Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation announces new executive director
By Jennifer McBratney, Volunteer Coordinator, Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation
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The Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation announces the arrival of its new Executive Director, Diana Walker, CSPG. In April, Diana became the newest member of the Virginia Garcia team in order to continue the Foundation’s growth.
Diana comes to Virginia Garcia most recently from the University of Oregon. As Director of Development for the College of Arts and Sciences, she helped the College to meet its campaign goals a year early for “Campaign Oregon.” Diana was also responsible for helping to create and grow the annual Oregon Economic Forum in Portland from 64 attendees the first year to nearly 300 in 2006. The focus of the Forum last year was on the healthcare crisis and she brought on eight sponsors and lined up former Governor John Kitzhaber as the keynote speaker.
Diana received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Art and a minor in English from California State University, Sacramento. She also has extensive training in management, computer graphics, and a certificate in marketing and media relations.
Through the American Institute of Philanthropic Studies, Diana is a certified specialist in planned giving. Early in her career, Diana worked in the health care profession in sales, marketing and training, then segued into the organizational development industry for nine years working with Fortune 500 companies to help them realign.
“Diana’s development experience is a welcome addition to the team,” says Gil Muñoz, Chief Executive Officer of the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. “At a time when more and more people face uncertainty about how or even if they will be able to access health care, we will be looking to Diana for valuable leadership on how to engage the entire community in supporting our mission.”
Board Members in Leadership Roles
The Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation’s board has also gone through a shift in leadership. Ryan Kenney of BlueCross BlueShield has taken the role of Foundation Chair after the tenure of Will Neuhauser of FBR CoMotion Venture Capital ended. Will is continuing to contribute his expertise as the Vice Chair. Foon Lew of The Standard has taken the role of Secretary/Treasurer. All of the changes within the Foundation will continue to contribute to the organization’s vibrant and successful growth.
About Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center
Since 1975, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center has worked toward the vision that no one in Washington and Yamhill Counties lacks basic health care. The clinic was founded to honor the life and death of six-year old Virginia Garcia, who sustained a treatable foot wound while working in the fields with her migrant farm worker parents. Although attempts were made to treat her, the unavailability of cultural, economic and language-appropriate medical services ultimately led to her death.
While retaining it’s root mission of meeting the needs of migrant and seasonal farm workers and their families, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center now serves people from many cultural, linguistic, and vocational backgrounds, all of whom share one important characteristic: without the health care they receive from Virginia Garcia, they simply would not get the treatment or preventative care they need. With clinics in Beaverton, Cornelius, Hillsboro, and McMinnville, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center is dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality, culturally appropriate health care to low-income and uninsured residents of Washington and Yamhill counties. In the coming fiscal year, the Center will provide primary health care, prenatal and obstetric care, dental services, and health education to 40,000 individuals.
