Young & Healthy Announces New Board Members

Kallan Arkeder

Kimmy McAtee Bell

Reverend Mark Chase

Wende Headley

Leonard Kim, MD

Lora McManus

Kaya Haig Plansker

Mary Ellen McCormick Sather, MD

Nancy Stiles

Ryan Swerdloff

Alfredo Valverde, Ph.D.

Young & Healthy is pleased to announce the election of eleven new directors to its board. “These community members are bringing new energy, ideas, and perspectives to our dynamic Board of Directors. We already feel the excitement and look forward to working together to fulfill Young & Healthy’s mission to enhance the health of families by providing access to high quality health care and wellness education,” said Marjorie Diaz, Young & Healthy Board President.

The new members include:

Kallan Arkeder is an award-winning social impact communications expert with specific expertise in anti-sexual violence work, human rights, and social justice. Having worked on several national campaigns, she drives impact to support those most vulnerable through inspiring public education and action. Arkeder earned a double bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University in Public Policy and Broadcast & Digital Journalism and has committed herself to cause-driven work for systemic change. She currently is supporting children and survivors with her work at RAINN and shares the same mission as Young & Healthy to provide children with the resources they need for a safe, happy and healthy life.

Kimmy McAtee Bell is a partner and Creative Director at the full-service agency, Creative Drinking, where she leads a team of creatives on multi-platform integrated campaigns for high-profile clients, including Nike, TikTok, Airbnb, Speedo, and Vans. With nearly 20 years of experience, McAtee Bell has been at the forefront of culture through her work in action sports, tech, and lifestyle industries. She previously served as the VP of Partnerships and Communications for over five years at The Keep A Breast Foundation, a youth-focused breast cancer nonprofit. McAtee Bell holds a degree in Marketing and Visual Communications from FIDM and lives in East LA with her husband, artist and business partner, Nathan Bell, and their pug, Elton.

Reverend Mark Chase is an Associate Rector at All Saints Church in Pasadena. Chase has worked in the Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley area for over 15 years providing pastoral care and counseling services, anti-racism training and education, community organizing, spiritual direction, leadership development and mentoring. Chase holds a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, and also serves on the board of Pasadenans Organizing for Progress. He is passionate about restorative justice, and re-imagining healthy communities freed from systemic oppression. He is originally from New York and is a lifelong Yankees fan, but will support the Dodgers, as long as they are not playing the Yankees.

Wende Headley is CEO of Quantum Financial Advisors, an independent fee-only financial planning and investment advisory firm based in Los Angeles. Quantum’s mission is to empower individuals and families to thrive by simplifying their finances so they can focus their time on doing what they enjoy most. Headley began supporting Young & Healthy in 2008 as a volunteer with the Pasadena Children’s Guild. She is passionate about children’s health and well-being and believes Young & Healthy plays a vital role in our community. Headley graduated from the University of Michigan and received her MBA from Harvard Business School. She is married, has three children, and lives with her husband in Pasadena.

Leonard Kim, MD grew up in Altadena and La Canada. He attended high school at the Polytechnic School in Pasadena, followed by Pomona College, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, and completed his residency in Anesthesiology at UCLA. He has been working at Huntington Memorial Hospital (now Huntington Health) for 27 years. Kim will be instrumental in finding ways to strengthen and develop the relationship between Young & Healthy and Huntington Health and its physicians.

Lora McManus serves as the Dean of Students & Belonging at St. James Episcopal School. She focuses specifically on actionable steps to reconcile school culture and create schools in which families and employees of color feel not only in the space, but of the space—the critical difference between inclusion and belonging. With a history rooted in Los Angeles and southern California, McManus earned her B.A. in Sociology from Pitzer College and her dual M.A. degree in Education Administration and Curriculum and Instruction from California State University, Channel Islands where she authored Experiences of Discrimination and Microaggressions towards Women of Color in Independent School Headships.

Kaya Haig Plansker blends 15 years of strategic communication experience at advertising agencies with championing community leadership as the former Executive Director of Leadership Pasadena and current Sr Director of Training & Programs at civic leadership development organization, Coro Southern California. Plansker holds a Master Human Development; Social Change degree from Pacific Oaks College and currently leads the Housing & Houselessness Leadership Network and Climate Resilience Leadership Network at Coro. Her experience facilitating cross-sectoral learning has led her to wholeheartedly believe in the power of relationships and collaboration to positively impact communities and tackle complex systemic challenges.

Mary Ellen McCormick Sather, MD is an outpatient general pediatrician who practices in Pasadena at Huntington Health Physicians, Pasadena Pediatrics. She grew up in La Canada Flintridge and currently resides there with her husband and two children. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Communication Studies at UCLA and proceeded to UC Davis School of Medicine for her medical degree. Sather completed her pediatric residency at UCLA Medical Center and has worked as a pediatrician since 2007. In 2023, she co-authored a textbook Navigating Media’s Influence Through Childhood and Adolescence: A Question and Answer Guide for Professionals.

Nancy Stiles is a Nonprofit Consultant specializing in fundraising, board development, and strategy with a proven track record of success leading Young & Healthy’s treasured community partner, Stars. Beginning in their Mentoring Program, Stiles led Stars as its Executive Director for 10 years before stepping back to the role of Director of Engagement to facilitate the transition to new organizational leadership. Known as a visionary and compassionate leader, she has shared her expertise as an Adjunct Professor at two local institutions of higher learning. Stiles grew up in the Pasadena area where she raised her family and continues to live. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics degree from University of California, San Diego and a Master of Arts in Mathematics degree from UCLA.

Ryan Swerdloff has lived in the Pasadena/Altadena area for nearly his entire life and is an alumnus of PUSD schools and his three children currently attend PUSD schools. Growing up in diverse neighborhoods and a non-traditional family, he has a deep appreciation for different cultures and lifestyles, which drives his commitment to giving back to the community. Having to manage the intricacies of the healthcare system for his own family led Swerdloff to take advantage of Young & Healthy’s Mobile Dental Clinic on multiple occasions for his three children. His insight as both a strong community advocate and Young and Healthy program participant will be invaluable as a member of the board. Swerdloff earned his bachelor’s degree from University of California, San Diego with a double major in economics and communications. He currently works in computer electronics, focusing on digital storage solutions and is a member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

Alfredo Valverde, Ph.D. is a Quantitative Research and Analytics Associate at Capital Group, where he specializes in systematic portfolio construction. His journey began at Georgia Tech, where he earned his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering. Once in Pasadena, he worked as a Guidance & Control Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, contributing to the development of flight control algorithms. Beyond his professional pursuits, Valverde is a passionate advocate for education, promoting STEM, the International Baccalaureate program, and financial literacy. He also serves on the board of Ready, Set, Read!, a non-profit organization that promotes literacy among children through abundant books.

For more information about Young & Healthy and its array of services and supports visit them at https://yhpasadena.org/. For press inquiries, please contact Shelley Boyle, sboyle@yhpasadena.org.

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