ACCA Leadership

Cynthia Carter Perrilliat, MPA
Executive Director

Valerie Steinmetz, BA
Director of Program Development

Newton Pullian, Jr.
ECM Manager

Christina Lane, BA
Program Coordinator

Rebekah Widmer, BA
Program Coordinator

Trevino Cochran, BS
Regional Director, Los Angeles

Mary Spencer-Dockery, RN, BSN, PHN
Care Team Supervisor, Bay Area - Covenant Church

Ricardo Padilla, MPH, LVN
Care Team Supervisor, San Mateo and Santa Clara

Janice F. Bell, PhD, MPH, MN, F.A.A.N.
Academic Partner - Evaluation Team Lead

Jill G. Joseph, MD, PhD
Academic Partner - Training and Advisor

 Why ACCA & Bios

Cynthia Carter Perrilliat, MPA
Executive Director

We are often asked, what is the secret sauce to our success? 

Some of us would say, “Faith, prayer, teamwork and hard work are all rooted in our founding principle that Every person, no matter their race, creed, color, gender is of great worth and valued as a whole person. This truth motivates me every day.”

Rev. Perrilliat is Executive Director of the ACCA. She has over 25 years of experience as a hospice and palliative care educator, trainer and marketing professional. Over the last 15 years, she has focused on advance illness and end of life care program development and educational training in the African American community. As part of a national Healthcare/Hospice organization, Rev. Perrilliat established a targeted compassionate care approach to communities of color, which was adopted and replicated across the organizations multi-state footprint. She also served as faculty member of the Duke University APPEAL program, a Palliative Care Educational Curriculum for African Americans at the end of life.

She is a much sought-after motivational speaker and advocate for health equity and inclusion for communities of color; an ordained minister, serving at the historic Allen Temple Baptist Church, Oakland CA, as well as a gospel recording artist under her Splendor Record label.

Valerie Steinmetz, BA 
Director of Program Development

So much of managing one's health happens at home and in the community, which is a key focus of the ACCA AICP.  I am committed to lifting up the voices of the community and helping the ACCA reach those in need.

Valerie Steinmetz is a program director at the Public Health Institute in Oakland, CA. She manages a portfolio of projects and programs focused on the design, development, management and evaluation of innovative health programs for those with chronic conditions or serious illnesses. Ms. Steinmetz is the program manager of the Alameda County Care Alliance Advanced Illness Care Program™, assisting with the development of program materials and training, program implementation, strategic planning, continuous quality improvement and program publications.  In Q1/Q2 2020, Ms. Steinmetz helped to implement the ACCA’s ACTION app, a tool for Care Navigators to use in the field for case management and data collection. Ms. Steinmetz is also evaluating the CDC’s MyMobility Plan tool for use with rural older adults to help plan for mobility changes.

Ms. Steinmetz received BA degrees from the University of California, Berkeley in Public Health, Psychology, and Molecular and Cell Biology.

Newton Pullian, Jr.
ECM Manager

From conversations that I had with Cynthia [ACCA Executive Director] I came to understand and was impressed with the fact that ACCA is focused on the community and not the compensation.  They are committed to do this work in the right way, with honesty and integrity.

Newton serves as ACCA’s Enhanced Care Management (ECM) Manager and oversees all aspects of the program’s delivery. Newton has worked in the non-profit, community support, arena for 20 years. He worked in Philadelphia for ten years starting in 2013 and since then, in the Bay Area of California. He has worked with individuals facing various challenges: youth-at-risk, individuals with substance abuse issues, the unhoused, those recently incarcerated, as well as those with chronic and acute diagnoses. He feels blessed to have the opportunity to work in this field because there is something about helping those in need gain control of their lives through the help and support of people and programs.

Christina Lane, BA
Program Administrator

ACCA instantly drew me in because of the focus on community. The need for empathy and human kindness in health care is important to addressing health disparities and ACCA has blazed the trail, so to speak, in offering a unique approach to advanced illness care and I am grateful to be a part of the team. 

Christina Lane is a Program Administrator at the Public Health Institute in Oakland, CA. She began her career with the Public Health Institute in 2011 and has worked on various programs including chronic disease prevention and health equity programs as well as PHI’s COVID-19 Equity Initiative. Christina provides operational and financial support to the AC Care Alliance program as well as other programs within PHI. She leads the Grants and Contracts pieces as well as the support functions of the program.

Christina holds a BA in Graphic Design and Media Arts. In her spare time, she enjoys painting and reading as well as biking and running with her two sons.

Rebekah Widmer, BA
Program Coordinator

I believe that, at our core, humans are meant to love and care for one another regardless of the many things that would seek to divide us like race, color, gender, orientation, religion, politics, or economic status. Working for ACCA provides me the opportunity to use my skillset and work alongside a team seeking to do just that….make a difference in people’s lives by showing respect, love, and care during moments that are difficult to face alone. 

As the Program Coordinator for the AC Care Alliance, Rebekah Widmer is responsible for managing ACCA’s project plans and grant deliverables, facilitating communication, and providing support to the team. Prior to joining ACCA, Rebekah spent most of her career working as a project manager planning and directing volunteer and construction projects for an international non-profit. During her time there she developed management systems and led projects in parts of Africa, Central and South America, and India. She also coordinated one of the primary volunteer efforts each year, a humanitarian project that pushed 100 teenagers out of their comfort zone each summer and encouraged spiritual transformation and character development. She is excited to now have a hand in making a difference in the lives of individuals closer to home.

Rebekah holds a BA in Business Administration and a minor in Spanish. When not at work you’ll find her doing all sorts of outdoor activities such as running, biking, hiking, rock climbing, camping, pickleball, and more.  

Trevino Cochran, BS
Regional Director - Los Angeles County

After my father passed away from advanced illness two years ago, I prayed that my story would be used to help individuals and their families be empowered to deal with end of life care choices. I’m grateful and excited to be a part of ACCA and work with passionate people that love God and care deeply for others! 

Trevino Cochran is the Los Angeles Regional Director of the AC Care Alliance. He has spent over 20 years working in leadership in non-profit, corporate, and state sectors building, growing, and leading programs dedicated to protecting and serving the needs of underserved communities. He is a devoted husband, father, and faith leader who invests his time fostering strong relationships, educating, developing, and mentoring people across all socioeconomic backgrounds. In 2003 Trevino founded a non-profit, faith-based community support program specializing in providing services for children and their families. As a leader, Trevino has consistently developed high performing teams to accomplish set goals.

Trevino holds a BS in Administration of Justice and has completed master’s coursework at Gateway Seminary. In 2012 he developed a “Go To College” program, collaborating with several universities to host middle and high school students during the summer. He has received several leadership management certificates and received the California State Service Excellence Award for leading State programs. He has been married to his wife, Kim, for 28 years and is father to their grown children, Bailee and Kendal. He loves exercise and sports and teaching God’s word.

Mary Spencer-Dockery, RN, BSN, PHN
Care Team Supervisor, Bay Area Counties - Covenant Church

I am grateful to work with a group of people that are as passionate as I am about helping others.  It is important to me to support our team as they help people to have a voice.

Mary Spencer-Dockery is a registered nurse who has been working with the AC Care Alliance (ACCA) for more than 5 years as the Care Team Supervisor. Prior to joining the ACCA, she was a Public Health Nurse with the City of Berkeley for 8 years. Mary has more than 31 years of nursing experience in a variety of environments and positions including hospitals and a correction facility, medical case management, and as a school nurse supervisor and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurse. Through her work with the ACCA, she is very excited about helping others to have a voice in their advance care planning.

Ricardo Padilla, MPH, LVN
Care Team Supervisor, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties

Growing up, my family needed assistance from the community, church, and county resources. Looking back, I understood the importance of the help that I received which was part of the foundation in developing who I am today. Understanding this, I set a goal to apply my knowledge and help in areas of inequities and disparities, and ACCA has given me the opportunity to make a difference in achieving my goal.

Ricardo Padilla serves as the AC Care Alliance’s Care Team Supervisor for the San Mateo and Santa Clara County Region. He was born in Mexico and grew up in San Jose, CA where he began working at the age of 12 and quickly learned the value of earning money and the value of community assistance and resources such as the YMCA, which helped him develop his soccer skills. He joined the Army out of high school and learned the value of leadership, respect, and integrity. Ricardo has used his skills and passed on his values to his own children and the students in the local high school where he volunteers as a soccer coach emphasizing leadership, sportsmanship, and building confidence through empowerment. He views coaching as giving back to the community by developing young people’s skillsets and teaching leadership values they can continue to use throughout their life.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ricardo went back to school and finished his master’s in public health. With his skillset, he uses his knowledge to empower ACCA participants, build their confidence, improve their quality of life, and understand where they are and where they want to be. His path in life has developed him to give back to the community, and for that, he is grateful.

Jill G. Joseph, MD, PhD

An early meeting with Cynthia Carter Perrilliat has led to more than six years of enthusiastic collaboration with this remarkable faith-based and community-engaged intervention program. I was immediately impressed by the combination of Rev. Cynthia’s strategic vision, impressive management skills, and passion for justice. Working with her and with the ACCA has provided me with an unprecedented opportunity for deep learning and for being a small part of building a deeply needed program serving those with advanced illness.

Dr. Joseph is a semi-retired psychosocial epidemiologist and physician whose research over many decades has focused on issues related to health disparities and promoting health equity. For the last 6-7 years it has been her privilege to collaborate with the ACCA, focused on working with community members to co-design the Advanced Illness Care Program intervention and the training associated with it. She continues to serve as emerita faculty at UC Davis Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.

Janice F. Bell, PhD, MPH, MN, F.A.A.N.

It's a great privilege to be involved with this amazing team doing this important work. The ACCA community has developed a holistic program of support to meet the unique needs of persons with serious illness and their family caregivers.  I'm continually impressed with the Care Navigators and all the staff and volunteers whose knowledge, skill, and dedication make the ACCA Advanced Illness Care Program so successful.

Janice F. Bell is the Associate Dean for Research, Director for the Doctor of Philosophy program and Professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis. An experienced health services researcher, Dr. Bell has served as the lead evaluator for the ACCA for more than five years.

Bell's research focuses on serious illness care, the important contributions of family caregivers who take on complex care in the home, and addressing related health disparities. She is one of the founding faculty members of the Family Caregiving Institute at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, which is dedicated to advancing system supports for family caregivers. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Services Research, and Master's degrees in Public Health and Community Nursing from the University of Washington.