NCAB Steering Committee
The NCAB Steering Committee is responsible for organizing HCH consumers to have a voice in national issues involving the health care of homeless persons. To accomplish this work, the committee meets monthly by teleconference and twice annually in person.
Deidre Young
Chair | Houston, TX
Deidre Young is a member of the CHANGE committee at Health Care for the Homeless Houston, and has served on NCAB as a Regional Representative and Co-Chair. She believes this opportunity has been a great learning experience and has allowed her to make a positive change for the community. Deidre brings a unique skill set and perspective to the work with her photography and videography, which she uses to make sure NCAB materials are accessible to all people and learning styles. Deidre also serves as the Designer and Editor for the Consumer Voice.
Art Rios Sr.
Immediate Past Chair | Portland, OR
Art Rios Sr. believes that a change is needed and that if we use our voices together we can achieve this change together, and for the last 20 years he has been using this drive to advocate for people experiencing homelessness. He has been on the Health Services Advisory Council (HSAC) at Central City Concern for several years and has been the Chair since October 2014. As HSAC Chair, Art is also a member of the Central City Concern Board of Directors and was recently appointed to the board for our local “plan to end homelessness” efforts, the Home for Everyone Coordinating Board. He believes that everyone’s voice deserves to be heard and ensures that he listens to what is needed.
David Peery
Co-Chair | Miami, FL
David Peery is passionately seeking an end to homelessness throughout Florida while advocating for homeless rights; and David knows a thing or two about rights, as he holds a law degree. When David experienced homelessness, he was led to Camillus Health Concern where he became a member of the struggling CAB and attempted to regain the consumer voice in governance, focusing on educating and empowering consumers to take control of their health care. In his deep commitment to advocacy, he is a class representative in a federal class action lawsuit that establishes the rights of people experiencing homelessness in Miami and works to combat the criminalization of homelessness.
Paul Tunison
Co-Chair| Redding, CA
Paul has a wide range of perspectives through his lived experience of homelessness and as a staff person supporting people with outcomes. He currently works as a Housing & Community Program Specialist but has previously served on the Board at Santa Clara Health Systems and worked as a case manager.
Mamie Gathard
Member at Large – 2 Years | Portland, OR
Mamie is a member of her local Health Services Advisory Council for Central City Concern, as well as sitting on a system of care for children advisory board and a behavioral health advisory board. She began engaging with NCAB during our CAB manual revisions and is excited to share her perspectives with the group.
Michelle Lane
Member at Large – 2 Years | Seattle, WA
Michelle experienced homelessness from her youth into her transition to adulthood and now shares her experiences to help other youth without homes. She is a member of her local Consumer Advisory Committee, as well as serving on another health advisory board and working as the overnight lead for a shelter. In addition to all her advocacy and support for housing justice, Michelle also dedicates time to a non-profit she helped start, Beloveds Animal Rescue
Myra Nagy
Member at Large – 1 Year | Denver, CO
In addition to serving as the current chair of the Consumer Advisory Board at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Myra also serves on consumer addiction medicine and sustainability in housing panels. Myra loves giving back and also volunteers at computer classes helping others develop technology skills.
Cinza Cici Iverson
Regional Representative 3 & 4 | Miami, FL
Cici’s journey in advocacy started with the Red Cross as a volunteer Disaster Emergency Responder in New York City. After personally being affected by storm Sandy, she and her team were in charge of bulk distribution and sheltering for 2500 individuals affected by the storm. More recently, after moving to Miami with lived experience of homeless, she joined advocacy training programs with Catalyst Miami. In September of 2017, Cici joined the Camillus Health Concern Consumer Advisory Board.
Today, she sits as Madam chair for the Miami CAB and graciously accepted the position as NCAB Regional Representative 3&4. She continues to serve the community by being very active in boards and commissions at a local level and a national level.
Kristina Sawyckyj
Regional Representative 9 & 10| Seattle, WA
Kristina is a disabled veteran who was struggling to find better rehabilitation services and instead ended up without housing. That motivated her to get engaged locally around homelessness, disability rights, recovery, and mental health. She serves as co-chair of her local CAB, sits on the Governance Council for King County Health Care for the Homeless, and sits on a number of other advisory committees. She believes in inclusivity above all else.
Warren Magee
Regional Representative (1 & 2) | Boston, MA
Warren Magee has been a member of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) Consumer Advisory Board since 2014. He is also an active member of the program’s Quality and Efficiency Committee, an internal working group focused on assuring the highest quality care for all patients. Born and raised in Boston, Warren has a long history of giving voice to the voiceless.
He was born with cerebral palsy and also suffered a significant spinal cord injury in his 20s. When he unexpectedly lost his housing, he began confronting the intersecting challenges associated with being both disabled and homeless. After suffering a stroke in a local shelter, Warren received medical respite care at BHCHP’s Barbara McInnis House.He has dedicated the past 15 years to advocating for the needs and rights of both people experiencing homelessness and those with disabilities. He has served with the Massachusetts State Rehabilitation Council, appointed by former Governors Mitt Romney and Deval Patrick, and chaired its Unserved/Underserved Population Committee.
He has spent over a decade advocating for funding for programs in the Commonwealth that support and protect people with disabilities. In addition to his advocacy efforts, Warren is passionate about web design and graphic arts, and has over twenty years of experience with computers.
Rodney Dawkins
Regional Representative (5 & 7) | Chicago, IL
Rodney Dawkins was referred to the Consumer Advisory Board at Heartland Health Outreach after he asked his provider about ways to protect clients from state budget cuts. He then served more than five years as a member, including a term as chair. For the last eight years, Rodney was employed as a Community Health Worker at Heartland, and also works with a local campaign for fairness in public housing. He has previously served as an NCAB Member-at-Large, Co-Chair, and Chair, and feels he can contribute by representing the voices of the members and advocating for the value that housing is health care.
Charlotte Garner
Regional Representative (6 & 8) | Houston, TX
Charlotte A. Garner is a formerly homeless individual who is dedicated to using her lived experience in the arena of advocacy on behalf of those who suffer from the plight of homelessness. She arrived in Houston in December 2006 with 32 cents in her pocket and the clothes on her back. Upon being referred to Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston, she received total comprehensive care. Charlotte credits HHH with facilitating her entire journey of restoration to achievements she had only vaguely thought could be ascertained.
Charlotte has been a part of her local cab for 12 years and serves as its chair for the last 5 of those years. She has maintained continuous participation during the covid19 pandemic in voter’s registration drives, patient satisfaction surveys and virtual fund raisers. This staunch passion transcended her local HHH and led her to join NHCHC.
She is a member of the Research Committee and participated in webinars, the mobilizer and project for a doctorate student all surrounding the issue of racial equity in healthcare. Ever willing to be a voice for the voiceless, she has volunteered to be a part of the process to facilitate the development of the newly established Advocacy Committee.
Her personal development has led her to expand her education earning an A.A. in Human Service Technology and a B.S. in Psychology. She is in her final semester for her Masters in Nonprofit Management with a projected graduation date of May 15, 2021. Charlotte willingly uses all her talents for the cause including her poetic prowess. Her favorite declaration is, “Thanks for the opportunity to serve.”
Kendall Clark
Peer Advocate | Newark, NJ
Kendall Clark is a member of a co-applicant board for the City of Newark Mary Eliza Health Centers, where he has served for over 10 years. He currently works as the Director of Wellness Programs at St. James Social Service Corporation. He also is involved in a number of other organizations supporting people living with AIDS and working to remove lead in Newark.
Regions for Regional Representatives
Peer Mentors
Joseph Benson
Valarie Dowell
Amy Grassette
To contact NCAB’s leaders, please write to ncab@nhchc.org.