Smoke-Free Public Housing: Early Lessons Learned, hosted by SCLC, ACS and NAQC

Dr. Laura Makaroff is a family physician and interim Senior Vice President of Prevention and Early Detection at the American Cancer Society. In this role, she provides strategic and clinical leadership for a broad range of cancer control initiatives including improving health equity through a cancer lens, increasing access to cancer screenings and HPV vaccination, reducing tobacco use, and addressing social determinants of health to improve cancer outcomes.

Prior to joining ACS, Dr. Makaroff served as a Senior Clinical Advisor for the Office of Quality Improvement, Bureau of Primary Health Care at the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA). Dr. Makaroff completed a fellowship in health policy at Georgetown University and The Robert Graham Center in Washington, DC. She completed her residency in family medicine at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver, CO. Dr. Makaroff has experience in a variety of clinical settings including solo practice, community health centers, and an integrated delivery system. Dr. Makaroff continues to provide patient care in a primary care setting in Fayetteville, GA.

Sharon Cummins, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego. She has worked in tobacco control for over 20 years and is currently the Director of External Affairs for the California Smokers’ Helpline and faculty for the Center for Tobacco Cessation, both operated through the Moores Cancer Center. Trained as a clinical psychologist, she maintained a clinical practice for 14 years. Since joining the Helpline in 1996, Dr. Cummins has held a number of different positions at the Helpline both in research as the Director of Research and Evaluation and in the area of quitline operations. Dr. Cummins has also been highly involved with developing clinical protocols and testing them by embedding large randomized trials into the quitline setting. Her current research interests include interventions for high-risk populations, such as pregnant women, smokers with co-morbid substance abuse and depression or other mental health issues, and the impact of emerging products (e.g., e-cigarettes) on smoking initiation among teens and smoking cessation among adults.

Humberto was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. He received his Bachelor of Public Health from New Mexico State University and became a CHES (Certified Health Education Specialist) in 2016. Before he went to NMSU, he was a pastry chef and a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. His hobbies include researching infectious and rare diseases and reading the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Report weekly.

Lindsay Nelson is the Director of Development and Grant Programs at Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center. Previously, she worked as a grant writer and non-profit consultant and as the Coordinator of Community Development and Outreach at the Kentucky Primary Care Association. Lindsay brings her passion for social justice to her work by developing strategies and programs that are focused on improving disparities and increasing access to opportunities. Lindsay earned a Bachelors from Gettysburg College and her Masters in Social Work from Spalding University.

Heath Rico-Storey is currently the Compliance Manager at Louisville Metro Housing Authority. He oversees the creation and implementation of policies and procedures. Before his appointment at the Housing Authority, he worked in grant management for the Louisville Metro Government. He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration at the University of Kentucky. Prior to graduate school, he worked in a variety of positions for the State of Tennessee for over a decade.