SPARC Advisory

The Statewide Pacific islander Asian american Resource and Coordinating center (SPARC) program, funded through the California Tobacco Control Program’s Statewide Coordinating Center grant, aims to foster interactive and integrative collaboration and communication among regional projects and others in the state working to reduce tobacco-related disparities among the diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) communities.

Advisory Committee

Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy, & Leadership (APPEAL)
Grace Lee, Waymakers
Rosalyn Moya, Bay Area Community Resource
Ladine Chan, Dignity Health
Baolia Xiong, Health Collaborative
Lolofi Soakai, MPH, Executive Director, Motivating Action Leadership Opportunity Tongan Community Ontario, California
Irene Linayao-Putman, MPH, Community Health Program Specialist, Maternal, Child and Family Health Services County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency

Elisa Tong, MD, MA Associate Professor of Medicine, University of California Davis
Joshua Yang, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Health Science, California State University Fullerton
Payal Sawhney, MSW, MHA, LCSW, Executive Director, Saahas for Cause
John Dale Noriega, Program Supervisor, Say San Diego
Teresa Lam, Community Engagement Associate- Tobacco Control Program, Alameda County Public Health Department
Bernadine Tuisavalalo, Executive Director, Central Valley Pacific Islander Alliance

The SPARC Advisory Committee will provide guidance and advice to SPARC activities including the development of the following: 1) an enabling system for supporting AA & NHPI tobacco control activities, 2) educational materials on tobacco control and policy change, 3) annual leadership summits and 4) a statewide AA & NHPI strategic plan and tobacco control policy platform.

1. Develop an Enabling System to support AA & NHPI tobacco control activities

The enabling system will support AA & NHPI regional projects to promote social change aimed at preventing and reducing tobacco use by:

Assisting regional projects to organize and integrate tobacco control knowledge into their work.
Brokering resources from larger institutions.
Facilitating the exchange of resources and mutual support within the network of regional projects and participating organizations.
Promoting diffusion of innovation and increasing coordination among regional organizations.

2. Create educational materials on tobacco control and policy change

SPARC will develop at least 14 educational materials from 3 ethnically, culturally, and linguistically appropriate types such as:

Educational toolkits
Digital storytelling
In-language materials

3. Annual Leadership Summits

Develop SPARC Leadership Summit materials and curricula on tobacco control leadership and policy change skills
Promote, recruit, interview, and select 20-30 applicants annually to participate

4. Strategic Plan & Tobacco Control Policy Platform

Develop a statewide policy platform on critical tobacco issues for AA & NHPI communities across California

SPARC Advisory Committee Responsibilities

Recruit new representatives to replace any one of the selected members/organizations, should they stop participating during the grant period.
Participate in two in-person SPARC Advisory Committee meetings annually and quarterly teleconference calls.
Help carry out project activities such as data collection, educational visits, public speaking, and letter writing.
Participate in strategic planning sessions to create a plan to address tobacco issues that impact the AA & NHPI populations statewide.