Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler, PhD, RDN, LD, CSCS

Dallas County Project Lead

Dr. Seguin-Fowler is the Associate Director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Chief Scientific Officer for the Healthy Texas Institute, the Director of Healthy Living at the Texas A&M AgriLife Dallas Center, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition at Texas A&M University. Dr. Rebecca Seguin-Fowler leads the Dallas CEAL project team.

Jasmin Tiro, PhD

Dallas County Community Partners Lead

Jasmin Tiro, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Population and Data Sciences at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and serves as Associate Director for Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity in the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Tiro received her PhD in Behavioral Sciences from the University of Texas School of Public Health and completed post-doctoral training with NCI’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program.

Mark D. Faries, PhD

Community Partner Liaison and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Team Lead

Mark D. Faries, PhD is an Associate Professor and Extension Health Specialist in Behavioral Medicine within the Family and Community Health Unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, and Adjunct Associate Professor with the Texas A&M College of Medicine and School of Public Health. His research explores why and how people initiate and maintain healthy behaviors, with focus on theoretical and self-regulatory aspects of healthy lifestyles and chronic disease prevention, and more specifically, the role of the church and religious beliefs in health behavior.

Miquela G. Smith, MPH

Community Partner Liaison and Focus Group Lead

Miquela G. Smith is a Health Program Specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. She supports Family & Community Health Extension Agents across Texas and her areas of focus are mental health and disaster preparedness and recovery.

Venus Ginés, M.A. P/CHWI

Dallas County Project Community Partner

Venus Ginés is President and Founder, Día de la Mujer Latina® Inc. She was appointed to NCI’s first Director’s Consumer Liaison Group and in 1997, invited to present at a Congressional Panel for the recognition of the term “Latino” as a proper category term for the new population. Nationally, Ms. Ginés served on many national boards appointed to the Blue Ribbon Panel of NCI Health Disparities Progress Review Group in Washington, DC/chairing the Trans HHS Cultural Competence in Education & Training Roundtable.

Angel Barron

Angel Barron is a Community Health Worker for Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinics in Dallas; he directs the health centers’ programs for asthma, healthy living, and diabetes. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Texas Tech University and is a National Hispanic Scholar. As a Community Health Worker, Mr. Barron has seen first-hand how disparities in healthcare affect underserved communities and works to ensure all patients have access to the healthcare they need.

Dale H. Long

Dale H. Long was born in Tuskegee and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama where he was a survivor of the 1963 domestic terrorist bombing of the 16^th Street Baptist Church. In 1974 he received his BS from Texas Southern University in Houston. He has worked for the NASA Space Shuttle Program, Texas Instruments, the City of Garland, and the DART Light Rail Engineering and Construction project; he retired three years ago after 20 years with the City of Dallas Public Works Department, where he was the Community Outreach Coordinator/Public Information Officer.

Carina Morales

Carina Morales is a Licensed Vocational Nurse at Moore County Hospital District in Dumas, Texas; she considers helping her community her calling.

Joel Durbin

Joel Durbin recently joined The Concilio as the Chief Impact Officer, with more than 15 years in the nonprofit sector, specifically in youth development and education. Most recently, Mr. Durbin served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Program Officer at Trinity River Mission, Education is Freedom, and Equal Heart. Mr. Durbin is a Dallas native and a graduate of The University of North Texas.

Shelia D. Patterson

Shelia D. Patterson is a retired Public School Administrator and has been an Ordained Deaconess at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship (OCBF) for over 22 years. She is a Founder of and has been an instructor of the OCBF Fitness Ministry for over 37 years and is a Co-Founder of the OCBF Comprehensive Cancer/Caregivers’ Support Group. Ms. Patterson is a CEAL Community Advisory Board member for the community of Oak Cliff and surrounding area.

Renae Perry

Renae Perry is the Chief Operating Officer at The Senior Source, a non-profit organization serving older adults and family caregivers in the greater Dallas area. She has a Master’s degree in social work and has worked with older adults, families caring for elderly loved ones, and
community-based organizations for more than 20 years. Ms. Perry is passionate about increasing awareness and support for older adults and those most vulnerable in
Dallas-area communities.

Zaina Syed

Zaina Syed is an undergraduate at the University of Texas at Dallas in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. She is a member of the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI) and a former Youth Coordinator for Dallas-Fort Worth Refugee Outreach Services. Ms. Syed is interested in public health and global medicine prospects in Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond.

Joyce E. Tapley

Joyce E. Tapley, MHA, is the Chief Executive Officer of MLK, Jr. Family Clinic and Foremost Family Health Centers, a multimillion dollar community health center network providing primary and preventative healthcare to the most vulnerable and disenfranchised communities in Dallas County. Ms. Tapley holds a Bachelor’s in Mathematics and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration and Finance from the University of Washington in Seattle and has over 30 years of success as an executive-level healthcare administrator. She also is a Certified HIPAA Compliance Officer, Officer of Health Care Compliance, Certified Internal Forensic Healthcare Auditor, and Certified Healthcare Auditor.

Connie Vega

Connie Vega, BSN, RN, is a Nurse Navigator at Moncrief Cancer Institute in Fort Worth, Texas. Ms. Vega holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Texas Christian University and previously worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Texas Oncology. She considers it a privilege to share Moncrief Cancer Institute’s many services with patients and their families.