Loreen Chant

President and CEO

Recognized as a community leader in South Florida, Loreen Chant currently serves as the president and CEO of the Health Foundation of South Florida.  Since her appointment in 2021 as the first woman to lead the Foundation in its thirty-year history, she has led the Foundation’s strategic investments and advanced important initiatives and partnerships to advance health equity in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe Counties.  The Foundation’s mission is to invest in collaborations, policy and systems changes that improve the health of South Florida communities with a focus on low-income communities.  Since its inception, the Foundation has invested more than $150 million to nonprofits that provide programs and services to advance health equity in South Florida.   

Prior to leading The Health Foundation of South Florida, Loreen served as President and CEO of Easterseals South Florida where she led the organization through a period of transformative growth by expanding programs and services, opening new centers, and achieving unprecedented fundraising milestones.  Loreen also spent more than 20 years working in higher education, serving as Vice President and then President of Johnson & Wales University’s North Miami Campus.

Well-known in South Florida for her community contributions and accomplishments, in 2023 Loreen was included in City & State’s South Florida Power 100 and was presented with an In the Company of Women award by the Miami-Dade County Commission for Women in partnership with the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade County in 2022.  Chant was also recognized at the 2022 Prestigious Women Awards for non-profit leadership.  She is also the recipient of the Red Cross Sara Hopkins Woodruff Spectrum Award for Education. In 2009, she was named one of South Florida’s 25 Most Influential Women by the South Florida Business Journal. 

Loreen currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Early-Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties and Broward HealthPoint.  Loreen serves as co-chair for the Health Equity Advisory Committee of Memorial Health System, is a member of the TD Bank South Florida Community Advisory Council and a member of the Selection Advisory Committee for GreenLight Fund Miami. 

Loreen holds a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University, and an Executive Education Program Certificate in Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management from Harvard Business School.  

Felicia Lopez-Walker

Director of Communications  

Meet Felicia Lopez-Walker, the Director of Communications at the Health Foundation of South Florida. With over 15 years of experience in public relations, communications, and marketing, Felicia joined our team in January 2024 to advance the Foundation’s mission through effective and strategic communications. Her primary goal is to amplify our organization’s voice through storytelling.

Felicia has worked with various healthcare, corporate, government, and non-profit organizations, and has developed and executed effective and impactful communications strategies and campaigns. One of her strengths is discerning and capturing the style and values of an organization. She has extensive experience in corporate and non-profit communications and publications content management.

Felicia began her career as a newspaper journalist and has since worked in public relations, marketing, and communications across various industries, primarily in healthcare. Before joining our team, Felicia worked at AvMed, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Children’s National Medical Center and American Hospital Association in Washington, DC. In these roles, she directed all aspects of marketing and communications to promote organization goals and preserve the brand effectively, implementing strategies to propel the organization forward.

Felicia is an active member of ColorComm, a network for women of color in the marketing, media, and communication space. She has several marketing and communications awards and honors for collateral, brochures, and campaign publications. She earned her B.A. in Communications from the University of South Florida and her MSB from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. 

Xinia Thompson

Executive Assistant/Events & Office Manager

Xinia Thompson joined the Foundation in January 2001. Previously, she worked as Office Manager at Mount Sinai Medical Center in the Business Office and Accounting Department. She began her career in Costa Rica working as a bilingual executive secretary for Canadian firm Torneca S.A. She attended the National University of Costa Rica, where she earned an associate’s degree in general studies. Xinia has lived in the United States since 1986, and now resides in Miami and with her husband and dog, Lola.

Alecia Dillon

Chief Financial Officer

Alecia Dillon joined the Foundation in 2021 and is leading all financial functions including accounting, audit, treasury, financial reporting, tax, and investor relations. Her background includes fourteen years of executive financial operations, most recently serving as the CFO for Northern Arizona University’s Foundation, where she oversaw a $350 million-dollar endowment and $12 million-dollar annual operating budget. Previously, she held leadership positions in accounting, finance, information technology and human resources with the University of Michigan Athletics, Capital Group (American Funds) and Brickley DeLong. She currently serves on the board of I Demand Access, which works to empower and educate women in Malawi. Alecia holds an Executive MBA from The University of Michigan and a BA from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She received the prestigious designation of Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds the endorsement of Executive Positive Leadership from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Lucero Gronquist

Staff Accountant

Lucero Gronquist joined the Foundation in 2019. Previously, she worked at Miami Bridge Youth and Family Service as the organization’s staff accountant. She began her career as an accounts payable assistant with General Motors. She received her degree in public accounting from Antonio Nariño University of Colombia. She resides in Miami.

Janisse Rosario Schoepp, M.P.H., Ph.D. 

Chief Strategy Officer

Janisse Rosario Schoepp, M.P.H., Ph.D., who joined the Foundation in 2004, is the Chief Strategy Officer.  She guides the development and implementation of new approaches and initiatives that advance the Foundation’s health equity agenda. She also serves as a thought leader internally and externally, informing the Foundation’s overall direction, strategic partnerships, and investments in the community. Schoepp has been an integral part of the Foundation’s strategic planning, program development, research and evaluation. She worked to establish the South Florida Anchor Alliance, an initiative to engage regional institutions, such as hospitals and universities, in community wealth-building strategies to address the social determinants of health. She was selected to be part of the Young American Leaders Program at Harvard Business School. Previously, she worked at the Stempel School of Public Health and Social Work at Florida International University. Schoepp holds a Master and a Doctorate of Public Health, both from Florida International University.

Any Karina Balza

Grants Management and Operations

In this role, Any Karina leads the Foundation’s grants management and operations, utilizing data to measure performance, inform operational and programmatic decisions, ensure data quality, and improve grantmaking processes. Balza oversees the Foundation’s grants management system, implementing and maintaining processes to ensure efficient data capture and collection across multiple projects. She provides technical assistance, training, and support to internal and external end users.

Previously, Balza served as Senior Manager for Research Operations at the University of Miami-Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. In this role, she assisted with designing and developing key initiative projects and programs, supporting the renewal and maintenance of NCI designation through the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) process. She provided leadership in programmatic development, administrative management, and strategic development related to all components of the CCSG.

Balza’s educational background includes a Master of Engineering in Industrial Systems Reliability from Universidad Simón Bolívar and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Florida Atlantic University. She is a Business Certified Appraiser (BCA) from the International Society of Business Appraisers. Her bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish, coupled with her extensive skills in CRM, data analysis, multi-project proposals, project management, and sponsored programs, further enhance her professional capabilities.

Natalie K. Castellanos, JD

Director, Policy and Public Affairs

Natalie Castellanos joined the Foundation in 2018. Prior to the Foundation, she served in several roles developing Florida International University’s medical-legal partnership, most recently as an assistant professor in the medical school’s Department of Humanities, Health and Society. Before joining the medical school faculty, she was a health care access attorney with the FIU College of Law’s Clinical Program. Castellanos’ career centers on inter-disciplinary approaches to advancing health equity, and she is passionate about supporting collaboration across non-traditional health partners, such as lawyers and grassroots community organizations. Castellanos earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Florida, a juris doctor degree from the FIU College of Law, and is a member of The Florida Bar. She lives in Miami with her husband.

Megan Gamwell

Director of Programs

Megan Gamwell, who joined the Foundation in 2023, is Project Director of the South Florida Anchor Alliance. She is responsible for development, management and evaluation of the South Florida Anchor Alliance and other related program activities. She works closely with partner organizations, applicants and grantees to advance the Foundation’s strategic investments aimed at improving the social and economic conditions that promote health and well-being. Gamwell brings a strong background in economic development, housing policy analysis, transportation policy analysis, program and policy development and local government. Megan also has experience serving on organizational boards including the San Diego Uptown Parking District, The San Diego Business Improvement District Council, and Citizens Coordinate for Century III (C3) a land use and urban development advocacy organization.

Eliane Morales

Administrative Assistant of Programs

Eliane Morales joined the Foundation in 2004. Previously, she worked at Mount Sinai Medical Center for 14 years, having served four years as the Dental, Radiology and Pathology Medical Residency Coordinator. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Portuguese from Rio de Janeiro State University.

Debra Annane

Senior Program Officer

Debra Annane, M.A., M.P.H., joined the Foundation in 2022 as a Program Officer, focused on expanding the Foundation’s goals for co-developing health equity projects and tackling non-medical drivers of health. Debra’s interdisciplinary public health and communications career began with producing news and long-form documentaries. In 2009, she began working in public health and behavioral medicine research management at the University of Miami (UM) Miller School of Medicine on projects focused on health education, prevention, and survivorship among underserved and marginalized patients. She also became significantly involved with research and interventions that address toxic stress and health disparities. Debra teaches evidence-based stress reduction programs and is certified as a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher through Brown University. Following five years at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where her work included managing a large national research study to evaluate organizational change and the implementation of evidence-based standards of care, Debra brings a range of public health and health equity expertise to the team. Debra is from Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in South Florida. She received her undergraduate education in Anthropology from Florida State University, holds master’s degrees in Journalism (University of Texas at Austin) and Public Health (University of Miami), and is a long-time yoga and meditation practitioner.

Patricia Jones

Program Officer / Data & Grants Management

Patricia Jones, M.A.,, joined the Foundation in 2022 as Program Officer/Data & Grants Management. She has more than 14 years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector. Patricia previously served as the Director of Data Systems and Grants Administration at Covenant House Florida, where she led the agency’s public and private grants/contracts and internal/external databases. She is a graduate of Leadership Broward Class XXXVII, which is designed to help expand skills and enhance knowledge of local and state issues, as well as leverage individual passion to make positive changes in the community. Patricia holds a B.A. in International Studies and Geography/Regional Studies and a Master’s in International Administration from the University of Miami. 

Katelyn McGuigan

Program Officer

Katelyn McGuigan joined the Health Foundation of South Florida in 2024 as a Program Officer. In this role, she is responsible for co-developing projects alongside community organizations and partners that focus on expanding the Health Foundation’s goals of improving access, utilization, and availability of healthcare services. Katelyn has worked for almost a decade in Florida’s public health field.

Her first position was with the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, where she worked on projects to improve the health of low-income women, infants, and children and quality improvement projects to safeguard the health of unhoused individuals. Since this first role with the health department, Katelyn has continued her public health career, from working with non-profits to academic research institutions and regional healthcare systems in South Florida.

With a strong background in stakeholder engagement, program implementation, and grants management, she brings a wealth of community experience to the Health Foundation’s Program team. Katelyn received her Bachelor of Science from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, and her Master of Public Health from the University of Miami.

Barbie Davalos

Assistant Controller

Barbie Davalos joined the Health Foundation of South Florida in 2024 as the Assistant Controller. With over a decade of experience in finance and operations, she oversees all financial functions, including accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, and compliance.

Before joining the Health Foundation, Barbie held key roles at Professional Bank, where she managed financial operations and reported for a branch overseeing more than $510 million in deposits. She was instrumental in optimizing financial processes, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring regulatory compliance through strategic initiatives and effective management.

Barbie’s transition to the nonprofit sector has been marked by her dedication to aligning financial strategies with the Health Foundation’s mission of advancing health equity and community development.

Her work includes overseeing audits, preparing comprehensive financial reports, and developing policies that support sustainable growth. Barbie’s financial acumen, combined with her passion for community health, make her a key asset to the Health Foundation.

Barbie holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida International University.