Improving & Advocating for Greater Access

Lance A. Williams, PhD

TSF President

Dr. Lance Williams is president of the Stovall Foundation, founded by Dr. Leonard Stovall and his colleagues in 1935. Dr. Stovall, a pioneer in the detection and eradication of tuberculosis a century ago, was the first African American medical doctor employed by the joint LA County/City medical system in 1930.

Dr. Williams recently led a two-year Board effort to streamline the Foundation’s operations and fiscal management system, and prudently use the organization’s resources to create positive outcomes for people in need.

He is Assistant Professor in the College of Medicine, as well as a Faculty Facilitator and Mentor in the Medicine and Society curriculum, and instructing Psychiatry resident doctors in a didactic writing class. He also served as a member of the core planning team responsible for developing the first 4-year independent medical school in south Los Angeles that opened in July 2023.

The Stovall Foundation recently contributed $100,000 to the building of the Health Professions Education Building, a modern four-story structure that houses the 4-year medical education program. Dr. Williams has been employed at the University since 2018.

As Director of Communications for the College of Medicine, he is founding editor-writer of the newsletter, The Sharpest Scalpel, which has won accolades from many corners in highlighting the unique, innovative work of the University. He has also recently published numerous articles and essays featured in the Los Angeles Sentinel.

Dr. Williams is also the retired Chairman of the Los Angeles County Community Action Board, the second largest recipient of Community Development Block Grant funds in the US. All totaled, he served in various professional capacities in community action for 26 years. He has also served a combined thirteen years as a nonprofit CEO and Executive Director.

He received his PhD in Anthropology, MA in Folklore and Mythology, and BA in History from UCLA. He was the first African American student to receive a graduate degree in Folklore and Mythology at UCLA.

He was inducted as a charter member of the California Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame as a jazz and blues educator by the late Barbara Morrison. He currently is an advisor to the World Stage in Los Angeles’ Leimert Park District.

Pamela Stovall-Hill

TSF Vice President

Pamela Stovall-Hill is the current Vice President of the Stovall Foundation. Because of her concern about others, especially those living on the streets, Pamela spearheaded the Annual Blanket drive, now in its 5th year, providing blankets, coats and other essentials for over 250 unhoused residents of Los Angeles. She also produces the annual Juneteenth celebration at Fairmont Terrace: bringing music, food, culture, heart and soul to the senior residents of the facility. Pamela has held a variety of professional positions, including for FEMA, where she worked in the Public Information Office and produced a series of half hour television programs related to earthquake preparedness, in the wake of the 1994 Northridge earthquake. She previously served the Stovall Foundation as Assistant to the Director at the Fairmount 1 and 2 properties.

Pamela’s love of music, art and travel, serendipitously merged into a 25-year career as tour manager for the legendary blues organist Melvyn “Deacon” Jones, both locally and internationally. She recently received production credit for her work and contributions to the documentary “Something Has Changed,” a decade-long in-depth investigation into the life and international legacy of Deacon Jones, and frequent collaborator Norberto “Pappo” Napolitano, which was featured at the Argentinian Film Festival in 2025.

Ms. Stovall-Hill attended Howard University, majoring in English. Her hobbies include music, painting, travel, dance, and reading. Pamela has served on the Stovall Foundation Board of Directors for eight years and is the granddaughter of Dr. Leonard Stovall, the mother of 2 daughters, Khalief and Amorette, and has 6 grandchildren who are the loves of her life.

Adrienne M. Thompson

TSF Secretary

The Thompson family has had a long-lasting relationship with the Stovall family. Dr. Stovall and his children were dear friends of the Thompson family with relationships dating back to the 1940’s. Past president and board member, Mr. Jack Thompson (deceased), reached out to family members, Peter and Adrienne Thompson due to their passion for senior home care. The couple owned and operated, Thompson Home Helpers – a franchise which provided in-home caregivers to senior citizens in the greater Los Angeles area. Adrienne Thompson was nominated and became a member of the Stovall Foundation Board, where she currently serves as Parliamentarian.

Professionally, Ms. Thompson has more than 25 years of experience in higher education administration. She began her undergraduate studies at Howard University, transferred to Kansas State University, and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She holds a Master’s in Counseling & Higher Education Administration from Kansas State University and earned a Post Graduate Certificate in “College and University Admissions” from Harvard University. She has held positions in Student Affairs at both the University of Southern California and the University of California Los Angeles. Adrienne is currently a proud member of the Charles R. Drew University team, where she serves as the Manger of Community Relations for the Mervyn M. Dymally College of Nursing.

In service to the community, Adrienne Thompson is a Life Member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated – where she has served at the local, regional and international level. Adrienne has served as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Ivy Centennial Foundation of Los Angeles, California. She currently serves as Parliamentarian and Chair of Community Partnerships for the Top Ladies of Distinction, Inglewood Chapter. She is happily married to Peter Thompson. The couple has two sons, Conrad Carter and Roman Thompson.

Sarah Tinsley

TSF Parliamentarian

Sarah M. Tinsley is the Chief Human Resources Officer at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, California. A seasoned executive with experience spanning education, healthcare, nonprofit, and cultural institutions, she specializes in organizational leadership, people strategy, operations, and change management.

Prior to joining the Oshman Family JCC, Sarah served as Chief Operating and People Officer at Curtis School in Los Angeles, where she oversaw Human Resources, Facilities, Information Technology, Security, Risk Management, and Auxiliary Programs. She led strategic initiatives that strengthened organizational effectiveness, enhanced employee engagement, and supported the school’s long-term growth.

Previously, Sarah was Vice President of People and Culture & Operational Strategy for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and a member of the museum’s founding leadership team responsible for launching the landmark 300,000-square-foot institution designed by Renzo Piano. In that role, she helped build the museum’s workforce, culture, and operational infrastructure while serving as a trusted advisor to senior leadership.

Earlier in her career, Sarah held leadership positions with DaVita, where she managed large multidisciplinary teams across multiple healthcare facilities and helped lead expansion efforts in one of the nation’s most complex and highly regulated industries.

Sarah joined the Stovall Foundation Board of Directors in 2022 and currently serves as Co-Treasurer. She is passionate about strengthening organizations, developing leaders, and creating opportunities that help individuals and communities thrive.

Renette C. Anderson

Renette C. Anderson brings a wide array of skills, knowledge, and expertise to the Stovall Foundation Board of Directors. She possesses strong communication, planning, analytical, and organization development skills that are essential for performance and organizational success. She is very experienced in building and sustaining effective teams, collaborating with other leaders, planning and directing operational initiatives, and driving organizational culture change.

Renette’s career included a successful and productive professional background leading and working with a variety of Fortune 500 corporations, community-based organizations, and government agencies, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), serving as the Director of Equal Employment Opportunity Services (EEOS), until her retirement in March 2026. Working in this capacity, which was appointed by and reported to the General Manager, Renette served as the primary voice on all matters related to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), workforce diversity, and the fair and equitable treatment of over 10,000 employees. The position also required direct communication and engagement with LADWP’s Board of Water and Power Commissioners, the Department’s leadership, and external agencies, including but not limited to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and California Department of Fair Employment (DFEH)– all of which set the proper tone for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

For the past nineteen (19) years, EEOS has led LADWP organizational culture change through a series of initiatives, such as developing and implementing progressive policies and procedures, educating and coaching supervisory personnel, supporting and protecting rank and file employees, tracking and analyzing EEO workplace trends, developing and implementing investigative procedures, and creating and implementing proactive training for all levels of employees in EEO matters, implicit bias, institutional racism, and gender inequalities through the campaign, “A Culture of Mutual Respect”.

David L. Crippens

David’s life work has been that of service. He worked for 31 years in Public Television. He spent 27 of those years at KCET, Los Angeles as senior vice president of educational enterprises. Equally as important, he has served on a myriad of non-profit boards for the past five decades.

He presently sits on the board of Unite-LA. David help found this educational/workforce organization 25 years ago. He is chair of the City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board’s Youth Council. David’s commitment to serve truly began when he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nigeria. He has won many awards and fellowships in his fulfilling journey of “hoping to make a difference to be of service”.

David is a graduate of Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio and has a masters of social work degree from San Diego State University. He is married and a proud father of a son and two grandchildren.

Khalief Dantzler

Khalief Dantzler has been a Registered Nurse for over 20 years, with a diverse background in nursing administration, pediatrics, neonatal ICU, adolescent health, women’s health, and HIV. She currently works as a school nurse at one of the top independent schools in Los Angeles, as well as at Kaiser Permanente in the Pediatric Urgent Care/ After Hours clinic. Khalief is also the owner of At Your Nurseness, which curates customized first aid kits for individuals, schools, special events, and organizations, as well as providing professional concierge health and wellness services, focusing on children’s parties and events.

Khalief earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from California State University, San Marcos, and a Master’s degree in Public Health in Urban Health Disparities from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, during which time, she also traveled to Cuba to complete an 80-hour certification on the Cuban Health Model, something she describes as “a life changing experience”. A lifelong learner, Khalief continues her education through regular courses and certifications. Khalief is also a proud graduate of the 26th cohort of African American Board Leadership Insititute (AABLI).

Khalief’s professional goal is to “merge and apply my diverse breadth of clinical, administrative and leadership experience and education to help improve health outcomes and quality of life for vulnerable populations in Los Angeles”, and this passion aligns perfectly with the Stovall Foundation’s mission and work. Khalief regularly supports initiatives that involve working with underserved communities, focusing on the unhoused, senior citizens, and youth. In her free time, she enjoys the beach, reading, traveling, and spending time with her family. A 3rd generation native Angeleno, and proud great granddaughter of Dr. Leonard Stovall, Khalief resides in Inglewood with her family.

Juanita Dawson

Juanita Dawson is a Strategic and Courageous leader with a proven track record of 20+ years in the digital technologies cybersecurity and compliance industry. She has expertise in compliance, policy implementation, as well as effectiveness in strategy and working across teams in an organization both domestically and internationally. Notably, Dr. Dawson has excellent interpersonal and communication skills and proven ability to work effectively as the primary interface with all levels of the organization, including a virtual, domestic, international, and matrixed environment to empower executive leadership with descriptive data for decision making. Dr. Dawson has positioned herself to move organizations to the next level recognizing their transformation goals.

Dr. Dawson has led many forward-thinking teams to success . She grooms leaders and builds diverse teams to implement technical solutions and systems, acquisition transition, emerging technologies, consistent processes, services, support, security and risk mitigation for computer systems, data, and networks. As a thought leader and partner, Dr. Dawson has been responsible for strengthening cyber security compliance through oversight and policy development consistent with the cyber security compliance priorities. She provides the strategic vision, leadership, and operational solutions for Digital Technology (DT) Cybersecurity, Governance, Risk Management, Compliance (GRC), Privacy, Policy Governance, Technical Training, Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, and Records Management.

In her current roles on boards, community service and civic organizations, Dr. Dawson is unafraid of recommending, making, and implementing difficult data driven decisions consulting with executive leadership and the team. She is driven by establishing and organizing prioritization of strategic and tactical objectives to meet goals leveraging best-in-class practices, developing differentiating capabilities. She nurtures those positive relationships to implement a solid growth strategy encouraging positive outcomes.

Serving on the board of trustees for Claremont Graduate University, AARP California Executive Council, and Girl Scouts Greater Los Angeles, Dr. Dawson is passionate about education and bridging generations between the senior community and the younger generation. She often looks for avenues to create opportunities to work together between the generations. Dr. Dawson was successful and instrumental in implementing and securing the Inglewood Innovation Center that houses technology resources for technical training for seniors and young girls. She is dedicated to using her resources to build stronger communities by reducing barriers and broadening access to technology and training opportunities.

Juanita Dawson holds a PhD and Master of Science in Information Systems and Technology (Cybersecurity and Networking) from Claremont Graduate University and an MBA with emphasis in Computer Information Systems from California State University Dominguez Hills. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Grambling State University.

Dr. Marilyn Parker-Brooks

As the founder and President of The Parker Group, Dr. Marilyn Parker brings together her passion for social justice and her zeal for authentic relationships through the coaching and consulting services she provides. During her 30 years of experience she has had the opportunity to collaborate with teams and individuals in the private, public and non-profit sectors where she has developed a unique approach to doing the work of encouraging individuals and organizations to grow into their best selves.

Through customized coaching Dr. Parker enables her clients, whether executive, senior or mid-level managers to focus on enhancing their individual performance and effectiveness as leaders. Dr. Parker has designed and facilitated leadership retreats for client organizations to chart a strategic direction, measure progress, and inspire innovation. She has consulted with global senior leaders on the development and retention of a diverse workplace. Her coaching expertise includes leadership, communications, career and transition management, as well as conflict resolution.

Dr. Parker is a Los Angeles native and is an active member of her community. She is a graduate of both Pitzer College and the University of Southern California where she earned B.A. and M.S. degrees. Dr. Parker received a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University. She is an alumni member of Leadership California, and a previous member of the Board of Trustees of Fielding Graduate University. An eight-year member of the Stovall Foundation, Dr. Parker is active on the Membership Committee and has co-designed and facilitated two board development retreats.

Dr. Stephany Powell

Dr. Stephany Powell is a seasoned law enforcement professional with over 30 years of experience with the Los Angeles Police Department. Leveraging her expertise in human trafficking, Dr. Powell has become a leading educator, victim advocate, and legislative policy consultant. Since 2013, she has trained more than 20,000 law enforcement officers, first responders, community leaders, school administrators, and others, both nationally and internationally.

Her ability to engage underserved communities through focus groups and outreach has made Dr. Powell a sought-after speaker and a recognized authority on all forms of human trafficking. In addition to her advocacy work, Dr. Powell serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Southern California (USC), is a published author, and has been featured in documentaries, podcasts, and print media.

Derek Steele

Derek Steele, a proud graduate of Morgan State University, is an experienced problem solver who started his professional career as an electrical engineer at Northrop Grumman. He began his journey with the Social Justice Learning Institute figuring out how to re-create local food access systems to solve health disparities and food insecurity in the Inglewood community and beyond.

Under his leadership as the Health Equity Programs Director, his team taught over 12,000 families about proper nutrition, physical activity, and urban agriculture. His team has built 126 gardens, and began the Inglewood Farmers’ Market and the Inglewood Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA). During the COVID-19 pandemic, SJLI provided over 1M pounds of produce with their Food Thought produce distribution.

During this time, SJLI has also experienced growth, becoming thought and movement leaders in health, educational, racial, and social equity. Promoted to support the regional and national expansion of the work of SJLI, he was appointed the first ever Associate Director of Operations and Finance.

Now as Executive Director, he is using his unique skill sets garnered over his 12-year career in nonprofit management to lead the Social Justice Learning Institute as they solve the inequities that plague communities of color, particularly the Black community.

Zoe Dantzler

Zoë Dantzler has been a Stovall Foundation Board intern and scholar since 2021 and is dedicated to service, leadership, and community engagement. A proud alumna of Howard University in Washington, D.C., Zoë graduated with her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in chemistry in Spring 2024 and went on to earn her master’s degree in biomedical sciences from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, in 2025, earning honors distinctions from both institutions. Currently working as a Medical Assistant for a dermatology private practice, Zoë provides direct patient care, assists with medical procedures, and helps patients navigate the healthcare system and access services beyond the examination room. She has also dedicated her time as a student to serving her community through several street medicine clinics, such as Charles R. Drew University’s Mobile Health Outreach program, where she provides health screenings, collects patient histories, and delivers health education to underserved populations throughout Los Angeles.

As a member of The Stovall Foundation, and great-great-granddaughter of Dr. Leonard Stovall, Zoë contributes to board initiatives, organizational development efforts through social media, and community service events that advance the Foundation’s mission. Her dedication to mentorship, public health, and community outreach is reflected in her work as a Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) Ambassador, a member of the Dotun Oguyemi Foundation, and a Transforming-Care-at-Bedside Cedar-Sinai volunteer. She is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for others and advancing equitable access to healthcare and community resources, and aspires to become a physician, taking her MCAT exam in July 2026.