We are excited to introduce BUILD’s 2025-2026 Awardee Council!

The 2025-2026 Awardee Council brings together a new group of past and current BUILD awardees who understand firsthand the realities of cross sector collaboration and advancing health equity. Representing residents, community-based organizations, public health departments, and health systems, members will work closely with the BUILD team to guide decisions, strengthen products and activities, and inform strategies. 

The former Awardee Council, to whom we offer deep gratitude, played a critical role in strengthening BUILD’s approach to shared leadership – offering insight, feedback, and guidance that informed how we designed and launched the next generation of the Awardee Council. Their contributions inform the current Council, clarify the Council’s purpose, and ensure this body continues to reflect the experiences and priorities of BUILD communities. 

Meet our newest Awardee Council members below: 

Denisha Porter
  • Cincinatti, OH (BUILD 2.0 & 4.0)
  • Public Health Department (former) and Community Based-Organization 

Denisha Porter is a passionate community leader and community advocate in Cincinnati. Her journey into public service came through her education: she earned a Bachelor’s in Microbiology from Miami University and later completed a Master of Public Health at Wright State University. Her leadership has not gone unnoticed: Denisha has been honored as one of Ohio’s Top 50 Women Leaders for multiple years, celebrating her impact and dedication to the community. Denisha believes in the power of showing up. Whether in board meetings, community gatherings, or healing circles, she centers authenticity, empathy, and listening. She enjoys traveling, connecting with different people, and practices meditation to stay grounded. 

 

Eileen Auer Bennett
  • Denver, CO (BUILD 2.0)
  • Community-Based Organzation 

Eileen  has spent over 25 years personally and professionally advocating for Colorado to build and improve systems that ensure all families can access early childhood services. As the mom of a daughter who had complex medical issues, Eileen learned first-hand the complexity and difficulty that families encounter in accessing supports, especially for children with disabilities. Her personal journey led her to being asked to become the Executive Director of Assuring Better Child Health & Development (ABCD, a statewide nonprofit whose vision is for all children to have access to services that promote healthy development.) With her leadership, ABCD has become locally known and nationally recognized in actively shaping and championing progressive early childhood policies and equitable access to comprehensive, high quality perinatal and early childhood developmental services for young children and their families. Eileen’s passion is working with professionals and families to ensure their living experiences are the key drivers in capacity building and advocacy efforts so that families and young children receive accurate information and early intervention during key developmental windows to support optimal early childhood health and wellbeing. Eileen is currently the co-chair of the  Colorado Early Childhood Screening and Referral Policy Council, and a co-chair of the Colorado Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems grant. 

 

Hillery Ross

Hillery is the Community Program Manager at Access Health, Inc. and a founding leader of the How YOU Birth Community Doula Initiative. With an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education, a Child Development Certificate (2012), and a Bachelor of Science in Leadership from Grand Valley State University (2023), Hillery brings over a decade of experience in education, community health, and grassroots program development. She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Social Innovation at Grand Valley State University. Hillery serves on the Executive Board of the How YOU Birth Doulas, a Muskegon County initiative committed to reducing racial disparities in infant and maternal health by providing high-quality, culturally competent doula care. A former Community Health Worker with Trinity Health, Hillery’s direct experience supporting residents through complex health and social systems fuels her passion for co-creating people-powered, culturally responsive programs. Beyond her professional role, Hillery is an engaged civic leader. She chairs the Nominating Committee for the Muskegon County Homeless Continuum of Care and serves on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for the City of Muskegon. She is one of the newest members of the Board of Directors for Every Woman’s Place and serves on the MSHIELD Advisory Board at the University of Michigan. Hillery is also a member of the 2025–2026 BUILD Awardee Council and a 2025–2026 Fellow in the New Sector Alliance Leadership Longevity Fellowship. Previously, she served as Treasurer for the Muskegon Heights Public Schools Board of Directors. A proud mother and tireless advocate, Hillery is dedicated to advancing equity in healthcare and public systems, particularly for those whose voices are often overlooked. Her mission is clear: to build sustainable, trust-based systems where communities are seen, heard, and equipped to lead.  

 

Nicole Gyimah

Nicole loves her family and serving others through her church and various organizations. She’s a Community Lead for IMPACT DC’s Parent Advisory Council at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.; she has collaborated with Children’s Law Center and the DC BUILD collaborative to help families achieve better health outcomes, specifically in the District’s Wards 7 & 8. Nicole Gyimah has worked in publishing for several years and is currently a Managing Editor for a financial organization. She received her B.S. in Telecommunication from Morgan State University and her M.A. in Business Communication from Jones International University. Before moving from New Jersey to Maryland with her husband and family, Nicole taught as an adjunct professor in the Department of Communication at Seton Hall University for 9 years. She is a soccer mom, loves to read, learn, and spend time with her family and friends. She currently resides in Hughesville, MD, with her husband, Kwasi, their son, Isaiah, and their daughters, Jordan and Dylan. 

 

Reem Zubaidi

Reem is a program manager in the UC San Diego Center for Community Health, Refugee Health Unit and a co-facilitator for the San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition. In this role, she works closely with program leads across the SDRCC initiatives to provide technical assistance and works as part of the RHU evaluation team on data collection and evaluation, helping to measure the impact of various SDRCC programs. Reem also facilitates the SDRCC Policy Council, a team of youth from coalition organizations that focus on the four priority areas of employment, education, healthcare access and health literacy, and housing quality and stability. Previously, Reem also served as a co-director for the federally funded Advancing Health Literacy program. Her work revolves around addressing health inequities across the social determinants of health. As the daughter of Palestinian and Lebanese immigrants and granddaughter of refugees, she is passionate about advocating for refugee and immigrant communities and working toward lasting systems change. Reem graduated with a Master’s degree in Public Policy at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy. Her focus there was on the intersection of environmental issues and human rights. Before moving to San Diego, Reem completed her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communications. 

 

Rut Rivera
  • Greenvile, SC (BUILD 3.0)
  • Hospital/Healthcare (former) & Community-Based Organization

As the Community Engagement Director at LiveWell Greenville, Rut is responsible for overseeing the Community Engagement Coalition to guarantee that all residents of Greenville are afforded the opportunity to attain optimal health, irrespective of race, ethnicity, class, or socioeconomic status. With more than 15 years of experience, Rut has actively collaborated with the South Carolina community, particularly focusing on the Hispanic population. Given her immigrant background, Rut possesses an acute understanding of the daily challenges, barriers, and inequities faced by many. Rut has spearheaded community-centered initiatives, significantly enhancing advocacy efforts and benefiting community members. Notably, she led a team of Community Health Workers at Prisma Health through the PASOs program, which sought to raise awareness of the needs of the Hispanic Community in South Carolina. Rut’s commitment to serving her community transcends her professional obligations. She actively participates in multiple advisory boards, serves on the Admissions Committee for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, and holds positions on the board of the Piedmont Health Foundation, Greenville Housing Fund, Greenville Free Medical Clinic, and Greater Good Greenville. Additionally, she chairs the Hispanic Alliance Health Team and co-founded the Latino Community Outreach Advisory Council in Oconee County. Rut also serves as a member of the Hispanic/Latinx Advisory Committee for the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs, tirelessly advocating for the Hispanic community of South Carolina. Outside of her professional endeavors, Rut enjoys creating new recipes for her family, crafting ceramic pieces at the pottery studio, and cherishing quality time with her family.  

  

Taylor Outler
  • Durham, NC (BUILD 4.0)
  • Community-Based Organization

Taylor was born in Florence, South Carolina, where she was quickly introduced to inequities that can exist within the school system, especially for those who are deemed the most vulnerable. Through her challenges, she found passion in joyful moments and the pursuit of a healthy mind. Taylor is a first-generation college student, a Black woman, a Pisces, an oldest sister, and a daughter. She is a strong believer that your life experiences make you a leader and an expert on your identity. She is an advocate for mental health, equity, and payment for sharing your life story in all realms and facets of life. Taylor received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with a minor in Health Behavior, Promotion, and Education. She completed this accomplishment in 2020, amid the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She then went on to pursue her Master’s of Public Health from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill with a concentration in Health Equity, Social Justice, and Human Rights, where she was introduced to the Durham Public Schools. Taylor is an experienced non-profit worker with an emphasis on mental health, equity, and accessibility to resources. She has expertise in public speaking, large and small programming for events (including service projects, conferences, festivals, staff events, and more), project management, and community outreach/advocacy. Over the course of her career, there have been through lines that intersect location, age, finances, and other determinants of health. All of Taylor’s work intersects with joy, equity, empowerment, agency, and sustainability.  

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