Anthony Wright has served as Executive Director for Health Access, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition since 2002. Health Access has led state and national efforts to win consumer protections, fight budget cuts and invest in our safety-net, encourage prevention, and advance coverage expansions and comprehensive health reform. Wright led California’s coalition effort to help pass the Affordable Care Act and state laws to implement and improve it, and campaigns to successfully pass first-in-the-nation laws to ensure timely access to care, and to stop hospital overcharging of the uninsured.

Poshi Walker is the LGBTQ Program Director for NorCal Mental Health America and the Co-Director of the LGBTQ Stakeholder Education, Advocacy, and Outreach Project, in collaboration with the California LGBT Health & Human Services Network. Poshi’s education and career as a social worker has focused on reducing mental health disparities for LGBTQ communities, both locally and statewide. Poshi was the Project Director for the LGBTQ Reducing Disparities Project, Phase 1, as well as the lead author of the report, First Do No Harm: Reducing Disparities for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer and Questioning Populations in California. Poshi has multiple years of experience working with, and providing mental health, LGBTQ and technical assistance training for community-based organizations, counties, school districts, universities and government programs. Poshi is a strong advocate for LGBTQ communities and has worked extensively in the policy arena to reduce disparities. Poshi holds a Masters in Social Work from CSU Sacramento and resides in Woodland with a wonderful spouse and multiple rescue animals.

Ben Hudson is a human rights activist, community organizer, and educator. Ben is the founding Executive Director of the Gender Health Center (GHC), a grassroots non-profit providing healthcare and advocacy for marginalized and underserved populations. He is co-founder of TransFamilies Sacramento, and serves as a co-chair of the LGBT Foster Youth Task Force. He is recognized as a master trainer on cultural competency for Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity/Expression. In 2012 Ben received the Spirit of Harvey Milk Award and in 2013 was listed on the inaugural Trans 100 list; a national effort to shift the coverage of transgender narratives to focus on the positive work being done by 100 transgender activists nationwide.

Nicholas Hatten is the founder and Executive Director of the San Joaquin Pride Center. In addition, Hatten works as a political/governmental relations consultant. Past clients include US Representative Jerry McNerney, Stockton Councilman Michael Tubbs, NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez and Stockton Unified School District. He has served on the Board of Directors for AIDSWalk SJ and Charterhouse for Families and is a passionate advocate for equality for all.

Aaron Fox focuses his work on LGBT, HIV/AIDS and underserved communities, advocates for effective policies and resources to support access to culturally competent health care, and provides education to the community on changing health policies and their impact on people’s lives. Fox serves as the Co-Chair of the California HIV Alliance, is a Commissioner on the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV and Co-Chair of its Public Policy Committee. Fox is also a member of the first California Office of Health Equity Advisory Committee. Additionally, he has served on the Policy Committee for the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health. Aaron received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from UCLA and his Master’s Degree in Political Management from The George Washington University in Washington D.C.

Joanne Genet is a long time advocate who is passionate about LGBT health equity and social justice. She is the lead on the LGBT Pride Initiative for Contra Costa Public Health Department. Through the Pride Initiative, the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center is recognized nationally by the Human Rights Campaign as a Leader in Healthcare Equality, 2013. The LGBT Pride Initiative works to create internal system change and improved access to health care. Joanne formed the employee group, the Lavender Employee group, in Contra Costa that was the precursor to the Pride Initiative 18 years ago. She has provided consultation to medical systems and local health departments on the integration and improved access to care for LGBT health. As a manager for the breast cancer screening program, she developed a lesbian outreach program utilizing softball teams and potlucks, and initiated and organized the first lesbian breast health conference for the California Department of Health. She has advised the Bay Area Women with Disabilities breast cancer program; was president of the board of directors for WORLD (a national organization improving the lives of women impacted by HIV); and one of the founders of the lesbian clinic at the Berkeley Women’s Health Collective. She lives with her wife of 30 years and her sixteen year old daughter.