Amber began her public health career in 2015 as a health educator with Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, where she developed and facilitated sexual health curricula used in schools and community-based organizations across Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties. 

In 2018, she joined UC Santa Cruz’s Health Outreach and Promotion office, helping launch innovative campus services like a peer-led naloxone and fentanyl testing program and take-home STI testing. More recently, Amber earned her Master of Public Health from San José State University and served as harm reduction project coordinator for Santa Clara County Public Health, supporting the Sexual Health and Harm Reduction Program through workflow development, program evaluation, and cross-county collaboration. 

Outside of work, she loves backpacking, playing and coaching roller derby, and spending time with her two pet bunnies.

Ana was born and raised in Salinas, California. She has two sisters and one brother. After facing some challenging circumstances in her life, she made the decision to transform her life at the age of 25. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of her commitment to a drug-free lifestyle, which she has maintained ever since. Ana now dedicates her time and energy to assisting others in their own journeys towards a healthier and more fulfilling life. She recently graduated from Hartnell college with her AA and hopes to get her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from CSUMB in the next few years.

Andrea Jakubowski, MD, MS, is a general internist and addiction medicine specialist. She earned her medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She completed her residency in Primary Care, Social, and Internal Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. She became board-certified in Addiction Medicine in 2022. Dr. Jakubowski’s research has focused on increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder, with particular attention to expanding buprenorphine treatment in syringe services programs. She is committed to advancing patient-centered care and addressing barriers to evidence-based treatment.

Practicing at SVMH since 2016, Dr. Locke is committed to the health and wellness of our community. She is board certified in emergency medicine and family medicine. She serves as the Chair of the Physician/Practitioner Wellness committee, Director of Substance Use Disorder Programs, and physician champion on the SVH Health Equity committee. She was honored with the SVH Physician of the Year Award in 2023. Dr. Locke has secured over 1 million dollars in grant funds from the California Bridge Program, Center for Care Innovation and NDP program (a CDPH initiative); these funding efforts have been bolstered by substantial hospital and SVH Foundation support. Dr. Locke champions efforts to combat stigma in healthcare and communities, organizing numerous Narcan distribution events, educating clinicians/patients, and has been featured on many local news outlets, highlighting this work at SVH. Dr. Locke serves as the secretary of the SKMC Alumni Board and a founding member of the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity Alliance) committee, within the board. She is honored to serve on the board of CCODP (Central Coast Overdose Prevention). Dr. Locke is currently working on a cookbook as she is passionate about nutrition and health. She enjoys cooking, going to the beach with her family, and spending time with loved ones.

Michael McBain, MD, PharmD, MOH, is an addiction medicine specialist and occupational health physician. He earned both his PharmD and MD at the University of Washington, where he also trained in anesthesiology and pain medicine. He completed a residency in Occupational and Environmental Medicine and a Master of Occupational Health (MOH) at the University of Utah’s Rocky Mountain Center. Dr. McBain began his career as a clinical pharmacist serving underserved populations, including people living with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). His multidisciplinary background in medicine, pharmacy, pain management, occupational health, and public health informs his work in clinic‑based treatment and outreach programs for people experiencing homelessness and other barriers to care.

A UCLA graduate with a B.S. in Psychobiology, Annabel Chen was involved with multiple organizations during her time at UCLA, including End Overdose, where she trained hundreds of community members in overdose prevention; USAC Student Wellness Commission, where she worked to lower barriers to health and wellness programming; and UCLA’s Drug-Free Schools Committee, where she worked to center student voices in policy decisions. Now as an Americorps VISTA with CCODP, she works to reduce overdoses along the Central Coast.

In her free time, Annabel likes to teach swim lessons, design stickers, and daydream about the cats she plans to adopt in the near future.

Eliza Fletes was born and raised in Salinas, CA. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Business from Sonoma State University, becoming the first in her family to graduate from college. She now serves as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Central Coast Overdose Prevention, where she supports community outreach, builds local partnerships, and works on sustainable initiatives to reduce overdose and expand access to care across the tri-county area.

Outside of work, Eliza enjoys reading, spending time with her family and partner, listening to podcasts, and staying active. She’s passionate about community health and brings both lived experience and a strong sense of purpose to her work.