Gerardo Benavides

Gerardo leads and supports the Foundation’s efforts in community building and movement sustainability. He prioritizes the Foundation’s key strategic focus areas to advance health equity across the county and state, with a particular passion for addressing racial inequities in health care coverage, housing, wealth-building, reproductive health, mental health and access to healthy food. Gerardo joined the Foundation in 2025 and looks forward to organizing closely within and across communities to build collective power and dismantle structural barriers to good health. He believes in the importance of community voice—that those most directly impacted by systemic inequities should lead the work—and sees trust-building as essential to sustaining effective community advocacy. Outside of work, Gerardo enjoys reading fiction, reconnecting with nature through hiking, backpacking and rock climbing and cultivating community through volunteer work.