Staff
Erin Dury, Executive Director
Erin (she/her) joined the Washington School-Based Health Alliance as Executive Director in 2024. She brings over two decades of experience driving transformative change in organizations of all sizes. With a direct and inclusive approach, she prioritizes social justice–centered community involvement, policy development, and systems change. Erin’s expertise lies in youth-focused areas including child welfare reform, public education, and youth development. As a structured thinker, she amplifies the strengths of others and excels at mobilizing organizations toward a shared vision. Committed to expanding access and amplifying the voices of youth, Erin is excited to bring her experience and dedication to advancing whole-health approaches that ensure children and youth have the support they need to thrive in health, learning, and life within a racially just and inclusive society.
McCall James, Program Manager – Healthcare Partnerships & Training
McCall (she/her) brings nearly a decade of experience advocating for improved adolescent health outcomes, globally and in her own communities. She comes to the Training and Evaluation Manager position with diverse experience in program management, international development, and sexual and reproductive health education. Advancing comprehensive school-based education has always been her goal, from her earlier days as a Peer Health Educator with Planned Parenthood in Utah or as a sex education teacher in Fiji as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Most recently, McCall served as the Guttmacher Institute’s Division Coordinator for the Communications & Publications (C&P) division, and prior to that, earned a Master of Public Health in Population and Family Health with a certificate in sexuality, sexual and reproductive health from Columbia University. McCall is excited to leverage her strong expertise in program management and adolescent health curriculum to drive positive change and improve health outcomes in Washington.
Ernest Henderson, Program Manager – School Partnerships & Capacity Building
Ernest (he/him) brings more than 20 years of experience building partnerships and leading initiatives that improve outcomes for children, youth, and families across Washington. His career has spanned education, nonprofit leadership, child welfare, and community engagement, with a consistent focus on strengthening connections between schools and the communities they serve.
Throughout his career, Ernest has worked with school districts, community organizations, higher education institutions, and state agencies to expand opportunities for young people, particularly those in rural and underserved communities. His experience includes leadership roles in college access, foster care advocacy, family engagement, and statewide education initiatives, where he has built collaborative relationships that support long-term systems change.
As Program Manager for School Partnerships & Capacity Building, Ernest is excited to help schools, healthcare providers, and community partners develop sustainable school-based health programs that improve student well-being and ensure every young person has access to the care and support they need to thrive.
Pooja Manjunath, Engagement Manager
Pooja (she/her) brings several years of experience volunteering and working alongside nonprofit organizations to advance equitable healthcare access, particularly for historically underserved and marginalized communities. She joins the team with a diverse background in community and partner engagement, health policy, research, and data analysis. Throughout her academic and professional experiences, Pooja has remained passionate about improving healthcare access and advancing health education for youth and underserved populations.
Pooja recently graduated from the University of Washington with a Master of Public Health in Health Systems and Population Health, specializing in Health Policy. During her education, she collaborated with organizations including Public Health – Seattle & King County, Community Health Plan of Washington, and the University of Washington Autism Center, where she contributed to research, policy initiatives, and community-based efforts to improve health outcomes, strengthen health systems, and increase awareness of equitable healthcare practices.
Pooja is excited to apply her expertise in research, policy, and community engagement to help drive meaningful change, foster strong partnerships, and improve health outcomes for communities across Washington.
Board of Directors
Peter Asante, Board President
Peter is a General Pediatric Physician at Mary Bridge Auburn Pediatrics, Hospitalist and former Chair of Pediatrics at MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital. He approaches his clinical practice from the backgrounds of community health and implementation science. He is passionate about his work as a child health advocate, particularly as it pertains to expanding equitable access to comprehensive health care for under-resourced youth and adolescents. Finally, he is committed to creating clinical spaces where providers can form impactful relationships with families that improve health and well-being, both inside and outside of the doctor’s office. Peter was previously the founder and Medical Director of the Yakima Pediatrics Teen Health Clinic. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Davis Health Clinic, the first school-based health center in Yakima located at Davis High School, and served as chair of the Community Advisory Board.
Terri Johnston, Board Treasurer/Secretary
Terri currently serves as principal at Johnston Partnerships. She is passionate about public education and has a vast amount of experience in building, maintaining and strengthening public-private partnerships that improve public schools and obtain better outcomes for students. In collaboration with education leaders, practitioners, philanthropists, policymakers, youth, organizations and communities, Terri works to advance all aspects of student learning and well being. Most recently, Terri was instrumental in building partnerships to establish a school-based health center at Seattle World School, serving middle and high school immigrant and refugee students.
Dena Morris – Vice President
Dena Morris has held prominent roles in federal advocacy, including serving as Legislative Director for a senior member of the U.S. Senate’s Democratic leadership, Washington Director for the CDC, and leading the Washington Global Health Alliance in Seattle. She has advanced legislative agendas with a deep understanding of policy, process, and politics, while also contributing to political campaigns through debate preparation, media appearances, and grassroots efforts. Dena has served as chief of staff with Seattle Public Schools and currently works as a consultant with the Contorta Group, volunteers at a community food bank, and pursues her passion for the cello as an enthusiastic, if amateur, student.
Sara Rigel
Sara is currently at Public Health-Seattle & King County where she oversees the Child Care Health team and School-Based Partnerships unit. These groups provide support and direct care to children of all ages in their early care and education settings. Sara has worked with school-based health centers (SBHCs) as a health educator and clinic manager in past positions. Her current professional passions lie in utilizing data to support quality outcomes for students and fostering partnerships for long term SBHC sustainability. She earned her Master of Public Health in Health Education & Communication and Maternal and Child Health from Tulane University.
Nick Canavas
Nick (he/him) currently serves as Business Operations Manager for the Seattle Children’s North Clinic in Everett. He previously served as the School-Based Health Program Manager at Neighborcare Health, a leading provider of school-based services in King County. Nick has a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Washington with a focus on community-oriented practice. Over the last decade, he has been a dedicated advocate for school-based health: leading innovative programming, forging connections in communities and school systems, and championing school-based health services as an essential strategy for health equity and social justice. Nick seeks to foster collaboration and best practices in school-based health, sharing his experiences in the field and helping to create meaningful connections between school-based partners.
Jay Fathi
Jay, a family physician and recognized community and health care leader across Washington state, currently serves as the Plan President and CEO of Molina Healthcare of Washington. After serving for 12 years as a family doctor at the 45th Street Community Health Center, he founded and served as the Senior Medical Director of Community Health at Swedish Health Services. He then helped lead the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Washington as President and CEO of a managed care health plan. Jay holds an appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, serves on the Boards of the Washington Health Alliance and the Washington Healthcare Forum, and is a member of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange Advisory Committee. He has been recognized locally and nationally for teaching, leadership, and dedication to the health and well-being of the underserved and has also served as a consultant and advisor to numerous efforts working towards system improvements and health equity.
Norma Hernández
Norma is currently Executive Director of The Health Center in Walla Walla, an independent 501(c)(3) school-based health clinic providing students in Walla Walla Public Schools with medical and mental health care, regardless of their ability to pay. Additionally, since 2019 Norma is also the mayor of the City of College Place. Prior to coming to The Health Center, Norma worked in community development in the Walla Walla Valley and Seattle area for twenty years, focusing on creating services and programs that are inclusive to all in a community, with a special focus on low-income and vulnerable communities. In 2008, as CEO of a credit union in Seattle, Norma was instrumental in its conversion into the area’s first CDFI/Low-Income Credit Union, serving communities that were unbanked and victims of predatory lending practices. She has been a CEO, Executive Vice President, President, COO, Director, and Department Manager throughout her career. Norma volunteers and serves on numerous boards, committees, and community groups that seek to provide families with opportunities for stability, personal resiliency, and growth.
Erin Wick
Erin currently serves as the Program Director of Behavioral Health and Student Support for Capital Region Educational Service District #113 providing support for 44 school districts in Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Grays Harbor, and Pacific Counties. Erin has worked in the behavioral health care field since 1996. Erin holds a Chemical Dependency Professional license as well as a Masters in Business Administration.
Samantha Yeun
Samantha is currently working as a program manager for Public Health—Seattle & King County, where her role is to support school-based health centers in 35 sites across King County to improve the quality of care for students. Samantha is driven by a passion for equity, social justice and healthy communities. She spent over 20 years at the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department working on a variety of public health topics such as healthy eating, active living, disease prevention, community engagement, and youth leadership. She earned a B.A. from Evergreen State College with an emphasis in Community Health. Samantha is member of the Khmer Health Board of King County and an active member of her community.
Shallae Hobbs
Shallae serves as Director of Health Services for Tacoma Public Schools and is responsible for coordinating and supervising the delivery of health services to students within the district, including clinical support consultation, policy and procedure development, initiative implementation, and professional development. She leads the School-Based Health Center Coalition of Pierce County and The Pierce County School Nurse Leads collaborative. She has worked in school-based health services and pediatric health since 2010. She earned her Master of Nursing in nursing leadership and management/ community health from the University of Washington. Shallae is passionate about ensuring all students are healthy, safe, and ready to learn.
Consultants & Partners
Hugh Ewart, Public Affairs Consultant – Adduna Health Partners
Hugh Ewart is a Founder and Managing Partner of Adduna Health Partners. With nearly 30 years of experience, he has focused on health policy, advocacy, and government relations for much of his career, with a significant focus on children and youth.
Most recently, Hugh spent 16 years at the Pacific Northwestern regional pediatric health system Seattle Children’s, sustaining and growing support for child and adolescent health and wellness at the federal, state, and local levels of government. At Seattle Children’s, Hugh advanced policy solutions for child and adolescent behavioral health, pediatric research, care for medically complex kids, and the pediatric health workforce. Consistently achieving the institution’s top policy priorities, Hugh successfully advocated for tens of millions of dollars in funding for Seattle Children’s.
For over a decade, Hugh chaired the Health Coalition for Children and Youth, a broad, multi-sector coalition of advocates and stakeholders collaborating to advance policies that improve the health and well-being of kids in Washington State. His prior experience includes time spent working in multiple roles in U.S. Congressional offices, serving as a community health Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Senegal, West Africa, and working as a health policy analyst for Washington’s community health centers.
Based in Seattle, Hugh is active in his community and currently serves on the board of Chad’s Legacy Project, a non-profit focused on improving youth access to behavioral health services by reducing stigma through educating others. He recently served as Board President of WithinReach, a non-profit focused on connecting families with basic needs such as health insurance, food, nutrition, and housing. Hugh holds a master’s degree in social policy and planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Ronald Boy, WA SBHA Attorney
Ronald Boy is an attorney whose career spans serving as a chief juvenile prosecuting attorney, in-house counsel for Seattle Public Schools, of counsel at the Seattle law firm Preg O’Donnell and Gillett, and, beginning in April, he has served as associate superintendent of human resources and legal services for the Bainbridge Island School District. Ronald has extensive experience in education law and working with school districts, and he has been a supporter of WA SBHA for many years. Ronald lives in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle with his husband Marvin and dogs Marty and Mia.
