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.
Kendall Clark
Co-Chair | Atlanta, GA
Kendall Clark has been advocating for health care for the homeless for more than three decades. As a person with the lived experience of homelessness, Kendall has devoted himself to assisting those in need, including advocating for the advancement of health care for the homeless policies and practices and for clients with HIV/AIDS.
Kendall has worked as a Medical Case Manager at Betterself Community Care, as the Director of Health & Wellness Program at St. James Social Service Corporation, and as a Behavioral Health Assessment Manager for North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI). He has served as a member of the City of Newark, New Jersey HIV Services Planning Council and the City of Newark Mayor’s Commission on Homelessness, as well as a member of the Board of Directors for City of Newark Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
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
Richard Glen Johnson Jr. (he/him)
Member at Large – 1 Year | Austin, TX
Richard Glen Johnson Jr. is a Community Health Worker who currently works assisting those experiencing homelessness through The University of Texas at Austin Dell School of Medicine. His goal is to make sure those living unhoused and with medical concerns will someday rest well at their home. Richard received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Huston-Tillotson University.
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.
Toby Meyers
Regional Representative 9 & 10| San Jose, CA
Homeless at 17 and with an untreated neurological defect, Toby went to college and developed a process for homeless people to attend college in California. He is an information systems architect and author with a National Science Foundation Scholarship for Excellence in Science and Math and with a number of books published. Toby continues to work towards Social Justice for those sleeping rough through public speaking and non-violent direct action.
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.”
Kendra Sutton
Peer Advocate | Denver, CO
Regions for Regional Representatives
Peer Mentors
Valarie Dowell
Amy Grassette
To contact NCAB’s leaders, please write to ncab@nhchc.org.