Healthcare Workforce Equity Conference 2025

Marin Areola is owner and president of Advanced Economic Solutions Inc., located in Salem, Oregon. He has over 28 years of experience developing and implementing economic, business, health equity, and supplier diversity programs and workforce development programs that better serve vulnerable communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Oregon and California. Marin has worked with Business Oregon, Oregon Department of Human Services, MODA Health, OHSU, Family Care Health, Department of Labor, City of Salem, Hoffman Construction, Oregon Health Authority, Marion County, Polk County, Salem Health, Willamette Valley Medical Center, Oregon Community Foundation, Swinerton, Skanska, Microsoft, City of San Jose, Governor's Office of Business & Equity to name a few. Marin is energetic and passionate about developing and implementing many culturally and linguistically appropriate programs that lower disparities in economic development, small business development, workforce development and public health within BIPOC communities. Additionally, Marin has served many commissions and boards that seek to better serve all vulnerable communities, culturally, linguistically and socially diverse communities in Oregon and California. Some include, Oregon Governor’s Racial Justice Council, where he Co-Chaired the Governor’s Workforce Committee that developed the Future Ready Oregon plan (SB1545) and Co-Chairs the Governor’s RJC Health Equity and Human Services Committee, C-Chair of the Oregon Health Industry Consortium, Oregon Business Commissioner, past board member of the Salem Chamber of Commerce, OHA Health Equity Champions Council, Chair of Salem Capitol Connections, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation, Governor’s Marketplace Steering Committee, Chemeketa Community College Foundation, Small Business Development Commission for City of San Jose, Former President of Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Silicon Valley, etc. Marin has been acknowledged by both President Bush and President Clinton for promoting economic and workforce development with vulnerable communities and businesses.

Dr. Wong is the Dean for the School of Social Work at Portland State University. She was the Founding Dean at Samuel Merritt University (SMU), College of Health Sciences before moving to Portland in August 2024. While at SMU she developed a multidisciplinary team model that included PA, PT, PA, OT and Social Work students to meet and learn together outside of the classroom. Besides her administrative role, Dr. Wong is a well-recognized advocate and researcher for minority and low-income breast cancer patients, especially the Asian immigrant population. Her research interest is on cancer survivorship and quality of life issues confronting Chinese immigrant breast cancer patients. She published and presented numerous papers at national and international conferences relating to breast cancer and psychosocial issues. Dr. Wong also conducted training in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Guam, and Hawaii on providing effective social work intervention to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Dr. Wong is the President (volunteer) of the Asian Alliance for Health, a non-profit health education organization in San Francisco, and Past President (volunteer) of the Asian Pacific Islander Social Work Educators Council. She is appointed as an Assessment Panel Member of the Social Workers Registration Board in Hong Kong.

Keith Ozols was named Director of Vocational Rehabilitation in July 2019. He has been with ODHS since 2011. Keith previously served as the VR workforce and youth manager since 2015, overseeing the expansion of programs relating to workforce engagement, benefits planning, the Oregon Ticket to Work program and multiple transition programs for students with disabilities. Prior to joining ODHS, Keith was the executive director of Incight, a Portland-based nonprofit that provides educational and employment services for people with disabilities. His prior experience includes counseling English language learners in workforce, college and career readiness.

Born and raised in Linn Co, attended Bushnell University in Eugene and received her Master’s of Public Health from East Tennessee State University with a concentration in Community Health. She and her husband resided in Bonney Lake, WA for 20 years, raising 4 children and working part-time with faith-based organizations, activity coordination for adults with disabilities and home caregiving for persons with IDDs. In 2020 she moved back to the Willamette Valley to help care for aging parents and jumpstarted her Public Health career at Polk Co during the pandemic doing case investigation and emergency preparedness. Before becoming the administrator she worked in Polk Co Health Services as an employee engagement supervisor for the Crisis, Outpatient and Peer teams. In her spare time she loves to camp in a rainy forest with her husband inside their 1982 VW Westfalia, with her journal and coffee.

Neelam Gupta, MPH, MSW (she/her) is the Director of Clinical Supports, Integration and Workforce at Oregon Health Authority. In this role, Neelam leads the agency’s priorities on creating an integrated primary care delivery system with a culturally responsive workforce. She has experience in patient-centered, integrated care models promoting health equity at a philanthropic foundation, Medicaid managed care plan, community clinic association, workforce development agency, health care apprenticeship center, domestic violence organization and Alzheimer’s advocates. Neelam serves on the Oregon Workforce and Talent Development Board and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Future Ready Oregon Healthcare Industry Consortium, and she is an elected school board member.

Mohamed is currently the Program Manager for the Traditional Health Worker Program with Oregon Health Authority’s Equity and Inclusion Division. With Equity and Inclusion, Mohamed is charged with developing and implementing strategic work plan to support a sustainable and effective traditional Health Worker program, Traditional health worker Workforce, Training programs, State run website registry and its integration into Oregon’s health system transformation. He also oversees the Traditional health worker commission and its subcommittees and ensures that the Commission meets its goals, deliverables, and timelines and is responsive to Oregon consumer needs. Mohamed serves on numerous advisory boards, committees and councils that influence both social and policy change at a local level, and statewide.

Born in Santiago, Chile. She Graduated with a MEd. Special Education and and with a Certificate for Engaging Families for Students Success from Harvard University where she continues to study a variety of Professional Development subjects like Education and Leadership. Inge worked Teaching Spanish, as an Interpreter and Translator for a Child Abuse Assessment Center where she received an Outstanding Community Award for her work serving the Latino and Latinx Community, and as a Special Education Teacher before moving to work as an Adjunct Professor, Bilingual Teachers Scholarship Program and Administrator in Higher Education where she continued serving as a first generation mentor to Latin and Latinx students. Currently she serves as the Programs Director for Capaces Leadership Institute. In her free time she runs her own spiritual healing practice for Latin and Indigenous Women.

Sue Xiong is the Director of Inclusion Diversity Equity and Learning, Corporate Integrity & Employee Safety at Salem Health Hospitals and Clinics. As a first-generation Hmong American leader, Sue has devoted her career to creating organizational culture committed to doing the right thing. She is an experienced healthcare compliance and project management leader with strong communication and facilitation skills, building team moral, accountability and creativity in the work environment. Sue is a graduate of Oregon State University and holds a Master of Healthcare Administration from Pacific University. She is board certified through the Compliance Certification Board in Healthcare Compliance. She has served as a Board of Director for the Oregon Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Board Member for the Women in Healthcare Oregon Chapter.