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Foundation Leadership |
Torrance Memorial Health Care Foundation Board of Directors
Torrance Memorial is grateful to the men and women who give freely of themselves for the betterment of the medical center by serving on the Health Care Foundation Board of Directors.
Officers:
 Thomas Simko, M.D. - President
Radiation Oncology,
Torrance Memorial Medical Center |
 Richard Lucy - Vice President
Commercial Property Investments
Crosswind Capital Inc, Principal |
| |
 W. David McKinnie - Treasurer
Consultant
McKinnie Consulting |
 Nadine Bobit - Secretary
Community Volunteer |
Members:
Stevan Calvillo
Attorney, Calvillo & Meyer
Harv Daniels
Board of Directors, SAXA, Inc.
William Gregory Geiger
Managing Director, Westport Capital Management, LLC
George Graham
President Emeritus, Consultant, Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Richard R. Hoffman, M.D.
Radiology, Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Mark Lurie, M.D., F.A.C.C.
Medical Director, Cardiology Program Development, Torrance Memorial
Philip Pavesi
Former Aerospace Executive, TRW
Franklin Pratt, M.D.
Emergency Department, Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Richard K. Rounsavelle, D.D.S.
General Dentistry
Michael Rouse
Corporate Manager of Philanthropy and Community Affairs, Toyota Motor Sales, Inc., USA
Patricia E. Sacks, M.D.
Medical Director, Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Breast Diagnostic Center
Samuel Sim
Restaurant Chain Owner, Chinese Gourmet Express
Mark S. Smith
Chief Operating Officer, Bay Cities National Bank
Nicholas W. Tell, Jr.
Fulcrum Strategy Partners
Michael Zislis
Owner, Shade Hotel and Restaurants in the Beach Cities
| Health Care Foundation Mailing Address: |
3330 Lomita Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505 |
| Fax: |
310-784-4964 |
Note: The information provided on this site is intended to offer general guidelines on making a donation to Torrance Memorial Medical Center. Neither the medical center nor the Health Care Foundation offers professional legal, financial or accounting advice.
Laura Schenasi
Executive Vice President
Health Care Foundation
Laura Schenasi joined the Torrance Memorial family in 2001 after a successful tenure as a fund-raising professional at her alma mater, the University of Southern California.
"Laura's fund-raising experience is an asset that has proven invaluable," said Sally Eberhard, senior vice president, Torrance Memorial Medical Center. "Her knowledge of capital campaigns and the acquisition of major gifts is critical as we continue to fund the medical center expansion so that we may provide for the growing needs of our community."
Before joining the Torrance Memorial team, Schenasi served as the director of major gifts with the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. She was responsible for identifying and soliciting gifts of $100,000 or more for orthopedics, neurosurgery, the Institute for Genetic Medicine and the Violence Intervention Program.
Schenasi has more than 25 years of experience initiating and implementing development campaigns for nonprofit organization. She has done significant work in restructuring and reinvigorating major gift programs, building campaigns, donor recognition programs and planned giving work with individuals and family foundations.
"I'm pleased that I have a hand in making a difference in my community," Schenasi said. "I grew up in the South Bay, and now I'm rearing my own kids here. I take great pride in my role at this outstanding medical center. I work hard everyday for my family — and yours — so that in a time of need from illness or injury, or a time of joy, such as the birth of a baby, Torrance Memorial is ready to provide the best healthcare possible for all our families."
Please contact the Foundation office at 310-517-4703 to discuss how your gift to Torrance Memorial Medical Center can make a difference to you and your community.
Thomas Simko, M.D.
President
Excerpted from Patrons magazine, Spring 2008
As I'm about to enter my 30th year at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, it seems appropriate to reflect on the tremendous changes that I have witnessed over the past years. Torrance Memorial has grown from being a great community hospital into a great regional medical center.
I can remember a time when we had no parking structures, no North Wing and no West Tower. I can also recall when we had a Radiology department but not the Graziadio Radiology Center, a mammography program but not the Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Breast Diagnostic Center. I have also seen the development of the Polak Imaging Center and the Thelma McMillan Center for Chemical Dependency Treatment, the much needed expansion of the Melanie and Richard Lundquist Emergency Department and the creation of the Lundquist Cardiovascular Institute. Through the tremendous generosity of our donors, this transformation has taken place for one purpose and one purpose only - to provide the highest level of healthcare services to the people of our South Bay communities.
I would also like to comment on what has stayed the same. For example, the excellent and dedicated administrative leadership, starting with George Graham and now smoothly transitioned to our President and CEO Craig Leach has stayed the same. The hard work and compassionate care of our medical center staff and volunteers, many of whom have been serving our community for 10, 20 or 30 years, has stayed the same. The very high quality of the physicians on our medical staff who serve the medical center with their time, expertise and excellent patient care has stayed the same. The strong support of the communities we serve has stayed the same. And perhaps most importantly, the unwavering, generous support of our donors has stayed the same.
So we are also extremely grateful for what has not changed, because it has helped to make us a better and stronger medical center.
The next few years will bring unprecedented change to the Torrance Memorial campus.
Plans are in the works for a much-needed 370,000-square-foot new patient care tower that will bring the next generation of healthcare to families living in the South Bay. These changes can happen in substantial measure because of the things that have "stayed the same." While there is some truth to the aphorism "The more things change, the more they stay the same," at Torrance Memorial we could say "The more things stay the same, the more they can change." And with your help, change they will. I wish to thank all of you for your tremendous ongoing support of our great medical center.
We are here for only one reason and we are first for only one reason ... and that reason is you!
Judith Gassner
Director of Major Gifts & Corporations
As Director of Major and Corporate Gifts for the Torrance Memorial Health Care Foundation, Gassner is also is in charge of the hospital's annual giving program, the Ambassadors.
Gassner joined the Health Care Foundation in September, 2001 serving in various development positions throughout her tenure. In addition to cultivating and stewarding donors and foundations, Gassner has forged corporate partnerships, established community alliances, served as a liaison with volunteer support groups, worked closely with hospital leadership, Foundation Board of Directors and physicians, organized and obtained underwriting for hospital events, and reinvigorated the Ambassadors Program; developing successful strategies to increase membership and philanthropy.
"Through strong partnerships with donors who demonstrate vision and dedication, Torrance Memorial offers a commitment to medical and patient care that is second to none. It is a privilege to be part of an institution that provides comprehensive and exceptional compassionate care."
Gassner comes uniquely qualified for her position. Prior to joining the Health Care Foundation, she worked as Director of Promotion for the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the leadership of conductor Seiji Ozawa, and the Boston Pops Orchestra with composer and conductor John Williams. Working with guest artists, conductors and soloists, Gassner organized symposiums; arranged guest lectures and master classes, worked with critics and journalists, and was involved with symphony publications, youth concerts and community outreach programs.
A native of Maine, Gassner received her B.A. in Art History and Russian Literature from New York University and has served on the boards of cultural and educational institutions.
Joseph Ward
Director of Gift Planning
Torrance resident Joseph Ward joined the Torrance Memorial Health Care Foundation in 2005 as director of Gift Planning. Ward assists individuals with making charitable donations that provide retirement income and tax savings.
"We are pleased to have an experienced planned giving professional who can assist donors with charitable, financial and estate planning services that can optimize a donor's retirement," said Laura Schenasi, executive vice president, Torrance Memorial Health Care Foundation. "Joe offers expertise and ongoing stewardship to donors who would like to develop planned giving opportunities such as charitable remainder trusts."
Charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts, or CRTs, provide impressive financial results by offering an income stream, tax deduction and a donation that benefits Torrance Memorial for years to come. Ward also assists donors with additional giving opportunities that provide income, contributions and tax savings such as bequests, charitable gift annuities and estate planning.
According to Torrance Memorial's volunteer Professional Advisory Committee member Ted Hanasono, Esq., CPA, CRTs are particularly beneficial when a person has property that has appreciated significantly.
"It provides both an income stream and substantial tax deduction by avoiding capital gains at the time the trust is created and saving on future estate taxes," said Hanasono.
Formerly assistant director of Planned Giving at the University of California, Los Angeles, Ward was responsible for securing gifts campus-wide by working directly with donors and development officers. Ward holds a bachelor's degree in business and marketing from California State University, Long Beach. In addition, he completed the UCLA Professional Development Program. He is a member of the Planning Giving Roundtable of Southern California.
The Torrance Memorial Health Care Foundation oversees fundraising for the medical center including annual events, charitable giving, naming opportunities and the capital building campaign. For more information about the Foundation and making a donation, visit the website at www.TorranceMemorial.org or call 310-517-4703.
Lisa Takata
Patrons Program Manager, Special Events Coordinator
In November 2007, Lisa Takata came on board with the Torrance Memorial Health Care Foundation team as Special Events coordinator and Patrons Program manager. In this dual role, she coordinates Foundation meetings and special events. She also manages the donor stewardship and amenities program, including the Patrons Program. Takata offers a wealth of experience through positions at UCLA and Toyota, as well as volunteer involvment in local community organizations.
Maggie Mills
Director of Foundation Grants
Maggie Mills joined Torrance Memorial as the Director of Foundation Grants in October 2007. She brings more than a decade of fundraising experience to the medical center, most recently at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach where she was the Director of Development Operations and grants. Mills is a graduate of Loyola Marymont University and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of California at Irvine.
Karen Randazzo
Development Liaison
Bio Coming
Bert Stewart
Development Liaison
Bio Coming
Jill Golden
Administrative Assistant
Bio Coming
