St. David's Foundation Research and Insights
  • Grantmaking
    • Our Strategic Priorities
    • Grants
    • Grant Partners
    • Grantee Homepage
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Community Health Needs Assessments
  • Our Programs
    • COVID-19 Response
    • Capacity Building
    • Dental Program
    • Aging Well
    • Good Measure
    • Scholarships
    • Toast of the Town
  • Research + Insights
  • About Us
    • Stories
    • Board & Leadership
    • Foundation Team
    • Careers
    • Innovation Center
    • St. David’s Healthcare
    • Financials and Annual Reports
    • Contact Us
St. David's Foundation Research and Insights
Image

Ashley Gomez | Scholarship Program Manager

Focus area: Neal Kocurek Scholarship

Increasing Scholarship Equity for a More Diverse Workforce
Image

Becky Pastner, MPAff | Vice President of Evaluation and Strategic Learning

Focus area: Evaluation & Strategic Learning

Building A Thriving Central Texas: Advancing Latino Futures
St. David's Foundation Senior Program Officer Abena Asante

Abena Asante, MHA | Senior Program Officer

Focus area: Thriving Rural Communities

Abena develops strategies for programs and grant making in the area of Rural Health. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2016, Abena was a Senior Program Officer with the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where her grants portfolio focused on access to primary care, behavioral health services, diabetes and prevention activities. At the Cone Health Foundation, Abena served as a Program Officer and established the first county-wide initiative addressing obesity prevention. She also served with the Public Health Departments in North Carolina and Florida.

Abena has a Master of Health Care Administration from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, and a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education from the University of Florida in Gainesville.


Catalyzing Community Transformation in Bastrop County: Network Weaving
All stops reference post
Rural Residents as Grantmakers: Experimenting with Shared Gifting
St. David's Foundation Senior Program Officer

Andrew Levack | Senior Program Officer

Focus area: Older Adults Age in Place

Andrew has a Master of Public Health from the University of Washington, holds a clinical faculty appointment with the University of Washington’s Global Health Department, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Redlands.


Aging In Central Texas
St. David's Foundation Senior Program Officer Amy Einhorn

Amy Einhorn | Senior Program Officer

Amy develops strategies for programs and grant making in the areas of Strong Safety Net and Health Care Workforce Development.

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2019, Amy served as a Principal with Health Management Associates, and prior to that she was the Director of the Office of Research and Policy Initiatives of the Texas Department of Insurance. Amy has dedicated her career to increasing access to quality health care and improving the delivery of health care.

Amy has a Bachelor of Psychology from Wesleyan University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Southern California


Expanding Health Insurance in Texas Can Positively Impact Our Health and Economy
Improving Patient Outcomes Through Telehealth
St. David's Foundation Senior Program Officer Kim McPherson

Kim McPherson | Senior Program Officer

Focus area: Resilient Children

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2011, Kim held positions the mental health and health policy fields at Health Management Associates, a national consulting firm; the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which administers Texas’ Medicaid and CHIP services; Mental Health America, a state-wide advocacy organization; and Mental Health Network, a managed care organization.


Producing, Protecting and Preserving Housing Affordability in Central Texas
Foundations to Thrive
Peer Driven Change
Inverting the System: Social Supports that Put People First
Building the Evidence Base for Family Connects
Starting With Strengths
Adapting a Strengths Model
Making the Case for Supporting Children and Families
Supporting Families to Foster Pediatric Brain Health
Image

Lourdes J Rodríguez, DrPH | Senior Program Officer

Focus area: Healthy Women and Girls

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2020, Lourdes served as Associate Professor and Director of Community-Driven Initiatives at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. Lourdes also worked as Program Officer at the New York State Health Foundation, and from 2004–2012, she co-directed the Urbanism and the Built Environment track in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. As a public health practitioner, and in both academic and philanthropic roles, she collaborates, develops and evaluates initiatives to improve health with people most impacted by health inequities.

Lourdes has a Doctor in Public Health from Columbia University, a Master of Public Health from the University of Connecticut, and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Biotechnology from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. Dr. Rodriguez is a member of the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Roundtable on Population Health Improvement and currently holds an appointment as an Adjunct Faculty with the UTHealth School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus.


The Cost of Untreated Maternal Mental Health Conditions
Lived Experience of Moms during COVID-19
Fragmented Coverage For New Moms
Healthy moms raising healthy babies
COVID-19 Sparks Collaboration to Address Gaps in Perinatal Support for People of Color in Central Texas
Ellie Coplin, MPH, Senior Learning & Evaluation Officer at St. David's Foundation

Ellie Coplin, MPH | Senior Evaluation & Learning Officer

Ellie develops, implements, and manages comprehensive evaluation strategies for the Foundation, ensuring that the Foundation, grant partners, and the community are able to increase the impact of our work based on what we are learning.

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2013, Ellie worked at Cardea Services, where she designed and implemented process and outcome evaluations to assess intervention effectiveness and measure fidelity to evidence-based curricula. She has also worked to improve maternal and child health through positions with the NYC Dept. of Health, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, and Any Baby Can.

Ellie has a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from Washington University in St. Louis.


Minimal reference post
Jesse Simmons, MS, Senior Evaluation Officer at St. David's Foundation

Jesse Simmons, MS | Senior Evaluation Officer

Jesse develops, implements, and manages comprehensive evaluation strategies for the Foundation, and researches and analyzes demographic trends, community needs, and the impact of Foundation strategies.

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2007, Jesse worked at the River System Institute at Texas State University and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) with evaluation framework development, survey design, needs assessments, and outcome-based evaluations.

Jesse has a Master of Science in Applied Sociology from Texas State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Sociology from Southwest Texas State University.


The Impact of COVID-19 in Central Texas
Sustainability for Central Texas
Social Capital and Health
Centering Equity in Data and Learning: Good Measure’s Guiding Principles for Data Champions
Social Capital in Central Texas
Image

Annie Henson, MPAff, MPH | Evaluation Officer


Image

Ashley Gomez
Scholarship Program Manager

Focus area: Neal Kocurek Scholarship

Increasing Scholarship Equity for a More Diverse Workforce
Image

Becky Pastner, MPAff
Vice President of Evaluation and Strategic Learning

Focus area: Evaluation & Strategic Learning

Building A Thriving Central Texas: Advancing Latino Futures
St. David's Foundation Senior Program Officer Abena Asante

Abena Asante, MHA
Senior Program Officer

Focus area: Thriving Rural Communities

Abena develops strategies for programs and grant making in the area of Rural Health. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2016, Abena was a Senior Program Officer with the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where her grants portfolio focused on access to primary care, behavioral health services, diabetes and prevention activities. At the Cone Health Foundation, Abena served as a Program Officer and established the first county-wide initiative addressing obesity prevention. She also served with the Public Health Departments in North Carolina and Florida.

Abena has a Master of Health Care Administration from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, and a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education from the University of Florida in Gainesville.


Catalyzing Community Transformation in Bastrop County: Network Weaving
All stops reference post
Rural Residents as Grantmakers: Experimenting with Shared Gifting
St. David's Foundation Senior Program Officer

Andrew Levack
Senior Program Officer

Focus area: Older Adults Age in Place

Andrew has a Master of Public Health from the University of Washington, holds a clinical faculty appointment with the University of Washington’s Global Health Department, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Redlands.


Aging In Central Texas
St. David's Foundation Senior Program Officer Amy Einhorn

Amy Einhorn
Senior Program Officer

Amy develops strategies for programs and grant making in the areas of Strong Safety Net and Health Care Workforce Development.

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2019, Amy served as a Principal with Health Management Associates, and prior to that she was the Director of the Office of Research and Policy Initiatives of the Texas Department of Insurance. Amy has dedicated her career to increasing access to quality health care and improving the delivery of health care.

Amy has a Bachelor of Psychology from Wesleyan University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Southern California


Expanding Health Insurance in Texas Can Positively Impact Our Health and Economy
Improving Patient Outcomes Through Telehealth
All stops reference post
St. David's Foundation Senior Program Officer Kim McPherson

Kim McPherson
Senior Program Officer

Focus area: Resilient Children

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2011, Kim held positions the mental health and health policy fields at Health Management Associates, a national consulting firm; the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which administers Texas’ Medicaid and CHIP services; Mental Health America, a state-wide advocacy organization; and Mental Health Network, a managed care organization.


Producing, Protecting and Preserving Housing Affordability in Central Texas
Foundations to Thrive
Peer Driven Change
Inverting the System: Social Supports that Put People First
Building the Evidence Base for Family Connects
Starting With Strengths
Adapting a Strengths Model
Making the Case for Supporting Children and Families
Supporting Families to Foster Pediatric Brain Health
Image

Lourdes J Rodríguez, DrPH
Senior Program Officer

Focus area: Healthy Women and Girls

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2020, Lourdes served as Associate Professor and Director of Community-Driven Initiatives at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. Lourdes also worked as Program Officer at the New York State Health Foundation, and from 2004–2012, she co-directed the Urbanism and the Built Environment track in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. As a public health practitioner, and in both academic and philanthropic roles, she collaborates, develops and evaluates initiatives to improve health with people most impacted by health inequities.

Lourdes has a Doctor in Public Health from Columbia University, a Master of Public Health from the University of Connecticut, and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Biotechnology from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. Dr. Rodriguez is a member of the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Roundtable on Population Health Improvement and currently holds an appointment as an Adjunct Faculty with the UTHealth School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus.


The Cost of Untreated Maternal Mental Health Conditions
Lived Experience of Moms during COVID-19
Fragmented Coverage For New Moms
Healthy moms raising healthy babies
COVID-19 Sparks Collaboration to Address Gaps in Perinatal Support for People of Color in Central Texas
Building A Thriving Central Texas: Advancing Latino Futures
Ellie Coplin, MPH, Senior Learning & Evaluation Officer at St. David's Foundation

Ellie Coplin, MPH
Senior Evaluation & Learning Officer

Ellie develops, implements, and manages comprehensive evaluation strategies for the Foundation, ensuring that the Foundation, grant partners, and the community are able to increase the impact of our work based on what we are learning.

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2013, Ellie worked at Cardea Services, where she designed and implemented process and outcome evaluations to assess intervention effectiveness and measure fidelity to evidence-based curricula. She has also worked to improve maternal and child health through positions with the NYC Dept. of Health, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, and Any Baby Can.

Ellie has a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from Washington University in St. Louis.


Minimal reference post
The Cost of Untreated Maternal Mental Health Conditions
Fragmented Coverage For New Moms
Aging In Central Texas
Centering Equity in Data and Learning: Good Measure’s Guiding Principles for Data Champions
Jesse Simmons, MS, Senior Evaluation Officer at St. David's Foundation

Jesse Simmons, MS
Senior Evaluation Officer

Jesse develops, implements, and manages comprehensive evaluation strategies for the Foundation, and researches and analyzes demographic trends, community needs, and the impact of Foundation strategies.

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2007, Jesse worked at the River System Institute at Texas State University and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) with evaluation framework development, survey design, needs assessments, and outcome-based evaluations.

Jesse has a Master of Science in Applied Sociology from Texas State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Sociology from Southwest Texas State University.


The Impact of COVID-19 in Central Texas
Sustainability for Central Texas
Social Capital and Health
Centering Equity in Data and Learning: Good Measure’s Guiding Principles for Data Champions
Social Capital in Central Texas
Image

Annie Henson, MPAff, MPH
Evaluation Officer


St. David's Foundation Research and Insights
St. David’s Foundation does not support or oppose specific legislation, including ballot measures. We do regularly engage in research and analysis that informs and guides our work but also provides objective, neutral and information data and findings as it relates to pressing issues impacting the health and well being of our Central Texas Community.

Grantmaking

  • Our Strategic Priorities
  • Grants
  • Grant Partners
  • Grantee Homepage
  • Funding Opportunities
  • Community Health Needs Assessments

Our programs

  • COVID-19 Response
  • Capacity Building
  • Dental Program
  • Aging Well
  • Good Measure
  • Scholarships
  • Toast of the Town

About Us

  • Stories
  • Board & Leadership
  • Foundation Team
  • Careers
  • Innovation Center
  • St. David’s Healthcare
  • Financials and Annual Reports
  • Good Measure
  • Contact Us

Grantmaking

  • Our Strategic Priorities
  • Grants
  • Grant Partners
  • Grantee Homepage
  • Funding Opportunities
  • Community Health Needs Assessments

Our programs

  • COVID-19 Response
  • Capacity Building
  • Dental Program
  • Aging Well
  • Good Measure
  • Scholarships
  • Toast of the Town

About Us

  • Stories
  • Board & Leadership
  • Foundation Team
  • Careers
  • Innovation Center
  • St. David’s Healthcare
  • Financials and Annual Reports
  • Good Measure
  • Contact Us
St. David’s Foundation does not support or oppose specific legislation, including ballot measures. We do regularly engage in research and analysis that informs and guides our work but also provides objective, neutral and information data and findings as it relates to pressing issues impacting the health and well being of our Central Texas Community.
St. David's Foundation Research and Insights
  • Grantmaking
    • ← Back
    • Our Strategic Priorities
    • Grants
    • Grant Partners
    • Grantee Homepage
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Community Health Needs Assessments
  • Our Programs
    • ← Back
    • COVID-19 Response
    • Capacity Building
    • Dental Program
    • Aging Well
    • Good Measure
    • Scholarships
    • Toast of the Town
  • Research + Insights
  • About Us
    • ← Back
    • Stories
    • Board & Leadership
    • Foundation Team
    • Careers
    • Innovation Center
    • St. David’s Healthcare
    • Financials and Annual Reports
    • Contact Us