Washington, DC (March 7, 2024)—The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) welcomes three new members to its Board of Directors: Dr. Leon Caldwell (joined Summer 2023), Senior Director Health Equity Strategy and Innovations at American Hospital Association and Founder, Ujima Developers; Elliott Hinkle, Principal and Founder, Unicorn Solutions LLC; and Helly Lee, Director, Frontline Solutions. In addition, Leticia Peguero (joined Winter 2021), was voted and assumed the Chair of the Board of Directors in January of this year. This is a very exciting time for our board and our organization overall as we bring in new generational leadership and diversity in thoughts, ideas, and actions.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have such a wealth of expertise available to support our work,” said Leonard Burton, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for the Study of Social Policy. “Elliott, Helly, Leticia, and Leon bring with them a deep commitment to social justice and an invaluable perspective to our work. Their passion and dedication to advancing justice are in complete alignment with our focus on health justice, economic justice, and family autonomy.”
Leon Caldwell, Ph.D. (he/him) is an award-winning scholar-activist with nearly 30 years of experience in designing and developing innovative solutions to challenges facing Black and other historically marginalized communities. His work in higher education, public health, community-based research, equitable evaluation, youth development, philanthropy, mental health, and social entrepreneurship work to dismantle structural barriers to advance an equitable and just society. Leon is currently the Senior Director Health Equity Strategy and Innovations at the American Hospital Association, where he works to transform hospitals and health systems so that all Americans have access to quality health care.
Elliott Hinkle (they/them) brings 12+ years’ experience working in the areas of child welfare and youth mental health research, policy, and practice, reducing barriers to access to care for LGBTQIA2S+ youth and families, and evidence-based peer coaching. As the founder and principal of Unicorn Solutions LLC, Elliott’s work focuses on building community through training, advising, and facilitating culture change efforts. They have served as a certified trainer and advisor of CSSP’s Youth Thrive initiative since 2014 and are a certified trainer for Youth Thrive for Youth. They currently serve in their 3rd year as a Federal Lived Experience Expert Partner for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – Equity Technical Assistance Center (ETAC). Passionate about wellbeing and accessibility, they are a recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Equity.
Helly Lee (she/her) joins our board with more than 20 years of experience developing and advancing efforts that serve immigrants, refugees, and communities facing systemic barriers to well-being. As a policy strategist and analyst, Helly advocated for more equitable policies in areas that impact the health and economic mobility of communities of color. Helly has done this important work both within governmental institutions and in national non-profits. Previously, she served as the Director of Community Relations at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and as an advisor to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the Obama Administration. Helly is currently Director at Frontline Solutions, where she works to advance equity through organizational change.
“The decades of experience and deep commitment to social justice and anti-racism that Leon, Helly, and Elliott bring to our board is an incredible gift for this work,” said Leticia Peguero, Chair, CSSP Board of Directors. “They will truly help both the board and CSSP with building equitable and just solutions for communities most harmed and marginalized by racist policies and practices.”
CSSP’s Board of Directors:
- Leticia Peguero, Board Chair; Founder, Otra Forma Coaching and Consulting
- Larkin Tackett, Board Vice Chair; Founder and Executive Advisor, MAYA Consulting
- Thomas Bates, Board Secretary; Partner, Insight Strategic Partners
- Manley A. Begay, Jr., Board Treasurer; tenured Professor, the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff (NAU)
- Leonard Burton, President, Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP)
- Dr. Leon Caldwell, Senior Director Health Equity Strategy and Innovations at American Hospital Association; Founder, Ujima Developers
- Frank Farrow, Senior Fellow, Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP)
- Elliott Hinkle, Founder and Principal, Unicorn Solutions, LLC
- Helly Lee, Director, Frontline Solutions
- Carol Wilson Spigner, Associate Professor Emerita, the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice
- Judge William A. Thorne, Jr., former judge on the State of Utah Court of Appeals and in the Third District Court
Learn more about our Board of Directors.
About CSSP. The Center for the Study of Social Policy is a national, non-profit policy organization that connects community action, public system reform, and policy change to create a fair and just society. We work to achieve a racially, economically, and socially just society in which all children and families thrive by translating ideas into action, promoting public policies grounded in equity, supporting strong and inclusive communities, and advocating with and for all children and families marginalized by public policies and institutional practices. Learn more at www.CSSP.org.