Board of Directors
Linda Rossi - Board President
Linda’s passion for pediatric cancer comes from her personal experience. She is proud to be Cole’s mom, a cancer survivor and recipient of the support and care of Jacob’s Heart since Cole’s brain tumor diagnosis in 2005. Aside from her strong faith, she credits the mental and physical support she received from Jacob’s Heart and friends as the reason she was able to get through such a trying time. Her motivation is to give back by supporting Jacob’s Heart in two important ways that are personal to her experience. First is to provide support so that a parent is always mentally and physically strong to stay by their child’s bedside and second that both children and families are supported emotionally with the post- traumatic stress that follows pediatric cancer treatment. Linda is a graduate from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and spends her time managing real estate investments and enjoying outdoor activities, especially skiing. She and her family have lived in the Aptos community since 1994. She is proud to serve on the board with the perspective of being a cancer survivor’s mom who understands the challenges Jacob’s Heart families face
Guille Silva
Guille Silva has been an a community health worker for over 10 years. Over the last three years she has been a Program Coordinator at PVPSA.
Guille is a mom of three and has been a Jacob’s Heart family for 5 years. She has an education in Criminal Justice and Medical Administration. Guille is excited to be a new board member and is ready to help spread awareness and advocate for Jacob’s Heart families.
Melissa Burke
Melissa Burke is the Director of Government and Community Relations at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Stanford Children’s Health. Melissa brings knowledge of health and related systems designed to serve children with special health care needs, including publicly and privately funded services, as well as those specific to certain populations, to Jacob’s Heart. Melissa earned a Masters in Public Health from UCLA and expertise in community based health care systems that will lead Jacob’s Heart’s efforts to create a seamless continuum of care between the hospital and the community for families served by Jacob’s Heart
Maureen Tabari
Maureen brings her years as a mother, attorney and active community member to the board. Her dedication to Jacob’s Heart derives from her commitment to service and giving back, as well as her family’s experience with the loss of a dear and close friend. Jensen, her daughter’s best friend, lost her 2-year struggle with Synovial Sarcoma at age 13. Maureen graduated from Santa Clara University where she received both her undergraduate and law degrees. Her first 20 years of her practice focused on business litigation. More recently, however, she has devoted her practice to special education law. She represents families of disabled children helping them navigate the special education system in their school districts so they can receive appropriate education and make good progress. Maureen has also chaired major fundraisers for her children’s schools and community organizations, like the Northern California Innocence Project and the New Millennium Foundation. She has sat on various boards and committees, including Los Gatos Education Art Docents, Partners in Mission in Ecuador, Valle Monte League, Ethics Committee of Santa Clara County Bar Association, Santa Clara University Law Alumni Association, National Charity League Board, Safe rides Board of Directors and San Jose Hospital Institutional Review Board. Maureen moved to Watsonville with her husband in July 2020 and is looking forward to working with Jacob’s Heart and the community to build and strengthen structures of support that enable families as they fight for their loved ones.
Barbara Sourkes
Director of Palliative Care, Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine
Barbara Sourkes, PhD is the first John Kriewall and Elizabeth Haehl Director of the Pediatric Palliative Care Program at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, and Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University. Her previous affiliations were with the Montreal Children’s Hospital (McGill University) and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute / Boston Children’s Hospital (Harvard University). In addition to many articles and chapters, Dr. Sourkes has published three books: The Deepening Shade: Psychological Aspects of Life-threatening Illness (1982), Armfuls of Time: The Child’s Psychological Experience of Life-Threatening Illness (1995), and (with Michel Hanus, MD) Les Enfants en Deuil: Portraits du Chagrin [Bereaved Children, Portraits of Grief] (1997). She also co-edited (with Drs. Joanne Wolfe and Pamela Hinds) Textbook of Interdisciplinary Pediatric Palliative Care. Dr Sourkes served as a member of the United States Institute of Medicine Committee on Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Children and their Families
Megan Martinelli
Megan, her husband John, and their family business S. Martinelli & Co. have been longtime supporters of Jacob’s Heart. Their close family friendship with Cole Rossi, a childhood cancer survivor, and his family made Jacob’s Heart and its mission a cause close to their hearts. Utilizing her extensive experience in event planning, Megan co-chaired the 2018 Jordan & Kyra Memorial Golf Tournament and is on the planning committee for Camp Heart + Hands. Megan is proud to direct her time, talents, and energy to ensure that every child who is fighting cancer in Jacob’s Heart’s four-county region gets the emotional, financial, and practical support they need in order to face their challenge.
Jose Castillo
Lifelong resident of Monterey County. Recreational and Travel softball coach in Monterey County for over 20 years. Employed at SVMHS for over 31 years. 3 daughters Alyssa, Julia, Victoria and one son Julian. Married to Yesenia Castillo. Leadership position with Monterey County Leukemia Lymphoma Society from 2019- present. Son Julian is a cancer survivor and family became part of Jacobs Heart Children's Services in 2018.
Ryan J. McCormick
Ryan J. McCormick, CDFA Vice President, Senior Financial Advisor Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Committee: Finance Ryan McCormick has been in the financial services industry since 2003, joining Merrill Lynch as a Senior Financial Advisor in 2009. Serving on the Jacob’s Heart Finance Committee, Ryan leads the long-term financial sustainability strategies at Jacob’s Heart, overseeing budgets, projections and reserve accounts. Ryan is a graduate of San Francisco State University, with a B.S. in Business Finance. Ryan currently works with the Carmel Valley Rotary whom are dedicated to Service Above Self. He and his wife, Rosanna, live in Monterey. They are outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy all of the beauty that the peninsula has to offer
BIO
Lee May
Lee May is a cancer survivor whose personal journey has endowed him with profound empathy for the challenges faced by families grappling with life-threatening illnesses. As the General Manager and Vice President of a prominent media company primarily operating in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties, Lee combines his professional acumen with a deep-seated commitment to community service. For over 15 years, he has dedicated time and expertise to Jacobs Heart, where he has served as both a passionate volunteer and esteemed board member, advocating tirelessly for those in need and fostering a culture of compassion and support.
Aimee Grijalva
Aimee Grijalva is passionate about advocating for pediatric cancer. She and her family have been deeply affected by the disease when her son Baby Matthew was born with a rare form of cancer called infantile leukemia. Aimee diligently journaled and blogged about their cancer journey, she continues to share her story creating positive change and awareness for children diagnosed with cancer. Aimee’s motivation for serving on the board of Jacob’s Heart Children Cancer Support Services is to give back to an organization that continues to greatly help many families like hers through their cancer journey. Aimee is the owner of Seraph Rates, a mortgage company in Salinas, California. A lifelong resident of Monterey County, she received a bachelor’s degree from California State University Monterey Bay in 2006, cum laude with honors in Computer Science. In 2007 she passed the California Real Estate Broker Exam and then inter-weaved her licenses, degrees, and education to accomplish her dream of starting her own online mortgage company. Aimee combines business acumen with a passion for children with cancer as a board member at Jacob’s Heart.
Photo coming soon...
Kathleen Eckhardt-Chandler
Attended UCSC after transferring from Princeton and created an independent major in Public Policy and Healthcare. Having developed an interest in health care after volunteering in SC at Planned Parenthood and also, studying Public Health, i took a year off during my junior year and worked for an international organization in Costa Rica called "Caravanes de Buena Voluntad", which was fascinating and exerted a big influence on the course of my career. During this same year, I went to study Spanish before in Guatemala when a 7.6 earthquake hit. I felt helpless living in tents with all the local indigenas and not being able to help. This was life changing. Upon graduating and returning, I started taking science prerequisites but was also to participate in triathlons so I deviated briefly away from medicine to studying and starting a consulting business in Exercise Physiology. When the market for this profession began to plummet, I returned and enrolled in the Cabrillo RN program at age 30. I barely lasted a year before realizing that I didn't like hospitals, nor did I like taking orders so I worked a few years in clinics while taking prerequisites for the FNP/PA program. I was accepted and finished the Stanford program in 1991. I have worked in this capacity since , primarily in local facilities which provide care to low income, disadvantaged patients. Currently I am employed at Salud Para La Gente clinic for the past 11 years which I adore. Having lost many of my relatives and friends to cancer, I have developed a passion for serving in whatever way i can to make this journey more amenable for them.
Harvey Cohen
Professor in Pediatrics, Medical Director of Palliative Care, Professor LPCH Stanford
Harvey Cohen was previously the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University, where he was the Arline and Pete Harman Professor, and the Adalyn Jay Chief of Staff at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. He held these posts from 1993-2006 before stepping down to return to a career of clinical care, teaching, and research. Dr. Cohen served on the Board of Directors of Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital, and was a Board Member of the Ronald McDonald House and the Children’s Health Council in Palo Alto and formerly on the Board of Trustees of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the March of Dimes, and the Morgridge Institute for Research and Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services.
Brenda Tierney
Brenda brings a personal understanding of the profound impact of childhood cancer on families. Growing up in a large Irish family, she witnessed firsthand the devastating loss of two young cousins, one of whom succumbed to childhood cancer. This experience brought her an acute awareness of the vital roles that community and family support play in navigating such challenging journeys.
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With a background rooted in contributing to the health and well-being of children, both as a gymnastics coach at West Valley Gymnastic School in Campbell and as a devoted aunt to her sixteen nieces and nephews, Brenda has long been committed to nurturing young lives. Drawing from her extensive experience in Public Affairs and International Protocol, acquired through her tenure at Facebook/Meta and the Silicon Valley Office of Protocol, Brenda brings a wealth of expertise to her role on the board.
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Brenda is honored and enthusiastic about the opportunity to leverage her skills and passion to advance the mission of Jacob's Heart, improving the quality of life for children with cancer and supporting their families in the challenges they face.
Gail Delory
Gail Delorey is a lifelong resident of the Salinas Valley. She is a graduate of Notre Dame High School - Salinas (1973), Hartnell College (1975) and Golden Gate University (1979) where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Gail joined the accounting firm of Kasavan & Pope in 1973, became a CPA in 1984 and became a partner in 1994. She is still with the firm, now known as Bianchi, Kasavan & Pope, LLP, in a semi-retired capacity. Gail prides herself on providing personalized service while at the same time establishing strong relationships with her clients. She works closely with individual and small-business clients and especially enjoys working with the elderly population. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Gail’s numerous community activities include being a past chair and treasurer of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, past board member and finance committee member for Rancho Cielo, past president and treasurer of the Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries, as well as serving on numerous committees for Palma School for many years. In 2011, she was honored by the Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries for her outstanding service and in 2016, she was inducted into the Northern California Junior Achievement Monterey Bay Hall of Fame.
She has been on the board of Jacob’s Heart since 2017. She has served as President and is currently a member of the finance committee.
Karen Stuart
A Lifelong resident of Santa Cruz and an active community member, Karen has worked in property management in Santa Cruz, Truckee, and Maui. She has worked alongside her husband Rob Stuart. They have successfully held The Jordan & Kyra Memorial Tournament for 30 years, Karen being involved for 25 years. The tournament raised money For supporting families with pediatric cancer, Pediatric Cancer Research, Jacob’s Heart & Family House.
Karen is honored to be part of the Jacob’s Heart Board. She loves their mission of helping family’s improve the quality of life for children with cancer & their family’s. In Karen's spare time she enjoys walking her dog and traveling with my husband & girlfriends whenever she can.
Rob Stuart
Bio coming soon...
Photo coming soon...
Geoffrey Perusse
Geoffrey Perusse and his family have been a Jacob's Heart family since 2015 and Geoff has been on the Board since 2020. During his family's journey with his son's illness, he realized how important it is to support the family while a child was sick, and how many families don't have the same access to support that Geoff and his family enjoyed. He is honored to serve on the Board of Jacob's Heart in memory of his son, Xavier as a way of helping other families going through such difficult experience as a pediatric cancer diagnosis. In his professional life, Geoff is a partner at the international law firm of Rimon, PC, and a co-owner in a heliskiing and mountain guide company. In his free time, he loves to be outside - mountain biking, surfing, climbing, backpacking, and of course, skiing.