Executive Director

Bruce L. Baker is co-founder and Executive Director of Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research (CHEER). Bruce has led CHEER’s efforts to facilitate a community strategic plan, conduct research on community housing and health conditions, and facilitate community improvement actions to address community priorities through collaborations and partnerships. 

Director of Community Health Programs

Peruvian native, Lucia Zegarra, has been involved in community development projects from a very young age. From leading youth and environmental groups in Peru to developing and facilitating bilingual support groups for the homeless in DC, Lucia has become a strong advocate for peer support as a sustainable complement of formal health care services and prevention of disease.

Empowernment and Leadership Coordinator

Vanesa is the organizer of all CHEER programming involving community building and networks of support in Long Branch. Before finding her passion in community organizing, Vanesa was an accountant in Bolivia. She is proud to have been that profession and equally proud to have left it behind as she credits her initial career path as the trigger motivating her to leave Bolivia and find her passion in the United States.

Operations Coordinator

Ray is a CHEER volunteer.  He has been instrumental in designing and implementing the LBHFAP food delivery system that ensures that all the program participants get their weekly food distributions. Ray is also working on CHEER's volunteer development.  Ray retired from a career with the US Department of Agriculture and is the former operator of local farmers markets.