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and kayaking with her wife and two rescue dogs, embracing the beauty of outdoor adventures.

Katie is passionate about ensuring programming and services reach and effectively meet the needs of their intended beneficiaries. Prior to joining PHIMC, Katie was the Quality Management Coordinator at St. Clair County Health Department. While there, she ensured programming met applicable standards of care and performance measures, recommended areas for improvement, facilitated process improvement with stakeholders, and led system-wide implementation of effective improvements.

Throughout her career, Katie has worked to help the non-profit community thrive, supporting professionals, people with lived experience, and organizations by overseeing funding to nonprofits, connecting and convening organizations, disseminating vital information, and building capacity to deliver programming. Katie earned a Master of Public Administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a Bachelor of Arts from McKendree University.

Lara has a diverse educational background and extensive experience in academia, specifically in the realm of healthcare and business. She has had hands-on experiences working directly with youth as an Academic Assistant and Learning Specialist. She has also led community health needs assessments, contributing to the national guidelines for vision screening for the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health.

In her free time, Lara runs her own e-commerce business and loves to travel.

Before joining PHIMC in 2019, RoiAnn served as Communications Director for HealthConnect One, a national non-profit advancing respectful, community-based peer support for pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early parenting. Before that, she worked for Lambda Legal, handling outreach and education for the Midwest Region. Throughout her career, she has worked against racism and classism, and for the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) people, and people living with or at risk for HIV. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from Santa Clara University.

In her spare time, RoiAnn is a performance poet and storyteller on LGBTQ+ parenting, step-parenting, mental health, adoption, and the human connections that sustain us.

Brittany has dedicated nearly two decades to working in communities addressing and fighting to improve and eradicate social determinants of health, specifically inequity in the criminal justice and education systems. Brittany is passionate about working to create sustainable change in communities that need it most.

Brittany earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Valparaiso University and a Master of Science in Public Service Management with a focus in Urban Planning from DePaul University.

In addition, Brittany is known and recognized as an expert in the field of Restorative Justice. She has spearheaded various restorative justice initiatives and served as the lead planner to develop restorative justice entities that support and have positive impacts on individuals and communities.

Prior to joining PHIMC, Roslyn was a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where she researched HIV transmission. Roslyn received her Doctorate of Philosophy in Biomedical Science, with an area of concentration in Immunology from University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from University of Michigan. Roslyn also holds a Project Management Professional certification.

In her spare time, Roslyn likes to cook, paint, and have dance parties with her family. 

Liz’s background is in project management, early childhood public policy, and reproductive justice. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a BA in Liberal Arts. Liz also holds a Master’s in Public Health from DePaul University focused on gender and LQBTQIA+ studies. Liz advocates passionately for structural and social change so Chicago communities, families, and children can grow and thrive with access to affordable and equitable healthcare.

When she’s not at work, Liz enjoys cooking, dancing, and rereading her favorite queer YA books from her youth.