Meet Our Staff
Meet Our Staff
Get Healthy San Mateo County is supported by Health Policy and Planning division staff at San Mateo County Health.
Heather Arata
Community Health Planner
Heather leads the transportation work at HPP. This includes expanding options for active transportation such as walking & biking and public transportation access. She also supports the healthy housing work by serving as staff on the countywide Home For All initiative’s Outreach & Education workgroup. Heather holds a PhD in city and regional planning with an emphasis on public health and planning.
Sharon Calaunan
Office Specialist
Sharon serves as administrative support for the Health Policy and Planning Team. She is also the Wellness Champion of the Public Health Policy and Planning Department. Since attaining her Psychology B.A. from San Francisco State University, she has focused on supporting agencies that promote health and education.
Eduardo Castañeda
Health Policy and Planning Intern
Eduardo joined the team as a summer intern. In his role, Eduardo will be researching the root causes of racial health inequities by place to inform policy and systems change strategies that can reduce racial health disparities in San Mateo County. He will be analyzing historical documents, conducting key informant interviews, reviewing literature, and communicating the connections between racial equity and health. Eduardo is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Ethnic Studies with a concentration in Public Policy at San Jose State University.
Maeve Johnston
Management Analyst
Maeve manages the Community Collaboration for Children’s Success initiative. Using place-based community planning with young people and their families, she works with community members to identify assets and opportunities to create positive outcomes for youth. Maeve brings experience in local policy and multi-sector collaboration. She holds a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA.
(650) 573-2415
mjohnston@smcgov.org
Akinchita Kumar
Health Policy and Planning Intern
Akinchita will be researching the impact of civic engagement on community health and developing strategies for addressing the root causes of racial health inequities. Through her work and academic pursuits over the years, she has been able to gain experience in developing and implementing community-based initiatives, health equity research, and health education and promotion programming to address social and public health issues affecting culturally and linguistically marginalized populations.
Shireen Malekafzali
Senior Manager for Health Policy, Planning and Equity
Shireen manages the Health Policy and Planning Program with a focus on achieving healthy, equitable places where all San Mateo County residents have the opportunity to lead healthy, prosperous lives. She brings over 15 years of experience advancing health and equity through multi-field partnerships, community leadership, policy advocacy, grant-making and research.
Brian Oh
Senior Community Health Planner
As a Senior Community Health Planner for San Mateo County, Brian works on advancing policies that promote healthier, more equitable communities. He brings local government experience in both policy making and implementation. Prior to joining the Health System, he worked for Los Angeles City Council and more recently, for LA Department of Transportation as the lead transportation planner implementing Los Angeles’ Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2025. As a recent transplant from Los Angeles, he enjoys exploring the Bay Area with his wife and two kids.
Juvy Ann Reyes
Administrative Assistant I
Juvy Ann supports the Health Policy and Planning Program and Health Coverage Unit. She is responsible for supervising clerical staff and assisting in the development and installation of management improvements and practices. She confers with others on a variety of administrative matters and is responsible for the proper and efficient functioning of the office. She coordinates the contract development and amendment process and serves as a liaison to potential funders, community organizations, other County departments, government agencies and the public to disseminate information.
Belén Seara
Senior Community Health Planner
Belén oversees Get Healthy SMC Healthy Economy and Healthy Housing efforts to ensure all San Mateo County residents and workers have access to quality jobs, training opportunities, and a place to call home. Belén has over ten years of experience promoting equity through multi-sectoral partnerships, community-based research, policy advocacy, community organizing, nonprofit management, and leadership development.
Grace Streltzov
Community Health Planner
Grace supports Get Healthy objectives to ensure that every San Mateo County resident has access to quality jobs and opportunities to build financial security. Trained in City Planning, her professional background is in community wealth building, cooperative development, and nonprofit finance.
Rosa Torpis
Program Coordinator
Rosa coordinates Get Healthy’s social media, website, and e-communications content. She also coordinates outreach and recruitment, as well as the onboarding processes for Get Healthy’s internship program. She supports land use and transportation strategy by tracking local planning, assisting community partners applying for funding, and tracking opportunities to integrate health in other public policy arenas.
Justin Watkins
Community Health Planner
Justin leads Get Healthy’s school wellness work. He partners with school districts throughout San Mateo County to create and implement school wellness policies that support the changes to the nutrition and physical activity environment. Justin also manages HPP’s support of the Youth Commission and garden education efforts. Click here to read more about Justin’s perspective on student wellness in San Mateo County.