Ms. Martha Chavis has over 40 years work experience with nonprofit organizations providing health education, employment and social services. A native of Philadelphia, Ms. Chavis attended the City's best public schools as well as graduating from Beaver College (now known as Arcadia University) with a B.A. in psychology and education. She completed her graduate work at Temple University in Developmental Psychology and taught as an adjunct faculty in the Department for 10 years. Ms. Chavis is also a long-time (44 years) Adjunct Professor in Behavioral Sciences at Community College of Philadelphia. Ms.Chavis' staff position as Camden AHEC's Executive Director and Workforce Director of the Community Health Worker Institute (CHWI) typifies her role as a member of senior management staff at the various organizations she has worked over the years. In her role as Director of Camden AHEC's CHWI, Ms. Chavis has worked to enhance the goals of the Institute to: increase the recognition and respect for CHWs, establish a meaningful CHW labor market and provide skills standards and accessible CHW training resources. As one of the originators and master trainers of Camden AHEC's CHW curriculum, Ms. Chavis has also been instrumental in updating the curriculum's basic content with workforce and community-based competencies for the CHW to demonstrate in an on-the-job training setting. Ms. Chavis also continues to augment her CHW skills. She recently completed the Women's Health Leadership Institute (WHLI) CHW trainer workshops. As a master trainer for WHLI, Ms. Chavis trains CHWs to utilize their leadership skills in developing and implementing community action programs in their local areas.

As Camden AHEC's Executive Director, Ms. Chavis has as her agency's mission, 'healthy futures for all people.' Ms. Chavis is a passionate proponent for 'a healthy quality of life' which she believes everyone is deserving. In both her roles at AHEC, Ms. Chavis continues to conduct workshops on organizational capacity building and staff development, cultural competency, grant writing and grant administration, entry-level health careers, HIV/AIDS education, child and adolescent development, women's health issues, job readiness and self-management skills. Ms. Chavis is a resident of Camden City where she has worked for the last 34 years.

Ms. Chavis has traveled extensively worldwide and has visited all but a few states in the U.S.A. Ms. Chavis believes service with human dignity is the best approach for achieving outcomes in the community that make a difference. Ms. Chavis has received many awards for her community service and professional development work throughout the years.