YWCA USA Announces New Board Members and Officers

The YWCA USA, one of the oldest and largest non-profit organizations dedicated to improving the lives of women and eliminating racism, announced today that after a nationwide recruiting process, 13 women joined the YWCA National Board of Directors, effective June 8, 2013. They will serve on the organization's national board of directors along with four re-elected YWCA Board leaders. The appointment of the new board was ratified at the YWCA's National Business Meeting in Washington D.C. on Saturday, June 8, at the organization's 2013 Annual Conference. The YWCA National Board of Directors will now be comprised of the following 17 members:

RE-ELECTED YWCA USA BOARD MEMBERS

YWCA USA Board Chair: Paula Penebaker, President & CEO, YWCA Southeast Wisconsin

YWCA USA Vice Chair & Secretary: Azuri Gonzalez, Director, Center for Civic Engagement, The University of Texas at El Paso

YWCA USA Treasurer: Janet Marcotte, former Executive Director, YWCA Tucson

YWCA USA Board Member and immediate past Board Chair: Rebecca Hall, Executive Director, YWCA Greater Lawrence

NEW YWCA USA BOARD MEMBERS

Sheila Carnicelli, Managing Director, UBS AG

Rachel Cheeks-Givan, Director, Global Diversity & Inclusion, PepsiCo

Katherine Emerich Compagni, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Ithaca College (Retired)

Tracey Gray-Walker, Managing Director, Head of Association Business, AXA Equitable

Marsha B. Henderson, Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health, U.S. FDA

Laura Jennings, Private Investor

Paula Green Johnson, Community Volunteer & Advocate

Lesley Lopez, Director of Communications, National Immigration Forum

Kaydian Lyn, Assistant Vice President, Government & Community Partnerships, JPMorgan Chase

Aimée Meher-Homji, Client Partner & Leader, International Development, Korn/Ferry International

Rhonda R. Mims, President, ING Foundation

Ruth Oratz, M.D., Director, The Women's Oncology & Wellness Practice, Clinical Associate Professor and Firm Chief, NYU School of Medicine

Patricia Pearman, Executive Director of Oncology & Disease Solutions, GE Corporate healthymagination

YWCA USA CEO Dara Richardson-Heron M.D. stated, "We are very excited and honored to add these incredible leaders to the YWCA USA Board of Directors. In order for the YWCA to achieve continued success as a national organization, it is critically important for us to engage individuals who are passionate about our mission, willing to help us increase the visibility of our national movement and bring new resources and services to our historic organization."

The YWCA National Board of Directors is comprised of 17 women from 10 states. Each of these women joins the YWCA bringing their extensive professional experiences and significant executive leadership accomplishments from a multitude of industries: Academic, Business, Health and Public Sectors.

About the YWCA National Board Members:

Sheila Carnicelli, Managing Director, UBS AG

Sheila Carnicelli joined UBS AG in 1997, serving in a number of roles in the investment Bank Finance Team. For six years, Sheila developed and managed the private equity control team in the Americas, developing expertise in investment strategy and governance, and managing all aspects of the financial, legal, and administrative matters for the product segment. She is a CPA and a member of various organizations and networks that promote the empowerment and advancement of women.

Rachel Cheeks-Givan, Director, Global Diversity & Inclusion, PepsiCo

Rachel Cheeks-Givan leads PepsiCo's Global Diversity and Inclusion capabilities, employee engagement, including the Employee Resource Groups, as well as, their global women's strategic initiatives and partnerships focused on the advancement of women across PepsiCo.

Katherine Emerich Compagni, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Writing Dept., Ithaca College (Retired)

Katherine Emerich Compagni, Ph.D., is a fourth-generation Compagni family member with YWCA of Cortland roots. She is a former two-term YWCA Board member and past Board President (2006-2008). She chaired the Advance Gifts Committee of the YWCA's successful 3 million dollar Capital Campaign. Currently she is a College Council member of the State University of New York, College at Cortland; a Director of the Cortland Regional Medical Center Foundation Board; and member of Zonta, a professional women's service organization that works to improve the status of women locally and internationally.

Azuri L. Gonzalez, Director, Center for Civic Engagement, The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)

Azuri Gonzalez manages UTEP's community-based teaching and learning partnerships to enhance higher education learning and contribute to the public good. As the Director, Azuri has been instrumental in attaining UTEP's designation as a Community Engaged Institution by the Carnegie Foundation, listing on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, and high rank in Washington Monthly magazine's national college rankings based on social mobility, research, and service. Azuri has served on the YWCA El Paso del Norte Region Board of Directors since 2006 and served on the former National Coordinating Board of the YWCA USA from 2008-2012, most recently on its Governance Committee.

Tracey Gray-Walker, Managing Director, Head of Association Business, AXA Equitable

As head of the Association Business, Tracey drives the growth agenda of the association marketplace for AXA Equitable, including increasing AXA's brand awareness in the Association community while enhancing the engagement of existing associations and their members. Tracey joined AXA Equitable's Financial Management Development Training Program in 1989 and rapidly ascended within the organization to key positions in marketing, sales, business planning, operations, technology and finance. Tracey's broad-based experience has resulted in increased revenue, improved operational efficiencies and cost reduction programs. Tracey serves on the board of directors for The Executive Leadership Council and YouthBridge-NY. She is a member of the Women's Bond Club. In 2004, she was named Autism Ambassador of the Year, and she is a former trustee for Autism New Jersey.

Rebecca Hall, Executive Director, YWCA Greater Lawrence

Rebecca Hall has served as a YWCA Executive Director for nearly 40 years. Hall became the Executive Director of YWCA Haverhill in the early 70s and she has served as Executive Director of the YWCA Greater Lawrence since 1991.Her career has been dedicated to the YWCA mission of eliminating racism and empowering women while promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Hall most recently served as Chair of the YWCA USA National Board, following her service for two years as Vice-Chair of the Board.

Marsha B. Henderson, Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health, U.S. FDA

Marsha Henderson has been a health professional dedicated to public service for over 25 years. Henderson is nationally recognized as a leader, innovator, and change agent focusing on those with the greatest need. She is currently the Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Laura Jennings, Private Investor

Laura Jennings has been active in her local community, serving on the board of the YWCA Seattle|King|Snohomish for over 12 years. As a venture capitalist, Jennings has served on the boards of well over a dozen organizations. She currently sits on the board of Laird Norton Tyee, the largest private wealth management firm in the Northwest. Jennings served on the governance and compensation committees at Laird Norton Tyee and currently sits on its 3-member executive committee.

Paula Green Johnson, Community Volunteer & Advocate

Paula Green Johnson has worked with the YWCA of Salt Lake City for 16 years and was president of the YWCA of Salt Lake City Board of Directors. She is a member of the World Service Council. Paula is a founding member of the Women's Philanthropic Network (WPN) and served as chair for three and half years. Paula is the first representative from Utah on the United Way Worldwide National Women's Leadership Council, where she is one of the 15 women from around the country, and is the incoming chair of the Advocacy and Public Policy Committee.

Lesley Lopez, Director of Communications, National Immigration Forum

Lesley Lopez is the Director of Communications for the National Immigration Forum, which advocates for the value of immigrants by promoting policy reform and integration programs. Most recently, she served as Communications Director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, guiding the messaging strategy for the group of 27 Hispanic Members of the House and Senate. For 11 years, she was a journalist in local and national media. Lesley also serves as an adjunct professor at The George Washington University.

Kaydian Lyn, Assistant Vice President, Government and Community Partnerships, JPMorgan Chase

Kaydian Lyn is an Assistant Vice President of Government and Community Partnerships for Chase Mortgage Banking. She is active in the community and passionate about tackling social issues. She served on the board of the Central Ohio Urban Financial Services Coalition Interest Group from 2011-2012. She is a member of the YWCA Columbus Chase Gen Y Leadership Project. Lyn is also a member and volunteer for the Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD) Public Policy and Keynote Committees.

Janet Marcotte, Former Executive Director, YWCA Tucson

Janet Marcotte retired in January 2013 from her position as the Executive Director at YWCA Tucson after serving more than 25 years as their Executive Director. Janet has served as President of the National Association of YWCA Executives, was elected the YWCA USA Board of Directors in 2009, joined the Executive Committees in 2010 and elected Treasurer in 2012. She has served in leadership positions on numerous local, state, and national boards and was recently named to the Board of Advisors for the Arizona We Want Institute. In her consulting practice, JCMarcotte Consulting, Janet specializes in public policy advocacy, strategy development, and non-profit management and major gifts.

Aimée Meher-Homji, Client Partner & Leader, International Development, Korn/Ferry International

Aimee is a Client Partner in Korn/Ferry International's Diversity, Nonprofit and Education practices. She also leads the firm's International Development efforts. She has over a decade of experience in the recruitment of CEO's, Presidents, Development Executives, CFO's, and HR Executives across multiple industries. She has represented organizations with causes related to international development, global health, environmental, cultural, government and academic interests. Aimée is a corporate member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Society for International Development, and the U.S.-India Business Council. She serves on the board of Encore Stage Theatre.

Rhonda R. Mims, President, ING Foundation

Rhonda Mims is the President of the ING Foundation. As President, she is responsible for the corporate responsibility strategy for the U.S. operations. She has oversight for the company's business principles, investment and finance policies, workforce diversity, diversity marketing, as well as corporate philanthropy with a special focus on children's education, financial literacy, outreach to diverse communities, and environmental sustainability. Additionally, Rhonda currently serves on the Board of Directors of Americas Promise Alliance, The Thurgood Marshal College Fund, Association of Corporate Contributions Professionals, The Executive Leadership Foundation, UNICEF and the U.S Chamber of Commerce's Business Civic Leadership Center. She also serves as a senior advisor to the University of California, Berkeley Haas Center for Corporate Responsibility.

Ruth Oratz, M.D., F.A.C.P. Director, The Women's Oncology & Wellness Practice, Clinical Associate Professor and Firm Chief, NYU School of Medicine

Ruth Oratz, M.D., FACP is a Clinical Associate Professor and Firm Chief in the Department of Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine. She is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer and is Director of the Women's Oncology & Wellness Practice. Dr. Oratz has been practicing medical oncology for more than 20 years. She serves on the advisory boards of national and local organizations including CancerCare; Cancer and Careers; Living Beyond Breast Cancer; Breastcancer.org; Sharsheret: Linking Young Jewish Women in Their Fight Against Breast Cancer, Moving on Aerobics, and the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network of New York. Dr. Oratz was Chair of the Medical Advisory Board of Susan G. Komen Greater New York.

Patricia Pearman, Executive Director of Oncology & Disease Solutions, GE Corporate healthymagination

Patricia Pearman is the Executive Director of Oncology & Disease Solutions at GE Corporate healthymagination and a 25-year GE veteran. She is responsible for the operational and strategic management and execution of GE's $1B cancer commitment programs as part of the company's $6B healthymagination business initiative. She serves as the interface for internal stakeholders and external partners, customers, government officials and other key constituencies. She is a member of GE's Healthcare Community Relations & Charitable Giving Board and involved in a number of community and civic organizations. Pearman's humanitarian work involves support of the Developing Health Globally Projects in the U.S., Africa, and Honduras and Cambodia.

Paula Penebaker, President & CEO, YWCA Southeast Wisconsin

Paula Penebaker is the President and CEO at the YWCA Southeast Wisconsin. She has served as a Board Chair for the Great Lakes Alliance Region, YWCA National Coordinating Board (NCB) member, U.S. delegate to the 2011 YWCA World Council and YWCA NCB Vice Chair. Her community service work includes being a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Milwaukee Chapter of the Links Incorporated and the Rotary Club of Milwaukee. Additionally, she serves on the Marquette University's College of Professional Studies' Advisory Council and as a Public Policy Forum Trustee.

The YWCA is the voice for every woman. For more than 150 years, the YWCA has spoken out and taken action on behalf of women and girls. The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Over 2 million people participate each year in YWCA programs at more than 1,300 locations across the U.S.