Staff

Overview

Staff

With a team of 12 full-time staff, a handful of consultants and a Washington, D.C.-based legislative advocate, CWDA plays an invaluable role in shaping human services policies and programs on the state and federal levels. Meet the team Advancing Human Services for the Welfare of All Californians.

925 L Street, Suite 350
Sacramento, CA 95814
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Office: (916) 443-1749
Fax: (916) 443-3202
Director

Carlos Marquez III
Executive Director

Carlos Marquez III comes to CWDA as a seasoned advocate and recognized state association leader with nearly two decades of capitol experience. Against the backdrop of some of the toughest policy fights in Sacramento, Carlos has built a record of major legislative and budget achievements on behalf of large and diverse membership organizations.

Staff

Diana Boyer
Director of Policy for Child Welfare and Older Adult Services

Diana Boyer joined CWDA in 2005 as a Senior Policy Analyst and was promoted to Director of Policy for Child Welfare and OIder Adult Services in January 2019. Diana specializes in the program areas of In-Home Supportive Services, Adult Protective Services, Child Welfare, and Foster Care.

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Staff

Christiana Smith
Director of Information Technology Policy

Christiana Smith joined CWDA as the Information Technology Associate in 2014, and was promoted to Director of Information Technology Policy in January 2019. Christiana works with the state, counties, and automation projects to ensure counties’ needs are represented in developing and maintaining systems that support the work of county human services staff.

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Staff

Amanda Kirchner
Director of Legislative Advocacy

Amanda Kirchner joined CWDA as Director of Legislative Advocacy in May 2022. In this role, she advocates for CWDA’s legislative and budget priorities across the spectrum of services and programs operated by county human services agencies. 

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Staff

Jenny Nguyen
Director of Budget and Fiscal Policy

Jenny Nguyen joined CWDA as Senior Self-Sufficiency Policy Analyst in December 2020, specializing in the program areas of healthcare and nutrition.  She was promoted to Deputy Director of Budget and Fiscal Policy in October 2022.

Prior to joining CWDA, Jenny served as a Staff Finance Budget Analyst in health, human services, and general government programs at the California Department of Finance.

She began her career as a Capital Fellow at the California Department of Public Health, Office of Health Equity.

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Staff

Roshena Duree
Director of Self Sufficiency

Roshena Duree joined CWDA as Senior Self-Sufficiency Policy Analyst in June 2022 and was promoted to Deputy Director of Self Sufficiency in February 2023. In this role, Roshena serves as the policy lead for CWDA in the Self Sufficiency area.

Staff

Paula Villescaz
Associate Director of Member Engagement

Paula Villescaz has been with CWDA since May 2022, starting as Director of Legislative Advocacy and most recently being named the Associate Director of Member Engagement. In this new role, Paula will primarily focus on supporting the association’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) related work, as well as working with CWDA staff and directors to onboard new board members and improve member engagement and the overall association membership experience. Paula will continue to provide support to the legislative team, as well.

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Staff

Renita Polk
Deputy Director – Aging, Disability, and Older Adult Services

Renita Polk joined CWDA as Deputy Director of Aging, Disability, and Older Adult Services in May 2024. In this role, Renita supports county human services departments in the development and implementation of policies impacting older adults, as is responsible for budget and legislative advocacy relating to aging and disability policy.

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Staff

Jesi Lunsford
Senior Information Technology Policy Analyst

Jesi Lunsford is joining CWDA as the Senior Information Technology Policy Analyst. She will be working in relation to information technology automation issues as well as, working on technology policy and project issues that includes the full range of county human services programs, such as, CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, employment services, child welfare, In Home Supportive Services, and fiscal, as well as data analysis.

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Staff

Traci Metcalf
Executive Assistant

Traci Metcalf joined the CWDA team in March 2019 as an Executive Assistant, performing senior-level professional and administrative work in support of the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director, as well as CWDA board members and staff.

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Staff

Weston Tountas
Legislative Assistant

Weston Tountas joined the CWDA team in January 2020 as a legislative assistant, supporting CWDA Directors and the CWDA Legislative Committee.  

Prior to joining CWDA, Weston worked for the American Academy of Pediatrics, California (AAP-CA), as a legislative writer. He earned a B.A. in History from Bard College in 2018.

wtountas@cwda.org

916-443-1749 Ext. 216

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Staff

Tom Joseph
Director, Washington, D.C. Office

Tom Joseph is Vice President of Paragon Government Relations, heading up the firm’s health and human services practice and overseeing various aspects of the firm’s operations. His lobbying expertise, experience, and knowledge are reflected in an impressive 30-plus year history representing local governments.

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Staff

Tricia Gonzalez
Executive Liaison Child Welfare Digital Services/CWS-CARES

Tricia Gonzalez, MPAis the CWDA Executive Liaison with the CWS-CARES (California Automated Response and Engagement System).  She works with the State, counties, and Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS) to ensure that the needs of counties are represented in the development and maintenance of systems that support the work of county human services staff.   

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Staff

Eric Nielson
Executive Liaison, CalHEERS Project

Eric Nielson is the CWDA Executive Liaison with the California Health Eligibility Enrollment Retention System (CalHEERS) project.  He represents the 58 County Human Services agencies, their business requirements and system needs at the CalHEERS project.