Leadership Team

The leadership team for Community Council of Idaho, Inc. is composed of the agency’s directors and executive management. Together, along with the CEO, they strive to continue to move the agency forward and deliver quality services to the Idaho community.

rlugo@ccimail.org

Ruben Lugo, Chief Operating Officer

Ruben Lugo is the Chief Operating Officer for the Community Council of Idaho. He holds associate of science and bachelor degrees from Boise State University. He has extensive training and certifications in grants management, federal regulation, leadership and program operations.

Ruben has worked in the human services space for almost 30 years and believes that being of service to others helps build strong and resilient communities. His focus is to form strong and adaptable teams who can provide the highest quality services to whomever comes through the door.

In commitment to establishing a high standard of service, Ruben actively seeks out partners throughout the service area willing to build positive relationships for the benefit of our shared communities.

Ruben lives in Nampa and  enjoys the opportunities to travel within the state, and the mountain west, to connect with people and the multiple beautiful landscapes that Idaho has to offer.  

wdavis@ccimail.org

Wanda Davis, Chief Finance Officer

 Wanda Davis, CFO Wanda Davis has over 24 years of accounting experience with various industries. She received her Bachelor of Science Business degree with Accounting Emphasis in 1999 from Union College in Lincoln Nebraska. Wanda has lived in the Treasure Valley for the past 22 years. She gained several years of experience working for a school and college as Accounting Assistant and when graduated started at a global public computer company, then moved on to an agriculture seed company where she gained significant working knowledge of accounting. Wanda has 16 years working in the non-for-profit industry and brings dynamic and versatile experience to her role as a Chief Financial Officer.

emanz@ccimail.org

Liz Manz, SHRM-CP, PHR, Human Resource Director

Liz accepted the role of HR Director for Community Council of Idaho in 2022.  Her background in HR leadership includes 20 + years in manufacturing, food processing and agriculture.  Liz earned her Bachelor of Science degree in HR Training & Development from Idaho State University in 2010.   She has been a member of the Society for Human Resource Management  since 2006 and is both a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) through the Human Resource Certification Institute.  Liz leads her team of 5 HR professionals serving the needs of CC Idaho across the state. 

kgonzalez@ccimail.org

Korene Gonzalez, Employment and Training Director 

In addition to being the Director of Employment and Training, Korene is also the Program and Grant Administrator of the Department of Labor National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) at the Community Council of Idaho. She brings over 21 years of effective leadership, program design, resource development and coalition building in Twin Falls County experience. In 2018 she celebrated 30 years of dedicated service with CC Idaho.  She is a member of the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), the Idaho State Board of Education Taskforce on Hispanic Education, and the Midwest Association of Farmworker Organizations (MAFO).

acantu@ccimail.org

Arnold Cantu, Clinic Administrator

Arnold Cantu has been working for the Community Council of Idaho for 5 years. He is now the Clinic Administrator, and prior to that he worked for the State of Idaho for 23 years as a counselor at the Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Arnold attended the University of Alabama for three years and completed his degree in Human Resources and Training Development at Idaho State University. He went on to complete his Masters in Counseling at Western Washington University. He recently completed the Executive Training program in Health Care Administration at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).

Little known fact: He collects antique sports books.

jstringam@ccimail.org

Dr. Joshua Stringam DO, Chief Medical Director  

Dr. Joshua Stringam joined the Community Family Clinic as its Chief Medical Director in March 2021. Dr. Stringham is working with the clinic staff to improve and expand services to patients, including Hep C treatment, full OB services, and complete female healthcare. Dr. Stringam truly cares about his patients and seeks solutions to their health problems. One of his beliefs is that preventative care plays a big role in the patient’s wellness. In addition to quality care, he offers management of chronic conditions.
Dr. Stringam grew up in Provo, Utah where he completed his undergraduate education at BYU. He later attended the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM), which is part of Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ. He completed his residency program at Duke University/SRAHEC in Fayetteville, NC. He is a plant-based trained doctor and has 8 years of experience in the health field.
Dr. Stringam loves to spend time outdoors with his wife and 6 children, “I love rock climbing, backpacking, snowboarding, hiking, kayaking, surfing, snorkelling, and anything outdoors.” When asked why he decided to work for Community Family Clinic, Dr. Stringam said: “I decided to work for CFC because CFC has the resources, and I can make an impact in the community of Idaho Falls.

rrony@ccimail.org

Rose-Hermance Rony, Immigration Director & Attorney Manager

Originally from Haiti, Rose-Hermance Rony moved to the U.S as a teenager. She received a bachelor’s degree in History from La Sierra University, and from Concordia University received both a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction and a Juris Doctorate. 

Prior to entering law school, Ms. Rony taught elementary and middle school students for over ten years, where she earned a teacher of the year award every year for nine years. While in law school, Ms. Rony was also awarded the 2020 Diversity Leadership, the 2020 Pro Bono, and the 2020 Civility award. She was also a recipient of the Cali Award for Law Practice Technology in 2019.

During her years in law school, Ms. Rony started a National Lawyers Guild chapter at the school, served as the student liaison for Domestic Violence Court and the International Rescue Committee, and was a student ambassador completing over 25 hours of service. Ms. Rony also completed over 300 hours of pro bono services and started a Legal Knowledge class for immigrants to learn more about U.S. laws. Her success in initiating this class was highlighted in the January 2020 edition of Idaho’s Advocate Magazine.

Ms. Rony interned for Legal Aid of West Palm Beach where she translated documents from English to French and Haitian Creole. She also volunteered for the Idaho Legal Aid and the International Rescue Committee, where she received an Intern of the Year commendation for her services. She also participated in both the housing and criminal clinic of her school, served as Guardian ad Litem for ADA county, was the 2020 Deputy Administrative Editor of her school’s Law Review Journal, and volunteered for Judge Ellis for the Parental Right Termination Court.

Ms. Rony is passionate about the plights of immigrants and is dedicated to helping them navigate the complex legal system of the United States. Since law school, she has continued working in immigration and improving her knowledge. She is attending the Idaho Academy of Leadership for Lawyers Program and will graduate in May 2022. She also serves as the Chair of the Idaho AILA Chapter. Ms. Rony is currently licensed to practice in the State of Idaho. She is a member of the Idaho chapter of American Inns of Court, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Idaho Woman Lawyers, and the Haitian Association of Lawyers.

mdouglas@ccimail.org

Merissa Douglas, Occupancy & Compliance Specialist

Merissa Douglas is an Occupancy and Compliance Specialist with over thirteen years of compliance experience while working in the tax and finance arena.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 2009. Merissa specializes in affordable housing and housing management with an emphasis in economic and community development and is certified as a Housing Development Finance Professional (HDFP) through the National Development Council. 

Though born in Virginia, she considers herself an Idaho native as most of her childhood and adulthood has been spent in Idaho, particularly the Treasure Valley.

Merissa lives in rural Idaho where she raises chickens and rabbits. She also loves graphic and website design and giving back to her community.