Erika Takada, MPH, is the Executive Director for the Public Health Institute’s Center for Wellness and Nutrition (PHI CWN). With a career spanning over 20 years in the social sector, including 15 years in senior leadership roles, Erika brings extensive experience and expertise to her role.

As Executive Director, Erika leads PHI CWN in its mission to promote health, wellness, and nutrition initiatives across communities. Her background in public health, trauma-informed practice, equity evaluation, and research is instrumental in advancing the organization’s goals.

Erika’s dedication to equity, social justice, and innovation has been evident throughout her career. She has successfully spearheaded impactful projects, including the evaluation of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s Starting Smart and Strong initiative and the Hawai’i Community Foundation’s Promising Minds Initiative. These projects focused on enhancing early education quality and implementing trauma-informed strategies for vulnerable children, respectively.

Furthermore, Erika’s previous contributions to the Public Health Institute are noteworthy. During her tenure as an Evaluation Specialist for California Project LEAN and the California Obesity Prevention Initiative, she made significant strides in developing and implementing comprehensive evaluation plans for statewide nutrition and physical activity programs. Notably, she played a crucial role in the successful implementation of the Food on the Run campaign, an initiative funded by The California Endowment that aimed to promote healthy lifestyles.

Erika holds a Master of Public Health degree from San Diego State University, further complementing her expertise in the field. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Erika has also made significant contributions as an adjunct faculty member at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, where she imparted her expertise in qualitative evaluation skills.