Stephanie Medina’s path to serving on the SFCHC Board of Directors reflects a career at the intersection of broadcast journalism, public affairs and nonprofit leadership.
Medina has served as Director of Community Relations and Public Affairs at Goodwill Southern California for nine years. In this role, she leads outreach and advocacy efforts in support of the organization’s mission to transform lives through the power of work. This involves collaborating closely with elected officials and community partners on pathways for people to find employment through hands-on training, apprenticeships and education.
“Seeing the people who come through our doors — people with disabilities, the homeless, the previously incarcerated and veterans — reminds me why this work matters,” said Medina. “We support their career development, follow their progress and stay connected with the businesses that hire them.”
Before stepping into her role at Goodwill, Medina built a distinguished 20-year career in broadcast journalism. In television newsrooms across Los Angeles, she rose from news coordinator to assignment desk manager and producer. This foundation supported her transition into serving as Director of Public Affairs at CBS2/KCAL9 and then Corporate Initiative Marketing Manager at KTLA5.
Looking back, she describes the move as a seamless shift from reporting the news to helping organizations share their stories with the public. “It was valuable to have someone who worked in news and could understand both sides. I covered a high-speed chase with the highway patrol one day, and then found myself coordinating a toy drive with them the next. The most rewarding and fun part was helping nonprofits gain visibility through television exposure.”
Successfully moving from television news into nonprofit executive leadership is a rare accomplishment, and it became the defining next chapter of Medina’s career. In 2013, she joined the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles as Senior Vice President of Community Relations and Fan Development. Over the next three years, she helped build regional engagement strategies, recruit thousands of volunteers and spectators, and bring together athletes with intellectual disabilities from around the world.
She later served as Interim CEO of Heal the Bay after spending two decades supporting the organization in an advisory capacity. Over the years, Medina has also contributed her time and talent to the American Heart Association, Full Circle Learning and the L.A. Department of Transportation Board of Commissioners.
Medina understands her career as a continuum, with each step building on the skills and relationships formed along the way. It is a perspective she frequently shares with young professional women and one she hopes to bring to SFCHC.
“You have a skills toolkit, and you need to keep adding to that toolkit,” she said. “Wherever you go, you bring it all with you.”
A key part of that toolkit, she explained, is understanding how institutions work. Even as names and roles change, Medina knows who to call, what is newsworthy and how to help organizations earn meaningful exposure.
Medina was first introduced to SFCHC several years ago by her former Goodwill colleague Louise Oliver, who served on the clinic’s board at the time. She immediately felt connected with CEO Audrey Simons and came away with a deeper understanding of the clinic’s work and the people it serves.
That first encounter continues to shape how Medina thinks about access to care. “There is nothing more important to people than shelter, food and healthcare,” she said. “There are many different agencies that work to help our community, but providing affordable healthcare is the most difficult.”
Medina is excited to get to know SFCHC’s hardworking and dedicated staff, and to help its leadership team meet the challenges posed by funding cuts, federal policy changes and today’s complex healthcare landscape.
That spirit of caring reaches well beyond her professional life. Medina is proud of her two adult daughters, both accomplished creatives who now work in the nonprofit sector. Despite a demanding career, her priorities remain rooted in the well-being of those around her.
“I want to make sure my family and the people around me are healthy and happy,” she said.
