HOP Staff

Executive and Administrative Staff

Cynthia (Cindy) Selmi

Executive Director

Cindy joined Health Outreach Partners as Executive Director in November 2019, bringing over 30 years of health center and non-profit leadership experience. Prior to joining the HOP team, Cindy worked for Planned Parenthood Northern California, most recently as Senior Regional Director for Contra Costa and San Francisco health centers. Cindy is a recent graduate of the Clinic Leadership Institute, a joint venture of the Healthforce Center at the University of California at San Francisco and the Blue Shield Foundation of California. Cindy is a native to the Bay Area, originally from San Francisco. Cindy has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz in Biology. She started her health center career volunteering for the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, which fueled her dedication to health equity and assuring access to health care for all. Cindy’s other passions, are her two boys Justin and William, listening to live music, and the San Francisco Giants baseball club.

Smruti Shah, MPH

Deputy Director

Smruti joined Health Outreach Partners as a Program Director in August 2023 and mainly works on supporting HOP’s HRSA funded programs and organizational evaluation strategy. Prior to joining HOP, her work with Coaction Institute focused on capacity building for organizations focused on improving population health, including community health centers. As a consultant with Biel Consulting she worked with hospital stakeholders to identify gaps in community benefit programs across a large Texas health system. From 2012-21, Smruti lived in India where she co founded Lighthouse Health Solutions, a public health consulting company that provided technical support to foundations, NGOs, and health research organizations focused on maternal child health in and around Delhi. Prior to moving to India, Smruti worked at Public Health Institute where she was part of the Advancing the State of the Art in Community Benefit (ASACB) demonstration project which was aimed at developing best practices in tax exempt hospital community benefit programs. Her international experience includes stints in El Salvador and Gujarat, India as a qualitative researcher addressing inequities in maternal/child health service delivery. Smruti earned her MPH in International Health and Development from Tulane University School of Public Health. In her free time, Smruti enjoys listening to pop music, adding to her cookbook collection (already at 75!) and travelling with her family to beautiful destinations, both local and far-flung.

Christina Mestas

Manager of Executive and Board Affairs

Christina joined Health Outreach Partners in the Fall of 2014 with over 15 years of administrative experience. Christina earned her BA in Liberal Studies from California State University, Sacramento with an emphasis in early child development. In 2012, Christina relocated to the Bay Area to pursue her desire to do service and give back to her community. Christina worked for a local non-profit in Berkeley helping to empower local Bay Area residents through education and outreach in energy conservation; as well as, aiding and training local disadvantaged youth through developing green job skills. Before joining Health Outreach Partners, Christina volunteered at Berkeley Acupuncture Project educating clients on acupuncture and orienting clients to the community acupuncture model. In her free time, Christina enjoys riding her bike, practicing yoga, cooking, and spending as much time as possible soaking up the joys of parenthood with her family and pets.

Program Staff

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Elsy Hernandez, MPH

Senior Program Manager, Training & Technical Assistance

Elsy joined Health Outreach Partners (HOP) as a Senior Program Manager in August 2024. She has over a decade of experience working in public health, and has dedicated her career to advancing health equity for underserved communities. Elsy’s public health career began at a community health center, where she worked as an HIV Test Counselor and Outreach Worker, serving predominantly day-laborers and monolingual Spanish speakers. Since then, she has held client-facing roles as a Case Manager, Food Pantry Coordinator, and Organ Donation Specialist at an organ procurement organization. Elsy’s most recent work includes leadership roles, such as her position as Quality Assurance Manager at Aspiranet. In that role, she managed activities related to wellness, assurance, and impact, and led trauma-informed trainings for community partners. She was also a member of the Social Justice Committee, which worked to advance diversity and inclusion initiatives and projects across the agency. Prior to joining HOP, Elsy worked at the City of Berkeley’s Public Health Division, as a Clinic Manager. In that position, she managed staff and the day-to-day operations of a school-based health center, which empowered high school-aged youth to take ownership of their sexual and reproductive health and mental health needs. Elsy has an undergraduate degree in Child Development, and an MPH in Community Health Education. In her free time, she enjoys baking, listening to podcasts, travel, and spending time outdoors with her partner and senior dog. Elsy’s favorite quote: “Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.”—Steve Maraboli

Aba Anison-Amoo, MPHc

Aba Anison-Amoo, MPH

Sr. Program Manager, Training & Technical Assistance

Aba joined Health Outreach Partners as a Project Manager in July 2022. She holds an Associate Degree in Social and Behavioral Science from Merced College, a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from Southern New Hampshire University, and is currently undertaking a Master’s degree in Public Health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Aba worked with the Stanislaus Health Services Agency as a Medical Investigator for communicable diseases with specialization in COVID-19, and as a liaison for school districts in the county. She has 15 years of experience in the field of Pharmacy with a specialization in inventory and medication therapy management in autoimmune drugs for cancer and HIV patients, as well as experience in event management for immunizations. When in her native country, Ghana, she volunteers her time to the NICU department at the children’s hospital in Korle Gonno, Accra as well as in more rural areas. She is a quick learner, very organized, personable, and passionate about the gifts of life. She loves to read, write, and cook during her free time with her daughter. She is a huge sports fan, with her loyalty belonging to the Golden State Warriors, San Jose Earthquakes, and Arsenal respectively. Lastly, her mantra in life is “treat others like you would love to be treated”.

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Nadeen Mekhael, RDN, MPH

Program Manager, Training & Technical Assistance

Nadeen Mekhael joined Health Outreach Partners as a Program Manager, training and technical assistance, in November 2023. She is a public health graduate from San Jose State University, specializing in community health education. She is also a registered dietitian and holds a BSc in Dietetics from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. She has experience in preventive health nutrition, helping individuals and families reduce their risk of developing chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Her most memorable experience is working as a community nutritionist with a psychosocial rehabilitation center where individuals with mental illnesses are regarded as members rather than patients. This experience propelled her to pursue a career in improving vulnerable populations’ access to culturally appropriate and health promoting services. Nadeen is also a proud Copt (Native Egyptian), mom of a toddler, and an avid reader. In her free time, she enjoys baking and cake decorating, discovering new recipes, acrylic painting, and watching movies with her husband.
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Jing Murray, MPH

Program Manager, Training & Technical Assistance

Jing joined Health Outreach Partners as a Program Manager in May 2024. She graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Sociology and Spanish. She has a background in public health, having worked in domestic and international settings. In her previous roles as a Peace Corps Volunteer, she supported the implementation of a national school feeding law in Guatemala. She most recently graduated with a Masters in Public Health from the University of North Carolina. During her time there, she worked with communities in rural North Carolina as they worked towards achieving their identified health outcomes. In her free time she loves to go to live events, is an avid reader, and likes to pretend she’s on cooking and baking shows.

Zi Wang

Associate Project Manager

Zi joined Health Outreach Partners as an Associate Project Manager. Originally from Hubei, China, Zi has lived in the United States for the past 17 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. With a passion for making a positive impact, Zi has a diverse project management and research background, including leading company-wide vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic at the non-profit East Bay Innovations. In her free time, Zi enjoys reading and spending time with her dog, Taco.

Interns

For current internship opportunities and a feature on past interns, check out our Internships page!

Litzi Bravo

Aayushi Sett

Fall 2024 Graduate Intern

Aayushi joined Health Outreach Partners as a Graduate Intern in November 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from D.Y. Patil School of Dentistry and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Behavioral Health at the University of San Francisco. Aayushi brings a diverse and dynamic background in healthcare and community outreach, including her experience as a dentist and as an advisory head for Triumph Tbt- a mental health-focused NGO in partnership with the Bombay Psychiatry Society. Her work has included organizing and leading dental camps, educational outreach initiatives, and programs addressing women’s health and mental health in underserved populations. Additionally, she has contributed to the field through her publications and holds a specialized degree in forensic odontology. Aayushi is passionate about creating inclusive, community-centered programs that promote health equity. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting and trying food from different cultures

Litzi Bravo

Juan Jose Rodriguez

Fall 2024 Intern

Juan joined Health Outreach Partners as an Associate Project Manager intern. Born in Gilroy and raised in Oakland, Juan’s passion for public health began early, fueled by his love for helping others and his experiences as an athlete visiting clinics. Now a Public Health major at San Francisco State University, he’s gained hands-on experience through various internships. Juan is excited to use his skills and education to make a meaningful impact, giving back to his community with the same support he once received.

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