About
The Authority Behind the Systems
LaToya Shields
MPA, BSW, CHWWith over 20 years of field leadership at the intersection of public policy, community health, social services, and emergency management, LaToya Shields has built an unmatched reputation as a systems architect who doesn't just design programs, she operationalizes them.
Her unique multi-tiered mastery as an MPA, BSW, and Certified Community Health Worker (CHW) enables her to navigate the full spectrum of systems change, from public policy, funding strategy, and community health to emergency preparedness, resilience, continuity, and cross-sector response. Her approach recognizes that strong systems are not only designed to address everyday needs, but must also be prepared to withstand disruption, respond effectively during crises, and recover in ways that strengthen communities.
Central to her work is the belief that the people closest to an issue should have a voice in shaping the decisions that affect them. She uses community voice, lived experience, frontline insight, and stakeholder expertise to inform strategy, strengthen partnerships, and guide more responsive, equitable, and resilient systems.
Through leadership roles within nonprofit and public-sector organizations, she has helped secure and steward millions in funding to design and implement cross-sector care coordination models, community-based initiatives, and resilience-focused programs. Her work brings together healthcare, social services, government, community organizations, and other stakeholders to translate complex systems into practical strategies that improve outcomes and strengthen community capacity.
As a strategist, educator, and sought-after speaker, LaToya is recognized for translating insight into action and connecting strategy to real-world implementation. She is frequently invited to present at national, regional, and local conferences, professional convenings, and continuing education (CEU) events, while also serving in advisory capacities and contributing to collaborative writing, co-authored research, and thought leadership.
The Evolution
From Service Recipient to Systems Advocate
Having personally navigated systems and accessed services, LaToya understands the service experience from both sides, as a recipient and as a professional working to improve how systems respond to community needs.
BSW — Bachelor of Social Work
Built a foundation in human behavior and the person-in-environment perspective, understanding how family, community, policy, and social conditions shape well-being and influence how individuals navigate systems.
CHW - Certified Community Health Worker
Developed a frontline understanding of how systemic barriers and non-medical factors shape health and well-being, using community voice and lived experience to identify gaps and inform more responsive solutions. Pioneered community engagement and cross-sector care coordination, connecting individuals, providers, and community resources to strengthen access and support.
MPA — Master of Public Administration
Bridged policy and practice, developing the ability to analyze complex systems, evaluate policy and program outcomes, and translate data into actionable strategies that advance equity and accountability.
Principal Consultant — Synergy Solutions LDZ LLC
Brings more than 20 years of experience helping organizations operationalize impact, leveraging lived experience, community voice, strategic relationships, and policy to turn complex challenges into actionable strategies, stronger systems, and resilient solutions.
As featured in Voyage Houston Magazine
I may not have known where I was going, but I kept following the work that mattered and eventually found myself exactly where I was supposed to be.
In her own words, LaToya shares the journey that led to the launch of Synergy Solutions LDZ LLC — from following meaningful work to building a firm that helps organizations turn purpose into action.
Read the Full InterviewTrack Record of Impact
A Leadership Report Card
Funding Strategy and Impact
$2.15M+
- Secured across diverse funding streams, including:
- Healthcare & Health System Grants
- Community & Local Grants
- Philanthropic & Foundation Funding
- Public & Government Funding
- Community Benefit Investments
- Strategic Partnerships & Collaborative Funding
- Top 3 finalist among 100+ applications for a competitive funding opportunity for Synergy Solutions LDZ client.
- Developed and strengthened grant proposals that advanced organizational funding priorities.
Systems
Program Growth
- Built and scaled a county-level Community HUB.
- Designed workflows linking screening, CHW navigation, healthcare, behavioral health, benefits, and community-based support.
- Developed the infrastructure, partnerships, workflows, and processes required to operationalize a new county-level model.
- Built relationships across healthcare, government, managed care, nonprofits, and community organizations to advance shared outcomes.
Public Policy
Policy Areas
- Maternal & Perinatal Health
- Mental Health
- Substance Use & Recovery
- Community Health Workers & Doulas
- Healthcare Access & Coverage
- Health Equity & Social Drivers of Health
- Emergency Preparedness
- Supported successful passage of HB 12 & HB 1575 (88th)
- 90th TX Legislature: Tracking emerging policy and preparing for issues impacting health, equity, access, and community well-being.
Thought Leadership & Influence Outcomes
Influence & Reach
- Selected to present expertise to professional and community audiences.
- Invited to contribute to advisory groups, workgroups, and strategic planning efforts.
- Contributed subject-matter expertise to policy and systems conversations.
- Translated complex issues into actionable recommendations for diverse stakeholders.
Quality Improvement Outcomes
Care Delivery Wins
- Improved program workflows and operational processes to strengthen consistency and participant experience.
- Implemented CardMedic to improve communication accessibility across multiple languages and pathways.
Selected results reflect LaToya Shields' collective professional leadership and consulting experience, including work through Synergy Solutions LDZ, LLC and prior organizational roles. Funding and impact figures are presented in aggregate and are not attributable solely to Synergy Solutions LDZ, LLC.
Scholarship & Voice
Thought Leadership, Research & Publications
As a strategist and community health leader, LaToya Shields contributes to advancing conversations around maternal health, behavioral health, health equity, and community-centered systems through collaborative writing, co-authored research, and thought leadership contributions.
Her work bridges research, lived experience, and community insights to support the development of more equitable, resilient, and responsive systems of care.
Research Contributions
Pharmacist in Maternal Healthcare Models: The Unidentified and Underutilized Patient-Centered Healthcare Provider
Co-Author · Manuscript Submitted/Under Editorial Review · 2026
This collaborative manuscript examines the role of pharmacists as integrated, patient-centered providers within maternal healthcare models and explores opportunities to strengthen multidisciplinary approaches to maternal health outcomes.
From Margins to Meaning: Transforming Immigrant Maternal Mental Health Through Decolonial and Liberatory Ways of Knowing
Co-Author · Invited Manuscript Submission · American Journal of Public Health Special Supplement · 2026
Invited to contribute a full manuscript following acceptance of the abstract for the American Journal of Public Health Special Supplement. This work explores immigrant maternal mental health through decolonial and liberatory frameworks, emphasizing lived experience, social context, and systems of care.
Food Insecurity as a Social Determinant of Maternal Mental Health and Quality of Life in the United States: Does Immigration Play a Role?
Co-Author · Manuscript Submitted to World Food Policy · Under Review
This collaborative manuscript examines the intersection of food insecurity, maternal mental health, quality of life, immigration, and social determinants influencing maternal well-being in the United States.
Why We're Different
The Synergy Edge
The Policy-to-Practice Pipeline
We transform evolving policy and legislative priorities into implementable, fundable solutions, bridging the gap between public-sector expectations, organizational capacity, and community realities.
The Trusted Network Factor
Our deep roots across faith-based communities, frontline community networks, nonprofit and grassroots organizations, public health systems, and emergency management environments allow us to deploy high-trust interventions where relationship capital, cultural responsiveness, and community credibility determine success.
Multi-Tiered Expertise
The rare combination of MPA policy acumen, BSW grounding in human behavior and culturally responsive strategies, and firsthand CHW lived experience and field credibility creates a consultant who can operate at every level of the system simultaneously.