The MMCAC is an organization made up of over 150 volunteer members and member organizations that contribute their time to the Coalition by sitting on committees, working on grant-related activities, representing our organization at health fairs and other events, and lending a helping hand to staff in the office! Our elected officers for 2009 are: Chair:Connie Mull, RNMerced County Head Start Co-Chair:Lori Ferriera, RRTMerced Medical Supply Secretary:Lisa Kayser-GrantMoms Clean Air Network Member at Large:
Mike BaldwinConsultant Past Chair:Allyson HolmanGolden Valley Health Centers The Merced/Mariposa County Asthma Coalition is proud of our members which include representatives from:

              

                   

               

         

 

Coalition Staff 

 

Mary-Michal Rawling is the Program Manager for the Merced/Mariposa County Asthma Coalition.  Mary-Michal is the Chair of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's Citizen's Advisory Committee, and the past Co-Chair of the Merced County Tobacco Use Prevention coalition from 2007-2009.  She is also a member of the California Asthma Partners board and sits on Golden Valley Health Centers’ Asthma Task Force and Green Team.  Outside of work Mary-Michal is the assistant coach for the Merced College Blue Devil Volleyball program and is a member of the Soroptimist Club in Merced, the League of Women Voters, and the UC Friends Circle.  She earned her bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Clark University in Worcester, MA and moved to Merced shortly after graduation.  Her work to create a healthy Merced is supported by her desire to make the Valley’s communities a safe and healthy place for her family in the present and future. 

 

Melissa Kelly-Ortega is the Program Associate for the Merced/Mariposa County Asthma Coalition (MMCAC).  Melissa received her Bachelor’s in Psychology and has seven years experience in education.   Since moving to Merced in 1990, she has taken a keen interest in city, county, and state policies and environmental practices.  She has been involved in supporting Clean Air Initiatives and other environmental issues at the grassroots level.  From these experiences and her years of teaching in the classroom, she has become more concerned about our valley’s air quality as it affects our children Teaching at the elementary school level for over six years, she observed many students who experienced recurring headaches, migraines, breathing difficulty, and asthma.  It seemed to her that the occurrence of these conditions worsened every year.  Her oldest daughter was born with diminished lung capacity and continues to deal with breathing difficulties and occasional migraines.  Her youngest child was diagnosed with asthma and has been taking increased dosages of asthma medication over the past three years.  The link between asthma exacerbation and air pollution has made her a strong proponent for cleaning up our Valley’s air.   

Melissa's vision is to live in a community where sustainable land-use planning prioritizes the health of kids!! She currently sits on the following boards:  Merced County Association of Governments' Citizen Advisory Committee, the City of Merced’s Bicycle Advisory Commission, and the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District’s Environmental Justice Advisory Group. 

 

Anna Sanchez - Community Liaison