Shanell Williams, Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships at the UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative (PTBi), is departing after 10 years to serve as Executive Director of the Rafiki Coalition for Health and Wellness. Based in San Francisco, the Rafiki Coalition works to address health inequities of Black and marginalized communities by providing health and wellness services in a culturally affirming environment.
“It’s been such an honor to have worked with so many amazing community partners and the team at PTBi to create meaningful changes in research, institutional practices, and policies that directly improve the quality of life for Black and Brown people,” says Williams. “I’m especially proud of the work we did to improve Black maternal and infant health, and I look forward to continuing these efforts at Rafiki.”
Her departure marks the end of a chapter filled with contributions to the fields of community engagement, health equity, and racial and gender justice. When Shanell arrived at PTBi, she already had extensive experience driving initiatives across education, affordable housing, criminal justice reform, and racial equity. She was also elected by the city as a member of the San Francisco Community College Board, serving from 2016 to January 8, 2025.
“Shanell truly embodies what you think a director of community engagement should be,” says Loren Newman, PTBi Designer and Voices for Birth Justice Manager. “Her drive and passion for the community exude in her aura, and by how hands-on, connected, and in tune she was with each person.”
With over 25 years of experience, Shanell has dedicated her career to working with and advocating for Black and Brown families, especially those facing systemic inequities. Throughout her tenure at PTBi, she brought her deep expertise in community capacity-building to launch and lead many groundbreaking initiatives such as capturing key lessons learned over a decade of community advisory board work to be packaged as a toolkit for researchers, making sure affected communities were included in countless research projects, and even acting as lead investigator on studies addressing black maternal health.
"We are immensely grateful for Shanell's incredible dedication, vision, and ability to forge strong, meaningful connections between our research initiative and the communities we serve,” says Larry Rand, Perinatologist and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF, and Principal Investigator at PTBi. “Through her leadership, she has deepened relationships, fostered trust, and ensured that our work remains community-centered and impactful. Shanell’s legacy of equity and empowerment will continue to shape PTBi’s work and inspire community-driven change. We thank her for her exceptional contributions, wish her the best at Rafiki, and look forward to collaborating with her in the future.”
