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The CUNY SPH Foundation is proud to announce the appointment of three distinguished leaders to its Board of Directors: Helen Arteaga, PhD ’23, deputy mayor for health and human services for the City of New York; James Gohar, MD, CEO and founder of Viva Eve; and Katrina Mateo, PhD ’20, associate director of development innovation & operations, data, technology, and innovation (DTI) at Regeneron.
This milestone trio of new board members joins CUNY SPH as it celebrates its 10th academic year as an independent graduate school, marking a decade of impact in advancing health equity and developing a diverse public health workforce. The appointments of Dr. Arteaga and Dr. Mateo are especially significant, as they become the first alumni to join the Foundation’s Board of Directors, reflecting the strength and maturation of the school’s leadership pipeline.
“On behalf of CUNY SPH, I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Arteaga, Dr. Gohar, and Dr. Mateo to our Foundation’s Board of Directors,” says Dean Ayman El-Mohandes. “Each of these leaders brings a powerful combination of expertise, vision, and commitment to advancing health equity. As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, the addition of alumni to our board is a powerful testament to the impact of our graduates and the enduring strength of our academic community.”
Dr. Helen Arteaga currently serves as New York City’s Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, overseeing a broad portfolio of agencies in health, mental health, and social services for millions of New Yorkers. Before her appointment, she served as CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, where she became the first woman and first Hispanic leader of the institution and led the hospital through a period of national recognition for quality and health equity.
Dr. James Gohar is a board-certified gynecologist and entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of Viva Eve, a leading women’s health platform delivering minimally invasive gynecologic care across New York. Under his leadership, Viva Eve has become a recognized model for patient-centered care, integrating clinical excellence with innovation to improve outcomes and expand access to specialized services for women.
Dr. Katrina Mateo serves in a leadership role at Regeneron, where she focuses on advancing global development initiatives through data, technology, and innovation. Her work sits at the intersection of operational strategy and data-driven decision making, supporting complex clinical and research efforts at scale. As a graduate of CUNY SPH, she brings both technical expertise and a deep commitment to equity-driven public health practice.
“We are honored to welcome these three extraordinary public health leaders to the board,” says Lyndon Haviland, chair of the Foundation Board. “James brings an entrepreneurial lens to healthcare delivery, and Katrina and Helen embody the very best of what CUNY SPH represents as leaders who are shaping the future of public health. Their collective expertise will strengthen our ability to advance the Foundation’s mission and expand our impact.”
“Our board continues to evolve in ways that reflect both the future of public health and the communities we serve,” said Adam M. Doyno, executive director of the CUNY SPH Foundation. “Katrina, James, and Helen each bring distinct and complementary perspectives to our Board. As we mark our 10th anniversary, welcoming our first alumni board members is a defining moment that signals the strength of our ecosystem and the leadership trajectory of our graduates.”
Members of the CUNY SPH Foundation Board of Directors serve as strategic advisors and ambassadors for the school, helping to expand partnerships, mobilize resources, and support programs that prepare the next generation of public health leaders and advance health equity in New York City and beyond.
