Rhonda Smith is a nationally recognized health equity leader and the Executive Director of the California Black Health Network (CBHN), a statewide nonprofit advancing policies, programs, and systems change to improve health outcomes for Black communities. Under her leadership, CBHN has strengthened its role as a trusted resource and statewide intermediary between community voice and policy action—expanding healthcare access, advancing health literacy and empowerment, and elevating Black-led solutions to address health inequities. 

Prior to joining CBHN, Rhonda spent more than twenty years as an independent consultant with experience in healthcare marketing, health equity, and nonprofit leadership. As an independent consultant, Rhonda led several high-impact initiatives focused on reducing health disparities and improving care delivery for underserved communities. During her tenure as a consultant, she partnered with healthcare systems, foundations, and community-based organizations to design and implement culturally responsive outreach, health promotion, and behavior change strategies that drove measurable outcomes. 

Rhonda has held several senior leadership and project management roles across complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives. She served as Consultant and Project Director for the LiveHealthy OC Initiative, a multi-year effort to transform a network of federally qualified health centers from a disease-centered model to a prevention-focused, whole-person care approach. She also served as Statewide Project Manager for the Susan G. Komen® Circle of Promise California Initiative, leading a comprehensive, data-driven effort to reduce breast cancer mortality among Black women by addressing disparities at the systems, community, and individual levels. 

Rhonda also enjoyed a career in the corporate sector, working for DuPont and Eli Lilly, and as a Senior Consultant for StratX, an international firm dedicated to developing experiential learning simulations that help educators bring learning concepts to life. 

Rhonda holds an MBA in Marketing and Operations Management from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech. She brings a unique blend of strategic, operational

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