Leadership

Executive Staff

Jean C. Accius, PhD
Jean C. Accius, PhD

President & CEO

Dr. Jean Accius is an accomplished leader and innovator in health equity, longevity, health systems transformation, and building equitable systems so that every person in every community can live a longer, healthier, and more productive life.

As President & CEO of CHC: Creating Healthier Communities, Jean leads a high-performing team that is dedicated to breaking down the barriers to health and empowering communities to thrive. With business acumen and deep experience across sectors, Dr. Accius understands how to develop creative and actionable solutions, policies, and programs that uncover the economic advantages of addressing disparities. He has a proven track record of collaborating across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to accelerate the pace of change. Learn more.

Andrea Grant
Andrea Grant
Executive Vice President & Chief of Staff

Grant is a distinguished leader with over 20 years of experience working across public and private sectors. Her expertise spans human resources, operations, business development, and inclusive practices, driving innovative, cost-effective, and engaging human capital initiatives. Her passion for diversity, inclusion, equity, belonging, accessibility, and justice reflects her dedication to ensuring every staff member feels seen, valued, and respected.

“I was drawn to CHC by the mission,” said Grant. “I’m looking forward to helping CHC internally and externally so in turn, we can help even more people and communities.”

Andrea is a devoted special needs parent and was the caretaker to her disabled veteran father; “giving back” to others is at the core of her being. She has often donated her time and expertise to organizations such as Adecco’s National Corporate Social Responsibility Council and LHH’s Global Diversity Council.

Amanda Ponzar
Amanda Ponzar
Chief Communications and Strategy Officer

At CHC, Amanda led the brand relaunch and developed multi-channel targeted marketing campaigns for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Doctors Without Borders. Amanda specializes in external promotion and has earned thousands of media placements for CHC plus led the organization’s social impact and Future of Health events. She recruited and runs CHC’s Corporate Leadership Council of 50+ executives from Walt Disney, Starbucks, Nike, NFL, J&J, Wells Fargo, Walmart, Comcast and more.

With 25 years’ experience, Amanda previously held communications roles with top global nonprofits, including United Way Worldwide, Good360, and American Red Cross National Headquarters, as well as marketing roles with The Franklin Mint and other groups. Amanda earned Executive Education in Corporate Social Responsibility and a certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School; a master’s degree in media communications with a focus on advertising and marketing from Webster University; and a bachelor’s degree in English from Pennsylvania State University. Amanda was a Forbes Communication Council member and now serves on the Ragan Communications Advisory Board as well as the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) National Capital Chapter Board as Secretary. Amanda’s awards include the Army Commanders Award for Public Service Medal, Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award, and healthcare advertising and media relations awards. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter @LivingUnited.

 Valerie Rochester
Valerie Rochester
Chief Health Equity Officer

Valerie L. Rochester has over 25 years’ experience as a public health strategist, working across public and community health, social services and health philanthropy sectors.  She lives by and approaches her work in alignment with one of her favorite quotes – “Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.” 

In May 2021, she became Chief Health Equity Officer with Creating Healthier Communities, providing strategic direction for the organization’s health equity focus, including its community-centered and justice-focused culture and ensures funding investments and other resources are directed to those who are leading the work in their communities.

Included in her prior work experience with a range of community based and national organizations are as Chief Program Officer at AIDS United, a leading national HIV advocacy, policy and grantmaking organization in Washington, DC., and Director of Programs & Training with the Black Women’s Health Imperative. Because of her commitment to addressing health inequities in Black and brown communities, Valerie is a past recipient of the Congressional Black Caucus Healthcare Hero Award.

Karen Torges
Karen Torges
Vice President, Campaigns & Nonprofit Partnerships

Karen Torges is a highly motivated health care executive with excellent communication, leadership, networking and advocacy skills. With over 35 years’ experience in non-profit organizational management, Karen has the proven ability to lead and mentor staff and volunteers, and develop, implement and direct all aspects of large-scale initiatives, including strategic planning and evaluation. She has worked extensively with volunteer groups at the local, state and national level on multiple public health issues.

She currently serves as the Vice President on the volunteer Board of Directors for Di

Prior to joining the team at CHC, Karen was the Vice President, Health Initiatives & Director, Strategic Collaborations, at the American Cancer Society, an organization that she worked at for more than 35 years.

LeeAnn Yang, CPA
LeeAnn Yang, CPA
Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer

LeeAnn has been an active CPA for over twenty-five years. She is a seasoned finance expert in all GAAP and FASB accounting and finance aspects. She gained expertise working in various industries, including large foundations, multinational corporations, hospitals, and government entities. She is passionate about improving corporate operation Effectiveness and Efficiency, Cyber Security, and Talent Retention. She leads CHC’s operational functions, including finance, HR, IT, legal, facility, and project management. She is a candidate for a certificate program on organizational leadership and management from Harvard Business School. She holds a master’s degree in finance and accounting from The Catholic University of America and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Lanzhou University of Technology.

Senior Staff

Adelaide Appiah
Adelaide Appiah
Director, Programs
Stacie Dennis
Stacie Dennis
Vice President, Strategic Engagements
Kevin Hopkins
Kevin Hopkins
Director, Nonprofit Partnerships and Compliance
Katie Kohl
Katie Kohl
Director, Human Resources and Administration
Jordan Jennings
Jordan Jennings
Senior Director, Communications and Marketing
Cara Johnson
Cara Johnson
Director, Data and Financial Services
Sashawana Palmer-Urio
Sashawana Palmer-Urio
Project Manager
Laura Uzzle
Laura Uzzle
Director, Campaign and Nonprofit Partnerships
Nick VanDemark
Nick VanDemark
Senior Director, Social Impact & Development