Congratulations and Welcome to Several SIG Staff!

SIG welcomes and congratulate several team members. Learn more about each staff and their new roles below.

By
Eleni Vlachos
August 24, 2021
photos of staff and their names

Join us in welcoming new staff and congratulating current staff on their advancements! 

Welcome

Alejandra Villadiego is the new Grants Manager for the Social Intervention Group. She is also a licensed Zumba instructor! Of her hire, SIG's Director of Administration and Finance, Maria Cedeño says:

"Our team is lucky to have Alejandra managing our grants, which are at the heart of what we do. She brings a tremendous amount of experience, insight, and professionalism to the process. I am happy to welcome Alejandra."

Sydney Leone is the Program Manager for the HEALing Communities Study. Of her new role, she shares: 

“I was drawn to the HCS Program Manager role as it is an opportunity for me to be a part of a community-driven and novel response to the current opioid epidemic while supporting communities that have been immensely impacted by this epidemic. In this new role, I'm looking forward to being able to continue to support communities throughout New York State while supporting cross-sectoral collaborations and communications.”

I was drawn to [the] opportunity to be a part of a community-driven and novel response to the current opioid epidemic while supporting communities that have been immensely impacted by this epidemic. 

Sydney Leone

Shoshana Benjamin is the Project Administrator for the HEALing Communities Study. She shares, 

“The HCS Project Administrator role provides an opportunity to advance health equity using a novel and multidisciplinary approach. I look forward to working with and for the communities most impacted by the opioid epidemic. I am excited to learn both from these communities, as well as my colleagues.”

The HCS Project Administrator role provides an opportunity to advance health equity using a novel and multidisciplinary approach. 

Shoshana Benjamin

Of the HEALing Team hires, Senior Project Director James David shares:

"We've assembled such an amazing team to work on the HEALing Communities Study in New York and I am so humbled to be able to call these people my colleagues. In my role, I get to interact with almost everyone working on the study. I can say each person, whether someone just joined us or has been part of this effort for years, contributes immensely to making the New York Research Site of HCS one of the most thoughtful, passionate, robust and productive research study teams out there." 

Also, farewell to Melika Behrooz and Robin Kerner -- thank you for your service to SIG and HCS.

Congratulations!

James David has been named the new Senior Project Director of the HEALing Communities Study. 

Sandra Rodriguez has been named Senior Research Director of the HEALing Communities Study.

Jodi-Kay Watson was promoted to a Program Coordinator position for the HEALing Communities Study. 

Check our Get Involved page for future opportunities to work for SIG. 

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