Our Leadership
Debra Fraser-Howze
Founder & Board Chair
Debra Fraser-Howze is the Founder and Board Chair of Choose Healthy Life, a non-profit organization focused on establishing a sustainable, scalable and transferable approach to address public health disparities through the Black Church.
Ms. Fraser-Howze founded Choose Healthy Life (CHL) in October 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic after seeing the disproportionate death and inequitable health impact it was having on the Black community. She saw an opportunity to bring faith and medical science together by establishing a trusted health workforce within the Black church to connect hard-to-reach and underserved communities on the ground to much needed health services.
To guide Choose Healthy Life, she established the National Black Clergy Health Leadership Council co-chaired by civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton and eminent theologian Rev. Calvin O. Butts III of blessed memory. She also created a Medical Advisory Board that includes Dr. Tom Frieden (former CDC Director under President Obama), Dr. Louis Sullivan (former HHS Secretary under President Bush) and Dr. Donna Christensen (Member of Congress 1997-2015).
Prior to founding CHL, Ms. Fraser-Howze served for a decade as the Senior Vice President, Government and External Affairs at OraSure Technologies, and served as the President/CEO of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (NBLCA), an organization she founded in 1987. While at NBLCA, she was an author of the federally-funded Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) which was created in 1998 in response to growing concern about the impact of HIV/AIDS on racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. The MAI provides for over $500 million in annual funding, strengthening organizational capacity and expanding HIV-related services in minority communities.
Ms. Fraser-Howze is currently working on a Master of Divinity at the Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, PA.
Rev. Kimberly L. Williams
Executive Director
Rev. Kimberly Williams has been instrumental in the organization's mission to address health disparities through faith and science. Prior to her current role, Rev. Williams served as a CHL Health Navigator Supervisor for Newark. With over 20 years of corporate experience and more than a decade in Ministry, she utilizes her corporate acumen with pastoral insight to drive CHL's mission.
Under her leadership, the organization has expanded its reach, impacting more lives than ever before. Rev. Williams advances opportunities for growth through developing new programs and forging strategic partnerships, and has driven organizational sustainability and impact.
Rev. Williams has appeared as a panelist at several high-profile events like the RISE Social Determinants of Health Policy Forum, the 2023 Women’s Empowerment Summit, and the Kean University Faith-Based Institute of Public Policy.
Ron Ticho
Chief Operating Officer
As the Chief Operating Officer at CHL, Ron Ticho leads all operational and developmental efforts for the organization. He has been an integral part of CHL since its inception, serving as a Senior Advisor before transitioning to his current role.
Mr. Ticho has been instrumental in shaping CHL's strategic direction and public health outreach efforts. With over 25 years of experience in marketing & communications, fiscal management, and healthcare leadership, he was pivotal in CHL's transition to a national nonprofit office in 2023.
Mr. Ticho oversees all CHL budgeting and funding to increase organizational sustainability, effectively tackling social determinants of health and improving outcomes. His leadership is the driving force behind CHL's daily operations and its mission to serve the Black community.
Prior to joining CHL, Mr. Ticho has held several leadership positions in public health and beyond. He most recently served as the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Lehigh Valley's public television. Mr. Ticho spent over a decade in Vice President roles at OraSure Technologies, a medical device manufacturer.