The HVO Board of Directors provides essential guidance and oversight of the organization.
Janna Beling, PT, PhD
Janna Beling, PT, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at California State University, Northridge where she has served as Department Chair for eight years.
Janna Beling, PT, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at California State University, Northridge where she has served as Department Chair for eight years. She earned a BA in Psychology from the University of Southern California, a Master of Arts in Physical Therapy (with a concentration on Administration) from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in Exercise Science from the University of Southern California. She also holds a certificate in Non-Profit Management. Dr. Beling has presented and published her research related to physical therapist education and global health, including clinical and didactic education in the international setting, as well as international service-learning. She was a Fulbright Specialist in Malawi and has served in Suriname, Belize, and Vietnam. Additionally, she is the President of the Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation whose mission is to promote research, education, social justice, and the arts and to improve the human condition. Dr. Beling’s commitment to service is reinforced by her aim to motivate ethical practice and to support social responsibility with underserved populations both locally and overseas.
Ryan Fouss
Ryan Fouss is a television producer at National Geographic Channel, where he makes shows for Disney+ and Nat Geo WILD. He has managed global productions, directed renowned cinematographers, and developed award-winning digital series.
Ryan Fouss is a television producer at National Geographic Channel, where he makes shows for Disney+ and Nat Geo WILD. He has managed global productions, directed renowned cinematographers, and developed award-winning digital series.
Ryan was born in a refugee camp in the Philippines, where his parents worked with Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian refugees who were emigrating to the United States. Ryan lived most of his life abroad, including Samoa, the Marshall Islands, where his father served as the Peace Corps Country Director, and later in Taiwan and China when his father was with the US Department of State.
After graduating from the University of Colorado with a major in International Affairs and Chinese Studies, Ryan served as a health communications Peace Corps volunteer in the Kingdom of Eswatini. After his service abroad, he was the videographer and multimedia specialist at Peace Corps headquarters, filming volunteers around the world to produce videos and documentaries.
Ryan believes in the power of media and technology to influence a positive change in the world and strives for a sustainable development model.
Maura J. Fulton
Maura Fulton brings a wealth of international experience in volunteer management, community development, and organizational development, having worked for a total of over 15 years with the Peace Corps in numerous capacities.
Maura Fulton is the Vice President of Global Pro Bono (GPB) at PYXERA Global where she leads a dynamic team to strengthen the social impact that corporate clients have in communities around the world. Maura has a wealth of global experience in volunteer management, capacity strengthening, organizational and leadership development, and sustainable community development in the government, nonprofit, and private sectors. She most recently served as expert and senior advisor to the Director of Peace Corps on strategy and organizational excellence, and was the Peace Corps Country Director in Myanmar and Georgia. She has held a number of additional roles with Peace Corps, starting with her Volunteer service on a remote, traditional outer island in the Federated States of Micronesia. Additionally, Maura has held leadership positions with the International Rescue Committee, City Year, Encore Service Corps International, and Training Resources Group, Inc. Maura is passionate about promoting intercultural understanding and has lived and worked full-time in Japan, Micronesia, Georgia, Thailand, and Myanmar, with short-term work in more than 35 countries across Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Maura earned a Master of Arts in International Development from Ohio University and a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications and English from Towson University. She is a trainer and certified facilitator of numerous assessment tools.
Thomas M. Gellhaus, MD, FACOG
Chair
Dr. Thomas Gellhaus is a Professor emeritus in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa, where he taught clinical skills for more than ten years, following 20 years working in private practice.
Dr. Thomas Gellhaus is a Professor emeritus in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa, where he taught clinical skills for more than ten years, following 20 years working in private practice. Dr. Gellhaus is the Past President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). He has served ACOG and its members for more than 25 years in various positions.
Dr. Gellhaus’ interests are in the area of advocacy and healthcare policy for providers and patients. He completed the McCain Fellowship, a month long in-depth experience in advocacy, at ACOG in Washington, D.C. in 1999. In 2001, he was a Primary Care Policy Fellow with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He has remained active in advocacy and policy as a member of ACOG’s Government Affairs Committee and the Ob/Gyn Political Action Committee. He also founded and endowed the Gellhaus Resident Advocacy Fellowship at ACOG allowing third or fourth year residents to gain further advocacy and health policy experience over a four-week resident elective rotation. He has received numerous teaching awards and honorary fellowships around the world.
Dr. Gellhaus has also been very active in leading groups on short-term medical and surgical projects for the last 20 years, and presenting his experiences throughout the United States.
Erin Gibbs, CPA
Treasurer
Erin Gibbs is the Director of the AmeriCorps program at Habitat for Humanity International which supports the placement and service of 250+ AmeriCorps members annually throughout the United States. She received her Masters degree in Accounting from Hendrix College where she also earned her BS in Business and Economics.
Erin Gibbs is the Director of the AmeriCorps program at Habitat for Humanity International which supports the placement and service of 250+ AmeriCorps members annually throughout the United States. She received her Masters degree in Accounting from Hendrix College where she also earned her BS in Business and Economics. Erin has a diverse professional background having worked in public accounting, for the US government and in the non-profit sector. She has lived and worked both domestically and internationally including years in North Macedonia, Romania and Cambodia as a Peace Corps volunteer and staff member. Erin also serves as Treasurer of the Board for the Women of Peace Corps Legacy organization.
Richard Henker, PhD, CRNA, FAAN
Dr. Henker is a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and a practicing nurse anesthetist at UPMC-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Henker received his MSN in Nurse Anesthesia from the University of Pittsburgh and his PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Washington in Seattle.
Dr. Henker is a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and a practicing nurse anesthetist at UPMC-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Henker received his MSN in Nurse Anesthesia from the University of Pittsburgh and his PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Washington in Seattle. He has been a member of HVO since 2004 and received the HVO Golden Apple Award in 2009 for his work at Cambodia’s Angkor Hospital for Children. He has also served as a member of HVO’s nurse anesthesia committee and director for a number of HVO’s nurse anesthesia projects.
Lisa Huang, MBA, MS
Lisa Huang is Product Lead, Assistant Automation at Google, where she manages a team working on artificial intelligence and automation.
Lisa Huang is Product Lead, Assistant Automation at Google, where she manages a team working on artificial intelligence and automation. Previously, she worked at Facebook building augmented reality products, and at Apple developing and launching systems for the iPhone. She has also worked as a private equity investor and as a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company. Her work and her interest in travel have taken her to all the continents, except for Antarctica.
Jakub Konysz, MBA, IOM, CAE
Jakub M. Konysz, MBA, CAE is the founder of Global Navigators, supporting US organizations expand internationally, with offices in the United States, Brazil and Spain.
Jakub M. Konysz, MBA, CAE is the founder of Global Navigators, supporting US organizations expand internationally, with offices in the United States, Brazil and Spain.
Konysz holds an MBA from the George Washington University along with a master’s degree in communication from Missouri State University, and the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). In addition, he holds the Institute of Organizational Management (IOM) credential from the United States Chamber of Commerce and graduate certificates in strategic management and conflict/dispute resolution.
Most recently, Konysz led a global programs team at a large medical society in Washington, DC with a robust international presence. His prior experience centered around organizations such as the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), where he held senior positions in global development and communications.
Konysz is passionate about minority and international issues, and has several years of volunteer experience with such organizations as the Washington English Center, where he taught English to immigrant communities; the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), where he led professional development for the Washington, DC IABC chapter; Destination DC, where he helped to attract international business to Washington, DC; and Gays and Lesbians in Association Management, a group he founded to build community among LGBT+ executives in the Washington, DC region.Prior to her joining Inova, Ms. Zutz worked as a health care administrator, a nurse manager, and a critical care nurse. Ms. Zutz received her graduate degree in health services administration from the George Washington University and her nursing degree from Pace University in New York.
Gayle A. Lomax, MBA
Secretary
Gayle Lomax is Senior Director, Marketing at the Association of American Medical Colleges with responsibility for firmwide business development, branding and marketing strategy.
Gayle Lomax is Senior Director, Marketing at the Association of American Medical Colleges with responsibility for firmwide business development, branding and marketing strategy. She brings over 20 years of experience at Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurial firms and government sponsored enterprises, driving strong financial performance, identifying new business opportunities and assessing profitability. She has served in a number of senior roles in the financial services and healthcare industries leading the development of marketing strategy and advising senior leadership on economic and industry influences on business opportunities.
She serves her community through membership and leadership in a number of professional organizations and community boards, including the Delta Foundation Board, Women Business Leaders Foundation, Women in Finance & Housing, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and The Links, Inc.
Pamela Ronka Maroulis, MPA, CFRE
Pam is a principal consultant with Accordant, where she assists health care clients in major gift cultivation, campaign management, board volunteer training, and in navigating the constant changes within the health care sector.
Pam is a principal consultant with Accordant, where she assists health care clients in major gift cultivation, campaign management, board volunteer training, and in navigating the constant changes within the health care sector. Pam received her Master of Public Administration degree with a nonprofit management certificate from George Mason University and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive. Prior to becoming a consultant, she spent a decade raising support for several independent schools and Georgetown University and fifteen years between Inova Health System and MedStar Health. She focuses on cultivating relationships and developing philanthropic partnerships among health care organizations and the community.
April Pinner, MSPH, RD
Executive Director (Ex officio)
April Pinner, MSPH, RD has worked at Health Volunteers Overseas since 2009, most recently as the Deputy Director.
April Pinner, MSPH, RD has worked at Health Volunteers Overseas since 2009, most recently as the Deputy Director. During her tenure, she has led many significant initiatives including designing a project monitoring and evaluation system, developing HVO’s first international journal publication through a novel partnership with Frontiers in Public Health, and leading the most recent strategic planning process for the organization. Ms. Pinner directed HVO’s program department for many years, guiding the development, implementation and monitoring of HVO’s programs as well as cultivating relationships with international partners. Following shut-downs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Pinner spearheaded HVO’s pivot to virtual learning and helped design an entirely new, hybrid program model. Before coming to HVO, Ms. Pinner served as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia where her experiences inspired a lifetime commitment to improving global health. She received her Master of Science in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and is a registered dietitian. Ms. Pinner has dedicated her career to advancing the mission and values of HVO, and believes in a world where all people, everywhere, have access to quality and affordable health care.
Steve Schwartz
Board Emeritus
Steve Schwartz is President of GDS Consulting Services, LLC., specializing in professional medical education, marketing, and medical humanitarian initiatives. Mr. Schwartz has extensive experience in the medical device and medical education marketplace.
Steve Schwartz is President of GDS Consulting Services, LLC., specializing in professional medical education, marketing, and medical humanitarian initiatives. Mr. Schwartz has extensive experience in the medical device and medical education marketplace. This includes serving as CEO of AO North America whose purpose is to be a validated, credible resource for the continuous professional development of surgeons; as well as serving 32 years with Synthes Inc, a leading international medical device company which specializes in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of instruments and implants for the surgical fixation, correction, and regeneration of the skeleton and its soft tissues. Mr. Schwartz worked in a variety of senior management positions within Synthes, including executive management of sales, executive management of professional education, and liaison with the AO Foundation (a worldwide nonprofit medical research and education organization). Mr. Schwartz has worked closely with many professional societies relating to orthopaedics, spine, and craniomaxillofacial surgery, and he currently serves on the Boards of several nonprofit and nongovernmental service organizations. Mr. Schwartz holds a degree in Geography from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Carla Smith, MD, PhD
Vice-Chair
Dr. Carla Smith works as an orthopaedic trauma surgeon in Idaho and Oregon. She enjoys teaching resident orthopedic trauma courses as well as “teaching the teachers” through professional coaching for instructors.
Dr. Carla Smith works as an orthopaedic trauma surgeon in Idaho and Oregon. She enjoys teaching resident orthopedic trauma courses as well as “teaching the teachers” through professional coaching for instructors. Currently serving as faculty for both the AO and the Orthopedic Trauma Association, she has taught in many countries and is very encouraging of the new virtual education opportunities. Her first trip to Bhutan as a trainee ignited a passion for international work that has included 15 trips to Nepal, as well as travel to Tanzania, Rwanda, Nigeria, and the Philippines. She is clinical faculty for the University of Washington Department of Orthopaedics and is part of the executive committee for admissions for the UW medical school WWAMI program (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho). She has worked locally with the Volunteers in Medicine, Project Access, and other organizations to reduce barriers to health care access and promote equity and diversity in medicine and society.
Updated October 2024