In recognition of her years of exemplary work, leadership and caring for our community, Mendocino Coast Clinics (MCC) Executive Director Lucresha Renteria will be honored as a 2019 Rural Health Rock Star by the Family Medicine Education for Mendocino County at their annual fundraiser on June 15.

Having started as an MCC interpreter in 1992 before the organization became an independent non-profit health center in 1994, Renteria’s responsibilities grew as the clinic grew. She became the director of administrative services in 2004 and executive director on January 1, 2016.

Renteria has long been a community advocate for bilingual/bi-cultural services, as well as for the community’s children and families. In 2004, she was appointed to the First 5 Mendocino Commission, where she served as chairperson for six years. In 2007, she was presented with the Making a Difference for Women award from the local chapter of the Soroptimist International Club. Renteria was a member of the inaugural class of Clinic Leadership Institute – Emerging Leaders, graduating from the program in 2009.

Renteria currently serves as the chair for the Community Health Resource Network, as well as the 2019 chairperson for the Special Populations and Rural Committee of the California Primary Care Association. She is also a board member for the Mendocino Coast Children’s Fund and the Health and Human Services Advisory Committee.

“I am honored to have been chosen as FMEMC’s advocate/leader rock star this year. We live in a wonderful rural community and it is up to all of us to take care of one another,” Renteria said.

FMEMC presents five awards each year to standout individuals in the following categories: advocate/leader, physician, midlevel provider, allied health provider, and complementary medicine provider. The FMEMC fundraiser where the awardees will be announced, “Music is Medicine,” includes a farm-to-table dinner catered by Black Dog Farm and a lively concert under the musical direction of well-known local musician Alex DeGrassi. It will be held at Mendocino College’s Center Theatre in partnership with Fowler Subaru on June 15. Tickets are available online at musicismedicine.brownpapertickets.com.

FMEMC is a community-based, non-profit organization that serves as an independent advisory board to the family medicine residency program starting at Adventist Health Ukiah Valley this fall. FMEMC also improves local health care through its support of the street medicine program and local nursing. For more information about FMEMC, visit www.fmemc.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fmemc. To learn more about Rural Health Rocks, visit www.ruralhealthrocks.com.