New Board Elected for FY’16
On June 27, a new board was elected to lead the charge into FY’16. Three new members were added, and current board member Karen Stevenson was elected president. We asked Karen to share her thoughts about the new board:
Q: Tell us about the board selection process.
This is a high-functioning, working board. We select people for their expertise, of course, but also for their willingness to roll up their sleeves and pitch in, whether it’s forming a Walk team, traveling to Washington D.C. or Sacramento to lobby for funding and policy changes, or connecting our chapter to community resources and donors. We set high expectations for our board, and people exceed them!
Q: What are the key things you hope to accomplish this year?
In 2014, our San Francisco and San Jose Walks to End Alzheimer’s each raised more than $1 million. We were the first chapter in the nation to do that, and we want to keep that going. We also want to strengthen the high quality care and support services our chapter provides to people and families living with the disease.
And we want to continue the partnerships we’ve created with the amazing research institutions in the Bay Area. It’s exciting to see the rise in concern about the disease and awareness of how the Alzheimer’s Association can help. We want to build on that momentum.
Q: What excites you about leading this board?
Our board is such an engaged and committed group of people. My colleagues inspire me, and it’s a privilege to have been selected to lead them. They’re all leaders in their own way, and they bring valuable skills and passion to everything the chapter does — from care and support for people living with the disease, to fundraising, to advocating for more resources for research to find a cure.
Meet the New Board Members
Mark McDonald is a Principal at IDT Risk Management, working on identity theft protection for employee groups and individuals. He earned an MA in Urban Planning, an MA in Latin America Studies, and a BA in History/Political Science from UCLA. He lost his mother to Alzheimer’s in 2009, and has been an active advocate and volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association, serving as Chair of the Stockton Walk to End Alzheimer’s and on the Association’s fund development committee
Nancy Westcott is an accomplished senior executive who held a variety of financial roles at medical device and life sciences companies, most recently as CFO for Novasys. She holds an MBA, a BA in German, and an accounting certificate. Her non-profit roles include board member for the Bay Nature Institute, and she serves on the Finance Committee for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Elsie Wu is a real estate broker and investor, and held various executive positions in the high tech industry. She holds a MS in Computer Science & Engineering from UCLA, and speaks Mandarin. Elsie watched her grandfather live with dementia, and wants to to help lessen the pain and cost of the illness for other families. Elsie serves on the Association’s fund development committee.
View our entire board roster here.
