2020 Candidate Profiles
Christy Bush | Johanna Girón | Erin Hottenstein | Celeste Kling | Faraz Naqvi | Lisa Poppaw | Dan Sapienza | Carol Wittmer
Christy Bush
Age: 47
Occupation: Business Manager for a custom design-build firm in Fort Collins; formerly worked in public health field in Colorado (including 5 years with Larimer County government), Maine, and Washington, D.C.
Education: Master of Health Science degree in Health Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; B.S. in Psychology, Colorado State University
Family: married; mother of two teenage boys
Why are you running for the Health District board of directors?
Our community is fortunate to have a special tax district to address unmet community health needs. I want to serve as a connector between our community and our government by engaging in conversations about health-related issues and translating that, in conjunction with data, into organizational strategy for the Health District.
What special skills or qualifications will you bring to the board?
- Broad knowledge about community health issues; 20+ years related professional experience
- Experienced with policy governance model
- Thoughtful about taking on responsibilities—only do so if I believe I can follow through
- Careful listener; weigh all sides of an issue before determining my position
- Balanced perspective to complex, challenging issues
What do you hope to accomplish?
I hope to bring education and awareness about this great community resource, and to engage residents in participating in our government to address community need. I hope to use my knowledge and experience to encourage learning, both by community about government, and government about community.
What is the most pressing health-related issue facing our community?
I believe the most pressing health-related issue facing our community is apathy. When we view issues like systemic racism, poverty, affordable housing, or communicable disease as someone else’s issue to solve, our apathy contributes to more suffering for some and a less meaningful human experience for all.
Johanna Ulloa Girón
Age: 40
Occupation: Community Services Manager at Poudre River Public Library District, Adjunct faculty in the School of Social Work at Colorado State University (CSU)
Education: Master’s degree in Social Work
Why are you running for the Health District board of directors?
As an immigrant to this country, a proud woman of color (WOC), a Latinx, and a mother of children of color in Fort Collins, I have been committed to promoting health and wellness in our community. This position will allow me the possibility to use my experience and connect to traditionally marginalized constituents to advance the mission and vision of the Health District.
What special skills or qualifications will you bring to the board?
I have worked in many positions including clinician, social worker, adjunct instructor, and community services manager, in different settings and in various locations in the United States, Central and South America. Due to being educated in two countries, including as a psychologist in South America and a social worker at CSU, my practice was shaped by European theories as wells as Latinx theories on community work. This will be an asset to the Health District and its service area as it seeks to improve services to historically marginalized communities.
What do you hope to accomplish?
As a board member, I hope to amplify the voices of those traditionally marginalized in regard to health promotion in our community. I will facilitate understanding among different constituents from levels usually excluded from decision-making processes and bring my perspective as a WOC provider and a customer of health systems in Larimer County. Having leadership that represents disparately affected communities will ultimately improve health outcomes for a population that has long been overlooked.
What is the most pressing health-related issue facing our community?
A profound lack of information and connection to people on the margins—who are over-represented in all the illness charts in our county—by decision-makers is the most pressing health issue facing our community. This includes social isolation, mental health stigma, lack of affordable and easy access to health care, and lack of cultural attunement on the provision of care.
Erin Hottenstein
Age: 46
Occupation: Communications corporate trainer and coach
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Goucher College, plus various certifications
Family: Married; son, daughter, step-daughter
Why are you running for the Health District board of directors?
I learned about the many wonderful services of the Health District while serving for two years on the Compass newsletter advisory committee. By running for the Board of Directors, I would be able to continue my public service, promote the Health District, and share my expertise in communications and community outreach.
What special skills or qualifications will you bring to the board?
As a journalist early in my career, I covered government at every level and worked to ensure accountability and transparency. I have been active as a community leader, including serving as president on a board of trustees. Also, I founded Colorado 50-50, a group that encourages women to become leaders.
What do you hope to accomplish?
When I started telling people I was interested in running for the Health District board, many didn’t know we had one, nor what it does. I hope to raise the visibility of the Health District, while representing all areas. This is especially important so we can reach underserved groups.
What is the most pressing health-related issue facing our community?
Coronavirus is most pressing today, but the Health District isn’t the lead on that. For the district, access to health care is critical. People need resources to access mental health providers, substance use treatment, insurance coverage, and dental services (when they don’t have insurance). The Health District can impact the incidence of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma.
Celeste Holder Kling
Age: 62
Occupation: attorney/mediator
Education: J.D., University of Kansas Law School; B.A. in Economics, Davidson College
Family: Husband, Bob Kling; 2 adult children and partners; 1 grandchild
Why are you running for the Health District board of directors?
Our Health District is one of the most impactful and best-run entities in our community and state. I am passionate about improving public health, including mental health, by focusing our human and financial resources effectively and collaborating with community partners to leverage our efforts to maximize healthy outcomes for all.
What special skills or qualifications will you bring to the board?
I have participated actively in our community for decades as a mediator, children’s advocate, CSU instructor, and a member of non-partisan boards and commissions. I bring analytical skills and compassion to decision-making. As a current and past Health District board member, I believe my historic involvement brings perspective with added value.
What do you hope to accomplish?
The Health District just completed its triennial survey to identify the most pressing needs in our community. Staff will help clarify programmatic gaps and evidence-based approaches to address them, often with community partners. I hope to collaborate in determining Health District priorities for programs, expenditures, and policy positions for the next three years.
What is the most pressing health-related issue facing our community?
Access to affordable health care is our most pressing issue for individuals and families in virtually every sector of our community. This includes medical and dental care, connection to affordable health insurance coverage, mental health and substance use disorder diagnosis and treatment services, and collaborative support systems for people facing multiple challenges.
H. Faraz Naqvi, M.D.
Age: 54
Occupation: Physician, businessperson
Education: M.D., Harvard Medical School; M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; M.A. in Economics, Trinity College, Cambridge University; B.A., Colorado College
Family: Married; two children
Why are you running for the Health District board of directors?
I am currently a board member for the Health District. Having served nearly 4 years, I would be honored to serve another term to accomplish the goals I set forth at the beginning of my service to the organization: Broadening the reach of the Health District to all members of the county and addressing missing components in the current health-care continuum.
What special skills or qualifications will you bring to the board?
I am a practicing physician and have experience in the business world in consulting, investment banking, fund management, entrepreneurial endeavors, and organizational management.
What do you hope to accomplish?
I would like to broaden the programs of the Health District to address the larger Larimer County community, introduce greater participation into the social determinants of health, and strengthen the relationship between the Health District and UCHealth.
What is the most pressing health-related issue facing our community?
The cost of health care. In terms of the individual, organizational, and community impact, the cost of health care is not only oppressive, but has the potential to be catastrophic. This large and growing problem needs to be addressed with reasonable, actionable, and fair plans.
Lisa Poppaw
Age: 51
Occupation: Executive Director of Crossroads Safehouse
Education: B.A. in English, University of Northern Colorado
Family: Partner Tom Ehlers; son Alex Poppaw, daughter Halle Marascola, son-in-law Gary Marascola
Why are you running for the Health District board of directors?
As an executive director who’s also served as an elected board member, I have experience maximizing organizational effectiveness and will work with fellow board members to set a clear and achievable strategic direction for the Health District that addresses the needs of the constituents we represent.
What special skills or qualifications will you bring to the board?
I served for eight years on the Fort Collins City Council and have a decade of nonprofit experience spanning services addressing the needs of citizens of all ages. I have a knowledge of existing resources and gaps, and I will work to maximize partnership opportunities.
What do you hope to accomplish?
It is critical that we look at health in the broadest sense and consider factors such as race, access to affordable childcare and housing, transportation limitations, and income levels, to name a few. We need to create a strategic vision that incorporates all aspects of health.
What is the most pressing health-related issue facing our community?
We must adopt a more holistic definition of health that includes not only physical considerations, but also mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Access to health care in the broadest sense must be accessible to ALL in our community.
Daniel L. Sapienza
Age: 39
Occupation: Law Clerk
Education: B.A., Colorado State University; Juris Doctor, George Mason University School of Law
Family: Wife Vanessa Fewell; son Emmett, 13 months
Why are you running for the Health District board of directors?
For more than a decade, I have worked in public health and health policy and it is truly a passion of mine. As I transition into a career in private legal practice, I want to stay involved in the health community and continue to contribute my knowledge and experience.
What special skills or qualifications will you bring to the board?
I am an experienced community health advocate and policy professional: in Washington, D.C., as health advisor in Congress during the passage of the Affordable Care Act, as state and local health policy advisor to the Health District board, and teaching advocacy and policy in the School of Public Health at CSU.
What do you hope to accomplish?
After six years advising the Health District leadership and board, I have a unique understanding of the organization and its needs. My primary goal will be to increase transparency around the use of Health District taxes and ensure its $15 million annual budget is effectively used to improve the health of the community.
What is the most pressing health-related issue facing our community?
Major gaps in the continuum of care for our rapidly growing senior population are an issue that must be addressed soon locally. It’s also vital that local organizations support state and national efforts to increase health coverage for all and equity in health access.
Carol Wittmer
Age: 63
Occupation: Retired Medical Practice Administrator, Eye Center of Northern Colorado
Education: B.S. in Business Management, University of Northern Colorado
Family: Husband, Mike; Children, Marty and Nancy
Why are you running for the Health District board of directors?
I want to give back to the community where I’ve lived, worked, and raised my children over the past 40 years. I want to apply my years of experience working in health care administration to improving access and affordability of health care in Larimer County.
What special skills or qualifications will you bring to the board?
The majority of my career has been in health-care administration where I’ve worked with the various stakeholders of the system including patients, physicians, staff, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers and facilities. I have a strong background in finance and an understanding of the challenges of balancing needs and resources.
What do you hope to accomplish?
I would like to contribute to policy and budget decisions to effectively use resources to remove some of the barriers to access to care. Advocating for education, cost reduction, and simplification of the complex maze of our health-care system are things I believe will improve the health of our community.
What is the most pressing health-related issue facing our community?
Cost is the greatest constraint to accessing the health-care system. Structural changes in how care is paid for as well as ongoing community education are needed in order to effectively expand access to care. The increasing age of our community also requires attention to affordable long-term care.