BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Meredith Brenalvirez, President for Charity and Foundation
Consultant, North Star Leadership
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.
Lisa Schwab, Vice President
Board of Trustees, Ladies of Westchester Elks
Boyden E. Rohner, Treasurer
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.
J.B. Shotwell, Esq., Secretary
Deputy Ethics & Compliance Officer, Southern California Edison
Sherry Hunt
Board of Trustees, Ladies of Westchester Elks
Member, American Legion Auxiliary
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.
Ruth A. Wong, RN
Brigadier General, US Air Force (Ret.)
Executive Director, Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission
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
First Lieutenant, US Army (Ret.)
2012 MBA Candidate, USC Marshall School of Business
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.
Patricia Jackson Kelley, Lt. Col
Lieutenant Colonel, US Army (Ret.)
2010 Southern California Women Veteran of the Year,
California Department of Veteran Affairs
Member, American Legion National Veteran Affairs
and Rehabilitation Commission
Patricia Jackson-Kelley is a veteran of the United States Army. She retired with the rank of Lt. Col. after 26 years of combined active duty and Reserves service. Lt. Col. Jackson-Kelley served as the Program Manager for a 40-bed substance abuse ward and as the Women Veteran Program Manager with the Department of Veterans Affairs – West Los Angeles. During her employment, she was instrumental in implementing programs, funds and resources for women veterans. During her time at the VA she also served as a Board Member of U.S. VETS during its formation.
Lt. Col. Jackson-Kelley currently serves on the American Legion National Veteran and Rehabilitation Commission, and as the Jr. Vice Director and Department Legislative member of National 20 & 4 (an honorary society of women legionnaires). She is an ambassador to U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute and is an advisor to the Beverly Hills and Hollywood NAACP Military Affairs Committee. She also serves as a Delta Chapter Beta sponsor and Regional Scholarship chair for Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc.
Lt. Col. Jackson-Kelley has received awards and commendations from President George W. Bush, California Governor's Offices 2006-2009, the California Department of Veteran Affairs, NAACP, Blacks in Government, and numerous other community organizations. She was recently selected as the 2010 Southern California Women Veteran of the Year by the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CDVA).
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 nonprofit clients in civil litigation for seven years. Ms. Hill is a seasoned strategist, fundraiser, and nonprofit manager with over 18 years of experience in the sector. She has served as a planned and major giving officer at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
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. She is the granddaughter of a Navy veteran, wife of an Army veteran, and sister of a soldier currently serving in the Middle East.
Ms. Hill lectures frequently on a variety of subjects affecting the nonprofit 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, MA, MFT
Lisa is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with experience working with people in a variety of contexts and at all stages in their lives. Her experience includes a term of service with AmeriCorps at U.S.VETS, working beside our Veterans and assisting homeless Veterans in securing housing and employment.
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