Management Team
La Maestra strives to build a strong team of staff and physicians, many of whom have been with the organization since its inception. The Management Team is a cohesive group with over 20 years of healthcare administration and financial management experience combined with a passion for helping the diverse, underserved populations of the area. The Management Team works closely with the Board of Directors in implementing its mission and strategies for the organization.
Chief Executive Officer: Zara Marselian
Ms. Marselian is responsible for the overall management, development, and program review of La Maestra. She co-founded La Maestra in 1990 as an outgrowth from the La Maestra Amnesty Center and has over 15 years of healthcare administration experience. She is an experienced and successful grant writer, having led the capital fundraising campaign to start the clinic and purchase the buildings that are currently owned. Ms. Marselian also negotiates and monitors ongoing operational contracts and managed care plans with state and federal agencies. Her program development work includes job training, job placement, housing, health, outreach, collaborative programs, literacy, education, fund development and capital campaigns. She serves on numerous boards of local community development and health organizations. Ms. Marselian holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She speaks Spanish, Italian, French and English fluently. Ms. Marselian has been personally recognized locally and nationally as an ambitious champion for the cause of serving the uninsured.
Chief Financial Officer: Elizabeth David
Ms. David has been with La Maestra since its inception in 1990 and has previous experience in numerous capital projects. At La Maestra she developed, implemented, and maintains the accounting systems, accounting controls, and financial analysis reports. In addition to being responsible for program budgeting, Ms. David analyzes productivity statistics and makes financial projections. She holds a Bachelor'd degree in Economics and an Accounting certificate. Ms. David was born and raised in the Philippines, where she worked with the government in developing communities and micro-enterprise in rural areas. She speaks fluent Tagalog and English, and is learning Spanish.
Chief Operations Officer: Alejandrina Ariezaga
Ms. Areizaga joined La Maestra in January 2001, bringing 25 years of prior healthcare administration experience to the organization. In addition to overseeing the daily operations of all of La Maestra’s clinics, she has utilized her background in sales and marketing to fundraise for La Maestra's various capital projects. Ms. Areizaga holds a Master's degree in Business Administration and extensive experience in human resources management, managed care administration, contract management and quality improvement implementation. She is bilingual in Spanish and English, and has knowledge of French and Italian.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors for La Maestra Community Health Centers consists of 10
members. Based on federal guidelines, more than 51% must reflect the patient
composition of La Maestra. Many board members are local business owners and
residents of the communities La Maestra serves. This ensures a high level of
community involvement in the strategic direction of the organization and a
unique responsiveness to the communities' needs.
G. Carlos Hanessian, MBA, JD, PhD. Chairman
Michael Delgado, Vice President
Alexei Ochola, Secretary
Samuel Mireles, Treasurer
Charlene Castro, Officer
Alma Duran, Officer
Antonio Mendivil, Officer
Lam Thot Muang, Officer
Graciela Putzoli, Officer
Yessica Quiroz, Officer
Executive Team and Senior Staff
Zara Marselian, President & Chief Executive Officer
Liz David, Chief Financial Officer
Alejandrina Areizaga, Chief Operations Officer
Dr. Mumtaz Almansour, Medical Consultant Family Practice
Dr. Pauline Tran, Dental Director
Dr. Melissa Sanz, Pharmacy Director
Dr. John P. Lethin, Imaging Director
Unit Directors and Staff
Dr. Javier Rodriguez, Chief Medical Officer, heads up a highly qualified team of physicians and staff that represent the cultures and the community they support. La Maestra's 40+ physicians and staff collectively speak 19 languages and are selected to work at La Maestra based on their cultural expertise as well as their medical training. Many of the staff are recruited from the local community and are immigrants themselves. This policy benefits the diverse community in many ways: La Maestra is able to provide culturally competent care for our patients, and provide community residents with professional development opportunities.
Physician "medical residents" are recruited from partnerships with Children's Hospital and Health Center, University of California San Diego, Scripps Health and Sharp HealthCare, and other hospitals throughout the country. La Maestra has expanded into a main Center in the nation for professionals to receive culturally competent professional training. It is hoped that these healthcare providers will apply their new knowledge and experience to other diverse communities.
Medical Director: Javier Rodriguez, MD
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Medical Consultant Family Practice: Mumtaz Almansour, MD
Dr. Almansour joined La Maestra in 1999. He has over 13 years of health care administration experience in the United States, working with community health centers and urgent care facilities, and he has been involved in medical research. Dr. Almansour currently maintains a private practice in addition to his work at La Maestra. He is a Board Certified physician specializing in Family Practice. Dr. Almansour is an immigrant from Iraq and interchangeably speaks English, Arabic and Chaldean, meeting the needs San Diego's growing Chaldean populations. He is currently studying Spanish.
Dental Director: Pauline Tran, DDS
Dr. Tran joined La Maestra in 2000 and has been practicing dentistry for 11 years, specializing in pediatric dentistry. Prior to La Maestra, Dr. Tran worked at Western Dental, and she is a graduate of USC. Dr. Tran is an immigrant from Vietnam and speaks English, Vietnamese and Spanish.
Behavioral & Mental Health
Our Family Wellness Unit is a team of culturally competent licensed clinicians that have many years of experience in the field, whose operations are overseen by Medical Director Dr. Rodriguez and Coordinator Diana Alvarez.