History

CYAN’s mission is to change the tobacco use culture in California high schools, colleges and universities, military installations, and other youth and young adult communities by providing knowledge, skills, and tools to create local change for healthier communities.

1997	CYAN was founded in 1997 to provide meaningful opportunities for youth leadership and involvement in California’s revolutionary tobacco control program.
1998	In response to a sharp increase in the smoking rates of college students, CYAN initiated a college-based policy advocacy program targeting the 142 public higher education institutions in the state.
2005	In 2005, in response to a troubling report on the high rates of tobacco use on military installations in California, CYAN created Project UNIFORM and began a unique partnership with the military providing tobacco education, support for cessation services, and cultural competency training for civilian organizations working with military service members.

staff

Kimberlee Homer Vagadori

Project Director
kim[at]cyanonline.org
(916) 339-3424 x22

Kimberlee Homer Vagadori, MPH is the Project Director for the California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN). In tobacco control for 22 years, she is a national expert on youth and young adult engagement, smoke/tobacco-free college and university policy advocacy, and tobacco industry sponsorship issues and has successfully coordinated systemwide policy initiatives in California. Ms. Homer Vagadori also provides technical assistance and training to local, state, and national organizations on issues such as tobacco and the environment, emerging tobacco products, campus-based cessation services, and tobacco industry targeting of youth and young adults.

Vicki Webster

Managing Director
vicki[at]cyanonline.org
(916) 339-3424 x27

The Managing Director and co-founder of CYAN, Vicki Webster has over 30 years of tobacco control experience, working at the local, regional, and statewide level. Ms. Webster has been responsible for: developing and implementing a statewide 76-agency assessment on youth advocacy; coordinating local, regional, and statewide youth advocacy coalitions; organizing regional and statewide college and youth advocacy conferences, conducting trainings on youth and college advocacy throughout California and the nation; researching and creating educational materials; and managing every aspect of CYAN including budgets, personnel, subcontracts, consultants, progress reports, and evaluation.

Youth and young adult Program

Ignacio Burgos

Youth and Young Adult Program Manager
ignacio[at]cyanonline.org

Ignacio Burgos has over 5 years of experience in youth engagement, education and advocacy. His diverse background in the arts, cultural studies and inclusive education has guided his passion for community healing, action, and change. His work with youth, young adults, and their adult allies across California has helped to expand intergenerational partnerships and shift the culture of youth engagement toward strength-based processes. Throughout his efforts, Ignacio aspires to be a bridge maker for unheard voices and a beautifier of the journeys toward community resilience. Beyond work, Ignacio enjoys nerding out with his children, eating great food with family and friends, being in nature, and reading imaginative stories.

Kristy Packer

Youth Training Coordinator
kristy[at]cyanonline.org

Kristy Packer is a seasoned youth development professional with 9 years of experience working with, and in support of, young people and the adults that care about them. She holds a B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies from San Jose State University and a dual CTE Teaching Credential in Health Science and Medical Technology and Education, Child Development, and Family Services. Kristy has led county-wide initiatives reaching thousands of young people, including peer education programs, leadership development, and advocacy trainings. She specializes in substance use prevention and education, cultivating youth-centered programs, curriculum design, social and emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, and mental health and wellness strategies. Certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid and Healing-Centered Engagement, Kristy is passionate about creating equitable and inclusive spaces where young people can thrive.

Symphanie Algodon

College Program Coordinator
symphanie[at]cyanonline.org

Symphanie Algodon joins CYAN as the College Program Coordinator working with young adults across California to educate about the impacts of using tobacco products and the effects of secondhand smoke exposure. She is a first-generation student who graduated from California State University, Chico in 2021 with her bachelor’s in Public Health and a minor in Child Development. She furthered her expertise by obtaining certification as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) in 2022. Her journey into the world of Public Health started as a Health Promotions Coordinator with the American Lung Association, working with Butte College and Shasta College to educate students about the impact of using tobacco products and provide resources to students that were interested in quitting. As College Program Coordinator for CYAN, she is excited to continue her work with educating college students on a statewide level by providing technical assistance and trainings. Outside of the office, Symphanie has a beloved Golden doodle named Dakota and spends her free time going on hikes with him and enjoying the outdoors.

Alicia Gunness Raghubir

Outreach and Engagement Specialist
alicia[at]cyanonline.org
(916) 905-4713

Alicia joined CYAN in 2024 and is currently an Outreach and Engagement Specialist, where she connects partners across California with vital resources. She holds a Bachelor's in Biology from the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, and a Master's in Public Health with a focus in Health Policy Leadership from the University of San Francisco. In her role, she focuses on policy analysis and the creation of policy databases on K-12 schools related to tobacco and substance use. Through focus groups with students in California's schools and colleges, she investigates current trends in tobacco and cannabis use, related health behaviors, and the key factors that motivate positive changes. This work includes researching modeled policies and providing recommendations for successful health behavior change. Her passion for health policy stems from a long career as a community college teacher and as the founder of C.A.R.E., a non-profit that supported students with mental health and substance use challenges across diverse international populations. Much of her research has centered on providing strategic support to vulnerable communities, and she hopes to continue this impactful work through academia and research.

Jocelyn Rodriguez

Administrative Program Specialist
jocelyn[at]cyanonline.org

Jocelyn Rodriguez joined CYAN as a Program Assistant in 2022 and currently serves as the Administrative Program Specialist. She graduated from California State University, Chico, with a bachelors degree in Health Science and a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Jocelyn is passionate about community outreach and education, specifically addressing secondhand smoke and vape products. She has participated in mental and reproductive health campaigns throughout her college years. As a Program Assistant, Jocelyn assists in the preparation of activities, trainings, and conferences. When she is not working, she enjoys taking care of her indoor plants, fishing, and going on scenic drives.

Katelyn Mazman

Research and Education Program Manager
katelyn[at]cyanonline.org
(916) 339-3424 x21

Katelyn Mazman is the Research and Education Program Manager for CYAN and is responsible for research, material development, and delivery of tailored technical assistance related to new and emerging tobacco products in youth and young adult communities. Katelyn has spent much of her career working with diverse populations in the fields of prevention and advocacy. She previously worked on multiple statewide and national domestic violence campaigns developing curriculum, providing population-specific technical assistance to service providers, and overseeing the data reporting and compliance for multiple public health projects. Additionally, Katelyn spent time after college working as a youth counselor and has served as a community liaison for several non-profit organizations. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and Sociology from Knox College, and her Master’s degree in Human Rights & International Law from the University of Glasgow.

Fiscal Sponsors & Funders

CYAN operates under the fiscal sponsorship of Heluna Health. Heluna Health is a leading provider of program and support services across the population health spectrum, empowering academic researchers, public-private consortia, public health agencies, and nonprofits to achieve positive health outcomes.

FUNDERS

CYAN currently receives funding from the California Department of Public Health – Tobacco Control Program. Since 1997, the organization has successfully partnered with numerous local, statewide, and national funders to implement tobacco control programs for youth and young adults. Previous funders include the Centers for Disease Control, Truth Initiative (formerly Legacy Foundation), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Public Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, Smoking Cessation Leadership Center, and County of Santa Clara Department of Public Health.

Connect

California Youth Advocacy Network
650 University Ave. Suite #203
Sacramento, CA 95825

(916) 339-3424
(916) 339-3425 FAX

info@cyanonline.org

Employment Opportunities

evaluation coordinator - august 2024

CYAN is hiring a temporary, part-time Evaluation Coordinator to support facilitation of college focus groups in Fall 2024. The job description and application can be viewed here.