Maureen Perron of Half Moon Bay has dedicated her professional and volunteer efforts to addressing educational and health disparities and promoting a healthier life for people living in the coastal communities of San Mateo County. As program manager for the Coastside Health Committee, she is a creative and driving force for positive change. Maureen helped establish the Sonrisas Community Dental Center that provides services to low-income and uninsured residents, as well as education and dental screenings for schools and community groups. She helped form “Movin’ on the Coast,” an award-winning partnership of health organizations, local businesses and the county that sponsors fitness activities and health education. Since 2005, the Healthy Eating Active Living Program (HEAL) she helped create has worked to instill better nutritional habits in countless elementary school students through garden-based health education and daily lunchtime activities. She also has been instrumental in increasing Spanish language community college course offerings on the coastside. Maureen embodies the concept of thinking globally and acting locally. She has a gift for recognizing where deficits lie and fills those gaps one step at a time by building trust and mobilizing others who have a similar vision. Maureen’s passion, expertise and dedication have gone a long way toward making our beautiful San Mateo coastal community a healthier, better place to live.
