Having begun my career as a community health worker (CHW) serving individuals living with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI), combined with over 15 years of experience in non-profit program development and operations management, primarily in the delivery of home and community-based services, I seek to drive forward efforts that reduce health disparities and promote equity across systems. As a champion for the advancement of the community health worker (CHW) profession, I leverage my education, professional experience and Lean Six Sigma credentials to develop and coordinate workforce development strategies and policy change efforts. I also serve as a thought partner and educator, engaging local, state, and national health and human service organizational stakeholders who seek to integrate CHWs as individual service providers and as part of multidisciplinary treatment teams. My mission is to deepen the understanding of CHW core roles and activities, and to secure funding mechanisms that ensure the sustainability of gainful employment for CHWs.