A Group Dedicated to Improving Health Outcomes
Our people are what makes IHS special. Our collective academic background, professional experience, network of contacts, and passion for health and wellness. Each team member works with passion, commitment, and resiliency. We are invested and committed to the cause, both as an organization and personally for each employee.
This is a passion for us!
The IHS team has broad expertise/experience in healthcare, nutrition, policy, agriculture, and fundraising. We understand the landscape (policy, players, models, and systems) to make healthy change.
Dr. Norma Rodriguez de Lisenko
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Norma Rodriguez de Lisenko has been leading Innovative Health Solutions (IHS), formerly known as Healthy Cooking with Kids, Inc., since 2008. Our non-profit organization aims to bring public and private entities together to create collective policy, systems, and environmental changes that benefit the community.
With over twenty years of experience in public health advocacy, Dr. Lisenko has developed extensive expertise in funding development, organizational management, team building, contract management, program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation. My work has played a prominent role in creating joint policy, systems, and environmental changes between public and private organizations.In addition to being the CEO, I also serve as the Principal Investigator at IHS. My research is focused on Trauma Informed Nutrition Intervention for perinatal women of color. My research on this topic has been published in renowned academic journals.
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Tess Lapira
Fiscal Administrator
Tess Lapira served as the Chief Financial Officer for Solano County's Health and Social Services Department. She was responsible for leading a team of fiscal managers and analysts in managing the department's $425 million budget, financial reporting and general accounting, oversight of federal and state grants, and contracts with various non-profit organizations. She retired from the County in May 2023. Tess has always wanted to support non-profits within our community in areas of fiscal management, accounting, and grant reporting. In February 2024, she joined Innovative Health Solutions as a Fiscal Administrator.
Tess has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Internal Auditor. She loves the outdoors and has a deep passion for hiking. She also likes to bake and decorate cakes for family and friends.
Hana Shirriel-Hammond, MPH
Lunch Buddies Bistro Program Manager
Hana brings over 10 years of experience leading, supervising, and managing health centers and public service programs that support underserved, marginalized and vulnerable populations. Hana's previous positions have created opportunities for her to excel in operational strategies, multi-level management and communications. Hana continues to use these skills and more to support the social service infrastructures that provide services to our populations. Hana joined IHS excited for the shared vision of working toward healthy and equitable communities, in order to improve health outcomes for our older adult populations.
Outside of her professional commitments, Hana enjoys spending time with her family, friends and trying new recipes in the kitchen.
Denise Kirnig
Denise Kirnig retired from Solano County with 30 years of service with the Solano County Health and Social Services Department, Public Health Division. Denise was the Senior Health Services Manager/Nutrition Services Bureau Chief and oversaw the WIC Program, Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program, and the CalFresh Healthy Living Program for 28 years. During her 28 years with the Nutrition Service Bureau she worked on several initiatives including a Clinical Nutrition Team, a Dental Health project, Baby Behavior research with UC Davis, SolanoWORKS, Children and Weight Coalition, Food and Nutrition Network of Solano County, Motivational Interviewing Mentorship Project, nutrition team in the Vallejo City Unified School District, Communities of Excellence in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention, Eat Fresh, Buy Local, Stay Healthy program and the Solano County Employee Wellness Program. Denise served as the President of the California Conference of Local Health Department Nutritionists, on the California WIC Association Board, WIC Task Force, and California WIC Healthy Habits Begins at Birth Committee.
During her last two years with Solano County, Denise worked in Public Health Administration and managed the Epidemiology Team and the Whole Person Care project. She is a Registered Dietitian and has a master’s in health science.
Denise is immensely dedicated to her work and supporting her staff, often saying that her main role is to ensure "the team has what they need, and that nothing gets in their way." Her colleagues are incredibly appreciative of all that she has done for them; she truly cares and always make time to support and assist in problem-solving issues collaboratively. She rises to all challenges where no project is too big or small for her to handle. Denise is a stellar leader, public servant and dietitian. She brings out the best in others, lifts them up and treats all people with fairness and respect.
Christine Katzenmeyer, RD
Christine is a Registered Dietitian with Innovative Health Solutions. She is working with a team to provide medically tailored meals. Her priority is to create plans to cater to individual health needs for patients facing medical conditions and would benefit from a "food as medicine" approach to improving long term health goals. As a part of IHS, Christine advocates for equitable access to nutrias food, recognizing the systematic barriers that prevent many from obtaining proper nourishment. Her goal is to address social determinants of health and collaborating with community organizations, she strives to make nutrition available to all. Christine also works with the local health department to expand and improve prenatal care options for perinatal Black women while collaborating with local organizations, local chefs, local farmers and doulas. She also works with the CalFresh Program to provide Healthy Cooking With Kids in the Solano County schools.
Janene Biggs
Janene is a Bingocize instructor for four facilities in the Solano/Napa area. Bingocize is a program designed for older adults together them out of the house, socialize, do some low-key exercises, and have some fun. She enjoys interacting with her die-hard regulars and seeing how far they have come along, and she welcomes newbies. At home you'll find Janene at her computer, writing plays, novels, and short stories, or in the kitchen cooking and baking.
Trish Barnes, MS
Trish is a dedicated professional with a passion for public health, nutrition and wellness. With over a decade of experience as a Regional WIC Nutritionist at the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Western Regional Office in San Francisco, Trish served as a crucial link between state and federal agencies, providing technical assistance and ensuring the effective delivery of WIC nutrition services. Trish started her career as a Registered Dietitian working for the WIC Program in Kern County, then transitioned to the Solano County Health and Social Services Department. As a Supervising Public Health Nutritionist, Trish oversaw clinic operations and counseled clients in the Solano WIC and Comprehensive Perinatal Services Programs.
Trish holds a Master of Sciences (M.S.) in Health Sciences from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Nutritional Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Additionally, Trish is a Registered Dietitian certified by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
Trish is an avid gardener, urban farmer and beekeeper. Trish holds certifications as an Apprentice Master Beekeeper from UC Davis and as a Master Gardener from Contra Costa County. In her free time, Trish enjoys spending time with her family and pets in the great outdoors. With a passion for promoting health and wellness, Trish brings a unique blend of expertise and strives for excellence and innovation in all endeavors.
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Coretta Grayson
Everybody Loves Line Dancing Instructor
At a young age, Coretta developed a love for dancing. Tap, ballet, Jazz, and African. In 1973 she was a dancer in the West Side Story play. Over the years she has been introduced to other types of dancing like Zumba, Salsa, Swing, Ball Room, and Chicago Stepping. In 2004, she was introduced to line dancing, fell in love with it and has never looked back. She found line dancing to be my passion. In 2015 she became a line dance instructor and founded the group Evolution Line Dancers. As of 2026, she now teaches 5 classes and has choreographed 26 dances, one with her oldest daughter, Ikeda Grayson. All these dances can be found on YouTube, thanks to her videographer daughter, Michelle Grayson, and son, Michael Grayson II.
She was nominated for the UC Awards in 2018 & 2024; also in 2024, she was recognized and honored at Stanford University as a line dance instructor.
Dawnita Perryman
Everybody Loves Line Dancing Instructor
Dawnita Perryman has been a Vallejo resident for more than 40 years and an instructor for most of her life. She began as an assistant gymnastics coach for young children and went on to teach and choreograph cheerleading for Little League, middle school, and high school teams. For over 20 years, she has also sung on her church worship team and has taught and choreographed praise and worship dance.
Eleven years ago, Dawnita discovered a passion for line dancing and has spent the last decade training and developing others. She has been the licensed owner and instructor of Break It Down Soul Line Dance for eight years, creating numerous original soul line dances and earning multiple nominations for Urban Connection (UC) Star Awards in 2024 and 2025.
Dawnita joined the IHS team as a contracted instructor in 2019 and became an employee in October 2024 as a Program Assistant. She believes she is called to this work and genuinely loves what she does.