The Policies for Livable Active Communities and Environments (PLACE) Program was launched in 2006 as part of an effort to bring funding allocated for chronic disease and injury prevention in greater alignment with the death and disability caused by chronic disease and injury. The PLACE Program fosters policy change that supports healthy, safe, and active environments for all Los Angeles County residents. We recognize that the design and structure of our cities, communities, neighborhoods, work sites, schools, and streets can impact how much physical activity we get, what we eat, the safety of our streets, and the quality of the air we breathe. How we choose to design or improve various aspects of our environment plays an important role in preventing injury and many chronic conditions - such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and asthma - whose risk factors include physical inactivity, poor nutrition and exposure to air pollution. As more Angelinos face the threat and reality of developing these chronic conditions, the PLACE Program supports the development of healthier communities by fostering policy change that improves the places where people live, work and play. Meet Our Team

Jean Armbruster, MA Director jarmbruster@ph.lacounty.gov Jean Armbruster, MA, is the Director of the PLACE Program (Policies from Livable, Active Communities and Environments) at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.  The program’s mission is to foster policy change that supports the development of safe, healthy, active environments for all Los Angeles County residents.  PLACE makes grants and provides technical assistance to cities and communities to promote the development of policies such as bicycle and pedestrian master plans, complete streets, and safe routes to schools plans.  Ms. Armbruster received her undergraduate degree from Colorado College and her Master of Arts from California State University, Long Beach. She loves hiking and walking her dog in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Justin Robertson, AICP Senior Planner JRobertson@ph.lacounty.gov Justin Robertson, AICP is a Senior Planner with the PLACE (Policies for Livable, Active Communities and Environments) Program at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH), overseeing the program’s pedestrian planning projects and facilitating the County’s Healthy Design Workgroup and Tree Committee. Justin received his Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from UCLA, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California State University, Northridge. Prior to joining PLACE, he worked as a mobility planner and project manager for the City of Glendale, as a community organizer in tobacco policy at DPH, and as an aide to former Los Angeles City Council Member Tom LaBonge. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Debbie Martinez Health Program Analyst II dmartinez@ph.lacounty.gov

Alfredo Lezama
Community Engagement & Transportation Planner
alezama@ph.lacounty.gov

Alfredo Lezama is the Community Engagement & Transportation Planner with the PLACE Program at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. He is responsible for leading outreach efforts with community-based organizations. Alfredo’s work seeks to create healthy, equitable, sustainable, and walkable communities by encouraging civic engagement and participation in the planning process. Prior to joining the PLACE Program, he worked at UCLA as a Student Coordinator for the Leaders in Sustainability graduate program. Alfredo has worked on a variety of education, health policy and planning projects at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, and the UC Riverside Inland Center for Sustainable Development. A fellow of the Institute of American Cultures at UCLA and the UC Global Food Initiative, he holds a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA and a B.A. in Political Science from UC Riverside.

Yanel Saenz, MPH
Project Manager
ysaenz@ph.lacounty.gov

Yanel Saenz is a Project Manager with the PLACE program at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, focusing on the Step by Step Los Angeles County: Pedestrian Plans for Unincorporated Communities project. She previously worked at the Los Angeles LGBT Center in the Quality Improvement department of their community health center where she helped improve the health of LGBTQ+ patients by increasing access to preventive screenings for colorectal cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, and annual wellness visits. She holds a BA in Public Health from UC Berkeley and a Master of Public Health in Community Health Sciences from UCLA.