Today we are excited to welcome our first National Urban Fellow, Tomás Guarnizo, to the CCF team. Tomás will be completing his Masters in Policy Management at the McCourt School of Public Policy while he works with us on our maternal/early childhood health and managed care projects.

The National Urban Fellows (NUF) program, like CCF and the McCourt School, has a strong commitment to social justice and equity. With its 50+ year track record, NUF “develops accomplished and courageous professionals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds, particularly people of color and women, to be leaders and change agents in the public and non-profit sectors, with a strong commitment to social justice and equity.” CCF is one of NUF’s Mentorship Partners that provide a 9-month public sector fellowship to mid-career professionals while they simultaneously earn a graduate degree from the McCourt School of Public Policy.

As a Fellow, Tomás aims to integrate his direct service experience with his knowledge of public policy to enact sustainable social change. A graduate of Vassar College, Tomás has spent the last four years in public health research and services, most recently leading the health equity agenda of California’s COVID-19 Testing Task Force to increase access to testing for California’s underserved and underrepresented communities. As a Senior Program Analyst at the Maternal Child & Adolescent Health Division of the California Department of Public Health, Tomás advised leadership on division-wide initiatives to increase healthcare access for California’s mothers, children, and adolescents. As a former medical interpreter and outreach specialist and coordinator of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, he will no doubt bring important lessons learned from California on ways Medicaid can seek to better engage and empower Latino families in their health.

Tomás will bring a great combination of passion and expertise to our maternal/child health and managed care projects. Please join us in welcoming Tomás.