Perla Cavazos nació y se crio en San Benito, una pequeña aldea cerca de la frontera entre Texas y México, y se mudó a Austin hace más de 20 años para asumir un trabajo como promotora de vivienda accesible para personas de escasos recursos económicos. Desde que se mudó a Austin, ella ha desarrollado su experiencia en políticas públicas, defensa, y asuntos gubernamentales, con un enfoque en mejorar las vidas de los tejanos más vulnerables.
Perla se unió a Central Health en julio del 2016; previo a ello, había trabajado en el Centro de Servicios Legales de Texas, la Campaña de Texas para Evitar Embarazos en Adolescentes, y en el Senado de Texas como Analista Principal de Políticas y Directora Legislativa. Ella cuenta con un título universitario de Stanford University y una Maestría en Asuntos Públicos de la Escuela de Asuntos Públicos LBJ de la Universidad de Texas en Austin.
Perla es una voluntaria muy activa en su comunidad, y trabaja en las directivas de varias organizaciones sin fines de lucro, comisiones de la ciudad, y grupos de trabajo. Ella es miembro del consejo de Planned Parenthood-Greater Texas, Foundation Communities, Texas Access to Justice Foundation, y LUPE Arte. Perla es miembro fundador de FuturoFund, un círculo filantrópico local que apoya a varias organizaciones sin fines de lucro que trabajan por el bien de la población latina en Austin. Su involucramiento con agencias públicas incluye períodos de trabajo en el pasado con la Comisión de Planificación de la Ciudad de Austin, la Comisión para la Mujer, la Comisión para la Administración de Recursos, el Grupo de Trabajo Consultivo de Ciudadanos de Imagine Austin, y, más recientemente, el Grupo de Trabajo para la Búsqueda del Administrador de la Ciudad. Perla es miembro de Leadership Austin Alumna (’08) y recipiente del premio “Austin Under 40 Award” para asuntos públicos y gubernamentales (’08).
Motivado por su compromiso con el servicio público y a la comunidad, Mike Geeslin comenzó su nombramiento como Presidente y Gerente General de Central Health, el distrito de cuidados médicos del Condado de Travis, en mayo del 2017. Mike es un hábil líder en la planificación estratégica y la alineación organizacional, y su experiencia incluye más de 20 años en roles de liderazgo en el campo legislativo, del órgano ejecutivo, y en asociaciones. Él tiene una sólida trayectoria en construir relaciones colaborativas con las partes interesadas y crear campañas de divulgación efectivas para fortalecer las colaboraciones dentro de la comunidad. A lo largo de su carrera, él ha desarrollado un profundo entendimiento de la administración tributaria y la elaboración de presupuestos, con la habilidad de controlar costos e invertir en iniciativas estratégicas para el bien de la organización.
Antes de ocupar su puesto en Central Health, Mike fungió como Director Ejecutivo de la Asociación Dental de Texas en Austin, Texas, desde el 2014. Ahí, él proporcionó servicios de dirección y administración para las subsidiarias con fines de lucro y de beneficencia afiliadas, cada una dirigida por un consejo directivo independiente. Del 2005 al 2011, Mike trabajó como Comisionado de Seguros en el Departamento de Seguros de Texas. Durante su administración, el Departamento implementó las primeras disposiciones bajo la Ley de Cuidados Médicos en Texas, además de otras nuevas iniciativas regulatorias. Mike ayudó en la creación de Healthy Texas, un pequeño programa de salud que ofrecen los empleadores para ayudar a sus empleados sin seguro médico. Después de su puesto como Comisionado de Seguros, Mike trabajó en el consejo de Sendero Health Plans, en colaboración con Central Health. Sus diferentes puestos siempre han demostrado sus conocimientos y habilidad para lograr sólidos resultados en los negocios, comunicaciones efectivas con las partes interesadas públicas, y un mejor acceso a los cuidados médicos.
Mike tiene una licenciatura en Comunicaciones del Habla de la Universidad Texas A&M en College Station, Texas. Él vive en Austin con su familia.
For close to two decades, Dr. Alan Schalscha has also served as a volunteer board member and leader of DOCARE International, a medical outreach organization dedicated to providing health care to under-served communities around the world. As mission medical director of DOCARE, he annually leads a team of 70-100 providers and students to Guatemala, and was instrumental in the establishment of two permanent continuity clinics in San Andres, Colombia and Tecpan, Guatemala. Schalscha was also named humanitarian of the year by the Travis County Medical Society in 2019 for his work with DOCARE.
Dr. Schalscha is a clinical associate professor at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, integrating health care into clinical education. Prior to serving as CMO of Central Health, he was CMO of Central Health-affiliated CommUnityCare Health Centers.
Dr. Schalscha graduated from The University of Texas with two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree prior to entering medical school. He received his medical degree from Midwestern University and completed his residency in family medicine.
Prior to joining the Central Health team, Jon was the Executive Director of the Community Care Collaborative. He also previously served as the Director of Strategic Planning & Development for CommUnityCare Health Centers where he directed the project management team and led new business initiatives. Jon also worked as the Director of Health System Alignment for Lone Star Circle of Care.
Jon served as a U.S. Army Officer in the 3d Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood including positions as the Regimental Medical Operations Officer and the Civil-Military Operations Officer.
Jon graduated from the United States Military Academy with a B.S. in Economics.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Taxation from Nova Southeastern University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
McKenzie Frazier, M.H.S.A., M.L.S., CFE, CPCO is Central Health’s Vice President of Compliance & Compliance Officer.
Prior to joining Central Health, McKenzie served as the Director of Compliance & Privacy Officer for People’s Community Clinic, and prior to that, as the Vice President of Corporate Compliance and Quality & Privacy Officer for a national peer recovery support services provider. On prior, McKenzie served as the Director of Compliance for ValueOptions of California, the largest privately held behavioral health company, and as the Director of Compliance & Program Integrity and the National Director of Corporate Compliance for Beacon Health Options in which he oversaw the company’s Medicaid and Commercial programs’ compliance activities. McKenzie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Human Resources from the University of Southern Mississippi, a Master’s degree in Health Services Administration from Mississippi College, and a Master’s degree in Legal Studies in Healthcare Law from the University of Oklahoma’s College of Law.
Additionally, McKenzie is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) certified by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Also, he is a Certified Professional Compliance Officer (CPCO) certified by the AAPC, and a member of the AAPC.
McDonald joined Central Health in 2015 as the Chief of Staff reporting to the CEO. Prior to that, she was the vice president of public policy for the Austin Chamber of Commerce. She also served as executive director of the nonprofit Waller Creek Conservancy and as an aide to former Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole.
A strategic communication and public policy professional with experience in both the private and public sectors clients, Stephanie is a graduate of Austin College in Sherman Texas and completed graduate coursework at The University of Texas Moody College of Communication.
In 2011, she was the recipient of the Heywood C. Clemons Award for service to Austin College.
Monica joined Central Health in 2014. Her professional experience features more than 25 years as an advocate and attorney for public entities and non-profit organizations. Monica has participated in and led the development of strategy, legal, and public policy matters for health care, governmental affairs, and enforcement divisions.
Before joining Central Health, Monica served as the Vice President of Strategic Communication and Policy for Lone Star Circle of Care, a Federally Qualified Healthcare System based in Georgetown. Monica began her career as a white-collar enforcement attorney with the Texas State Securities Board and the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division. Monica also served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Born and raised in Clovis, New Mexico, Monica is a graduate of Austin College and The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Monica is passionate about preventing and ending homelessness, and serves as the Chair-elect to the Board of Directors for Caritas of Austin.
John Clark is a dynamic and effective information technology executive who has dedicated his career of over 20 years to healthcare delivery and to the service of others. He has held progressive leadership roles with large integrated health systems such as Baylor Health System of Dallas Texas and BayCare Health Systems of Clearwater Florida.
During his career, he has also held the role of CIO for hospitals and hospital development and management organizations. Within his vast network of peers and mentors, Mr. Clark is revered as a strategic visionary and organizational change agent. He is known for using customer relationship management and collaborative approaches to support innovative Information Services (IS) delivery methodologies. He has often been the go-to leader for significant process modification, quick turnaround on major initiatives, risk mitigation, and overall organizational cultural change.
Mr. Clark holds a Bachelors of Business Administration with a concentration in Management Information Systems and a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Technology Management. He is a combat veteran and was Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Army, Signal Corp in 1993 where he provided logistical services, technology support, network infrastructure design and telecommunications for NATO operations, rapid deployment forces and frontline infantry units.
Mr. Clark has a deep understanding of the driving influences of technology in the clinical and business aspects of healthcare delivery. He is committed to making all areas of technology and IS service delivery top notch at Central Health.
A native Austinite, Ted graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Journalism. Ted worked as a TV news reporter and news executive in markets across Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri – including Austin’s KEYE-TV (CBS) – before joining Capital Metro as Director of Public Relations. For nearly 14 years, Ted developed and executed comprehensive public health and environmental behavior change campaigns for public, nonprofit and corporate entities as Executive Vice President for an Austin-based advertising agency.
Ted co-chaired the Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas 2018 Annual Dinner – the most successful to date – and served on the Planned Parenthood Community Board. In 2022, Ted joined the Planned Parenthood Greater Texas Governing Board.
Ted served four years as board chair of Out Youth, the oldest nonprofit in Texas serving LGBTQ youth. In 2017, Out Youth honored Ted with its Bill Dickson Legacy Award. Ted co-chaired Out Youth’s 25th Anniversary Gala, and Leadership Austin’s Best Party Ever in 2012.
He previously led PR efforts as a volunteer for the Hill Country Ride for AIDS, and is a founder of Softball Austin, a LGBTQ-focused sports league. He was an inaugural inductee in the Softball Austin Hall of Fame. Ted is a Leadership Austin alumni and former board member. As Vice President of Public Service for the Austin Advertising Federation Board of Directors, he was a two-time “Unsung Hero Award” winner. He previously served on the board for Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas and Metropolitan Community Church at Freedom Oaks.
Susan Lara Willars is Central Health’s Enterprise Vice President of Human Resources. In her role, she partners with executives across the Central Health Enterprise (Central Health, CommUnityCare, Sendero Health Plans, Inc.) and their teams to ensure that best practices are consistently achieved in recruitment, retention, talent management, performance management, employee engagement, employee relations, compensation, and benefits design and administration.
Prior to joining Central Health, Susan served as the Vice President of Human Resources for Mission Regional Medical Center in Mission, Texas. With over 21 years of experience in various human resources roles, she has a proven record of enhancing performance, increasing opportunities for career development, and implementing human capital strategies for a multicultural organization.
Susan holds a degree in Business Management from the University of Texas Pan American and a MBA from Aspen University.
