Culture of
Health Leaders
Alumni

Judis Santos

Judis Santos
Location: San Francisco, California Cohort Start Year: 2018 Project Topics: Built Environment/Housing/Planning, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Education, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Employment, Environmental Justice, Food Systems and Nutrition, Health Care Access, IT/Technology, Leadership Development, Obesity, Public Policy, Public, Population and Community Health Populations Served: Adolescents (12-20 years), African-American/Black, Asian/Asian American, At-Risk/Vulnerable Populations, Children and Families, Foster Youth and Families, Hispanic/Latino/Latinx, Homeless Populations, Immigrants and Refugees, LGBTQ+ Communities, Low-Income Communities, Migrant Workers, Military/Veterans, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPI), Native/Tribal/Indigenous People, Older Adults (65+), People Living with HIV/AIDS, People with Addictions, People with Disabilities, Rural Communities, Urban Communities, Women's Health, Young Children (0-5 years)
Lifeline Program Manager
Metropolitan Transportation Commission

FOCUS
“Innovation Brokering to Link Transportation and Health.” Bridging the nexus between transportation and health means that all people reap the community benefits of cleaner air, access to affordable and reliable transportation, and the ability to efficiently get to destinations that matter for their health—jobs, a trip to the doctor’s office, an affordable home, school, and recreational activities to name a few. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area region in Northern California is home to a thriving economy, bringing economic vitality and stratified wealth to the region. Populations experiencing vulnerabilities such as poverty, particularly low-income communities of color, are often left behind. Judis’s approach to tackling this multi-faceted challenge is to demonstrate how a regional government agency can examine and expand on public-private partnerships to increase and leverage investments that accelerate improvements in neighborhoods facing the biggest barriers to better health and well-being.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE: Address Racial, Income, and Transportation Access Inequities Through Application of Equity Platform Metrics
My strategic initiative will address racial, income, and transportation access inequities through 1) application of an equitable design tool (EDT) demonstrated in the first regional, low-income, means-based discount pilots for transit—launched on July 15, 2020, express lane programs and 2) application of the EDT in developing a regional workforce development initiative focused on BIPOC women, girls, and low-income individuals. The proposal included equity metrics and desired outcomes that I had developed. My area of focus is to ensure that the design, implementation, and evaluation of the regional pilots are grounded in the application of the equity platform (particularly elevating underrepresented voices and health equity metrics). Results and impact of the pilots will be conveyed through youth production of video, artwork, and podcast. Committed partners include MTC’s executive director, chief of staff, policy advisory council, and equity advocates.

MORE ABOUT JUDIS
As a Filipina-American daughter of a Vietnam War veteran, Judis has experienced the health consequences associated with the lack of access to transportation in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Judis is poised to operationalize her vision after serving as a city Commissioner, decades practicing in the public/private sectors in transportation planning, infrastructure project delivery, and currently programming and allocating Lifeline funds within a government agency.

Click here to watch Judis’ Legacy Project video.