Board of Directors

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Board of Directors

	Richard Zaldivar Executive Director and Founder The Wall-Las Memorias Project Board President, Alcohol Justice Richard L. Zaldivar is the founder and executive director of The Wall Las Memorias Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting wellness and preventing illness among Latino populations affected by HIV/AIDS by using the inspiration of The AIDS Monument as a catalyst for social change. Combining HIV/AIDS education and prevention, sensitivity to the spiritual needs and religious beliefs of its clients and supporters, along with a commitment to social justice, The Wall Las Memorias under Zaldivar’s leadership has been in the forefront of the fight against HIVAIDS in Los Angeles and beyond. Richard was a founding co-chair of California Alcohol Policy Alliance, and a leader in the fight against dangerous proposals to extend bar hours in California to 4 a.m. A fuller biography of Richard Zaldivar’s tremendous leadership is at https://www.thewalllasmemorias.org/founder.
	Larry Meredith, PhD Former Director, Marin Department of Health and Human Services Board Vice President, Alcohol Justice Larry Meredith has served on the Alcohol Justice Board as Treasurer and Vice-President for a record-breaking 14 years. He was the Director of the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services from 2001 to his retirement in 2018. Previous to that he served in numerous leadership roles at the San Francisco Department of Public Health in Community Health Prevention and Promotion, HIV Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Operations. He has served on numerous boards of directors, including Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership.
	Rita Sedano-Garcia, MBA Financial Associate Citibank, Mill Valley & San Rafael Board Treasurer, Alcohol Justice Rita Sedano-Garcia hails from Peru, but has committed to making the lives of the Latinx residents of Marin better. She is a founding member of Consejo Restaurativo de Marin and Latinos Unidos de Marin. Consejo works with youth and families to help them navigate schools and work, preventing the school to prison pipeline, often involving the youth in Youth for Justice. She provides leadership at Citibank in Mill Valley and other locations. She also serves on the Marin Immigrant Safety Coalition.
	Terry Cunningham, MAOM Chief of HIV, STD, Hepatitis (Ret.) San Diego Health and Human Services Board Secretary, Alcohol Justice Terry Cunningham has been a leader in fighting the AIDS epidemic and an advocate for LGBTQ+ health since the early 1980’s. He has a Master Degree in Organizational Management and served in various high level executive positions in San Diego, including as the Chief of the Office of AIDS Coordination and of the HIV, STD and Hepatitis Branch of Public Health Services. He is currently the President of the Board of the Liver Coalition of San Diego. After a lifetime of training, advocacy and leadership he is still busy but happily retired with his two dogs.
	Veronica De Lara, MPA Political Organizer SEIU United Service Workers West Veronica De Lara was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. Currently she is the Political Organizer of SEIU United Service Workers West. She was the Project Director at Pueblo y Salud, where she oversaw two drug prevention projects. She focused on addressing alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs related issues that negatively impact the public health and safety of communities. Veronica is currently the Co-Chair for the California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA). CAPA is a state-wide alliance that focuses on protecting health, safety and prevent alcohol-related harm through statewide action. Her educational background includes a Master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University of Los Angeles (CalStateLA) and received three Bachelors of Arts from the University of California Davis (UCDavis). Veronica has over ten years of experience working in the public sector alongside community members at the grassroots level to help advocate for healthier and safer communities by using coalitions and environmental prevention efforts. Veronica is an active member of the community and focuses on educating, organizing, and advocating to increase civic participation.
	Thomas K. Greenfield, PhD Scientific & Executive Director Alcohol Research Group Tom Greenfield is scientific director Alcohol Research Group (ARG), a project of Pacific Health Institute. He also directs ARG's National Alcohol Research Center, which focuses on the epidemiology of alcohol problems and is sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Greenfield is a core faculty member of the clinical services research training program at the University of California at San Francisco's Department of Psychiatry. Greenfield earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from The University of Michigan. His research interests include the epidemiology of alcohol use and problems, alcohol policy studies, consumer satisfaction, national alcohol surveys and consumption measurement, drinking patterns and mortality, and services research. He oversees the ARG Center's National Alcohol Surveys, conducted every five years. After eight years of research and practice at Washington State University and before coming to ARG in 1991, he was an associate director at the Marin Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems (now Alcohol Justice) responsible for its research portfolio.
	Geni Cowan, PhD, MA Professor California State University, Sacramento Geni Cowan, PhD, Choctaw/African American, is a professor at California State University, Sacramento, in higher education leadership and policy. She has worked as a trainer and facilitator for The Center for Human Services at UC Davis Extension since 1996, specializing in the Indian Child Welfare Act, alcohol/substance abuse, mental health issues, HIV/AIDS in the workplace, and dual diagnosis, and in the past several years, tribal TANF. Dr. Cowan has more than 25 years of experience in community-based social services and nonprofit organizational leadership and development, and 15 years of direct experience in higher education. Additionally, Dr. Cowan is a senior consultant with Eagle Blue Associates, a consulting organization providing, among other services, expert witness testimony in ICWA cases.
	Sonny Skyhawk Actor, Producer, and Founder of American Indians in Film & Television US State Department Cultural Ambassador Sonny Skyhawk is a proud, enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota Native Nation of South Dakota. Originating from humble beginnings and being raised by his migrant worker grandparents, he became an actor (58 films), producer and tireless advocate and voice for the representation, image and portrayal of the Indigenous people of America. As the founder of American Indians in Film and Television, he has negotiated inclusion MOU’s with the four major television networks (CBS, NBC, ABC & FOX) and advocated at some of the largest film studios in Hollywood. He is known nationally amongst his Native people for his integrity and steadfastness in promoting and advancing the stature of Native children and his people. Skyhawk has unselfishly devoted the last forty years of his adult life to giving back to his culture and seeking a better understanding for all people of color. He earned a nomination and membership in the world’s most prestigious film organization, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. He serves proudly on the Alcohol Justice Board of Directors. In that capacity he testified in the successful campaign shut down four liquor stores in Whiteclay, Nebraska.