BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Arthur J. Swerdloff, Esquire
(Capt. USA, Ret.)

Attorney Arthur Swerdloff resides in Marina Del Rey, California. He served in the United States Army Infantry as a company commander, leaving active duty with the rank of Captain and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service. Mr. Swerdloff received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Claremont Men's (McKenna) College and a Juris Doctorate from School of Law at the University of California, Berkley. His law practice is focused on problem solving in the areas of business entity formation, wealth preservation, tax minimization, succession planning, dispute resolution, and retirement planning.

Currently Mr. Swerdloff is MWIN President and has been an active Board member for over fifteen years leading the expansion of programs and vision.  Among his community involvements are:  President of the Westwood Bar Association, Trustee Emeritus of The Buckley School of Sherman Oaks, Director and Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Westchester-LAX-Marina del Rey Chamber of Commerce, Board member and Secretary of We CAHRE, and Board member of the Claremont McKenna College Alumni Association.  His professional affiliations include Wealth Counsel, Culver City-Marina del Rey Bar Association, and the State Bar of California.

Boyden E. Rohner
(Lt. USN RC)

A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Boyden earned her commission as a Surface Warfare Officer in 2000 after earning a Bachelor of Science and a degree in History. She reported to her first ship, the USS Arthur W. Radford, as the Fire Control and Combat Information Center Officer. For her second tour, Boyden served as the Training Officer on the AEGIS guided missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones in San Diego.

In 2005, Boyden transferred to the Naval Reserve and returned to her home town of Los Angeles, California. From 2005-2007, Boyden worked as a staff writer on the Emmy Award Winning HBO series Deadwood and was Director of Extras Casting for the independent film Pretty Ugly People. Recalled to Active Duty, Boyden came to Washington, D.C. to serve as the Exercise and Training Plans Officer for Naval Forces in the National Capital Region. After completing her assignment, Boyden returned to the Naval Reserve and began her employment with the Department of Homeland Security as the daily intelligence and operations briefer to Secretary Chertoff. Currently, Boyden serves as the Director of the Secretary’s Briefing Staff for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Meredith Brenalvirez

Meredith Brenalvirez was born and raised in Southern California. She attended Claremont McKenna College, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science. After graduation, Ms. Brenalvirez began her career at major advertising agencies on Madison Avenue in New York where she worked on several high-profile national accounts. Upon her return to Los Angeles, she began focusing her attention on investment real estate, managing all aspects of commercial real estate including acquisition, disposition, financing, leasing and property management.  In 1993, after eight years with a private company, Ms. Brenalvirez moved to Arizona and transitioned to consulting on a project-by-project basis.  Her experience has led her to achieve leadership positions on several boards, associations and trade groups.  An MWIN board member since 1994, Ms. Brenalvirez has served in various key positions including Secretary and/or Treasurer, as well as participated on ad hoc committees of the Military Women In Need Foundation.  Her professional background and leadership skills have strengthened the MWIN Board. Today, she focuses her tremendous energies on her family and MWIN while continuing to provide marketing, public relations and management consulting services on a project basis for a select client base.

Sherry Hunt

Sherry Hunt was born and raised in a farming community in Illinois and moved to Southern California in the 1960s. She attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and the University of California, Los Angeles. Ms. Hunt recently celebrated 25 years at the Boeing Company’s Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, CA. During her time with Boeing, her customer relations experience and administration skills have given her the opportunity to launch sites through out the United States and to travel extensively abroad to launch sites in France and South America.  Currently, she is working on government contracts. 

After Ms. Hunt’s husband passed away in 1997, she became more involved in charity organizations, including Ladies of the Westchester Elks. She has been an officer for the past 11 years, in charge of special projects such as, purchasing equipment, supplies and toys for the El Segundo Imperial School for handicapped children, and organizing visits to nursing homes located at the Los Angeles Veterans facility.  Ms. Hunt was awarded Lady Elk of the year in 2007.  She also belongs to the Playa del Rey Women’s Club and the American Legion Auxiliary in Hawthorne, CA.  On special occasions, Sherry assists in serving food to the homeless at the Los Angeles Mission.  She has one daughter and two grandchildren and is honored to be a member of the MWIN Board of Directors.

Stephani Hardy

Stephani Hardy graduated from Baylor University and began her professional career as a news anchor. Later she became a founding staff member that served 15 years with U.S.VETS, the largest non-profit organization in the country providing services to homeless veterans, serving first as Director of Programs then as CEO. Ms. Hardy’s many accomplishments include, designing and implementing a nationally recognized, 250 member, AmeriCorps national service program engaging men and women of all ages, and directing eleven facilities spanning 6,000 miles providing services to at least 10,000 homeless veterans annually. Ms. Hardy has also helped to develop and implement large-scale service-enriched housing programs in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Riverside, Honolulu, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Phoenix, Prescott, and Houston, including three military base-closure operations.

Ms. Hardy has been a featured speaker at several national events and conferences. She was the only veterans’ representative asked to serve on the Los Angeles Blue Ribbon Panel on ending chronic homelessness (Bring LA Home). She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans based in Washington, DC. Previous honors include State of California "Homeless Veteran Service Director of the Year", California Department of Mental Health – Advisory Committee Member, Los Angeles Business Journal "Women Making A Difference" Honoree, Los Angeles "Woman of Achievement" Honoree, and LA Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness "Vision Award" recipient.

Ms. Hardy lives in Southern California with her husband and son.

PRESIDENT EMERITUS

Patricia De Mond

Ms. De Mond was the guiding light and President of MWIN for 30 years. When she stepped down in 2005 she had helped MWIN grow into an organization assisting with health advocacy, social services, home visits, and rent subsidies.

Ms. De Mond married a PT boat captain and when he retired from service as a Lt. Commander, he joined his wife in a teaching career. A UCLA graduate, Ms. De Mond taught Physical Education for many years while raising her family of three sons. She continues to be an integral part of MWIN and is always available for counsel and inspiration. Ms. De Mond's mother was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and one of the women who lived in the original five bungalows that housed women in the California Soldier Widows Home Association, as Military Women in Need was then called.

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ADVISORY BOARD

Abigail d'Autremont
(USA Veteran)

The military is quite literally in Abigail d’Autremont's blood. She traces her ancestry in the military many generations back to France, and from the time her family came to America they have had officers in every generation and in every major war this country has fought. She proudly states that she was the 5th generation to don the exact set of Second Lieutenant gold bars she wore before her promotion to First Lieutenant.

Abigail was born in Bad Kreuznach, Germany where both of her parents were in the United States Army. After living all over the country and the world, she landed in Southern California and spent her high school years at Notre Dame Academy. She went on to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she majored in Systems Engineering and played Women's Army Rugby. In 2005, Abigail attended the Ordnance Officer Basic Course at Aberdeen, Maryland, and was stationed at Fort Irwin as a Supply and Logistics Officer. Abigail left the military due to a medical disability, and is an account executive for Myriad Genetics, a company doing cancer research.

Anne Goodenough, RN, MSN, CPHQ

Anne was raised in the small town of Winsted, Connecticut.  She received her RN at Bishop Memorial School of Nursing in Massachusetts' beautiful Berkshire Mountains and then continued her education at California State University, Los Angeles earning a Bachelor of Arts in nursing and a Master's degree in nursing administration.  In over thirty years of nursing, Anne has held many positions including: staff nurse, educator, nurse manager, and is currently at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles where, for fifteen years, she has worked in administration with the Vice President of Nursing. Past volunteer work includes working with clients as a "buddy" at AIDS Project, Los Angeles.

Anne became interested in Military Women in Need from the perspective of assistance and interaction with its clients.  She wanted to actually be "hands-on" in her MWIN participation. Anne was instrumental in helping to create the system for home visit attention to the MWIN ladies and now serves on the Board of Directors.

John Higginson
(RADM USN, Ret.)

John Higginson earned a BA degree from St. Mary's University, a BS degree from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Master of Science degree from George Washington University.  He was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy in October 1956, served seven command positions, participated in the recovery operations for Apollo 8, 11, 12, 13, and 15, and is the only naval officer who has commanded two helicopter carriers.  His final Navy assignment was as the senior officer and only Navy flag officer in the Long Beach/Los Angeles area.

RADM Higginson is the co-author of Sea and Air, The Marine Environment.  Upon retirement from the Navy after a thirty-four-year career, he became active in a number of national, state, and local organizations and served as President of American Gold Star Manor and Home and the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.  In 1992, RDAM Higginson was named "Man of the Year" in Long Beach for his many philanthropic contributions.  In 1993, he and his wife Nancy, were awarded the "Humanitarian Award" at a national conference.  RADM Higginson is currently listed in "Who's Who in America".  RADM Higginson brings a lifetime of leadership and service experience to his Advisory Board position at MWIN.

Jaclyn Tilley Hill
L.A. County Commissioner

Commissioner Jaclyn Tilley Hill is the Chair Emeritus of the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission, former Chair of the Economy and Efficiency Commission of Los Angeles County, and Co-chair of the Long Beach City College Foundation Audit Committee. She has served as Foreman of the Los Angeles County Grand Jury.  In addition to her other prestigious L.A. County posts, Ms. Hill is recognized as a highly successful fundraiser and event organizer for many L.A. area charities.  Among her past philanthropic Board affiliations are: Board of Directors President for the Whittier Boy’s and Girl’s Club, Chair of the Whittier Social Services Commission, Assistance League of Southern California, National Charity League, and White Memorial Hospital Foundation.  Ms. Hill continues as an Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Children's Hospital "This Little Light" organization.  She attended  California Western University and the University of Southern California.  Ms. Hill has seven children and nine grandchildren.  She sits on the MWIN Advisory Board where she shares her skills in the area of accountability.

Michael Klyszeiko
(USN Veteran)

Michael Klyszeiko brings his expertise in financial planning to the MWIN Advisory Board.  A financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in San Diego, he helps businesses and individuals manage their investments and achieve their financial goals.  Lt. Klyszeiko was commissioned in the Navy in 1999 from Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida and served for six years.  As a Boarding Team Leader inspecting vessels for suspected smugglers, he took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom as support for the United Nations.  He also served as navigator on the destroyer USS Higgins.

Michael grew up in Morgan Hill, California and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from UC Berkeley where he was on the Varsity crew team.  He and his wife, Sofia, met while he was in the Navy and she was a student from Helsinki, Finland.  Lt. Klyszeiko serves on the MWIN Foundation Investment Committee and the MWIN Advisory Board.

Leonard Rugh
(USA Veteran)

Leonard was born and raised in Southern California.  He met his wife, Luanna, while she was in college and they were both working at the same restaurant.  They married, and a year and a half later in 1966, Leonard was drafted and sent to Vietnam.  While fighting in the jungles north of Saigon, he was shot in the head and not expected to survive.  His injury affected his motor skills, hearing, eyesight and mental capacity.  But Leonard was tenacious and the doctors were amazed at the progress he made.  He was discharged from the VA Hospital in 1971 and, "They sent me home to sit and do nothing for the rest of my life.  Well, that wasn't me," says Leonard. Despite the limitations from his injuries, he decided to attend college and after nine years of struggling with classes and transportation issues, Leonard made his dream come true when he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.

Leonard's Vietnam experiences are recalled in his book entitled "Promises Kept: From Tragedy to Triumph" written with the editing help of Luanna.  He sits on the MWIN Foundation Board of Directors.

Luanna J. Rugh

Luanna was fourteen-years-old when her family moved from their ranch in Modesto, California to Pasadena.  After completing high school, she attended Pasadena City College and received an Associate of Arts degree.  Next door to PCC was the restaurant where her future husband, Leonard, was working and when she also began working there, she says "I met the man of my heart", and they were married.

Luanna had her hands full for several years, helping with Len's recovery from severe injuries sustained in the Vietnam War, caring for their daughter and working on her Bachelor of Arts degree in biology which she received in 1977.  After getting her teaching credential she was a substitute teacher for many years.  Luanna works on a part-time basis with multi-handicapped students.  She is vice president of the MWIN Foundation Board of Directors.

Kathy Wolf, MFT

Kathy is a West Los Angeles native.  She is a passionate academic, holds three master's degrees in Education, Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling, and Depth Psychology, teaching credentials in Reading, English, Speech Communication, and Physical Education, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and is working on a Ph.D. in Depth Psychology.  Kathy's life-long concern has been for repairing wounded relationships, both personal and cultural.  Currently her focus and her dissertation are committed to re-pairing and transforming Jewish-German relations traumatized from the World War II Holocaust.  She states that we need to help every human being in any way we can and feels that MWIN personifies this goal by assisting its clients to maintain their independence and dignity.

Kathy is a voracious reader and confesses that her "vice" is buying books.  She loves nature and the tranquility of the ocean and mountains.  Kathy attended just one MWIN meeting before deciding to contribute her time and skills to the Board of Directors.  She serves as Board secretary to Military Women in Need Foundation and is an advisor to Military Women in Need programs.

Robert K. Wrede, Esquire
(Capt. USA, Ret.)

Following a forty year career as a commercial trial lawyer, Mr. Wrede is now a full-time mediator and arbitrator, serving on Alternative Dispute Resolution panels established by the Los Angeles Superior Court; the United States District Court for the Central District of California; ADR Services, Inc., in Los Angeles; Dispute Prevention & Resolution, Inc. and the Hawaii International Dispute Resolution Group, in Honolulu; the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service; and the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan, among others. A frequent speaker on the effective resolution of complex commercial disputes, he has appeared at seminars or lectured at the Cornell Law School, the California CPA Education Foundation, the Practicing Law Institute, Woodbury College, California Continuing Education of the Bar programs and the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. He is on the Executive Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section.

In addition to his mediation and arbitration practice, Mr. Wrede is an adjunct professor of law at Pepperdine Law School and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, where he earned his LL.M.in Dispute Resolution.

The Military played a central role in shaping his values from a young age.  He graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy, in Pennsylvania, where he served as a Trustee for a number of years.  Mr. Wrede was a Captain in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and served in the Reserves following his completion of active duty.

MWIN is grateful to have his participation on the Advisory Board and on ad hoc committees.

Patricia Jackson Kelley, Lt. Col

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Ranlyn Tilley Hill, J.D.

Ms. Hill is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles and Loyola Law School.  After completing her legal education in 1991, she represented business, employment and non-profit clients in civil litigation for seven years.

Ms. Hill began working with MWIN in 2002.  With the support of the Board, she and her team implemented the current vision for MWIN, refocusing its mission and expanding programs to better serve our female veterans and widows of veterans.

Ms. Hill serves on the Gift Acceptance Committee at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and is active in Circle of Light, an extension of This Little Light.  She also lectures frequently on a variety of subjects affecting the non-profit community including governance, grantwriting, strategic planning, and conflict resolution. Ms. Hill has been nominated for "Founder of the Year" by the Association of Fundraising Professionals and for the Los Angeles Business Journal's "Women Who Make A Difference 2002" award. 

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PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Lisa Cash

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