Francis Afram-Gyening, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer

Francis Afram-Gyening has extensive background in healthcare management and a proven track record in serving the health care needs of the medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations. Prior to assuming his current role as Chief Executive Officer at Care Alliance Health Center, he was the operations director for Memorial Primary Care Services at Memorial Regional Hospital. Also, he served as the vice president of corporate affairs for Economic Opportunity Family Health Center, a large FQHC in Miami, Florida; president of South Florida Healthcare Executive Forum; and worked in other administrative positions with the New York City Department of Health.

Mr. Afram-Gyening received his M.P.H. in health policy and management from the Columbia University School of Public Health and his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, Magna Cum Laude from York College.  He holds certifications in both governmental (CPPO) and non-governmental (C.P.M.) supply chain management.  He is board certified in healthcare management and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).  In November 2004, he was the recipient of the ACHE Early Healthcare Career Regent's Award.

Mr. Afram-Gyening has served on numerous boards including:  Camillus Health Concern, Inc., as past chairman of the Board of Directors; Regent's Advisory Council, ACHE Southern Florida Division; National Institute of Governmental Purchasing; and Barry University School of Natural & Health Sciences.  He served as an adjunct faculty at St. Thomas University in Florida.  Send an e-mail

Lyn Cooper Tomaszewski
Chief Operating Officer

Ms. Tomaszewski joined the staff of Care Alliance in November 2008.  She brings an extensive background in nonprofit management, program development and government funding sectors.  She has worked in a variety of health and social service areas, including homelessness, reentry, family planning, pediatrics, early childhood, and hospice, with a focus on health care and the needs of urban residents facing the challenges of poverty. She was most recently development director of Transitional Housing, Inc., an organization that provides safe housing and supportive services to women who were formerly homeless. Prior to that, she served as director of Hospice of the Western Reserve's community Bereavement Center and as the executive director of InterReligious Partners in Action of Greater Cleveland (InterAct Cleveland) during its first decade.

She coordinated the development of the community based Pediatric Service Coordination demonstration project, served as associate director of Planned Parenthood of Summit, Portage and Medina Counties, and executive director of Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland.  Grantee experience includes working with the Federation for Community Planning Title X family planning program and the Summit County Criminal Justice Commission.

Ms. Tomaszewski has a degree in sociology from Bowling Green State University, bachelor's degrees in psychology from Ohio Northern University and nursing from Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, and is a licensed nurse and social worker.  Send an e-mail

David Filmer
Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Filmer came to Care Alliance in October 2004 following his position as Director of Planning & Performance Management at the Jewish Family Services Association, a local nonprofit that provided $20 million of services annually to mentally retarded, mentally ill and the elderly.  In his previous position as the Chief Financial Officer with West Side Ecumenical Ministry from 1994 until 2002, Mr. Filmer managed during a period in which the organization went from an almost insolvent $2 million annual budget organization to a financially sound $11 million operation.  Mr. Filmer arrived in Cleveland from London to join the staff as Director of Planning & Performance at British Petroleum's Cleveland office in 2000.  Mr. Filer holds a degree in Math/Physics/Economics from Bristol University in England.  Send an e-mail

Jenice Contreras
Director of Development

Ms. Contreras became an Americorps National Service Volunteer in 1997 and completed her time of service at the West Side Ecumenical  Ministry, a local non-profit organization.  Once she completed her Americorps' term, she joined the Head Start Program of the West Side Ecumenical Ministry as a Family Service Worker and was then promoted to coordinate the program's marketing and recruitment.  She later became the Youth Services Coordinator for the Americorps program, responsible for the supervision of the National Service Volunteers as well as daily operations of the program.  In 2004, Ms. Contreras joined Case Western Reserve University as Researcher in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of the School of Medicine out of the Center for Minority Public Health.  During her four years at CASE, Ms. Contreras deveoped marketing strategies for recruiting research participants and bulding relationship with community organizations.  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Capital University.  She is on the Board of Trustees for Catholic Charities, the Hispanic Business Association and is the President of The Young Latino Network.  Ms. Contreras joined Care Alliance in 2006 as the Director of Development.  Send an e-mail

Angel A. Brown, D.O.
Medical Director

Dr. Brown began serving as a physician and the Medical Director at Care Alliance in July of 2007.  She is a graduate of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.  Dr. Brown completed her internship at the University of North Carolina Hospital in Chapel Hill, NC and her residency at South Pointe Hospital in Warrensville Heights, Ohio.  Prior to attending medical school, she worked as a family nurse practitioner and a certified nurse-midwife.  Send an e-mail

Nicole Harris, D.D.S.
Dental Director

Dr. Nicole Harris is a general dentist who has been practicing with Care Alliance since their dental clinic opened five years ago.  She is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University, School of Dental Medicine.  Prior to working with Care Alliance, she completed a one year Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency Program with Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland.  Dr. Harris is committed to providing patients with access to much needed dental care.  Send an e-mail

Marilyn Matlock-English
Director of Human Resources & Information Technology

Ms. Matlock-English comes to Care Alliance with extensive experience in office management, information technology and human resources.  For 13 years, she worked for the Cleveland Clinic Huron Hospital, as a Supervisor in Support Services and in her last year, she worked in Human Resources. Holding two full time positions for 7 of these 14 years, she also served as an Executive Asssistant at the Center for Families and Children where she continued to move forward and after three years was promoted to Assistant Director of HR.  Previously, Marilyn was co-owner of three dry cleaning establishments where she managed the overall operations, including bookkeeping, payroll and training functions.  She was also instrumental in the development of one of the first point-of-sale computer software systems used in the dry cleaning business in this area.  Send an e-mail