Management Team
The management team at AACI consists of professionals with multicultural and multilingual backgrounds. Learn more about the team below.
Sarita Kohli, M.B.A.
Role at AACI: President and CEO
Sarita has served in various leadership roles at AACI. Sarita joined AACI in 2003. Most recently, she served as the Interim CEO and Executive Vice President of Programs. She has been responsible not only for the operations of AACI’s behavioral health and wellness programs, but also with helping set the strategic vision for AACI, ensuring financial viability and revenue generation, and creating new business opportunities. Sarita holds an MBA and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She was appointed by Governor Brown to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences in 2011 and is currently serving her second term.
Gerard Manuel
Role at AACI: Director of Wellness Services
After 25 years in the municipal sector, Gerard joined AACI in 2018 as the Director of Wellness Services responsible for leading agency-wide integration efforts, wellness strategies and initiatives to drive positive change among AACI clients, patients and served communities. Gerard provides strategic leadership and oversight of wellness and community services that promote healthy independence, healthy lifestyles, and safety and security. Wellness Services programs includes Youth (focused on alcohol and other drug education); HIV Outreach, Prevention and Education; Domestic Violence; Senior Wellness; and DUI Workshops. He has worked for the Cities of San Jose, San Carlos and Sunnyvale and implemented strategies and developed programs that helped create community. He received his bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation from San Jose State University.
Sara Morales, PHR, SHRM-CP
Role at AACI: Director of Human Resources
Sara brings over 20 years of experience in operational and strategic HR practices to the Human Resources programs and functions at AACI. Prior to joining AACI in 2019, Sara honed her human resources skills in a variety of industries including, technology, education, consulting and not-for-profit, focusing on streamlining of HR process and supporting organizational strategy with a people-centered approach.
Sara earned her Master of Science in Human Resource Management from Golden Gate University, San Francisco. She holds certifications as a Society for Human Resources Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and HRCI Certified Professional of Human Resource (PHR).
Mika Murakami
Role at AACI: Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer
Mika brings over 30 years of financial experience to AACI and she began her time at AACI in 2017 as the Controller. As CFO, she leads the organization’s finance and accounting team, IT and networking infrastructure, and building operations. In her prior roles before AACI, Mika held various roles as a financial executive overseeing treasury functions at several high tech companies in the valley. In these roles, she provided leadership and direction for accounting, cash management, financing, and risk management, and worked directly with board members for over fifteen years. She holds a BS in Accounting and MBA in Finance at Golden Gate University.
Nira Singh Psy.D
Role at AACI: Director of Behavioral Health Services
Nira has been the Director of Behavioral Health at AACI since November 2016. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who has served for over 25 years in community based, non-profit settings, working with and advocating for underserved and marginalized populations, with a strong focus on programs for immigrant and refugee populations. She began her career in the field of domestic violence in shelter settings, learning about and addressing barriers to needed services.. Nira has worked within agencies and on several coalitions to address cultural competency and cultural humility in the training of service providers and models of service delivery, and has been involved in developing and implementing trauma informed and strength based services at various agencies in the Bay Area. She has served as the Director of Children Youth and Family Services at Richmond Area Multi-Services (RAMS) and as the Director of Refugee Foster Care Services at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County (CCSCC), where invested in client centered care, also helped to develop and meet with client councils to inform services and empower consumers. She has served as Adjunct Faculty at CSPP-Alameda, on several dissertation committees and has enjoyed teaching, supervising and mentoring clinicians and supervisors for the last 15 years. Dr. Singh oversees the Family and Child, Adult/Older Adult, Calworks, Center for Survivors of Torture, Korean Information and Wellness Initiative, Problem Gambling Program, and Internship and Training programs and serves as a clinical supervisor for various staff, interns and trainees. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, she collaborates with and supports various departments within AACI and in the community to strengthen our coordinated and integrated care approach.
Sarah Guertin
Role at AACI: Director of Development
From setting the strategic vision for AACI’s messaging and communications efforts, to overseeing grants and cultivating new relationships with individual and corporate partners, Sarah’s role is to advance AACI’s mission through fundraising and marketing. Prior to joining AACI in 2015, Sarah was part of a consulting firm where she maintained a diverse portfolio of nonprofit clients which encompassed community-based health, education, youth, veteran, advocacy, and human service organizations. She received her bachelors degree in Public Health from the University of California, Irvine.
Vaughn Villaverde, MPH
Role at AACI: Director of Advocacy
With over a decade of experience in health policy and federal, state, and local safety net programs, Vaughn joined the AACI team in 2021 as the Director of Advocacy, where he is responsible for leading efforts to engage with elected officials and policymakers in support AACI’s various health, behavioral health, and wellness programs. Vaughn is also responsible for working with regional coalitions, organizational partners, and members of the community on efforts related to healthcare delivery, health equity, racial equity, social justice, and civic engagement. Prior to joining AACI, Vaughn served as Associate Director of Health Policy at Working Partnerships USA and worked in the Government Affairs Department at the California Primary Care Association (CPCA)—California’s statewide association of community health centers. Vaughn received both his bachelor’s degree in political science and his Master of Public Health with a focus on health policy and management from the University of California, Berkeley.
Yeshe Mengesha, MPH
Role at AACI: Director of Health Services
With over a decade of experience in healthcare, Yeshe Mengesha joined the AACI team in 2022 as the Director of Health Services. Yeshe is very experienced and skilled in FQHC operations and understands the healthcare landscape in Santa Clara County. Yeshe is on the Community Advisory Board of the Perinatal Equity Initiative and the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Community Advisory Board, a voting member of the Child Abuse Prevention Council, part of the County SCAN team and a member of the Black Leadership Kitchen Cabinet. She received her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in behavioral health from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
