Speaker bios

Kristin Rodriguez

OSU Human Development & Family Sciences alum Kristin's career path didn't follow a straight line — and that's what makes it interesting. She worked as a 911 dispatcher and a preschool teacher before stepping into nonprofit leadership. Those varied experiences built the empathy, steadiness, and range she now brings as Executive Director of Family Resource Center of Central Oregon, where she leads efforts to strengthen families and connect communities to the resources they need.

Taryn Hand

Taryn is a Registered Dietitian and Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics with over 15 years in the field. Her career has spanned multiple settings and populations — from residential, PHP, and IOP eating disorder treatment to collegiate athletics and elite and professional sport. That breadth gives her a rare dual specialization: helping clients heal their relationship with food and their body, while also supporting high-level athletic performance. She holds an M.S. in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Oregon State University.

Kaitlin Greene

OSU MPH alum Kaitlin has spent her career at the intersection of community health and rural research. While completing her MPH at OSU, she worked as an Education Program Assistant with OSU Extension's SNAP-Ed program in Deschutes County. That community-embedded approach carried into her next role as Central Oregon Community Research Liaison with OHSU's Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute — a position she held for nearly four years before joining OHSU's Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network in 2026.

Joe Page

Joe's path to federal health policy was built on early hands-on experience — interning with the Oregon Medical Association and Marion County Health Department, and working as a program assistant for OSU Extension's Family and Community Health Program. Those steps led to a health care policy fellowship with U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and he now serves as the Senator's health policy aide, advising on Medicare, Medicaid, prior authorization reform, substance use disorder, and health information technology. He earned both his B.S. in Public Health and MPH from OSU and is currently a JD candidate at American University Washington College of Law.

Leslie Fox

Leslie is the Healthcare Policy & Advocacy Director for Johnson & Johnson.  She works with patient and provider organizations to ensure that the patient/provider relationship is kept in the center of healthcare policy decision-making.  Since graduating from OSU in Healthcare Administration and Marketing - her initial journey started in employee benefits sales.  This gave her a foundational knowledge of the healthcare system.  She then launched a career in pharmaceutical sales, gaining insights into how therapies work for patients, and that clinical knowledge of a healthcare provider is based on experience, disease understanding, and that medicine is more of an art than a science.  Her sales journey took her to specialty and management, and then when the physician/patient voice needed to be heard, she found herself in a role informing provider and patient groups of opportunities to engage to find the appropriate therapy for them.   This has evolved into her passion and helping people get access to what they need within the very complex healthcare system.

Hannah Tacke

Hannah's public health journey started at OSU, where she earned both her B.S. in Public Health and MPH in Health Management and Policy. Right after graduation, she joined PacificSource. Rather than job-hopping, she built her career from within, progressing through four distinct roles focused primarily in Medicaid. Today she's Manager, CCO Quality Incentive Measures, doing work that spans health policy, advocacy, behavioral health, and systems change. Her story is a strong example of how a career can grow and evolve inside one organization — and how staying curious about the work keeps that growth going. When she’s not at the dog park with her two Shepherd mixes, you can find her at the bouldering gym, outside hiking or fixing up her backyard, reading pretty much anything she can get her hands on, or at a ballet class.

Erin Sprando

Erin didn't start her career in senior care with a title — she started with a caregiving job at 17, working as a CNA and medication technician and learning the work from the ground up. That experience became the foundation for everything that followed. After earning her B.S. in Health Care Administration from Concordia University, she was offered her first assisted living leadership role just three months later, at age 21. She joined Marquis in 2005 and has since served as administrator at 11 of their properties — turning around underperforming facilities, launching new service models, and opening new communities. Today she's Director of Operations and a mentor to emerging leaders in long-term care. Her path shows what's possible when early hands-on experience meets deliberate, sustained growth.

Alisa Schmalenberger

Alisa's career in senior care started as an assisted living housekeeper at age 18. What followed was 25 years of deliberate, sustained growth through some of the most varied roles in the field: Administrator and Executive Director positions across HUD housing, retirement living, assisted living, and memory care facilities throughout Portland and SW Washington. That breadth of experience gave her a ground-level understanding of what senior care organizations need — and what the people working in them need too. She rose to VP of Human Resources at Sinceri Senior Living before joining Marquis Companies in 2022 as VP of Recruiting and Talent Acquisition. An OSU Health Care Administration alum, Alisa's path is a powerful reminder that there's no single route to leadership — just consistent commitment to the work.

Val Striplin

Valerie (Val), MPH, serves as the Executive Director of the Oregon Public Health Association. She is passionate about strengthening connections across Oregon’s public health community and creating spaces where collaboration, shared learning, and collective action can thrive. Her work centers on bringing people and organizations together across sectors to support healthier, more equitable communities. She has partnered with nonprofits, health systems, community organizations, and advocacy groups to advance initiatives related to food systems, health equity, and community well being. Val is deeply committed to community leadership and believes that strong partnerships and engaged communities are essential to building a healthier and more resilient future for Oregon.

Luis Maciel

Luis Maciel launched his career in youth services following his practicum placements during his final years at Oregon State University, where he earned his degree in Human Development and Family Sciences in 2007. He began his professional journey with the Benton County Juvenile Department as a probation officer, dedicating 15 years to developing and expanding culturally responsive programs that support Latino youth and strengthen community engagement.

Luis now serves as a Field Supervisor with the Oregon Youth Authority, overseeing Parole and Probation officers and collaborating with youth and Juvenile Department's across Linn, Benton, Lincoln, and Yamhill counties. His work centers on improving outcomes for atrisk youth, advancing educational opportunities, and fostering leadership development throughout Oregon’s communities.

Luis enjoys a vibrant life with his wife, two children, and their miniature dachshund. Together, they stay active in their community and share a passion for soccer and gymnastics.

Quinn Griffis

Quinn's career is proof that a practicum placement can become a life's work. An OSU Exercise & Sports Science alum (2004), she stepped into Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center as an intern in 2002 and has spent the last 23 years building her expertise in cardiac and pulmonary rehab there. She now serves as Regional Manager of Cardiac/Pulmonary & Vascular Rehab across Samaritan Health Services' valley hospitals and manages the Cardiovascular Non-Invasive service line at Good Samaritan. Along the way, she earned certifications from ACSM and AACVPR and led the Oregon Society of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation as president for seven years — and remains active on its executive team.

Gerald Dyer

Dr. Dyer joined Benton County Health Department in 2015, starting with mental health initiatives, community health assessments, and epidemiological research. Over the next decade, he deepened his expertise and earned his PhD in Public Health from Oregon State University in 2025. He now serves as Benton County's Communicable Disease Program Manager, leading surveillance efforts, supporting a multidisciplinary team, and co-chairing Oregon's CLHO Communicable Disease Committee. His career is a strong example of growing into leadership within a single organization over time.

Dora Pearse

Dora Pearse is a Registered Dietitian serving as Clinical Coordinator for the Dietetics Program at Oregon State University. She also works in telehealth helping clients make meaningful, lasting changes to their health. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and a Master of Science in Nutrition and Professional Dietetics, both from Oregon State University. Before transitioning into dietetics, Dora spent over 20 years in grocery and food production, giving her a grounded understanding of food systems, consumer behavior, and nutrition accessibility. With over a decade of experience in food writing, recipe development, and digital content creation, she has honed a unique ability to make nutrition education engaging and accessible. Dora is passionate about community nutrition, food security, and empowering individuals and families with the knowledge to make informed food choices.

Jacob Dilla

Jacob Dilla is a Behavioral Health Program Manager at PacificSource Health Plans, where he leads strategic initiatives to strengthen behavioral health access, provider partnerships, and system readiness across Oregon. Starting his career in outpatient behavioral health settings, Jacob has progressed into program leadership roles focused on operational strategy, cross-functional collaboration, and health system improvement. He holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Promotion and Health Behavior and an MBA in Organizational Leadership, bringing both public health and business leadership perspectives to healthcare transformation. Jacob is passionate about advancing behavioral health systems, ensuring they are increasingly easier to navigate, and bridging academic training with real-world healthcare transformation.