Leadership & Board

Carlos Plazas (he/him) holds a master’s degree in Science and Business Administration from Towson University and previously served as La Clínica del Pueblo’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. He has nearly two decades of leadership experience in nonprofit health care, including roles as Vice President of Finance and subsequently as Chief Operating Officer at Planned Parenthood Maryland. Before his tenure at Planned Parenthood, he served as Director of Finance at Chase Brexton, a Maryland Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving 40,000 patients annually. Carlos enjoys cooking, watching fútbol, and spending time with his daughters.

Dr. Chaudhry (she/her/ella) is a board-certified general internist and primary care physician with over twenty years of clinical, community health, and health systems experience, including serving in Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer roles in community health settings. Previously, as a postdoctoral fellow and faculty member at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Chaudhry's research and clinical care focused on the integration of treatment for substance use disorders into HIV primary care. She later served as Chief Medical Officer at Chase Brexton Health Care, and Interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Maryland. In recent years, she has developed a focus on digital health and ways it can be used to expand access to high-quality care and enhance the care experience. She is the founder and CEO of Sunny, an organization dedicated to expanding access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. Dr. Chaudhry received her medical degree at Tufts University School of Medicine and holds both a Master of Public Health and a Master of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University. For the past 8 years she has been living with her family in Quito, Ecuador, and has recently relocated back to the United States. Dr. Chaudhry’s decades in clinical care and community health and a deep commitment to health equity are qualities that align seamlessly with La Clínica del Pueblo’s mission, vision, and values.

Marcela Maamari (she/her) is a healthcare executive with more than 30 years of experience in clinical operations, health systems leadership, and healthcare transformation. She was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Not For Profit Hospital Corporation (United Medical Center) in April 2021, bringing deep expertise in operational strategy, quality improvement, and systems integration. Prior to serving as Interim CEO, she held the role of Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Support and Ambulatory Services, where she led large, complex clinical and administrative functions. Earlier in her career, Ms. Maamari began at GW Medical Faculty Associates in Washington, DC, serving in roles of increasing responsibility, including Director of Clinical Systems and Applications, and playing a key role in the organization’s early adoption of electronic health records.

She later co-founded EHR Evolution, a healthcare IT consulting firm, leading enterprise-wide initiatives for academic medical centers, hospital systems, and community-based practices focused on EHR optimization, population health, and quality programs. Ms. Maamari holds a Master of Health Services Administration from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of International Studies (Economics) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Chris Grasso (she/her) has over 30 years of experience in healthcare, including 20 years at an FQHC, and holds a Master of Public Health. With extensive experience leading Information Technology teams, clinical applications, data analysis, telemedicine, and health information management, Chris has played a vital role in ensuring that all patients receive culturally competent, high-quality care. She has spearheaded key initiatives, including the implementation of a patient portal, the integration of sexual orientation and gender identity data into electronic health records, and the adoption of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Marquez is a distinguished pediatrician, educator, and healthcare leader with over two decades of experience in clinical care, medical education, and public health. She has held key leadership roles, including Vice President of Medical Education and Medical Director at Mary’s Center, and previously served as a Professor and Clerkship Director at Georgetown University School of Medicine, where she mentored faculty, residents, and medical students. Fluent in English and Spanish, Dr. Marquez has dedicated her career to culturally responsive healthcare and community-driven solutions. She is deeply committed to improving healthcare access, innovation, and ensuring that all children, regardless of their background, have access to compassionate, top-quality, pediatric care. She remains deeply engaged in mentorship, research, and public health advocacy to bridge gaps and improve healthcare for all.

Dr. Roberts is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and the Cummings Graduate Institute (CGI) and has worked for over 17 years as a clinician, clinical supervisor, and executive leader in various levels of co-occurring care treating substance use and mental health disorders. He is certified in Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for treatment of PTSD. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota and Metropolitan State University. Dr. Roberts oversees our Mental Health, Substance Use, and school-based emotional wellness programs.

Dawn is a registered public health nurse from Oakland, California, with over 10 years of experience in school-based, home health, and community healthcare settings. She began her career as a school nurse in Emeryville, where she co-led a school-based health center in partnership with a Federally Qualified Health Center, supporting students from pre-K through high school and advocating for inclusive healthcare access. She went on to coordinate clinical services at Roots Community Health in Oakland, overseeing five primary care sites and a mobile clinic serving unhoused populations. At West Oakland Health, she helped relaunch services after federal shutdowns, developing clinical guidelines and leading quality improvement. Her experience also includes auditing and compliance leadership at MJHS in New York and directing quality and compliance efforts for home health agencies in Colorado. Dawn holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Mercy University School of Nursing. She specializes in regulatory compliance and quality improvement, and brings a relationship-driven approach to transformational change. Dawn is a proud grandmother, mother of two adult children, and currently lives in Washington, D.C. with her 16-year-old poodle mix, Mello.

Mr. Diaz-Ramirez (he/him) oversees the community health programs and activities developed by La Clínica del Pueblo to ensure that efficient and quality community-focused services are provided. As the Community Health Action Department Director, he assesses health needs within the community as a whole, and develops strategies grounded in public health and community mobilization to address these needs at the individual, family, group, community, or structural level as appropriate. Prior to 2018, he served as La Clínica’s LGBTQ Health Program Manager. Mr. Diaz-Ramirez holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and is licensed in Psychology from the Universidad Ricardo Palma in Lima, Peru.

Mr. Stein (he/him) is the Director of Health Equity and Strategic Partnerships at La Clínica del Pueblo. Rodrigo has more than a decade of experience advancing health equity through policy advocacy, community partnerships, health systems innovation, and community-based participatory research. His work focuses on improving access to care for underserved communities by integrating community voices into program design, organizational strategy to address health related social needs, and public policy. Rodrigo holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Science from Loughborough University (UK). 

Ms. Garcia de Alba (she/her) brings over 15 years of experience in project management and grants administration within the health nonprofit and international development sectors. She works closely with the Executive team to identify funding and partnership opportunities, fostering a collaborative approach to revenue growth aligned with the organization’s mission. She earned her Master’s degree in Geography, with certificates in International Development and Conflict Resolution, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City. Fluent in English and Spanish, she leverages her language skills to build strong relationships with funders and partners in the Washington, DC area and beyond.

Altamira Bhatt is an accomplished Human Resources leader with over two decades of experience in global workforce management within mission-driven, international organizations. Fluent in English and Spanish, she brings a multicultural lens and a deep commitment to equity, organizational transformation, and employee well-being. Before joining La Clínica del Pueblo as Director of Human Resources, Altamira served in senior HR roles at the Organization of American States, where she led strategic initiatives in human capital, benefits, workforce planning, and digital HR solutions. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and a Master’s in Human Resources Management, and has a proven track record of aligning HR strategies with institutional missions, fostering inclusive work cultures, and driving operational excellence. Her commitment to social impact fuels her conviction in HR’s transformative power to build equitable workplaces and drive meaningful societal change through strategic, human-centered practices. Altamira is deeply inspired by La Clínica’s vision of health as a human right and is passionate about creating HR practices that empower a diverse, bilingual workforce to thrive in service of the community.

Jillian Leslie (she/her/ella) is a nonprofit development leader with a wealth of experience in fundraising, communications, and donor relations. Before joining La Clínica del Pueblo, she held senior development roles with progressive organizations that focused on human rights and reproductive health. As Director of External Affairs, Jillian leads the organization’s efforts to strengthen philanthropic support for high quality, accessible health care for the Latino community in the Greater Washington area. Her work reflects a strong commitment to sustaining and expanding resources that address critical local health needs and promote equity.