Earlier this year, we shared our 2030 Vision for Impact, which identifies the long-term change we want to see in our community to advance health equity in Central Texas. We know that in order to prioritize work that advances our shared strategic goals and moves our community toward lasting change, we must support important work today while also driving towards systemic change tomorrow.   

Our Community Investments team is central to this vision and our mission to advance health equity through investments and action. As our work evolves, so must our operational infrastructure to better address the needs of communities with the greatest health needs.   

Program Officers support effective, collaborative, and community-driven implementation of the Foundation’s strategic plan: Pathways to Health Equity.  They are strategic partners who blend lived experience, deep community knowledge, and share a deep commitment to equitable health outcomes across our three community impact goal areas:   

• Increasing access to quality care  

• Removing economic barriers to improve health outcomes  

• Equipping communities to achieve their health priorities  

The Foundation has expanded the Community Investments team in the last year with the addition of five new Program Officers whose roles emphasize:  

• Managing grant portfolios, ensuring resources are thoughtfully directed to foster meaningful impact in communities with the greatest health needs  

• Strengthening community relationships and engagement by centering lived experience directly within grantmaking processes, so local voices genuinely guide grantmaking decisions and strategies  

• Support strategy development by integrating data, field trends, and community voice to help shape the team’s strategic direction and implementation  

• Support grantees within the broader social change ecosystem, recognizing interconnected issues and co-developing solutions and funding opportunities that advance long-term, systemic impact  

Our Program Officers play a central role in fostering relationships with community organizations working toward advancing health equity in the region. They work closely with Senior Program Officers Abena Asante, Andrew Levack, and Kim McPherson, as well as Program Director Amy Einhorn, each of whom helps shape and guide the Foundation’s grantmaking strategy across our strategic plan goals. Program Associate Claire Frankenfield often serves as a first point of contact, supporting our commitment to a more equitable and accessible funding process. 

“The last year has been filled with growth and change for the Foundation’s Community Investments team,” said Regan Gruber Moffitt, Vice President of Community Investments. “We are excited about how evolutions in our staffing – including the hiring of program officers and the creation of a program director role — strengthen our capacity to bridge vision with impact, ensuring that those most affected by health inequities are helping to shape strategy, guide investments, and bring our mission to life.” 

Meet the Team

“A big priority in our role as Program Officers is to engage with the community and build relationships with community organizations—and to really spend a lot of time seeing work on the ground, getting to know stakeholders, engaging with prospective grantees, and supporting current partners. I would love for folks to feel empowered to reach out to us and invite us to support them out in the community, whether it’s by joining community meetings, coalition meetings, or simply telling us about their work.” - Kori Hattemer, Program Officer 

“Most of my career has focused on transforming the primary care space to be one that is accepting of patients with different clinical needs, that looks at the holistic needs of different patient populations, and really focuses on access, outcomes, and quality. I’m really excited to bring that experience forward in this role as we think about how we can equip our safety net to effectively serve under resourced communities who don’t have easy access to culturally appropriate, timely, quality healthcare.” – Pallavi Shankar, Program Officer 

“My work before joining St. David’s Foundation was very focused on health equity and community engagement, and I really hope to continue to bring forward that passion for Central Texas. I look forward to doing more intentional community engagement and thinking about ways that we can make our processes even more community-driven, ensuring we incorporate their feedback to address their needs.” – Tasha Banks, Program Officer

“We are stronger when we work together. As we continue working toward advancing health equity and the Foundation continues to evolve its practices, it excites me to think about ways we can authentically bring the community into our grantmaking efforts.” – Michelle Castillo, Program Officer

“I hope that my lived experience of being in grantee shoes helps make my role as a Program Officer more empathetic, authentic, and responsive. I hope that I’m able to bring forward community voices, perspectives, and solutions in my work at St. David’s Foundation.” – Joycelyn Jurado, Program Officer