Karla Thomas

Karla Thomas is the oldest daughter to Samoan and Aymara parents, who come from the villages of Vatia, Tutuila in American Samoa and Quime, Bolivia. She was raised in San Bernardino, CA on Yuhaaviatam and Tongva land. Prior to joining EPIC, Karla was co-founder and Policy Director of the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) Data Policy Lab at UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also co-founded the Pasifika Inland Empire Coalition for Empowerment, which comprises 3 organizations addressing COVID-19 health inequities impacting NHPIs. Karla received her Master of Public Health from the University of Southern California in 2021 and is also an alumna of UCLA. She is dedicated to being a fierce advocate for all Pasifika people and is excited to continue serving NHPI communities with EPIC.