Denise Alfaro – Senior Administrative Assistant

Denise (she/her/ella) joined CPCA’s Health Center Operations team in April and has extensive experience providing executive and administrative support to all levels of an organization. She most recently spent five years with the California Hispanic Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, first as an Executive Assistant and then as a Field Operations Supervisor. As a daughter of immigrant parents, she has a passion and commitment to seeing that all communities have access to health and justice.

Becky Paplanus – Executive Assistant to the CEO

Becky joined CPCA in March to exclusively support CPCA’s new CEO Francisco J. Silva, Esq. Becky most recently served as Educational Program Coordinator/ Executive Assistant at the California Medical Association (CMA) and was previously with CMA for 14 years serving in various positions.

Ashley Owens – Assistant Director of Development

Ashley (she, her, ella) joined CPCA’s Development & External Relations team in April and has experience working with federal, state, and local governments for grant opportunities, as well as individual donors and foundations. She is a UC Davis graduate and got her start in grants work at the Health Professions Education Foundation. She has been working for non-profits in Sacramento for over seven years, including her most recent position with WEAVE.

Laura Sheckler – Deputy Director of Policy & Regulatory Affairs

Laura joined CPCA’s Government Affairs team in January and brings years of experience with work focused on improving access to coverage and care for the remaining uninsured, addressing social determinants of health, and developing and strengthening inter-organizational networks. She has worked in community health in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2004, with roles ranging from direct service to clinic management, program administration, and most recently as Director of Community and Government Affairs with the Community Clinic Consortium. Laura holds a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration and Interprofessional Leadership (MS-HAIL) through the University of California, San Francisco.

Abby Nuño - Grants & Sponsorship Coordinator

Abby (she/her/hers) joined the Development & External Relations team in June and is a graduate student from San Jose State University (SJSU); she pursued her M.A. in Communication Studies while simultaneously teaching public speaking courses to undergraduate students. After graduating from SJSU, Abby broadened her professional skills and experiences by working for business organizations such as, Avaya Stadium, Heart Television and in the Real Estate industry. Her most recent professional experience was with American Exposition Services, where she started as an Exhibitor Service Representative and quickly grew into an Account Manager role - it was through this work that she discovered CPCA and the conferences the organization puts on. 

Daniel Cruz-Sanchez - People Operations Specialist

Daniel (he/him/his) joined the Finance & Operations team in May and is a UC San Diego graduate. He has experience working in the healthcare field as a physical therapy aide before transitioning into his role as a Program Administrator for The Larkin Company, where he partnered with the HR, payroll, benefits, and legal teams for multiple different companies.