President

Neeraj Wadhwa, DrPH, MPH, MBA

Neeraj Wadhwa is a Health Educator at Los Angeles County Department who recently received his DrPH degree from Loma Linda University. As a Health Educator, he leads various programming initiatives such as development and evaluation contributing to the successful launch and establishment of the Student Wellbeing Centers. He is passionate about solving larger public health issues by addressing social determinants of health for vulnerable population, such as high school students. He has contributed to the field of substance use prevention as a principal investigator of an evidence-based study evaluating an opioid overdose prevention program among adolescents helping reduce disparities in access to harm reduction education and tools such as naloxone across the Los Angeles County. 

Before transitioning to public health, Neeraj spent over a decade helping Fortune 500 companies successfully manage and market consumer goods and financial services products in both New York and California. His extensive background in healthcare management, policy, and business is backed by an MPH from UCLA and an MBA in International Marketing. 

Neeraj is the recipient of several honors including 2024-2025 member of the Delta Omega Honor Society for Public Health, the 2024 Hammond-Hardinge Student Assistance Award, 2025 Joyce W. Hopp Scholar’s Fund, Merrit C. Horning Award for Outstanding Research, and The SPH Stout Family Scholarship Fund at Loma Linda University.  

In his free time, Neeraj enjoys travelling and learning new skills such as Ayurveda (Eastern philosophy of medicine) and cooking. One fun fact about Neeraj is that he spent a summer in Sitges, Spain to learn Spanish after graduate school.

Delegate Trustee

Vanessa Orozco

Vanessa Orozco is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health at California State University, Fullerton. With over a decade of experience in the dental field, she has developed a strong passion for promoting health equity and improving access to care in underserved communities. Vanessa enjoys connecting with others through education and community outreach and hopes to continue her journey by earning a Master of Public Health. 

Social Media Chair

Gaby Gregg

Gaby Gregg, MPH, CHES®, NBC-HWC is currently the Nutrition, Health, and Wellness Program Manager at Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAP OC), where she has had experience leading and overseeing the work of up to 14 staff. She has over 17 years of experience working at CAP OC in various roles. Before becoming a Program Manager, she coordinated the Rethink Your Drink Campaign, a part of the California Department of Public Health’s Nutrition Education & Obesity Prevention Branch, and served as Regional Manager for the Network for a Healthy California–Children’s Power Play! Campaign. In these roles, Gaby promoted the consumption of water and awareness of sugar-sweetened beverages and promoted increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and increased levels of physical activity among 9- to 11 year-old children in Orange County. Since 2003, she has worked in the community within a variety of fields, including law enforcement, crime prevention, community outreach, and nutrition, health, and wellness. For over five years, Gaby also served as a volunteer tutor and mentor for at-risk youth.

She received her Associate of Arts degree in Graphic Design with an emphasis in Entertainment Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), a Bachelor of Science in Health Science with a concentration in Health Education and a certificate in Nutrition from TUI University, holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of New England, is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®), and a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC). In 2014, Gaby was highlighted as one of National SOPHE’s 30 Under 30 during National Health Education Week for making strides in the health education field.  She believes social media plays an important role in the dissemination of health messages, reaching people where they eat, learn, live, play, shop, and work! 

Newsletter Chair

Cecilia Dagher 

Cecilia Dagher is the Process Manager for Santa Susana Field Laboratory at the Department of Toxic Substances Control. She has over fifteen years in state service with a background in finance, logistics, and project management. She is currently pursuing an MPH in Community Health Education at California State University, Northridge. She has two senior dogs and occasionally fosters through various organizations. She cares deeply about the environment, education, and advocacy.  

Treasurer

Laura Keene 

Laura Keene is owner and principal of Keene Insights where she provides evaluation training and support to nonprofits, foundations, and other community-based organizations. She helps her clients harness the power of data and have a greater impact on the communities they serve. Laura has 20 years of experience designing and implementing high-quality evaluations and building organizational capacity around evaluation. She’s worked in a variety of contexts including public health, healthcare, social services and education in local, national and international settings. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from UC Berkeley and a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) from Columbia University.

Advocacy Chair

Lauren Borjas

Lauren Lynn Borjas is currently an undergraduate student at California State University, Fullerton. As a public health major, Lauren uses her coursework experience in health education to enhance her role as Club President of Planned Parenthood Generation Action. As Club President, Lauren strives to create a safe environment while educating her peers, addressing stigma, and advocating for promotion of sexual health. This includes her highlighting nearby medical resources, safe sex practices, and access to contraceptives. Lauren also serves as an Intern for the Refuse and Recycling Division at the City of Corona. Her intern role has allowed her to understand local government structure, while providing experience in education and outreach to over 150,000 residents. This includes her collaboration to achieve proper edible food recovery programs that can help reduce food insecurity and methane, as well as proper waste disposal practices.

Secretary 

Mallory Truman

Mallory Truman got her Associates in Science in Public Health degree in May 2022, along with her A.A. in  Holistic Health, Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Liberal Arts. She received her Bachelor’s in Science degree from California State University, Channel Islands and is currently obtaining her MPH at California State University, Northridge.  She is currently working at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura County at the Wellness and Fitness Center. She also worked as a CalFresh Healthy Living facilitator where she educated college students on choosing healthy options, conducted cooking seminars, and helped individuals connect with food resources in their community. Mallory also was a student researcher for two research projects during her undergrad.

Continuing Education Chair

Faviola Mercado

Faviola Mercado (she/ella) is the Community Education Manager for Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC). She earned her Master of Public Health from California State University, Fullerton and is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. As Community Education Manager Faviola works to develop programs that educate individuals about sexual and reproductive health and empower them to make healthy, informed decisions for themselves. As the lead for the Parent/Caregiver Program, she provides parents and caregivers with information on the importance in communicating with their youth about sexual and reproductive health, addresses cultural attitudes and experiences around these topics, and shares tips to empower parents and caregivers to start these conversations at home.

Membership Chair

Nick Montes, MPH

Nick Montes is a passionate advocate for health equity, believing that strong relationships are the cornerstone of healthier, more empowered communities. Currently completing his Master of Public Health at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA, Nick’s journey into public health was ignited during the pandemic, when he recognized the urgent need for accessible public health education in underserved communities. With nearly a decade of experience as a public health educator and personal coach, Nick has dedicated his career to empowering individuals and communities to achieve lasting wellness. He has successfully collaborated with diverse populations, crafting and delivering tailored programs that meet unique community needs. His talent for translating complex health concepts into clear, actionable guidance has made a lasting impact on those he serves. Driven by an unwavering commitment to continuous learning and professional growth, Nick stays ahead of emerging public health research and wellness trends. This ensures that communities and those he works with benefit from the most up-to-date, evidence-based strategies. His work reflects a deep passion for creating healthier, more equitable futures—one relationship at a time. Nick looks forward to serving the members of the Southern California Chapter of Society for Public Health Education.

Website Chair

Krista Chavez-Camacho

Krista Chavez-Camacho received her B.S. in Health Science- Community Health Education from California State University, Long Beach, holds her Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential and has over 12 years of experience in health education, outreach and program implementation. Krista is currently a Health Educator with the Student Health and Wellness Center at Cypress College where she conducts extensive outreach efforts to engage students in discussions pertaining to various health and wellness topics that will contribute to their success and retention. She also oversee’s the Health and Wellness Peer Educator Pilot Test at Cypress College, where she developed and secured funding for the pilot test. Additionally, Krista is a co-advisor for Cypress College’s Active Minds Chapter, where she mentors and trains eight student leaders to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.

In her previous role, Krista was the Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator with Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties. During her time there, Krista conducted outreach to break the stigma and educate community members about Planned Parenthood’s services and programs. Krista also worked closely with Human Resources and sat on the Planned Parenthood Network of Volunteer Advocates (PPNOVA) Steering Committee to streamline the volunteer and intern onboarding process and establish a tracking system to ensure volunteer compliance with Planned Parenthood policies and procedures.

Krista enjoys helping others and contributing to her community’s health and well-being. She bases all her health education efforts around the Eight Dimensions of Wellness and bringing awareness to the importance of balance between these dimensions. She strives to educate the community and bring critical resources and access to care. By building connections and bringing awareness to different health and wellness topics, Krista hopes to empower her community to make intentional choices to live long, healthy, happy and peaceful lives.