The Bee's Equity Lab and the Nehemiah Emerging Leadership Program (NELP) are partners in the Change Maker series. The Equity Lab is a team of journalists dedicated to promoting equity and inclusion, and NELP is a professional development program for people from culturally diverse backgrounds. The Change Makers program recognizes people in the Sacramento region who The Bee says "lead with fearlessness."
In announcing the Top 20 Change Makers, The Bee acknowledged Lara as the first Filipino American leader of a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. Lara was nominated by Elisa Tong, a UC Davis Health internist and tobacco researcher. In her nomination, Tong said about Lara that "His work with community and academic partners to reduce flavored tobacco use in the AAPI, Black, and Latino communities helped to pass strong new local and state laws to stop its sale."
For a multimedia profile earlier this year, The Bee asked Lara about his best advice for leaders.
"The best advice I've heard is, 'Be kind always.' The ability to provide comfort allows you to be humble," he replied.
