The California Endowment Welcomes New Members to the Board of Directors

Three new appointees will begin serving in May 2022 

Los Angeles, CA –The California Endowment is pleased to announce the appointment of three exceptional new members to its esteemed Board of Directors. The new appointees, William Jahmal Miller, Stacie Olivares, and Vernita Todd, will begin serving on The Endowment’s governing board at its next meeting on May 24, 2022.

“The outstanding new appointees to our board will bring their insight and acumen to buttress our efforts in addressing the most challenging issues we face in our communities today. They’re respected innovators and game-changers who will be our partners in implementing groundbreaking efforts to achieve health equity for all Californians, advance anti-racist policies and address economic injustice in our state,” said Dr. Robert K. Ross, President, and CEO, The California Endowment.

The new board members are replacing directors whose terms end in May 2022.  The newly appointed directors each will serve a three-year term and are eligible to serve three terms for a total of nine years.

“We remain committed to the vital work of eradicating health disparities and our new colleagues with their robust community ties will not only forge strong alliances but will join us as positive disruptors of entrenched systems to effect transformational change,” said Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, Chair of The Endowment’s 17-member board.

The Endowment’s mission continues to be an expansion of access to affordable, quality health care for underserved communities, as well as economic and racial equity. It has awarded more than $2.9 billion in grants across the state since its founding in 1996.

New Directors’ Biographies:

William Jahmal Miller serves as the Chief Administrative Officer of Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, a service of CommonSpirit Health. He’s recognized as a national leader and expert on health care strategy, public health, health equity, mental health, and public policy. Miller previously held leadership roles with Blue Shield of California, Kaiser Permanente, and Sutter Health. In 2013, former Governor Jerry Brown appointed Miller as the deputy director of the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity and he served as the state’s lead advisor on issues related to reducing health and mental health disparities and achieving health equity for all Californians. A native and resident of Sacramento, Miller holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Columbia University in New York and earned his master’s degree in health administration from the University of Southern California. Western University of Health Sciences conferred an honorary doctorate in humane letters to Miller for his achievements in the field of health and human services in 2016.

Stacie Olivares is a director, investor, and advisor who advances economic progress and equity across finance, technology, policy, and media. In 2021, President Biden nominated her to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board that oversees the world’s largest 401(k) program, the $800 B Thrift Savings Plan, a role subject to U.S. Senate confirmation. From 2019 to 2022, she served as Governor Gavin Newsom’s appointee to the Board of Administration of CalPERS, the largest public pension in the United States. Olivares is the former Chief Investment Officer of Lendistry, a fintech small business lender, and the California Organized Investment Network (COIN), a $29 B insurance industry investment fund focused on ESG. A resident of Los Angeles, Olivares earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree in business and government from Harvard University.

Vernita Todd currently serves as the Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for San Ysidro Health in San Diego. Aligning her passion and education, her career has focused on leading organizational strategy and leadership development across multiple business lines to, ultimately, increase access to high quality healthcare in communities. Prior to joining San Ysidro Health, Todd served as the President and CEO of Heart City Health Center in Elkhart, Indiana, and is the principal founder of the consulting firm, Human Capital Group Advisors. Todd serves on several nonprofit boards and was recently appointed by the CA Senate Rules Committee to California Health Workforce and Education Training Council. Nationally recognized for her advocacy for the underserved, Todd is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a lifetime member of the National Association of Community Health Centers. Todd holds a master’s degree in business administration from Davenport University in Michigan, and both a master’s degree in organizational behavior and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Murray State University, Kentucky.

About The California Endowment

The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. Headquartered in Downtown Los Angeles, The Endowment has regional offices in Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno, and San Diego, with program staff working throughout the state. The Endowment challenges the conventional wisdom that medical settings and individual choices are solely responsible for people’s health. The Endowment believes that health happens in neighborhoods, and schools, and with prevention. Learn more at www.calendow.org.