Executive Committee and Staff Directory

Demond Hawkins

President

Demond Hawkins is currently serving as the President of the Eugene Springfield NAACP and holds the position of Senior Health Equity Specialist at Trillium Community Health Plan. With a background rooted in his faith, family, and a strong work ethic, Demond brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his roles.

In his capacity as a Senior Health Equity Specialist, Demond collaborates with diverse stakeholders to identify and address disparities in care and outcomes. By leveraging data, his direct experience working with individuals, and fostering community partnerships, he actively contributes to transformative changes in health equity delivery. Demond is particularly passionate about promoting diversity, health equity, and inclusion, as well as recognizing and dismantling systemic barriers associated with racism.

Driven by his goal to effect meaningful change, Demond strives to be intentional in his efforts to ensure that future generations can enjoy a better quality of life than

Alexis Griffin

Secretary

Alexis is a landscape designer by training and currently is enrolled at Oregon State University for Integrative Biology. Her goal is to integrate evidence based practice into the field of landscape architecture and teach future generations about creating resilience urban communities. Alexis hopes to spread awareness about the importance of community and our environment to members in her role as Secretary for this branch of the NAACP.

Dr. Lawrence Rasheed

At-Large Committee Member

Dr. Rasheed has over 20 years of experience in P-20 educational settings. He currently serves as the African American Student Faculty/Coordinator for Lane Community College, Director of the African American Rights of Passage Program, and is the Black Student Union Advisor. In addition to his roles at Lane Community College, he also teaches a course at the University of Oregon and Pacific University.  His concentration on Black Male Studies led him to found R.A.A.M.P. (Reaching African American Male’s Potential) which seeded R.A.A.M.P. Charter Academy. He also founded G.R.I.O.T. (Greatness Rediscovered in Our Time) Mentoring, P.O.W.E.R. (Providing ‘Whol’istic Educational Resources) Consulting, and established the first Black Male Studies course at the community college level in Oregon.

Dr. Rasheed has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Pacific University in Stockton, California. He also holds a Master in Literacy Education from California State University San Marcos and a BA in English from the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) – University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He sits on a number of committees including as the Faculty Representative for Cultural Competency in Higher Education at Lane Community College. As the college’s liaison to Lane County K-12 schools, and coordinator of community outreach and inclusion events, he works daily to build cultural bridges and advocate for black youth. With his passion for the amelioration of African American males, he continuously champions positive perceptions of their social, academic, and personal accomplishments until those archetypes are customary and expected.

Jonathan Wayne

Health Committee Chair

Jonathan Wayne, a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Executive Chair of the NAACP Eugene/Springfield Health Committee, is set to utilize his comprehensive healthcare experience to provide greater access to care in the community.  As the founder of Eugene’s first Black-owned psychiatric treatment center and Oregon’s first Black queer-owned psychiatric treatment center, his expertise spans mental health, critical care, emergency services, and healthcare policy, with some of these roles being held at the nation’s top healthcare organizations. Wayne’s strategic goal as Chair is to cultivate a more inclusive and efficient healthcare system.

Drae Charles

Legal Redress Committee Co-Chair

Drae Charles is a seasoned equity professional with a robust background in fostering cultures of belonging. With expertise in policy analysis, community building, and advocacy, Drae champions marginalized voices, forging alliances, and driving change. As a Bethel School Board Director and the Human Rights and Equity Analyst for the City of Eugene, Drae spearheads initiatives to cultivate inclusive environments and combat hate, bias, and discrimination.

Andiel Brown

Managing Director

Andiel Brown joined us last month as the new Managing Director of the Eugene/Springfield NAACP. Andiel has been a part of the community for 21 years. He received his bachelor’s degree in music from the UofO. In his time as an undergrad, he was a spiritual leader and player on the Ducks football team, and already began to blossom as an activist and advocate for others. Andiel has been the Director of the UofO Gospel Choirs & Ensembles for 16 years and the Executive Director of the nonprofit ADOS Oregon for 3 years. 

Jocelyn Wensel

Health Coordinator

Jocelyn Wensel is a second-year medical student at the International University of Health Sciences. She has her Bachelors in Biology from Claremont McKenna College and a Masters Degree in Medical Sciences from Heritage University. She is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion. She is interested in working in the public health policy space and hopes to incorporate knowledge of functional and integrative medicine, plant based nutrition, yoga, reiki, and psychedelics into her future practice in family medicine.

Maya Hosaka

BIPOC Community Health Worker/HIV Alliance

I recently graduated from the University of Oregon where I majored in Environmental Studies and minored in Indigenous, Race and Ethnic Studies. I tutored at both a middle school and community college, which required motivational interviewing (before I fully knew the tactic and its meaning) and building rapport. I also have a lot of lived experiences being a queer Asian female-presenting person, which fully contributes to how I choose to navigate the world. A small personal tidbit that I would like to share is that I am very passionate about environmental and food justice, especially in how it pertains to already existing socio-economic and racial disparities and accessibility. I believe that all systems of oppression are interconnected and play off of each others’ successes and detriments, which is why I am excited to explore the health system from the perspective of an employee with HIV Alliance.

Open Volunteer Position

Garden Coordinator