Board of Directors
Melissa Smith
Melissa Smith was born and raised in Clinton, Missouri, where she now resides after returning home to purchase a home in Tightwad. She serves as the Director of The Pediatric Place Family First Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering families by connecting them with essential resources, promoting community betterment, and eliminating barriers to healthcare access.
Melissa previously spent seven years living in Buckner, Missouri, and brings over five years of experience as a Director of Population Health, where she has led public health teams in developing and implementing programs that connect individuals to critical resources and provide comprehensive tools to improve quality of life. Her work is deeply rooted in addressing social drivers of health and creating sustainable, community-centered solutions.
Since 2022, Melissa has served on the Board of Directors for the Community Health Worker Association, working at the state level to identify strategies that strengthen community health and address unmet needs across Missouri.
Outside of her professional work, Melissa enjoys spending time with her family, including her two children, Bryndle and Stetson, and her significant other, Eric.
Vice President
Hanna Oberg
Hanna Oberg is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), CHW-C, and Harm Reduction Specialist (HRS) and has been with Family Care Health Centers in St. Louis for 4 years. Starting as a Community Health Worker, she has transitioned to Community Health Worker: Housing Specialist and is currently Community Health Worker: Project Lead at FCHC. She graduated from Truman State University in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and minors in Psychology and Disability Studies. Hanna then completed the Community Health Worker training program through St. Louis Community College in 2021 and became credentialed through the Missouri Credentialing Board (MCB).
With a background in health education and customer service, Hanna specializes in improving the health literacy and knowledge of the individuals she works with by building trusting relationships and giving them the tools to better advocate for themselves and their communities. Working with people from diverse lived experiences, from being unhoused to having substance use disorder and a multitude of other social determinants of health & social barriers, her ability to understand and translate their needs, as well as collaborating with members of the care teams to establish patient-centered goals ensures improved health outcomes for those individuals and communities.
She is a part of several professional, public health organizations and in 2023 was voted by peers as CHW of the Year in the state of Missouri. Hanna is also proud to share that she has been able to do a lot of advocacy work in the substance use & prevention field, even getting to sit on a panel with USDHHS Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral Rachel Levine; co-facilitate on a national webinar hosted by HHRC, SAMHSA, and USDHHS regarding her work with her peer, DeAnthony Henderson, on getting naloxone into public housing; and travel to Jefferson City to testify in front of the Missouri Substance Abuse and Prevention Task Force, made up of elected officials across the state of Missouri.
Treasurer
Florence Adegoke
Secretary
Florence Adegoke is a Quality Analyst/Health Advocate Coordinator/Program Manager at University Health Truman Medical Center, Kansas City. She has been in Public Health for over 30 years.
Florence works with the Social Determinants of Health Team at TMC in screening patients for social needs and providing resources to those who screen positive.
Florence is currently an Adjunct Faculty at Metropolitan Community College, Institute for Workforce Innovation for the Community Health Worker course. She was part of the team that developed the Community Health Worker Course. She has been an instructor of the course since 2012. She is a member of the Kansas City Regional Community Health Worker Collaborative and serves on the Executive and Capacity Building Committees. She also serves on the Community Health Worker Association of Missouri Board.
Florence serves on the Board of Agape Pamoja, a not for profit organization in the Kansas City area that works with Congolese refugees in the metro area. She volunteers with Fishes and Loaves, an organization that feeds street institutionalized homeless people in the downtown Kansas City.
Florence earned a Bachelor of Science in Zoology in 1984, from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria. Master of Public Health in 1993, from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and Master of Health Services Administration from the University of Kansas in 2009.
Drew Joyce
Yolanda Dudley
Shelly Hardin
Kathy Mason
SE Region Member-at-Large
Drew Joyce M.Ed. BIP CHW-C is new to the CHWAM Board of Directors. Drew has dedicated more than a decade to FCC‑Behavioral Health, where he has made a lasting impact through his leadership and commitment to community well‑being. For eight years, he served as the Clinical Manager and Program Director of the Behavioral Health Clinic, leading with compassion and a strong focus on expanding access to quality mental health services.
Over the past year, Drew has transitioned into the role of Clinical Development Officer, where he works to strengthen FCC‑Behavioral Health’s relationships with the communities it serves and with its valued partners. His work centers on collaboration, outreach, and building sustainable connections that further the agency’s mission.
Drew is a 2016 graduate of Liberty University, where he earned a Master in Education. His academic background continues to shape his approach to clinical leadership, staff development, and community engagement.
Beyond his professional role, Drew is a dedicated public servant. He has served six years on the local school board, eight years in township governance, and eight years on the city council—reflecting his long‑standing commitment to civic involvement and community development.
When he is not working or serving his community, Drew enjoys spending time with his family and cheering on his favorite sports teams: the San Diego Padres, Georgia Bulldogs, and Memphis Tigers.
STL Member-at-Large
KC Member-at-Large
SW Region Member-at-Large
Kathy Mason, CHW-C: My goal is to help educate the health care system about the value of Community Health Workers (CHW). I would love to see CHWs reimbursable through insurance companies through billing codes created for Social Determinates of Health.
I have worked with community agencies and organizations for the past 26 years. My experiences come from being a home care worker, employee with Head Start / Early Head Start, receptionist at a Psychological Office and a CHW – C for Freeman Health System. I have implemented and run a Caregiver Support Group in the Joplin area. My passion for serving can be traced back as far as 1992 when I received Volunteer of the Year Runner-Up for the “Points of Light” Award. This was presented for organizing an AWANA Club at the Hainerberg Chapel at Wiesbaden, Germany.
One of my favorite personal accomplishments was the privilege of walking alongside a client and watching the growth she made to become her own advocate of her health.
Board President
Patty Hendren
NW Region Member-at-Large
Patty Hendren, CAC, CHW-C, has lived in the Northeast Missouri rural community all her life. She is married to the love of her life and her best friend Jimmy R Hendren. They have four children, three biological and one adopted. Patty had the privilege to travel to the country of Kazakhstan in 2007 to adopt her youngest daughter Anastasya, fulfilling a life dream of her and her husband.
Patty has been a Certified Application Counselor (CAC) since 2013 and is a licensed navigator with the state of Missouri. She attended Ozark Technical Community College where she received her Community Health Worker Certification in 2017 and in 2020 received her credentials. Patty has worked for Randolph County Caring Community Partnership since 2010 as a project director. Responsible for the operation of the Senior Mental Health Wellness Project, she developed an awareness campaign through diverse platforms to address depression among seniors aged fifty-five and over. She has assisted underserved and uninsured individuals and families in finding affordable health care. Provided training on the impacts of the Social Determinants of Health; presented at the National Opioid Conference in Washington, D.C. Strengthened the health care system and improved service delivery. She has conducted on-going training to increase the community’s capacity to address health literacy.
Patty is also a dedicated instructor for Community Health Worker (CHW) classes. She has taught CHW courses online to students in both Missouri and Kansas. Most recently, she had the opportunity to teach in-person CHW classes at the Moberly Correctional Center for Men. This experience has been a true highlight of her career, as Patty has a deep passion for helping individuals recognize their potential, overcome barriers, and embrace the opportunity for a second chance. She believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and make a positive difference in their lives and communities.
Atara Estes
Past President
Atara Estes: I am a ICHW-C that works at the Integrated Health Network for the ReLink Program. I am a CHW-BH instructor for the STLCC. I am the Advocacy chairperson for the CHWAM and entrepreneur as a CHW and holistic health and wellness coach. My focus is post trauma to help community members with proper self-care treatment to heal, recover and thrive after trauma unashamed.
NE Region Member-at-Large
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Jay-Dee Bush
Central Region Member-at-Large
My name is Jay-Dee Bush & I am a Public Safety and Justice Case Coordinator at the Columbia/Boone County Health Department and a former Community Health Worker/CHW Supervisor. I am originally from East Saint Louis, IL, but I moved to Columbia in 2010 to pursue my bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri. I am a first-generation college graduate, which I am very proud of. Throughout my 10-year tenure at the City, I have worked for three different departments, and all my positions have been service-oriented. So being a CHW is a natural fit for me. I derive joy and a sense of personal fulfillment knowing that the work I do as a CHW is improving the health and well-being of my neighbors. It is my mission to lessen the health disparities that exist in Boone County through providing my neighbors with health resources, health literacy, and advocating for them to have an excellent overall quality of life. In my spare time, I enjoy running, performing, and listening to spoken word poetry, listening to old school hip-hop and R&B, reading self-help books, spending quality time with my family, and playing basketball. I am married and have two children, a son and a daughter.
Kevin Harris Jr.
JNACHW Ambassador
Kevin Harris, Jr CHW-C. Kevin brings over 26 years of experience in the medical, non-profit, and public health sectors. His diverse skill set includes roles as a Licensed Minister,Registered Medical Assistant, Phlebotomist, Substance Use/ Mental Health Group Facilitator, HIV Counselor (IL and Mo), CHW Instructor (STLCC) and so much more. This extensive background has allowed him to navigate in all sections of the healthcare system.
Kevin values his diploma as a Community Health Worker from St Louis Community College at Forest Park, recognizing its impact in opening new doors for his career. In return, he became a CHW Instructor to pay-it-forward to individuals who could benefit from the CHW Program as he did.
Hailing from the Village of Brooklyn, IL., Kevin’s dedication extends beyond the workplace, where he finds joy in hobbies like cooking, music, meditation, and bowling. However, his true passion lies in supporting individuals in “Recovery,” drawing from his own journey of overcoming alcohol addiction.