CHWA Summit Program
CHW Summit 2025 Program
Safe, Strong and Supported: Empowering CHWs
- Wednesday, October 15th at 8:30am
- Delaware State University, MLK Student Center
Summit Schedule
| 8:30 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast | |
| 9:05 AM | Welcome | Dawn Ferguson, CHWAD Coordinating Council |
| 9:10 AM | Introduction | Amy Gootee-Ash, Delaware State University |
| 9:15 AM | Opening Remarks | Representative Kamela Smith |
| 9:25 AM | CHW Challenge: Know Your Association | Delsy Morales, CHWAD Coordinating Council |
| 9:40 AM | Keynote Speaker Introduction | Maia Michael, DE First Health |
| 9:45 AM | Safety as Leadership: Reframing Protection as a Collective Responsibility | Randi Woods,  Sisters Together and Reaching, Inc. |
| 10:10 AM | Break for Exhibitor BINGO | |
| 10:25 AM | You Matter Too: Staying Safe While Helping Others | Courtney Winkler and Ama Amponsah,  Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence |
| 11:10 AM | Beyond Bubble Baths: Trauma-Informed Support in the Workplace | Toni Jordan, NorthNode Group Counseling |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch & Videos from Our Sponsors | |
| 12:45 PM | Protecting Our Purpose: Communication & Boundaries for CHWs | Erin Caple, Envision/Center for Community Health Alignment (CCHA) and CHW |
| 1:30 PM | Centering Safety and Care: Lessons from CHWs | Tisha Jackson, CHILD, Inc. Mishai Pendleton, EVOLVÂ Angel Mendez, Impact Life Today Indi Islam, AIDS DE Brentdy Chavez, Children & Families First |
| 2:10 PM | CHW Champion Award Presentation | Erin Ridout, CHWAD Coordinating Council |
| 2:30 PM | Advocacy Celebrations and Recognition of Certification Funders | Erin Ridout, CHWAD Coordinating Council |
| 2:35 PM | Introduction | Jacqueline Ortiz, ChristianaCare |
| 2:40 PM | Closing Remarks | Senator Marie Pinkney |
Quick links
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Want to nominate yourself, or someone else, to the CHWA Coordinating Council? Click here
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Marco Ramos, State of Delaware
Marco Ramos is a passionate community health advocate with nearly two decades of experience serving diverse populations throughout Delaware. Originally from Philadelphia, he relocated to Delaware in 2005 and spent the next 10 years as a Community Health Worker at the Latin American Community Center, where he delivered bilingual substance abuse and HIV prevention education to underserved communities in New Castle County.
Since 2016, Marco has served as a Training and Education Specialist with the Delaware Division of Public Health’s HEIDE (Health in Delaware) Institute. In this role, he provides professional development training for high school students with college aspirations, as well
as evidence-based core competency training for new and experienced community health workers across the state. In addition, Marco facilitates chronic disease self-management programs statewide—including in Delaware’s correctional institutions—supporting improved health outcomes for some of the state’s most vulnerable populations.
A proud graduate of Wilmington University, Marco holds a bachelor’s degree in education and remains deeply committed to advancing health equity through culturally responsive education, outreach, and workforce development.
Representative Kamela Smith
Kamela Smith is a connector at heart- whether that’s bringing people together over meaningful conversations, community causes, or a good home cooked meal. She is all about serving others-hence her work at the State Capital as a Representative, helping youth carve out healthcare careers at a local health system, her leadership role at her church and as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.Â
She finds joy in her amateur herb garden, cooking with fresh picked flavors, and sneaking in wellness as much as she can- from lifting weights at the gym to beat menopause, to starting Netflix series with her husband (and inevitably falling asleep while he forges ahead), traveling, diving into audible books and writing when inspiration strikes. She is equal parts public servant, wellness advocate and Tik Tok scroller (you can never have too many recipes or too many giggles, right?).Â
She is blessed to be the matriarch of a blended family, which means life is never short on love, laughter or stories worth sharing. Above all, she believes in showing up authentically, listens deeply, and believes in finding joy in the little things. Â
Randi Woods
Randi Woods, MS, MBA, RN is the Chief Executive Officer of STAR (Sisters Together and Reaching, Inc.) Community Health Solutions, a pioneering community-based organization in Baltimore that has served as a trusted health partner for over 30 years. A nurse executive, educator, and leadership coach, Randi brings a rare blend of clinical expertise, business strategy, and deep community connection to her work.Â
Under her leadership, STAR has launched a Maryland-accredited Community Health Worker (CHW) Academy, expanded workforce development initiatives, and advanced models of care that position CHWs as trusted frontline public health workers. Randi is a national advocate for elevating CHWs as essential members of the health workforce, ensuring they are recognized, supported, and sustainably financed. She works across health systems, payors, and policymakers to build trust-based infrastructure that integrates CHWs into care teams and creates lasting pathways for economic mobility.
With experience ranging from bedside nursing to clinical economics to leading one of the nation’s first Patient-Centered Medical Home programs, Randi has seen how innovation succeeds when community is at the center. She now uses that expertise to elevate CHWs as essential to building healthier systems and stronger, more resilient communities.
Passionate about building a culture of health rooted in humanity and justice, Randi often reminds leaders that communities already hold the solutions within, and that it takes courage, collaboration, and cultural humility to unlock them.
Courtney Winkler, DCADV
Courtney Winkler (she/her) is the Training & Outreach Coordinator for the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, where she leads trainings, provides technical assistance, and supports community partners on topics including intimate partner violence, trauma-informed care, and prevention. She also coordinates DCADV’s Domestic Violence Specialist Certification Program. With over 20 years of experience in training, education, and victim services, Courtney has worn many hats- facilitator, preventionist, victim advocate- all with the goal of strengthening coordinated community responses to violence. She is passionate about creating spaces where learning feels accessible and empowering, and envisions communities that are safe, healthy, and free from violence. Courtney is a core faculty member of the Delaware Victim Assistance Academy and serves in leadership roles on several statewide training and advisory groups. Courtney holds a B.S.Ed. from West Chester University and is a DCADV Certified Domestic Violence Specialist in both Prevention and Direct Service/Systems Advocacy.
Ama Amponsah, DCADV
Ama Amponsah (she/her/hers) is the Domestic Violence and Community Health Program Manager for the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCADV). Ama collaborates with member programs and community partners in this position to address and improve the public health response to domestic violence and engages in policy advocacy around Community Health Worker sustainability in Delaware. Ama’s work has included providing training and resources to different healthcare providers and their support staff, coordinating statewide efforts to build awareness of DV, the available services, trauma-informed screening practices, and supporting project evaluation and continuous quality improvement efforts. Ama also works with the Training and Outreach Coordinator, assisting with planning, implementing, and presenting domestic violence trainings, activities, and conferences to advocates, survivors, social service providers, law enforcement, and community members. Ama holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Washington College.Â
Toni Jordan, NorthNode Group Counseling
Toni Jordan is the Co-Founder and CEO of NorthNode Group Counseling, an outpatient mental health and substance use treatment center in Delaware. Under her leadership, NorthNode has grown into a thriving practice providing intensive outpatient programs and counseling services across the state. Toni is passionate about building trauma-informed workplaces that support the wellbeing of frontline professionals as much as the clients they serve. With over a decade of experience leading behavioral health teams, she brings a unique perspective on how employers can create supportive cultures and how staff can advocate for their own wellbeing in sustainable, practical ways.
Tisha Jackson, CHILD, Inc.
Tisha Jackson has worked in victim services for 11 years with the last 6 being here in Delaware. Prior to that, she worked as a Prevention Education Specialist for a PA nonprofit. In her current role, she serves as a Domestic Violence Community Health Advocate (DV CHA) with Child Inc, Wilmington, DE where she completed the 100 hour Community Health Worker core competency training and has served as the Economic Empowerment Coach. DV CHA program is a collaborative, integrating Domestic Violence services with health services. Twice, Tisha has been recognized as Community Health Worker Champion of the year, once with her DV CHA team in 2021 and individually in 2022. She holds a Masters of Human Service from Lincoln University of PA.
Angel Mendez, Impact Life Today
Angel Mendez, Peer Support Specialist at Impact Life, Â grew up in the city of Wilmington. For most of his younger life he was on his own with no guidance or authority figures as his parents also struggled with substance use. Angel was enticed by the street life and eventually turned to selling drugs. He slowly began to dabble in substance use and when painkillers hit Wilmington, he fell victim to addiction for years. Angel was in and out of detention centers and prisons for the majority of his adolescence and adulthood. Eventually Angel graduated from painkillers to heroin and other drugs. This made him hit rock bottom at age 32.
When Angel decided to make a change and try something new, his life changed drastically. Angel found recovery and started doing honest work on himself to heal. This led him to start working for a nonprofit company called Impact Life. He started out on the outreach team and went into high schools to talk with teenagers about the mistakes he made in hopes they avoid making the same decisions. Today, Angel provides case management and guidance to 30 men and young men and still visits schools and after school programs to speak with the youth. Angel fell in love with his career and has found purpose in being able to help others.
Indi Islam, AIDS DE
Indi Islam is the Community Engagement Specialist at AIDS Delaware and serves as a Certified Community Health Worker (CHW), Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS), Health Literacy Specialist, and PrEP Navigator. With a strong focus on HIV prevention, health equity, and recovery support, they are dedicated to empowering communities through education, access, and advocacy.
Brentdy Chavez, Children & Families First
Brentdy Chavez serves as the Food Access Coordinator with the Seaford Community of Hope under Children & Families First. In this role, he works to reduce food insecurity through Community Dollar Dinners, mobile pantries, local food distributions, and large-scale health fairs that connect families to resources such as health screenings, pet clinics, and more. He also serves as the Community and Youth Engagement Director with the Sussex Health & Environmental Network, where he works on Project CLEAR with families in the Millsboro area who are dealing with poor water quality, helping them access water filtration systems. His focus is on building partnerships, connecting families to resources, and ensuring the community feels seen, heard, and supported.
Erin Caple, Center for Community Health Alignment (CCHA)/Envision
Erin Caple is the Technical Assistance Manager at the Center for envision & the Center for Community Health Alignment (CCHA), where she leads national efforts to strengthen and sustain the Community Health Worker (CHW) workforce through training, technical assistance, resource creation and capacity-building. She has worked with communities in Delaware for several years in different spaces, bringing experience in family services, health education, and public health. Erin is passionate about creating interactive learning experiences that equip CHWs with practical tools, while also uplifting their voices and leadership. She is recognized nationally for her work advancing CHW integration, sustainability, and workforce development, and continues to center community voices in every project she leads.
Senator Marie Pinkney
Sen. Marie Pinkney represents the 13th District, which stretches from the Christiana River south to Porter Road and encompasses dozens of neighborhoods along U.S. Route 13, Del. Route 7, and U.S. Route 40.
Raised by her great aunt in Wilmington and New Castle, Pinkney graduated from Howard High School of Technology. She earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from Norfolk State University and a master’s degree in social work from Delaware State University. After graduate school, she began working at a treatment center for adolescents with mental health and substance abuse issues. She also became the foster mother to a teen mother and her young son for many years.
Sen. Pinkney worked as a social worker/case manager at ChristinaCare until 2024, when she left to pursue a second master’s degree in Africana Studies from the University of Delaware. She has dedicated her career to advocating alongside families seeking quality healthcare, access to resources, educational support, and government policies that support them.
Sen. Pinkney became the first African American LGBTQ+ person ever elected to the Delaware Senate in 2020. She is dedicated to fighting the negative impacts of racial and socioeconomic inequalities, as well as the stigmas and hurdles faced by formerly justice-involved individuals and those with limited educational backgrounds.Â
She currently serves as chair of the Health & Social Services committee, vice chair of the Corrections & Public Safety Committee, and a member of the Senate Executive and Judiciary committees. She also holds a seat on the Joint Capital Improvement Committee.
