The Board of Directors of the Oregon Community Health Workers Association (ORCHWA) is pleased to announce that Alise Marie Sanchez (Anishinaabe) will become Executive Director, effective April 24, 2017.
Founded in 2011, ORCHWA is the statewide association for Community Health Workers (CHWs). ORCHWA’s mission is to serve as “a unified voice to empower and advocate for Community Health Workers and our communities.” ORCHWA envisions a world where CHWs are recognized as members of a profession, working together for community health, social justice, and equity.
For the past six years, Sanchez has served as the Child and Family Services Manager for the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), where she was successful in creating and scaling innovative programs, developing partnerships and resources, leading teams, and ensuring community impact.
Sanchez previously worked at Multnomah County, where she coordinated the Defending Childhood Initiative, a federally funded project to reduce children’s exposure to violence; and at the Montana State Child and Family Services Division, where she led efforts to recruit and retain Native American foster placement across the state.
“Alise is passionate about the role of CHWs in creating systemic change and health equity,” Board President Abdiasis Mohamed stated. “She has distinguished herself as a leader with rich experiences working across cultures and communities. We are excited to welcome Alise as our Executive Director as we continue to grow ORCHWA’s impact.”
Over the past five years, ORCHWA has supported CHW programs across Oregon, convened a statewide conference, and achieved legislative success.
Anticipating her new role, Sanchez said, “I have deep admiration for all that ORCHWA has accomplished so far and I’m thrilled to join this team. I believe ORCHWA is perfectly positioned to leverage many years of experience in order to integrate the CHW model more fully within Oregon’s health and social services systems. In doing so we can support CHWs, improve health outcomes, and strengthen our communities.”
