Board of Directors

I live in Orange County with my two adult sons, Nicholas (who has PWS) and Jacob. Our family has a passion for traveling internationally and road-tripping to as many National Parks as possible! Raising Nicholas has given me a special heart for our loved ones with PWS and I have been working directly within the developmental disabilities system since 2008. My experience includes Parent Mentoring, Adult Day Services and Regional Center Services. My current specialties are service access and crisis management. PWCF events were integral to building my knowledge, confidence and friendships during the early years of PWS and I look forward to giving back to this great organization.

I joined the PWCF community when my son, Alexander, was diagnosed at 3 weeks old. My husband and I are raising our three amazing kids in Lodi where I work as a commercial lender. I have been in the banking industry for over 20 years and Alexander’s advocate for 6 years. I volunteer for Partners in Education, an organization which works on developing reading skills for elementary school students and mentors middle school students on making good choices today for their future. Being a mom and advocate for Alexander has been the most rewarding role I have been blessed with. Serving on the board of the foundation provides me the opportunity to pay it forward to an organization that has provided me, and will continue to provide me, resources and support to ensure I give Alexander every opportunity available to him.

I joined the PWCF community around 2012 when I became my Sister, Brooke’s Guardian. Brooke lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where we grew up. I have been a part of the PWS community for forty years, and I am eager to become more involved with the PWCF community since I live in California. I know it takes a community of people to support each other through the challenges of advocacy and ensuring the health and safety of people with disabilities, a notoriously marginalized group. This community has been an integral source of support for my family and me. I am an entrepreneur with 17 years of experience creating dynamic strategies for brand development, product/service alignment, and revenue growth. I am a Co-Founder of Hands On Gourmet, a dynamic, experiential event and catering company based in San Francisco, California. I live in Tahoma, California.

My name is Petra Martinez-Ali. I am the mother of a 27-year-old son, Aiden, with Prader- Willi syndrome and mild Autism. I have been married to Aiden’s dad for 26 years. I consider Aiden to be severe in many of the characteristics within the spectrum. Despite the severity of his condition and the quirky manifestations, Aiden is well managed and thriving, thanks to the team of support staff that support him in staying centered and grounded. Being Aiden’s mom is wonderful, painful and extremely hard. He brings out the best in me and those who work with him. Every day I get to rise to the occasion, set to the work that is my calling; to serve Aiden in dealing with this syndrome, that effects every area of his and our life! I’ve had a lot of practice in doing this and ultimately my care of him requires that I take better care of myself. What an unexpected blessing. I look forward to supporting other families and professionals while serving on PWCF’s Board of Directors.

Rodney Dong is a proud father to Kiran, a 10 year old boy with PWS, and lives with him, his wonderful wife Gail and his mischievous cat Loki in Valencia in sunny Southern California. He is originally from Vancouver, Canada, and is a Board Certified Music Therapist specializing in work with children and youth with developmental disabilities. Rodney was first introduced to PWCF shortly after his son Kiran was diagnosed with PWS, and the incredible amount of support he and his wife received eventually led to him serving as a Board Member for over 4 years. He is passionate about running and as such is heavily involved with both PWCF’s Marathon and Walk Events each year, and well as other fundraising events. He is also very passionate about the performing arts, and as Vice President for the non-profit Include Everyone Project of the Santa Clarita Valley (IEPSCV) helps facilitate the Music and Movement Groups with PWCF’s members each month.

I am the mother of four children, grandmother to three beautiful granddaughters, and a new grandson. I’m a clinical geneticist initially trained in the U.K at St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London Hospital, London. My specialist training is in pediatrics and genetics. I have an interest in rare diseases, and for the challenges individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome and their families face. I completed genetics training at UC-Irvine and won the 2010 WSPR David W. Smith Trainee Research award for PWS research, and previously served as a Board member for the International Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (IPWSO). I currently work as an Associate Professor in Pediatrics, Division of Genetics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and at University of California – Irvine, where I lead the only PWS Adult Clinic in California.

My name is Jennifer Meade and I have had the pleasure of being a mom to two beautiful girls with Prader Willi Syndrome. The first was my daughter Scarlett, who had the unipaternal disomy version of PWS. Sadly, her life was cut short by Leukemia at the age of 11 months. I was fortunate to connect with Josie a year later and adopt her into the family five years ago. Josie has a PWS via a translocation. If I were to be elected as a board member for Prader Willi California Foundation I would seek to elevate the brand of the foundation with the goal of increasing revenue, directing funds to research, awareness and resources for families taking care of PWS individuals. I work as a commercial real estate broker and live in Long Beach with my husband and two daughters. My business savvy as a corporate executive and experience as a caregiver can bring a new energy to foundation to take it to new heights and make PWS more recognizable to others and promote acceptance and drive to find solutions for managing symptoms and finding relief for both individuals with PWS and their caregivers. Thank you for your consideration.

I live in Redondo Beach, California with my husband, Minesh, and three kids, Siena (who has PWS), Melina and Jaiden. Our family loves to travel, spend time with family, and watch movies. We have been an active member of PWCF since Siena was born 16 years ago, and have so much gratitude for all of the support and guidance we have received from PWCF. It has been an honor to be on the Board for the past 9 years, serving in various roles and giving back to the PWS community. I have worked in Strategic Planning, and have an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Management from Wharton Business School.

I am a native of Argentina and I moved to the US to do my graduate studies. I moved to CA to work at California State University Fullerton in the Department of Kinesiology. My husband Ricky Garcia and I live in Orange County, CA. We enjoy so much being physically active, we try to spend our weekends being outdoors. My professional interest is the promotion of an active lifestyle in children and adolescents. In the past years I have been privileged to meet so many families with a child who has Prader-Willi syndrome because of the research I do and my involvement with Prader-Willi California Foundation PWCF. I hope to continue to serve the mission of the PWCF by my involvement in the Board.

Hello. I’m Lisa Salazar, an Orange County resident and mother of a young adult (Darin Murphy) with PWS. Professionally, I am a career scientist working to better understand how the brain works, how this is altered in disease, and how it may be targeted therapeutically. As Darin’s mom, I have helped him navigate each stage of growing up, working with doctors and therapists, teachers and day programs to ensure his success and well-being. The resources available through PWCF were invaluable to us. I am passionate about helping people with disabilities improve their lives and achieve their goals. It has been my great privilege to volunteer at the Shea Center for Therapeutic Horseback Riding for more than 15 years, and to talk about PWS to Shea Center therapists and volunteers, as well as first-year medical students at the University of California, Irvine. I would be honored to further serve the PWS community as a member of the PWCF Board of Directors.

Daniel lives in Redlands (Inland Empire) with his wife and their blended family of four children – 3 sons and 1 adopted daughter. Their youngest is in elementary school and the oldest is away at college. His son, Landon, was diagnosed at 2 weeks old and is now attending high school. Daniel and family enjoy taking frequent trips to Big Bear and spending time outdoors with their dogs. They enjoy the kids’ baseball & soccer games nearly every Saturday morning. Daniel has over 20 years’ experience in Business with a certificate in Bookkeeping and has had direct experience in non-profit accounting.

I live in Murrieta, CA. I served in the United States Marine Corps for 27 years of active duty service, and 3 years as a Contracted Instructor at MCAS Miramar. I was the leading board member in the development of the Marine Corps Mentorship Program (MCMP). I have immersed myself in the PWS arena from the caregiver and resource counselor perspective for the past 5 years, gaining first-hand knowledge from parents, physicians, and individuals who are afflicted with PWS. My experiences could never match the challenges parents face, having a child with PWS. I am committed to put the knowledge I have obtained into action, as a PWS Board Member. I am willing and wanting to make a difference.