Leadership

Structure

The California Tuberculosis Controllers Association (CTCA) is led by a volunteer-based Executive Committee (EC), following the Bylaws (03/2025). The EC  consists of officers who serve a four-year leadership cycle, and representatives from large, medium, small, and rural health jurisdictions.

At the start of each EC cycle, a Work Plan is developed to identify and prioritize the EC’s goals for the upcoming year. Workgroups or committees are formed on an as-needed basis to support specific priorities outlined in the Work Plan.

The EC holds monthly meetings to review progress, discuss emerging priorities, and take action where appropriate. TB Controllers and their staff are invited to participate in these meetings through the TB Controllers email list.

To learn more about the EC meetings or get involved with any of CTCA’s ongoing efforts, please click the “Contact Us” button below.

Executive Committee 

  • President 
    Cameron Kaiser, MD, MPH, FAAFP
    Interim Health Officer / EPIC Bureau Chief and TB Controller
    Solano Public Health Services

  • President-Elect vacant

  • Secretary-Treasurer
    Sherilynn Cooke, MD
    TB Controller
    Los Angeles County Public Health Tuberculosis Control Program

  • Past President
    Ankita Kadakia, MD
    Deputy Health Officer
    San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency

  • Ex-Officio Member
    Jennifer Flood, MD, MPH
    Chief, TB Control Branch
    California Department of Public Health (CDPH)

  At-Large Members

  • Representative from the Highest Morbidity Jurisdiction
    Julie Higashi, MD, PhD
    TB Controller
    Los Angeles County Public Health Tuberculosis Control Program

  • TB Controller-at-Large
    Sharon Wang, DO
    TB Controller
    San Bernardino County Public Health, Communicable Diseases, Emerging Diseases

  • Nurses and Allied Health Professionals (NAHP) Representative
    Rocio Agraz-Lara, MSN, RN, PHN
    Nurse Manager
    San Francisco Department of Public Health, Population Health Division, Disease Prevention and Control, Tuberculosis Control

  • Rural and Small Health Jurisdictions (RSHJ) Representative
    Phuong Luu, MD, MHS, FACP
    Health Officer and TB Controller
    Sutter County Health and Human Services, Public Health, Communicable Disease (CD); Yuba Health and Human Services

  • Additional Executive Committee Members
    Amit Chitnis, MD, MPH
    Alameda County Public Health Department, Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention
    Angelito Bravo, MD
    Program Manager, Pulmonary Disease Services
    Orange County Healthcare Agency
    Ann Ky, PHN
    TB Prevention & Control Program Manager
    Santa Clara County Public Health Department

Judith Thigpen, MPH

Executive Administrator

Judith started her work with CTCA in September 2003, as CDPH TB Control Branch (TBCB) Health Educator and CTCA Executive Administrator, supervising two Project Specialists. In October 2006, her role shifted to focus on CTCA. Supporting CTCA and those working to find, cure and eliminate TB in California, the world’s most deadly infectious disease, forgotten but not gone, is dynamic, changing with each volunteer leadership cycle and annual work plan.

Judith received an MPH in Communications and Health Education from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in 1994. Working initially on short term, grant funded projects, standing up new efforts and conducting evaluations. Her experience ranged from building a sponsorship tracking database in Phoenix, AZ for a network of orphanages in Central and South America to running focus groups across Oregon, to inform public health financing policy.