Meet Our New Affiliate Board Members for 2011-12

On July 1, the SouthWest Affiliate welcomed six new Affiliate Board Members for 2011-12.  We are excited to have the leadership of these accomplished and committed volunteers.  These six join our current board members, including:

• Ron W. Haddock, Chairman - Dallas, TX
• Mary Ann Bauman, MD, President - Oklahoma City, OK
• James Fullerton, Chairman-Elect - Denver, CO
• John Warner, MD, President-Elect - Dallas, TX
• Scott Copas - Little Rock, AR 
• John Dornblaser - Tulsa, OK
• Don Hultgren, CFA - Dallas, TX
• Mariella de Jong - Houston, TX
• J. David Port, PhD - Aurora, CO
• James Postl - Houston, TX
• Sandra Thomas, CPA - Dallas, TX
• Neil Tofsky - Houston, TX
• David Wheeler, MD, PhD - Casper, WY

Welcome aboard!

Myron Hinsdale, DVM, PhD 

Assistant Professor of Physiological Sciences

Oklahoma State University

Stillwater, OK

Myron will serve concurrently as the SWA Research Committee Chair.  He has been a member of the affiliate research committee since 2002, including the past year and a half as Vice Chair.  He is a primary investigator for a number of ongoing research projects and an active reviewer for the Journal of Biological Chemistry; Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine; Glycobiology; Laboratory Animal Research Journal, National Academy of Sciences; Comparative Medicine, and Journal of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science.  Myron holds a BS in Biology, a DVM in Veterinary Medicine, and a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Pathology.

J. Randall Wright, MD 

Director of the Neurovascular Institute, Conroe Regional Medical Center

Medical Director of the Stroke Recovery Care Unit, Health South Rehabilitation Hospital

Greater Houston, TX

Randy will serve concurrently as the SWA Stroke Committee Chair.  His medical practice is focused on general neurological disorders with a special interest in epilepsy, stroke and sleep medicine.  He has served as Chair of AHA’s Montgomery County Division, and is active in several of our mission-related activities.  He is a member of the Texas State Advocacy Committee, a national AHA advocate, Chair of the African-American Outreach Task Force since 2006, and a Power To End Stroke Ambassador since the inception of the campaign.  He is also a passionate speaker and educator on the signs and symptoms of stroke.

Maricela Wilson, RN, BSN

Stroke Outreach Coordinator

Seton Family of Hospitals

Austin, TX

Marcie will serve concurrently as SWA Health Equity Committee Chair.  She has been one of our Health Equity team’s most dependable and active volunteers for over 8 years.  She has served on the Hispanic Outreach Task Force and is a leading Power to End Stroke Ambassador.  Marcie was also selected last year as one of the featured women for the AHA’s national Go Red Campaign.  She has significant experience utilizing AHA’s stroke resources and products and is a respected leader throughout Texas in stroke education for patients.  Marcie was recently selected as a member of the national American Stroke Association Advisory Committee and is the incoming Chair of the Texas CVD Council.

James Willerson, MD

President

Texas Heart Institute

Houston, TX

Jim is the Immediate Past President of the Houston Division and has played a critical role in elevating the local volunteer leadership within the market.  He is one of the most widely respected cardiologists in the nation, and has helped open numerous doors for the AHA, in both fundraising and mission.  Among his many accomplishments, he helped secure a recent $400k gift for Advocacy in the Houston Division for the Houston DINEs initiative.  Jim is also the longest serving editor of Circulation, the premier journal of the AHA, and has been honored with the AHA’s most prestigious national volunteer award, the Gold Heart Award.

Kent Ferguson

President

HealthCare Facilities Development Corp.

Austin, TX

Kent is currently Chair of the Austin Division Board and has played a critical role in bringing the market to new heights.  He has been instrumental in rebuilding the local board and has recruited a number of key volunteers who are positioned to make a significant impact in the Austin area.  Kent chaired the 2010 Austin Heart Walk and led the campaign to its best results to date, raising over $450k.  His company, HCFD, is a nationally ranked, full-service commercial real estate company that specializes in providing the healthcare industry with comprehensive real estate services throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

Chuck Fehlig 

Chief Merchandizing Officer & Partner

Blue Ocean Innovative Solutions

Rogers, AR

Chuck is an active AHA volunteer in Northwest Arkansas.  He and his wife, Suzy, chaired the 2010 Northwest Arkansas Heart Ball and helped secure several new sponsors.  Chuck has also served on local ELTs and has played a pivotal role in recruiting strong chairs for several AHA events and opening doors throughout the business community.  He leads a retail and healthcare consulting group that develops broad strategic global relationships between retailers and manufacturers.  Prior to this position, he retired after 27 years as Vice President and Divisional Merchandise Manager of Over-the-Counter Merchandise for Walmart Stores, Inc.