BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Pam Benson
Pam Benson is CNN's Senior Producer for National Security Affairs based in Washington, DC, reporting on such issues as the intelligence community, terrorism, weapons proliferation, arms control and key U.S. bilateral relations with major powers such as Russia and China. As a 30-year veteran of CNN, Ms. Benson has held a variety of positions at the network including writer, show producer, Executive Producer for all aspects of Washington's daily news coverage, Executive Producer for International Affairs and Executive Producer of CNN's White House coverage.
Prior to joining CNN, Ms. Benson worked as a news writer/producer in local television in Buffalo, New York and started her career as a news reporter for an all-news radio station in Buffalo. Ms. Benson graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1976 with a double BA in Political Science and Speech Communication. She spent a semester abroad studying international broadcasting in London. She is a member of the Dean's Advisory Council at the University at Buffalo, the Women's International Media Foundation, and Women in International Security.
Kim Dunleavy, PhD, PT, MS, OCS
Kim Dunleavy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Dunleavy has a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology with expertise and research interests in designing and evaluating instruction for international use. Her doctoral dissertation focused on presenting and validating a model for design of globalized instruction of health care in developing countries.
Ms. Dunleavy has been involved with Health Volunteers Overseas and, more specifically, the physical therapy programs since 1993. She has volunteered with the physical therapy programs in Vietnam, Suriname, and South Africa and has completed site assessments in Sri Lanka, Suriname and South Africa. She was involved in the HVO/USAID project to upgrade rehabilitation standards in Vietnam from 1994 to 2006, and has performed evaluations for USAID. In addition, she has been on the faculty for several HVO orientation courses on traveling and teaching overseas, giving presentations on teaching skills and rehabilitation.
Rita Feinberg
Rita Feinberg is an international development consultant with over 30 years of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating programs to advance the physical, social, and economic well-being of organizations and communities around the world. She has lived and worked in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Islands. Ms. Feinberg received her M.A. in International Administration from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont.
Richard Fisher, MD
Richard Fisher, MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon and currently serves as chair of Orthopaedics Overseas, the founding division of HVO. Dr. Fisher has been an active HVO member for many years, and has served in Bangladesh, Peru, Bhutan, and Vietnam. He served as Country Director for HVO's USAID-funded rehabilitation project in Mozambique and was a member of the Technical Advisory Group for HVO's Vietnam Rehabilitation Project. Dr. Fisher is a member of the WHO Expert Panel for Clinical Technology, a participant in the WHO Global Initiative for Emergency & Essential Surgical Care, and co-editor of the WHO publication Surgical Care at the District Hospital. He was a Fulbright Fellow in Sri Lanka in 2007.
John Fisk, MD
Dr. John Fisk retired from the Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine in 2007, where he had served as Professor of Surgery in the Division of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation and as Medical Director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory. He joined the faculty of SIU in 1990. In 2005, Dr. Fisk received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, a national honor given at many medical schools to a faculty member and graduating senior who demonstrate compassion, respect for patients and families, and clinical excellence. In 2004, Dr. Fisk was elected Vice President of the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics and appointed chair of their Triennial Congress Committee.
Dr. Fisk completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Minnesota and earned his medical degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He earned his bachelor's degree at Grinnell College. Dr. Fisk is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He has worked clinically and educationally on four continents.
David Frost, DDS, MS
Dr. David Frost is a private practicing Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS) and has been active with Health Volunteers Overseas since 1988. During his time with HVO he has served as a volunteer (India, Nepal, Peru, Vietnam, Cuba and Chile), and has been on the Steering Committee for the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Division, including service as Chair. Dr. Frost was awarded his BS from Texas A&M in 1971, his DDS from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1974 and his MS from the University of North Carolina in 1980. He did his General Practice Residency at USAF in 1976 and his Residency in OMS at UNC in 1980 followed by a Fellowship in OMS in Canniseburn, Scotland & UNC in 1981.
Dr. Frost currently is a Civilian Consultant to the Surgeon General of the Air Force for OMS. Dr. Frost is a Past President of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation. He has Clinical Associate Professor appointments at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Frost has taught and presented papers nationally and internationally since 1980. He is author, editor and/or contributor to more than 60 textbooks, scientific articles and research projects.
Stephanie Murphy, MPA, CPA
Stephanie Murphy serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Air-Conditioning, Heating, & Refrigeration Institute in Arlington, VA, a non-profit trade association representing manufacturers of air-conditioning, heating and commercial refrigeration machinery. Ms. Murphy holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Non-Profit Management from George Mason University where she was also awarded her BS in Accounting. From 2000 to 2004, Ms. Murphy was Chief Financial Officer for Global Impact, a federation of America's leading humanitarian agencies. HVO is a member of Global Impact and participates in national, state and local work-place giving campaigns through this strategic alliance. Prior to her tenure with Global Impact, Ms. Murphy served as Vice President of Finance and Administration for the National Parks Conservation Association and as the Director of Finance for the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project. She has also served as Audit Manager and Senior Accountant for a major public accounting firm.
Jody Olsen, PhD
Jody Olsen, PhD, served as Deputy Director (and as Acting Director for the last 8 months of that period) from 2001-2009. Her international experience began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tunisia and Country Director in Togo. Since then she has held leadership positions with Youth for Understanding, the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, and the Academy for Educational Development. Her work with these organizations and Peace Corps has given her extensive travel experience in more than 85 countries. Dr. Olsen previously served on HVO's Board (1997-2001) but had to step aside when she was appointed to the Peace Corps. Dr. Olsen was recently named as a Visiting Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Maryland.
Julia Plotnick, MPH, RN, FAAN
Julia Plotnick is a consultant on African health affairs to the Foreign Service Institute, US Department of State. She has served as a founding member of the Health Committee for the International Rescue Committee since 1997. In November 2009, she became chair of HVO's Board of Directors.
Ms. Plotnick earned a diploma from St. Anne's Hospital School of Nursing, a BSN from Catholic University, and a MPH from the University of Pittsburgh. She served in the Public Health Service since 1959. In that service, as a community health and maternal/child specialist, she has held various national positions and accepted special international assignments with the World Health Organization. In 1992, the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service selected Rear Admiral Plotnick as the Chief Nurse Officer and Assistant Surgeon General. In her capacity as Chief Nurse, she was the principal advisor to the government on nursing affairs. Following her retirement as Assistant Surgeon General, Chief Nurse of the U.S. Public Health Service in 1996, she worked for 11 years as the Administrative Consultant to the New Jersey Collaborative Center for Nursing and as a part-time Visiting Professor at Rutgers College of Nursing.
She has received numerous awards and citations including the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award, the Surgeon General's Medallion, and the Distinguished Service Medal. She has served as an international consultant in numerous countries and represented the United States on the Global Advisory Group on Nursing to the Director-General of the World Health Organization. In May 2010, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for her work in global health.
Sandra Read, MD
Sandra Read, MD, a dermatologist, has maintained a private practice in Washington, DC for over 20 years. In addition, she has been a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Dermatology at Georgetown University since 1985. Dr. Read completed her medical training at the Medical College of Virginia. In 1998, Dr. Read served as a visiting dermatology consultant for the Tibetan Government in Exile at Delek Hospital in Dharmsala, India. She has been honored twice with the President's Award from the Women's Dermatologic Society for her service to that organization.
Dr. Read serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) as well as several AAD committees. In addition, she has received three Presidential Citations for service to the AAD. She is past President of the Washington, DC Dermatology Society and the Women's Dermatologic Society and has served in numerous leadership roles within this organization.
Steve Schwartz
Steve Schwartz is Senior Vice President of Synthes Inc, a leading international medical device company which specializes in the development, manufacturing and marketing of instruments and implants for the surgical fixation, correction and regeneration of the skeleton and its soft tissues. Mr. Schwartz has been with Synthes since 1980, having served the company in a variety of positions since then. Currently he is responsible for Synthes' support of Continuing Medical Education. Mr. Schwartz also works closely with many professional societies relating to Orthopaedics, Spine, and Craniomaxillofacial surgery; as well as several non-profit and non-governmental service organizations. He is also Synthes' education liaison with the AO Foundation, a worldwide medical research and education foundation located in Davos, Switzerland. Mr. Schwartz holds a degree in Geography from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dennis Vargo, MD, FACP
Dennis L. Vargo, MD, FACP joined Aveo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Cambridge MA) as Senior Director and Head of Pharmacovigilance in 2010. He originally hails from South Bend, IN. He enlisted in the US Navy (nuclear power program) and was appointed to the US Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD). He completed his undergraduate degree with a BA in Philosophy from Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 1980. He obtained his MD in 1985 from Indiana University School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency as well as a fellowship in Clinical Pharmacology (under D. Craig Brater, MD) at Indiana University Medical Center. In addition, he had one year of postgraduate training in inpatient psychiatry at the University of Chicago.
He is board certified in Internal Medicine (1990-2000) and Clinical Pharmacology and was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP). After his postgraduate training he held positions of increasing responsibility in clinical pharmacology/experimental medicine at Zeneca (now AstraZeneca) Pharmaceuticals, including spending more than 3 years at the research headquarters in Alderley Park, UK. He joined Pfizer's Safety and Risk Management Group in New London, CT. In 2003, while at Pfizer, he spent 3 months teaching pharmacy students at Makerere University School of Medicine in Kampala, Uganda as one of Pfizer's first Global Health Fellows. Prior to joining Aveo, Dennis was Vice President and Head of US Clinical Safety and Pharmacovigilance at UCB Pharma, Atlanta GA and worked with the Critical Path Institute, Tucson AZ.
Laurie Zivetz, MPH, PhD
Laurie Zivetz, MPH, PhD, has a strong background in international development with a variety of respected organizations including the American Red Cross, Management Sciences for Health, the World Bank, Project Hope, CARE, and USAID. She served as Country Director for CARE International programs in Vietnam, the Caucasus, and the Philippines, and worked long-term with NGOs in Nepal. She has worked in over 4 dozen countries, and is currently an independent consultant providing evaluation, strategic planning, and analysis support to a range of development agencies.
Nancy Kelly, MHS - Ex Officio
Nancy Kelly has been the Executive Director of Health Volunteers Overseas since it was founded in 1986. Prior to that time, she worked for the National Council for International Health (now known as the Global Health Council) and served as a Maternal Child Health Worker with the Peace Corps in the Republic of Korea. Ms. Kelly received her BA in Asian Studies from the University of Virginia. Upon completion of her Peace Corps service, she pursued graduate studies at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health earning a Master of Health Science degree in Maternal and Child Health.
In 1998 Ms. Kelly was inducted into Delta Omega (Alpha Chapter) Honorary Public Health Society in recognition of her role in the founding of Health Volunteers Overseas. In addition to her responsibilities at Health Volunteers Overseas, Ms. Kelly serves on the Board of Directors of Global Impact, as well as on the Advisory Board of the Emory Spine Center for Outreach and Medical Education, and on the Open Board of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics.