What’s Your Story, Your Why?
Personal stories are an important tool for community organizing and for connecting with decision makers. You will be given an assignment to write a personal story. We are not interested in what you do, your specific job role, but rather we’re curious about who you are. You don’t have to share your story if you’re not comfortable, but we hope that you will!
Guidance to writing a personal story: While not exhaustive, the following questions can help prompt you to tell your story.
- What experiences have most shaped your life?
- What do others need to know and understand about you?
- What do you really get excited about?
- Where are you headed?
- What are you trying to create in the world?
- What legacy would you like to leave behind?
Health Equity Module
- Read “How to Promote Racial Equity in the Workplace” by Robert Livingston published in Harvard Business Review (Sept-Oct 2020).
- Watch “Black Lives/Black Lungs”, a short film investigating the tobacco industry’s successful infiltration into the black community. Created by filmmaker and progressive communications strategist, Lincoln Mondy. Released August 2017.
- Take a look at “Casual Loop Diagram of Smoking”
Leadership Module
Community Organizing Module
Developing Your Action Plan
- Download Developing Your Action Plan for the last day of the Institute.
Communications Module
- Read Spokesperson Training Guide
- Read How to Use Stories to Win Your Campaign
- Watch these videos: Speaking to the Press, Speaking to the Public, and Speaking to Policymakers
For more information or questions you may have, please contact Lindsay Cunningham, at [email protected].
JoAnn Saccato, MA
Project Coordinator RISE (Rural Initiatives Strengthening Equity)
JoAnn Saccato, MA, is the project coordinator for RISE (Rural Initiatives Strengthening Equity), a CTPP statewide priority population coordinating center and a project of the California Health Collaborative. She entered tobacco prevention in 2020 with the NorCal 4 Health Project as their Community Engagement Coordinator for Lake and Mendocino County working on General Plans and retail policies. JoAnn was a third-generation tobacco user, smoking for 25+ years beginning around age 13, and has lost parents and grandparents to tobacco-related diseases. She holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies (SSU) and a self-designed interdisciplinary master’s degree in Co-creating Sustainable Futures (SSU) and brings years of experience in community organizing. JoAnn is a certified mindfulness instructor and a mindfulness-based life coach and is a member of the California Health Collaborative’s DEI Council (2023-25). She serves on numerous committees and councils in her hometown, rural Lake County. JoAnn is passionate about hiking, backpacking, jazz music, her Golden Retriever Bella, and traveling the world. Reach her at 707-350-1719 and[email protected]
Nykeia Harris
Program Consultant – California Tobacco Prevention Program
Nykeia Harris joined the California Tobacco Prevention Program as a Program Consultant in April 2023. Prior to Nykeia’s role as Program Consultant, she was a Project Director for Local Lead Agency, Calaveras County Tobacco Prevention Program for three years. Nykeia’s career background ranged from her role as a Health Educator at Anthem Blue Cross to providing health education and anthropometric measurements (i.e., body mass index and blood pressure measurements) to employees at corporate businesses in Southern California.
Nykeia obtained her BA in Health Science and Master of Public Health degrees from California State University, Fullerton. During her graduate studies, she developed a passion for worksite health promotion and fulfilled an internship at Johnson & Johnson Biosense Webster. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).
Nykeia was born in Bellflower, raised and lived in the Inland Empire until relocating to northern California in June 2019. Activities that spark Nykeia’s interest include, working out, hiking, camping, baking, participating in county and state fair baking competitions, landscape photography, and traveling/road-trips.
Nicole Graumann
Project Coordinator II – Tribal Community Coordinating Center
To: su Nicole Graumann, Kasil: naop ana (my name is Nicole Graumann, I am from Redwood Valley), She/Her. I am Pomo from Redwood Valley Rancheria, I was born and raised in Mendocino County California, prior to starting at Tribal Community Coordinating Center, a project of ETR I was an employee of Mendocino County for 11 years spending time as an Eligibility Specialist and Project Director for The Mendocino County Tobacco Prevention Program. I completed my undergraduate in both History and Native American Studies at Humboldt State University, then completed my MA in History from the University of Oklahoma in 2022.
Valerie B. Yerger
Professor – University of California
Valerie B. Yerger, ND is Professor in Health Policy at the University of California, San Francisco. She is also a licensed naturopathic doctor and a former Health Disparities Scholar of the National Institutes of Health. She has been the Project Director for “The LOOP” since its inception in 2014. The LOOP provides trainings and tailored assistance to grantees of the California Tobacco Prevention Program (CTPP) to strengthen their capacity to address the needs of their local communities, especially those that are disproportionately burdened by commercial tobacco. For the past twenty-five years, Dr. Yerger’s research and advocacy work have focused on framing the disproportionate burden of tobacco among marginalized communities as a social injustice and informing public health policies to effectively reach and engage these communities. Her research of previously secret tobacco documents uncovered the tobacco industry’s relationships with African American leadership groups, the accumulation of nicotine in tissues containing melanin, the disproportionate marketing of menthol cigarettes in inner-city communities, and tobacco companies’ in-house research on the use of menthol as an additive in cigarettes. Dr. Yerger initiated the State of California Tobacco Prevention Program’s examination of novel ways to holistically address the demand side of the tobacco epidemic by addressing the social and political determinants of health as underlying barriers to tobacco prevention and smoking cessation. She is an ambassador for “Emotional Brain Training,” which provides a brain-based approach to equip people with the skills to protect themselves from the harms of stress overload. Dr. Yerger is a founding member of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, which spearheaded the nationwide movement to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products. Dr. Yerger’s substantial experience in tobacco control, community engagement, policy leadership, and training are all valued skills, reflected in the number of manuscripts published and awards received.
Yaneth L. Rodriguez
Regional Coordinator – Latino Coordinating Center
Yaneth L. Rodriguez, MPH (Nahua from Kuskatan (El Salvador)) works with the University of Southern California (USC) under the leadership and guidance of Dr. Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati. Yaneth is a regional coordinator with the Latino Coordinating Center for a Tobacco-Free California (LCC) funded by the California Tobacco Control Program, and a project manager on several research studies at USC. She is currently helping to manage a Colorectal Cancer research project. She has also managed tobacco-related research projects such as a large-scale tobacco retail environment study, and several studies that examined secondhand smoke exposure in multi-unit housing, tenant and landlord’s knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, compliance, and support for smoke free policies in Los Angeles County. She has more than 15 years of experience in tobacco control and research and serves on the California State Endgame Advisory Committee. Yaneth earned her B.S. in health promotion and disease prevention studies and her Master of Public Health in the global health and leadership track from USC.
Claire Braeburn
Co-Founder and Executive Director of America On Track (AOT)
Claire Braeburn is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of America On Track (AOT), an award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing public health, equity, and youth development across Orange County, CA. A UCLA graduate with over 30 years of leadership in nonprofit management, Claire has designed, developed, and implemented high-impact public health initiatives that have transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of youth and families.
As the strategic architect behind AOT’s tobacco prevention initiatives, Claire has served as Project Director for CTPP-funded grants for 15 years and has led OCHCA-funded tobacco prevention projects for 30 years. Under her leadership, AOT has been instrumental in shaping over 200 voluntary and legislative smoke-free policies, including landmark ordinances in Santa Ana, Stanton, and Buena Park, such as Smoke-Free Parks, Comprehensive Smoke-Free City and Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing, and Tobacco Retail Licensing and Flavor Bans. Claire’s deep expertise in policy design, community engagement, and advocacy has made her a driving force in advancing tobacco control policies and health equity at both local and state levels.
A recognized leader in public health and social justice, Claire has represented Orange County at state-level tobacco control summits, participated in equity-focused leadership programs, and served on planning committees for statewide initiatives. Her ability to mobilize diverse stakeholders, navigate complex policy landscapes, and execute large-scale public health projects underscores her commitment to systemic change and health equity.
With a passion for empowering underserved communities, Claire has dedicated three decades to creating brighter futures for our most vulnerable youth and families—a mission that continues to fuel her advocacy for a tobacco-free California.
Bryan Coleman
Senior Director of We-Collab
Bryan Coleman is a seasoned leader with over 10 years of experience in facilitation, design, and organizational development, specializing in stakeholder engagement, leadership training, and strategic partnerships within the nonprofit sector. Currently serving as the Senior Director at We-Collab, Bryan has been at the forefront of designing educational initiatives that promote inclusive and engaging learning environments. His expertise lies in strategic planning, curriculum design, public speaking, and team leadership, with a strong focus on creating impactful, values-driven educational content.
Bryan’s commitment to fostering collaboration and facilitating dialogue on pressing societal issues is reflected in his work, which leads initiatives that empower leaders and build effective, resilient communities. His passion for education and social change drives his approach to thought leadership, and he is particularly dedicated to creating spaces that allow for diverse voices and perspectives.