About the Howell Foundation
The Howell Foundation Board of Directors aims to highlight and review breaking discoveries in all areas of women’s health research, as well as new standards of care informed by research published in peer-reviewed medical literature. We promote the inclusion of sex and gender in biomedical and clinical research designs to improve women’s health. We work to integrate the latest research in educational programs, publications and information sources available to our community.
The Friends of Howell, the Legacy Council, the Scientific Advisory Council and our dedicated volunteers make it possible for us to accomplish our mission: investing in early career scholars’ research and providing community education to improve women’s health. Through our guiding philosophy of “Keeping the Women We Love Healthy,” we serve to make a lasting impact on society and the overall well-being of women.
Foundation Board of Director stats
Our Composition
The Howell Foundation - who we are
Our Founder
Founder (1923 - 2018)
Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist and internationally renowned leader in pediatrics and hospice care; Dr. Doris Howell was a faculty member at Harvard and Duke Schools of Medicine, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and Chair of the UCSD Medical School Department of Community and Family Medicine. In 1995, the Soroptimist International of La Jolla honored Dr. Howell by establishing a foundation in her name.
Talent. Creativity. Experience. The dedication, commitment and the gift of time from the Board Members of the Howell Foundation to further the need for women’s health research and education makes us strong.
OFFICERS
Board Chair
Bill Littlejohn
Senior VP and CEO, Sharp HealthCare Foundation
Board Vice Chair Trista R. Campbell, PhD, RN, CPHQ
CEO, Righteous, Inc., Dream Care Group Homes
Chief Financial Officer Jeffery Adler
Entrepreneur
Board Secretary Elizabeth Sophy, MD
Attending Physician; Scripps Palliative Care and Father Joe’s Villages
Immediate Past Chair Eileen Gaffen
President, Steres Gaffen Media
DIRECTORS
Susan Baxter, PhD
Retired, CSU Office of the Chancellor
Jane M. Georges, PhD, RN
Dean, Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, University of San Diego
Mary H. Nunnally, PhD
Retired Medical Device Quality Executive
Maria E. Ramirez, PhD, MPH
Head of Clinical Development at Trutino Biosciences
Angel Ryan
Senior Social Search Coordinator, IMS Legal Strategies
Marjorie L. Slankard, MD
Professor Emerita, Columbia University Medical Center
OUR STAFF:
Marla Black
Executive Director
Marla Black is an accomplished Senior Executive, Consultant, Thought Leader, and Non-Profit Board Member with more than 40 years of success across the banking and non-profit management industries. Leveraging extensive experience with strategic planning, change management, business development, go-to-market strategy, fundraising, training and coaching, and media relations, she is a valuable advisor for an organization needing to integrate company culture when going through an M&A or growing and scaling. Her broad areas of expertise include organizational leadership, performance management, global operations, executive coaching, corporate governance, and P&L.
Marla graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in telecommunications in 1978 and Pacific Coast Banking School in 1999. She recently completed the Executive Leadership and Corporate Governance certificate program at the University of California, Los Angeles John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management. Marla resides in Poway, California with her husband Larry. They have three adult children.
Tanya Fortuna, Administrative Coordinator (tanya@howellfoundation.org)
Tanya has 25 years of Non-profit administrative support experience and a passion for helping the Foundation continue to grow and expand on Dr. Howell’s vision of “keeping the women we love healthy.” After previously working at The San Diego Foundation and Salk Institute, Tanya joined the Howell Foundation team in 2006 and uses her 19 years of Howell history, insight and knowledge towards helping the Foundation achieve its goals.
As Administrative Coordinator for the Howell Foundation, Tanya supports leadership and the Board of Directors in several areas including donor relations and recordkeeping, scholarship program administration, campaign implement and reporting, event planning and execution, board meeting coordination, website content management, communication and social media efforts, development and grant writing efforts, and helps to develop new systems and efficiencies.
Michele Prescott, Development Associate (micheleprescott@howellfoundation.org)
Michele Prescott has 25 years of experience in non-profit leadership and management. She served on the Board of Directors for Rady Children’s Hospital Auxiliary as President and for National Charity League, Inc. as Treasurer and Member at Large. Michele has experience in bylaws
development and governance, strategic branding campaigns, fund development, project management, leadership training, volunteer management, and event planning.
She joined the Howell Foundation in 2023 Development Associate. Her principal job duties include identifying and securing new grant funding opportunities and maintaining relationships with existing funders to encourage continued funding.
In our path to becoming the premier organization advancing women’s health, the talent and experience of each Committee Chair and members ensures funding for women’s health research.
Education Outreach Committee
Oversees outreach efforts such as the Howell Health Lectures Luncheons, Webinars, Special outreach events and other similar efforts.
Development Committee
Oversees and obtains philanthropic support for the Foundation to ensure the long-term financial viability of the Foundation.
Finance & Budget Committee
Oversees the Foundation’s financial investments and expenditures.
Scholarships Committee
Reviews and oversees the Howell Scholarship Program applications and award recipients.
Scholar Alumni Committee
Focuses on creating an organized and systematic outreach to Howell Scholar Alumni which highlights their achievements and builds a sense of community.
Interested in joining a Howell Committee?
Comprised of advisors of inestimable talent whose collective minds help the Foundation achieve its mission, the Howell Foundation Legacy Council was established in 2015 to highlight the exceptional commitment of former Board Members. Thank you for your continued involvement and dedication!
Brad Benter
Betty Brayshay
Mandy Butler, PhD
Stacy Carota
Cher Conner
Kathleen Franklin
Diana Hill
Gladys Kohn
Andrea Z. LaCroix, PhD
Hamilton Loeb, Jr.
Jean McGrath
Priscilla Moxley
Carolyn Northrup
Colleen Peterson
Kay Pierce
Katherine Richman, MD, FACR
Marilyn Tedesco
Carol Tuggey
Pattie Wellborn
Cheryl Wilson, RN
William Wurch, JD, CPA, LLM
The Howell Foundation Scientific Advisory Council advises the Howell Board on cutting-edge research topics, evidence-based changes to standards of care, and new research developments that impact women’s health. The Council also assists with connecting the Foundation with engaging researchers and clinicians to speak at our ongoing health lecture series.
The composition of the Scientific Advisory Council varies by year, but is always comprised of advisors of inestimable talent whose collective minds help the Foundation achieve its mission.
Through our guiding philosophy of “Keeping the Women We Love Healthy” we serve to make a lasting impact on society and the overall well-being of women. The primary goal of the Howell Foundation is to influence students to pursue careers impacting women’s health, and to develop financial support for researchers that will accelerate solutions to women’s health problems for women in our community. We have established academic and business partnerships in California that make our efforts to advance women’s health research possible. We thank you!
Doris A. Howell, M.D., a graduate of McGill University, was devoted to improving the lives of others. Her pervasive humanitarian outreach to those in need and to education is legendary. In addition to the recognition on behalf of the Mayor’s office in 2013, Dr. Howell was also the recipient of the McGill University Life Time Achievement Award in October, 2013. Tributes to a life-long focus on health and education include numerous awards: the Salvation Army Woman of Distinction Award, the Humanism Award from the Health Care Foundation of New Jersey, and awards for leadership and service from the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has been listed in Who’s Who in American Women.
