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Ms. Twlia Laster is the Program Director of Saving Our Legacy, African Americans for Smoke-Free Safe Places (The SOL Project). She has worked in tobacco control for 20 years, specifically serving African American and African Immigrant populations. Her experience includes administration, grant coordination, program development, coordination, management, cessation and focus group facilitation on each African American priority population contract for the California Tobacco Control Program (CTCP) funded grant programs since 1996. Her most recent work focuses on advocating for smoke-free policies in outdoor dining areas, policies that restrict the sale and use of menthol and flavored products, updating smoking definitions and implementation of tobacco control in Social Determinants of Health Community Action Plans for African Americans.

 

Ms. Laster is also the owner of Twlia Makes It Happen! Consulting Services and has 18 years of experience in providing consulting services to clients in need of strategic marketing, program development, public relations, event management, health disparity reduction and smoking cessation facilitation.

 

Ms. Laster has served as the African American Outreach and Education Consultant for three tobacco education and prevention programs: Smoke Free Living for African Americans (SLAA), Wellness Initiatives Now (WIN), the MediCal Incentive to Quit Smoking Program (MIQS) and the African American Statewide Coordinating Center. Ms. Laster also serves as the Strategic Marketing and Program Director for Sac Cultural Hub Media Company directly engaged in efforts that increased overall company revenue and program development that solidifies corporate and community partnerships across sectors such as Covered California, Black Physicians Forum, Exceptional Women of Color Conferences, Susan G Komen projects and other programs that educate physicians, healthcare professionals and the African American community on inequalities in health and increasing access to health care. Ms. Laster is also serves as an active member of several community wellness, health prevention, and education coalitions throughout Northern California.