Women of the District

Toluwalaṣé (Laṣé) A. Ajayi, MD (she/her)

(pronunciation here)

Dr. Toluwalaṣé “Laṣé” Ajayi, MD FAAP, is a community pediatrician, adult and pediatric palliative medicine physician, and clinical translational researcher. Dr. Ajayi is a Trustee of the American Medical Association, President of the San Diego County Medical Society, and Chair of the Council on Medical Services of the California Medical Association (CMA). She is the first black woman President in the organization’s 152-year history. In 2022, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors recognized Dr. Ajayi for her “outstanding leadership, service, and commitment to the citizens of San Diego County.”

Dr. Ajayi immigrated to the United States as a political refugee from Nigeria when she was seven and grew up in Lawrence, Kansas. She completed medical school at the University of Kansas and a pediatric residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center prior to training in adult and pediatric palliative medicine at the Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice.

Dr. Ajayi is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UC San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego where she works as a hospitalist and pediatric palliative medicine physician. She serves as the Director of Diversity Initiatives, Director of Clinical Research, Assistant Professor of Molecular Medicine, and a Senior Staff Scientist in Digital Medicine at the Scripps Research Translational Institute. She is also the co-medical director of adult palliative medicine at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego.

Dr. Ajayi has a long history of leadership in policy-making and organized medicine at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and is an AAP delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA) where she advocates for the needs of children and those with serious illness. She is a former Chair of the AMA and CMA Young Physician Sections.

Dr. Ajayi’s research focuses on opportunities at the intersection of novel digital medicine technologies and unmet needs in maternal fetal health as well as pain and palliative medicine. She is a member of the Pediatric Operations Task Force and on the Digital Health Technologies committee of the All of Us Research Program with the National Institutes of Health as well as the Palliative Care Research Cooperative. As the Principal Investigator for PowerMom, she works to increase participation of pregnant women in clinical research and further investigates how mobile health can provide real time, patient reported outcomes that can be rapidly integrated into individualized clinical plans to improve health related quality of life. Her PowerMom platform is an avenue to meet participants where they are, build community, and share information with them. With her research efforts, she hopes to diversify the standard of care provided to pregnant women and augment how we manage the symptoms prevalent in serious illness, with the goal of increasing the effectiveness of clinical care, decreasing patient distress, maximize patient empowerment, and ensure equity across the spectrum.

Dr. Ajayi lives in San Diego with her partner, Dr. Kyle Edmonds, their three children, Ayokárí, Tiwalolá, and Palmer, and a rambunctious Bernedoodle named Dùnní.

Dr. Huma Ahmed-Ghosh

Dr. Huma Ahmed-Ghosh has tirelessly worked for women’s empowerment in San Diego for over 30 years. For 25 years, Dr. Huma was a Professor of Women’s Studies at San Diego State University, mentoring students in feminism and gender studies, social justice, and women’s rights. Most recently, she has been empowering Afghan refugee women through literacy. Perhaps Dr. Huma’s greatest contribution to the marginalized populations that she continues to serve are her tireless efforts to introduce the wider community to the humanity that exists within these populations.

Nicole Anderson, LCSW

Nicole serves as the Vice President of Assertive Community Treatment & Supportive Housing at Community Research Foundation (CRF), a non-profit behavioral health agency. Nicole is passionate about improving the behavioral health system of care, to better serve vulnerable populations, such as those experiencing homelessness, trauma, severe mental illness and/or addiction. She is the founder, and a current mentor, of Girls Rising, a program for underserved girls, as she believes prevention is more effective than treatment. Nicole and her husband have been foster parents for the last four years.

Leanna Denise Augustus (she/her)

Leanna Augustus is a Black, queer, reproductive justice advocate who is passionate about the intersections between racial justice, health care access, and the wellbeing of foster youth. She currently works in the External Affairs Department for Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, and serves as the Board Chair for the San Diego Coalition for Reproductive Justice. Her hobbies include baking, and nerding out over science fiction novels.

Makeda Dread Cheatom

Makeda “Dread” Cheatom is the Executive Director and Founder of WorldBeat Cultural Center in Balboa Park. She has had many accomplishments over the years, most recently having founded a low-powered FM station 101.1FM, and serving as a Co-Partner for the Noise Project, a national community-based project in collaboration with Cornell University, funded by the National Science Foundation.

Rev. Megan Cochran (she/her)

Rev. Megan Cochran is the pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church: where art+faith+nature meet in Point Loma. She believes that we are called to be co-creators with God to bring more love and creativity into the world. Finding God in the midst of this wild world, social justice, art, and building community are a few of her deepest passions.

Carla Crudup

Carla is a trailblazer, passionate about helping people, and supporting community organizations. Raised in Broadway Heights, Carla has served over four years as Treasurer of the Broadway Heights Community Council (BHCC). She is a graduate of UC San Diego, bilingual, and translates for the organizations and communities she serves. Carla worked from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting of the (BHCC) MLK Promenade, including leading their second Busts Unveiling Ceremony featuring California Secretary of State, Dr. Shirley N. Weber, and Mrs. Rosa L. Parks. She also serves on the board of several nonprofits.

AJ Galka, EdD

For over two decades, AJ Galka has been a housing and supportive services advocate for vulnerable populations. As the Director of Resident Services & Permanent Supportive Housing, she leads in the creation and development of more affordable housing while overseeing supportive services within a 10,000-resident affordable housing portfolio. AJ also serves as the President of the Junior League of San Diego, making her their first openly LGBTQ+ leader in its 94 years of existence.

Ruth Hayward

Ruth Hayward has lived, worked and volunteered her entire life in San Diego. Her engineering career at General Dynamics involved projects aiding defense and saving lives. Her second career, sculpting, has introduced historical San Diegans of note to current citizens and visitors. She has served on state and city boards and worked with nonprofit organizations for decades. Currently she is Vice Chair of the State’s San Diego River Conservancy. She currently is on the Board of Pawsitive Teams, whose mission is training service dogs for the disabled.

Alessandra Lezama

A serial entrepreneur and passionate advocate for women, Alessandra is a bold voice in the need for innovation and new thinking. As CEO of TOOTRiS, she is revolutionizing child care through a unifying tech platform that breaks barriers and allows parents, providers, and employers to achieve greater financial freedom. Alessandra is a ReadyNation CEO Task Force appointee and serves on several boards.

Peggy McCartney

Peggy has a passion for community involvement while serving in the United States Navy. She mentors youth as a cheerleading coach with Tierrasanta Cougars Youth League. Her cheer team recently won the 2023 JAMZ Nationals in Las Vegas. She serves in support of Junior League of San Diego’s mission of effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Participating in leadership roles, training, fundraising, and volunteer service that align with the JLSD focus areas of human trafficking, transition age youth (TAY), and food insecurity.

Tazheen Nizam

Tazheen Nizam currently serves as the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations of San Diego (CAIR-SD). For over a decade, she has worked as an activist and an organizer on civil rights, human rights, and immigration issues. She serves on many boards working to uplift and empower immigrants. Tazheen has deep roots in the San Diego Muslim community and works extensively with the interfaith community.

Ileana Ovalle

Ileana Ovalle was born and raised in CA Senate District 39. From the San Diego Public Library to Google, Ileana is a government, nonprofit, and corporate executive, and an active trustee at the Museum of Us, Ocean Discovery Institute, and serves as an advisor to UCSD’s Chancellor. Ileana was nominated for her unwavering leadership and advocacy in providing equitable access, education and technology to diverse populations in both her professional and volunteer service.

Stacy Sakamoto (she/hers)

Stacy is passionate about creating community spaces and opportunities for LGBTQ+ individuals, and dismantling systems of inequity and oppression that plague the philanthropic sector. She is the Deputy Philanthropy Director at the ACLU Foundation of San Diego and Imperial Counties; Outgoing Chair of She Fest, a volunteer group centering the diverse experiences of LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people; former Vice President of the Association of Fundraising Professional’s IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and access) committee; and a founding member of QAPIMEDA, an LGBTQ+ API empowerment coalition.

Holly Shaffner

Holly Shaffner is a community leader, retired military veteran, and local business owner. As an advocate for her fellow military brothers and sisters, she works with several organizations to support active duty and military veterans, and ensure their service is never forgotten. She is most proud of her volunteer work with Honor Flight San Diego and senior veterans.

Nicole Verdés (she/they)

Nicole Verdés is an administrator and advocate for Queer arts and culture programs and organizations. She serves as the current Board President of Lambda Archives, where she has dedicated nearly eight years of volunteer service, and presently works at San Diego Pride where she also oversees the Art of Pride program, highlighting the works of Queer artists in the region.