DANNIE CESEÑA (he/him/they/them), is the first Two-Spirit, Native, Director of the CA LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network. Dannie has over 15 years of experience working with non-profits in program development and advocacy. He has extensive knowledge in creating TGI healthcare collaborations utilizing upstream interventions and addressing the root cause of lack of access to TGI affirming health care. His knowledge and leadership have assisted in the creation of two TGI community health care clinics, and a monthly TGI legal clinic in Orange County, CA. Dannie has become a trusted leader in LGBTQ health among partners in the California Tobacco Control Program. He is responsible for building We Breathe: Supporting Tobacco-Free LGBTQ Communities from the ground-up, and has established the program as a leader statewide, nationally, and even internationally. He has provided leadership and guidance for LGBTQ organizations who are new to working with the Department of Public Health, helping them navigate the complicated bureaucracy and ensuring LGBTQ project staff always have a place to turn with their questions and concerns. He is in high demand to present on LGBTQ health at trainings, meetings, and conferences throughout the country, and internationally.
Dannie is currently serving, and has served, on several appointed seats, including the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity Advisory Committee and California Reducing Disparities Project Task Force, the Department of Managed Health Care’s (DMHC) Health Equity and Quality Committee and the Transgender Intersex and Gender Non-Conforming Work Group, Department of Health Care Access and Information Hospital Equity Measures Reporting Advisory Committee, Health and Human Services Behavioral Health Task Force, Department of Health Care Services Behavioral Health Advisory Committee, and the Department of Health Care Services Consumer Advisory Committee Technical Advisory Group. He serves as a committee member for the Coalition of Demographic Data Equity, is a board member for GLMA (Gay and Lesbian Medical Association) and participates in their Policy and Government Committee, California Health Interview Survey SOGI Data Work Group, and International AIDs Society.
Dannie is a founding member of the Transgender Health Research Ethics and Advocacy (THREAT) Team which includes members form TGI-led organizations, trans-identified mental providers, and academic researchers. Dannie served as a Community Investigator on a research team at UCLA called “Just Research? Trans Futures in Health and Scientific Knowledge”. He is currently serving as a Community Investigator on The Role of Local Structural Stigma in Alcohol Related Inequities among SGM Young Adults at UC Berkeley, and Together for Wellness/Juntos at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Human Science and Behavior. He co-author of two research papers; Engagement, Use, and Impact of Digital Mental Health Resources for Diverse Populations in COVID-19: Community-Partnered Evaluation, and Impact of Online Mental Health Resources During COVID-19 on LGBTQ+ Adults and Compared to Male and Female Heterosexual Adults.
In summary, Dannie has demonstrated a record of community service and productivity in areas of high relevance for LGBTQ+ health related issues that have a statewide reach. Moreover, he has practical experience with developing boards and committees addressing health disparities and improving health outcomes. His experience and leadership have assured that any proposed research project design is current with LGBTQ+ related issues and needs reflecting California’s LGBTQ+ communities. Together with various research institutions, community organizations, and state departments, Dannie is a significant contributor to health care advocacy, mentorship, and LGBTQ health care reform.
Dannie has been awarded Community Icon of the Year by Orange County Pride, Pro Bono Community Partner of the Year by UC Irvine School of Law, the Diversity Spirit Achievement Award by City Career Fair, The Courage Award from the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association and the Beacon of Light Award from the City of Costa Mesa. He has been recognized by Congressman Lou Correa, CA Senator David Min, CA Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris and the Orange County Board of Supervisors for his work in LGBTQ Health Care and Advocacy.
Dannie is a graduate of CSU Long Beach with Bachelor’s Degrees in English and Political Science, and is a graduate of National University with a Master Degree in Public Health. On his spare time, he enjoys trips to Disneyland, hiking, and traveling with his wife and two dogs, Iris and Xico.
