Anchoring in West Garfield Park: The Launch of the Sankofa Village Wellness Center

Rukiya Curvey Johnson is Vice President of Community Health Equity and Executive Director of the Rush Education and Career Hub at Rush. She leads system‑level strategies that improve health outcomes, expand educational and career pathways, and drive economic mobility in partnership with communities. With more than 20 years of experience in education, workforce development, and community engagement, Rukiya has built a career advancing community‑designed solutions that produce lasting, equitable change.

Dr. Lee Francis joined Erie Family Health Centers in 1991 as an internal medicine physician and has served as President and CEO since 2007. Dr. Francis is charged with enacting Erie’s strategic vision of serving as a national leader in the provision of community-based health care. He received his BA (Chemistry, 1983) from Amherst College, and his MD (1988) and MPH (2000) from the University of Illinois Chicago. He completed his training in internal medicine at Cook County Hospital (1991). He is board certified in internal medicine. Please note, due to his administrative duties, Dr. Francis is not in full time clinical practice.

Adam Alonso is a respected leader with more than 30 years of experience in youth development, violence prevention, mental health, and community partnership. The YMCA continues its focus on long-term financial sustainability, operational excellence, and expanding vital programs that meet the evolving needs of children, families, and communities across the region.

Marshall Hatch Jr. is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the MAAFA Redemption Project, a Chicago-based workforce, social & spiritual-development initiative for Black and Brown men ages 18-30. The Project recruits and invests in emerging adult Black and Brown men by providing housing, job skills development, educational opportunities, and wrap-around social services. The Project supplements these supports with programming that focuses on the arts, cultural-identity development, spiritual enrichment, transformative travel, civic empowerment, and consistent Life Coaching/Mentoring.

Drea Slaughter has over a decade of experience in nonprofits and healthcare.  She believes that “You have to radically invite people when you historically left them out of the conversation.” Drea is  a mission-driven leader who thrives in recognizing individual & community strengths to collectively build resilient communities like Garfield Park.