Prior to joining CCHA, Ms. Ponder spent over twenty years in state civil service engaging in fiscal policy, accounting, program implementation, process development, data analysis, project management, and program monitoring for the California Student Aid Commission, Department of Aging, and Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). For nearly the past thirteen years, she held various roles at DHCS, Health Care Financing, overseeing billions of dollars in safety net programs, including oversight of the implementation of the Diagnosis Related Group reimbursement methodology, managing the Disproportionate Share Hospital program, and involved with the Hospital Quality Assurance Fee, and a variety of other Medi-Cal supplemental payment programs.