Data Expo 2024 Speaker Biographies
John Ohanian
Director, Center for Data Insights and Innovation Office | Chief Data Officer, California Health & Human Services Agency
John Ohanian is the Chief Data Officer and Director for the Center for Data Insights and Innovation (CDII) Office within the California Health and Human Services (CalHHS) Agency.
Prior to his role with CalHHS, John spent 30 years working to assist local businesses and non-profits develop new organizational data systems, secure critical funding, and solve complex problems. At CDII, John is focused on identifying ways to collect better quality data to close existing disparities, innovate more efficient processes, and ensure equitable distribution of resources to all communities in California.
John received his bachelor’s degree from the University of San Diego in Business Administration. He also attended the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program and earned the certification for Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management. John has four children and loves to venture out with his wife Victoria on road trips, but train travel is by far his favorite!
Adam Dondro
Director, CalHHS Office of Technology and Solutions Integration (CalHHS OTSI – formerly OSI) | Agency Chief Information Officer (AIO), California Health & Human Services Agency
Adam serves as the Director of the CalHHS Office of Technology and Solutions Integration (CalHHS OTSI – formerly OSI) as well as the Agency Chief Information Officer (AIO) for the California Health and Human Services Agency. He brings with him a passion for government, service, and a focus on whole person care. Prior to this role Adam spent 5 years as the Assistant Director of Horizontal Integration at the Department of Social Services. In both these roles, Adam has focused on integrating all Health and Human Service programs to provide the best overall experience and outcomes for the public. Data and the power it has to simplify the public’s interaction with government, as well as driving better program and policy design are key components of that work.
Previously Adam held multiple roles across CA government including five years in the State Legislature and 3 years with the California Technology Agency/Department of Technology.
He is supported and inspired by his amazing wife and two insanely bright and joyous daughters. In his free time he enjoys playing soccer, coaching, running and just about anything outdoors and away from a computer.
Richard Figueroa
Deputy Cabinet Secretary, Office of the Governor Gavin Newsom
Richard Figueroa is a Deputy Cabinet Secretary in the Office of the Governor Gavin Newsom where he works on health, human services and veterans affairs issues. Richard was previously Director of Prevention for The California Endowment, California’s largest state-specific health care foundation. He has served in several previous administrations, including as Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Deputy Legislative Secretary for Governor Gray Davis. Richard was also Legislative Director for Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi and served as a Legislative Consultant for the California State Senate Insurance and Budget and Fiscal Review Committees and worked in the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
Neszka Rykaczewska
Deputy Director of Insights Lab, Center for Data Insights and Innovation Office
As Deputy Director of CDII’s Insights Lab, Agnieszka oversees cross-departmental analytics and research efforts to drive person-centered insights. Agnieszka has spent most of her career empowering organizations to strategically use data to transform systems and drive impact for children, youth, and young adults. Prior to joining CDII, Agnieszka led systems change measurement efforts at First 5 LA, a county commission focused on improving conditions for young children and their families in LA County.
Deanne Wertin
Chief Deputy Director, Office of Technology and Solutions Integration
Deanne’s career has been centered on advancing Health and Human Services technology initiatives across both private and public sectors. Her experience spans roles with the US Air Force, KPMG Consulting, MAXIMUS, and various entrepreneurial systems integration consulting firms. This journey eventually led her to the State of California, where she is excited about how modern technology can now drive data collection, management, and analysis to support services that lead to improved wellness outcomes.
Jason Lally
California’s State Chief Data Officer (CDO), Office of Data and Innovation (ODI)
Jason Lally has more than a decade of experience in the use of civic data including data management, governance, analysis, visualization, and engineering. He currently serves as California’s State Chief Data Officer (CDO), responsible for setting the statewide strategic direction around the ethical, effective, and equitable use of data with the overarching goal to improve use of data in government. He serves in this role at the Office of Data and Innovation (ODI), a California department under the Government Operations Agency. ODI’s mission is to drive innovation across California state government, using data, technology, and human-centered design to achieve exceptional, equitable outcomes for all Californians. ODI partners with other state departments in hands-on projects to build better services, and then train the statewide workforce to set them on a path of continuous improvement, collaboration, and innovation. Prior to his role as State CDO, Jason was the Deputy Director for Data Engineering and Services with ODI. In this role, he worked with his team to help departments across the State adopt modern data infrastructure and Data Operations practices. Before joining the State, he was the Chief Data Officer of the City and County of San Francisco. There he drove efforts to make open data and dashboards available about the County’s pandemic response. He also worked with his amazing team to plan and implement comprehensive, automated reporting for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) inventory and distribution. Prior to the pandemic, Jason helped operationalize the City’s data strategy under the first CDO of San Francisco, setting up processes that were copied the world over for managing an open data program. He lives (and works from home) in San Francisco with his partner (also named Jason) and his 2 cats (Ru and Paul).
Michael Hodnett
Senior Attorney – Provider Networks, Department of Managed Health Care
Michael Hodnett works at the intersection of law, data, and technology at the Department of Managed Health Care. His focus is the practical implementation of managed care law, including data and tools to more efficiently identify compliance gaps and support corrective action.
Corrin Buchanan
Deputy Secretary, California Health & Human Services Agency
Corrin Buchanan serves as the Deputy Secretary for Policy and Strategic Planning at the California Health & Human Services Agency. Corrin has spent most of her career in systems change work in state and local government. Prior to joining CalHHS, Corrin served at the Assistant Director of Housing and Homelessness for the California Department of Social Services. She worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as the Deputy Director for the Office of Diversion and Reentry where she oversaw countywide behavioral health diversion, reentry, and youth diversion and development efforts. Also with Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, she launched and managed the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool, a locally funded rental subsidy program with the Housing for Health division. Corrin was Health Program Planner for Housing and Urban Health at the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the Community Programs Director for the San Francisco Women’s Building.
Aparna Ramesh
Chief, Research and Data Insights Branch within the Research and Automation Data Division, Department of Social Services
Aparna Ramesh is the Chief of the Research and Data Insights Branch within the Research and Automation Data Division at the California Department of Social Services. She leads a team of 50 amazing researchers, who centralize and mobilize departmental and cross-departmental data to answer key policy and research questions. Their work includes using data to facilitate cross-enrollment in safety net programs, measuring the impacts of CDSS programs on the lives of Californians, collating evidence on what works and how to improve CDSS programs, developing dashboards to support data driven program implementation, leading state and federal reporting on program progress, and linking and managing data assets and the flow of data in and out of the department.
Aparna has over a decade of experience working with federal, state, and local government to build evidence feedback loops that foster data-driven decision making and policy. Prior to CDSS, Aparna led research and data projects at the California Policy Lab at UC Berkeley, NORC at the University of Chicago, and Deloitte Consulting’s federal practice. She has an MPA from Princeton University.
Glenn Tsang
Policy Advisor for Homelessness and Housing, Department of Health Care Services
Glenn Tsang serves as the Policy Advisor for Homelessness and Housing at the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Glenn’s role is to lead and coordinate the planning, development, and implementation of new homelessness and housing-related Medi-Cal policies across DHCS programs, seek policy alignment across Medi-Cal delivery systems, and identify best and innovative practices to inform future policy and program work that spans various initiatives, including: California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal, Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports, Providing Access and Transforming Health Program, Home and Community Based Services Spending Plan Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program, Behavioral Health Transformation, Behavioral Health Bridge Housing, Mobile Clinics, and Medi-Cal Street Medicine Policy. Glenn also serves as the DHCS liaison with other state departments to coordinate and synergize the Administration’s various homelessness and housing efforts.
Prior to this role, Glenn worked at Sacramento County’s Department of Health Services as the Director’s Policy Advisor helping oversee and implement initiatives within behavioral health, public health, and primary health (including correctional health). Glenn also held a variety of leadership roles with the California Department of Social Services and a prior stint at DHCS, in both policy and fiscal arenas. Glenn understands the complexities of the housing and health care sectors, including Medi-Cal and other social services programs, and has a passion for driving policies at the state level that can positively impact the issues of homelessness, housing, and health care needs for people who are unhoused, experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness. He is adept at working across silos to assess and develop policies and working collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders to execute multi-faceted, complex initiatives.
Sarah Steenhausen
Deputy Director of the Division of Policy, Research and Equity, Department of Aging
Sarah Steenhausen serves as Deputy Director of the Division of Policy, Research and Equity at the California Department of Aging. In this role, she collaborates with state departments and stakeholders in developing policy and research impacting older adults, people with disabilities and family caregivers to advance system change and realize the goals of California’s Master Plan for Aging. Previously, Sarah served as Director of Policy and Advocacy at The SCAN Foundation where she focused on working towards policy solutions to improve the system of care serving older adults and their family caregivers. Sarah holds a Master of Science in Gerontology from the USC Davis School of Gerontology and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut.
Brendan McCarthy
Acting Undersecretary, California Health & Human Services Agency
Brendan McCarthy is Acting Undersecretary at the California Health & Human Services Agency. As Undersecretary, Brendan leads all policy development and implementation and manages the day-to-day operations of the Agency.
Since 2021, McCarthy has served as Deputy Secretary for Program and Fiscal Affairs. Previously, McCarthy served as Assistant Secretary. He was Chief Consultant for the California State Assembly Committee on Business and Professions from 2018 to 2019, Principal Consultant for the California State Senate Committee on Appropriations from 2009 to 2018 and Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst at the Legislative Analyst’s Office from 2004 to 2009. McCarthy earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Rupam Sarmah
Chief Technology Innovation and Integration Officer, Department of Developmental Services
Rupam has over 25 years of experience in the Private and Public Sectors, holding Senior Executive Positions. Most recently, he served at the White House—Executive Office of the President and Advanced Research Projects for Health. He worked on the Cancer Moonshot to find cures for cancer, mental health issues, and open government policies. Rupam has a Doctorate in Engineering researching on AI and Autism and is a Senior Executive Fellow from Harvard.
Efraín Cornejo
Chief, Business Operations Branch, Department of Public Health
Efraín currently oversees all business administration functions for the Center Health Care Quality (CHCQ) within the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). CHCQ is responsible for regulatory oversight of over 14,000 licensed health care facilities by conducting periodic inspections and complaint investigations to assure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. CHCQ is the largest center in CDPH with over 1,700 employees in 17 District Offices which also supervises over 300 Los Angeles County enforcement agents.
Tara Zimonjic
Chief Planning Officer / Planning and Management Branch Chief within the Office of Information Services, Department of Health Care Access and Information
Tara Zimonjic is the Chief Planning Officer / Planning and Management Branch Chief within the Office of Information Services at HCAI. In this role she is responsible for managing strategic planning, policy, budgets, communications, and stakeholder relations across a large portfolio of healthcare technology, data, and analytics programs.
Michael Valle
Chief Information Officer and Deputy Director, Department of Health Care Access and Information
Michael Valle is Chief Information Officer and Deputy Director for Information Services at HCAI. In this role he is responsible for the department’s data analytics and technology programs.