Suzanne Smith is a CHW-C and the Director of Network Services for HCC Network.  She has worked diligently to develop the HCC Network for the past seven years and has engaged more than 75 organizations to cooperate and collaborate in the HCC Network. She has a strong leadership development background, having spent 18 years with the YMCA in Saline County as the CEO. Suzanne currently oversees the Network and has helped to develop the Community Health Worker Program, has expanded the network programs to include 20 Project Connect events that have taken place, has put together a resource guide for each county that is served, and started a warehouse to address the Social Determinants of Health Needs of our patients and network clients.  She also helped to implement the HCC Rides transportation initiative.  Suzanne is also the lead facilitator on the CHW HUB ECHO team through the Missouri Telehealth Network and has served on the CHW Advisory Committee and has been board member for the CHW Association for the State of Missouri since 2019.  Suzanne is excited to serve as the new Board Chair for the CHWAM Association. 

Suzanne has been married to her husband David for 32 years and they have two sons and two daughter-in-laws:  Andrew & Alicia and Alex and Ally.  Suzanne and her family like to camp at the lake, fish, and be in the outdoors!

Ciearra Walker serves as Project Coordinator with St. Louis Integrated Health Network’s Community Health Worker Workforce Partnership.

Her notable achievements and steadfast dedication throughout her undergraduate career gained her national recognition by President Barack Obama during his commencement address to the 2016 Howard University graduating class. Since the presidential recognition, Ciearra has been featured live on CNN, Detroit Deadline, Teen Vogue, the front page of the Detroit Free Press and was named Youth of the Year by Essence. Ciearra decided to expand her love for public health through a different lens, focusing now on the environmental influences of a youth’s upbringing. Using mentorship, academic empowerment and professional development as the main vehicles of service, Ciearra started her own initiative entitled, Cjs Corner.

Ciearra is on a mission to serve as a vehicle of opportunity for millennial’s and eager to get involved with those in her community. Ciearra received her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Prevention Science from Emory University’s Executive Master’s of Public Health program. She is happily married to her long-term partner, Michael.