Hello, my name is Veena and I am delighted to be joining Health Policy and Planning (HPP) as a Management Analyst.  The importance of integrating all programs under a shared umbrella of equity is our focus. Equity practices pervade our work across HPP from ensuring safe school environments to building opportunities for shared decision making with community.  In addition to supporting program integration, I will also oversee our CalFresh Healthy Living program aimed at improving food systems, healthy food access, and active transportation in Redwood City, East Palo Alto, South San Francisco, and other parts of the county facing disproportionately poor health outcomes. 

Prior to joining HPP my professional experience spanned chronic disease prevention with a unifying thread of working to reduce disparities by race, place, and income.  My roles have included advancing climate resilience, centering equity in data and supporting community-driven policy making through local coalition building.  As I continue a career in public service, I feel strongly about government’s obligation to acknowledge the harms of policies created with implicit and explicit bias that have limited opportunity for communities of color.  I am proud to join a team that leads with compassion and humility, and am eager to contribute to systems, structures, and practices that elevate the voices of historically marginalized populations, redistribute power, and lift our communities for a healthier San Mateo County.