James Sly, MBA
Appointed as of 11/4/2025, effective 12/15/2025. Bio is forthcoming.
Community Health Team
Amy Abrams, MSW/MPH, MLIS
Amy holds a joint Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health from San Diego State University, as well as a Master of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. She began her career in aging life care management, supporting people with chronic conditions and their caregivers. Amy went on to direct the education and community outreach programs for a local nonprofit organization, before joining the team at the Grossmont Healthcare District in 2022. In this role, she oversees the district’s various community health initatives, including robust community grants and health career scholarship programs, and the operations of its Health & Wellness Library. Amy is a native and lifelong Californian with a passion for supporting health literacy and access, and spends her free time on long runs, reading, and rooting for the San Diego Padres.
aabrams@grossmonthealthcare.org | Ext: 5017
Kara Jacobsen
Kara holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and a minor in Chinese from San Diego State University. Originally from Fresno, CA, she has called San Diego home for the past decade. Kara is passionate about serving her local community. During undergrad, she dedicated time to working with youth at the YMCA Mission Valley and tutored students at the SDSU Writing Center. Her professional journey began in marketing at local nonprofit Alzheimer’s San Diego, where she developed a deeper understanding of health communications and community health issues, especially those impacting older adults. Outside of work, she enjoys art, cooking, traveling, scuba diving, and observing human behavior through the “very real” and dramatic lens of reality television.
kjacobsen@grossmonthealthcare.org | Ext: 5018
Holland Kessinger, MLIS
Holland Kessinger is the Head Librarian for the Grossmont Healthcare District’s Health & Wellness Library, a public consumer health library in La Mesa, California. In this role, she is dedicated to advancing health literacy, promoting equitable access to reliable health information and resources, and delivering high-quality health and wellness programming to the East County community of San Diego.
She holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from San José State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of California, San Diego. She also recently earned the Consumer Health Information Specialization from the Medical Library Association.
With more than two decades of professional experience, Holland has served in a wide range of library and leadership roles, including solo librarian for a museum, elementary school librarian, volunteer manager, and youth services librarian. She previously managed the University Heights Branch of the San Diego Public Library and served as Supervising Librarian at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Library, where she directed daily operations, supervised staff, and implemented dynamic and engaging library programs.
Deeply committed to community service and lifelong learning, Holland is passionate about promoting health literacy and ensuring access to high-quality information and library services that empower and enrich individuals of all ages.
hkessinger@grossmonthealthcare.org | Ext: 5014
Ari Rojas, MPH, CHES
Ari has over 10 years of experience working with non-profit social services agencies in the San Diego County like Chicano Federation, Episcopal Community Services and Neighborhood House Association. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from CSU, Sacramento. In the Fall of 2021, she completed a Master’s degree in Public Health focused in Health Education and Promotion from CSU, San Marcos. Ari is also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). She places a huge emphasis on practicing healthy activities such as hiking, running and weight training. One of Ari’s favorite hikes is Kaway Pay located in the Mission Trails Regional Park and her favorite National Park is Yosemite. She is passionate about traveling, seeing new places and eating delicious new food.
arojas@grossmonthealthcare.org | Ext: 5026
Caitlyn Shaffer, MLIS
Caitlyn is a lifelong East County resident. Having lived in Lakeside, Santee, El Cajon, and Alpine, she knows and appreciates what East County has to offer. She earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in English from the University of Portland in 2019 and her Master’s of Library and Information Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2023. Fueled by a desire to serve her home community, Caitlyn is excited to begin her new journey as Library Outreach Assistant for GHD’s Health & Wellness Library. She also looks forward to venturing out to areas of East County she rarely—if ever—sees. In her free time, Caitlyn enjoys reading, spending time with her family, watching Turner Classic Movies, and road-tripping to national parks.
cshaffer@grossmonthealthcare.org | Ext: 5041
Administration Team
Tom Scaglione, MBA, CPA
Prior to joining the Grossmont Healthcare District in 2021, Tom provided consulting services to special districts through his firm, ATS Financial Services. Tom was a college administrator and educator for 26 years at Palomar College and Cal State University San Marcos, teaching accounting, finance, and a variety of subjects in a Government Leadership Certificate Program. Prior to his 25-year career in serving special districts in accounting, finance, executive management, and governance, Tom worked for local and regional public accounting firms, with an emphasis on auditing and consulting for local governments. He is an author and frequent speaker for professional organizations. Tom earned his MBA degree with an emphasis on government leadership from CSUSM, and his BS degree with an emphasis on accounting from SDSU. In his leisure, Tom enjoys accounting and finance.
Ext: 5034
Randi Baker
Randi is a San Diego native and was raised in East County. Randi has over 20 years of executive support experience in legal and nonprofit settings. She joined the District in Fall 2021 after several years serving as Executive Assistant for The Salvation Army San Diego Regional Office. At the District, she supports the daily operations within the office, as well as public business on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, and the Leadership Team. Randi is passionate about spending time with her family and serving the community through volunteerism, with a focus on making a difference in mental health services.
Ext: 5033
Justine McQuade, MBA
Justine McQuade holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and brings more than 30 years of experience in both the private and public sectors. Her background includes 18 years in finance and accounting at The UPS Store Global Headquarters, serving as Director of Finance and Revenue Accounting, as well as Controller for a private management company. For more than a decade, Justine owned and operated her own accounting business. She also spent several years as an adjunct professor, teaching a range of business courses, and was honored as Teacher of Year in 2017. Outside of work, Justine turned her love of travel into a boutique travel business, and enjoys hiking, reading, and spending quality time with her husband and two daughters.
Ext: 5019
Harman Sarky, MPA
Harman is a Kurdish-American who entered the United States in 1997 at the age of 17 as a refugee. His path throughout his career has been very diverse when it comes to the experiences he brings, from working and providing the US Military combat and cultural training to working in the non-profit sector for an organization that helps and supports youth and families struggling with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. With a career that spans over 20 years, regardless of role and organization, Harman has always found that he naturally falls in a supporting role. Helping people and organizations implement successful processes, overcome obstacles, and achieve operational success is his main motivator. Harman is an SDSU alum, with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Public Administration. During his free time, he spends time with his family which consists of his wife and two sons, and lots of soccer games and activities.
Ext: 5035