Current Volunteer Board Members

listed in order from earliest joined to most recently joined

Marie Long. 2010 to present.

Marie is the founder and chair of GNE. Her vision for GNE began in Nepal as a volunteer Neurosurgeon with the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in 2009. Providing prenatal vitamins to women of childbearing age to reduce the incidence of Neural Tube Defects was GNE’s first program. It became obvious that an important key to program success was patient education. Not just any education material though, it must be practical, evidence based, assessable and relevant to have an impact. Since 2010 the GNE team has been producing education material that focuses on these principles. What a privilege it has been to work with inspiring people in Nepal, Indonesia, Guatemala, the Philippines and the USA to develop this material!

Wendy Robinson - 2011 to present.

Wendy brings 21 years of experience as an attorney for the Oregon Department of Justice to the GNE board. Before becoming an attorney, Wendy obtained Bachelor’s and Masters degrees in Political Science and Education at Reed College and taught high school for 7 years. Her passion for patient education, especially for low literacy populations has been developed as a long-time volunteer for Faith in Practice, a non-profit that provides medical and surgical care for Guatemalans. With this background, Wendy has been invaluable in forming partnerships for GNE and testing and implementing our education materials. When not volunteering around the world, Wendy can be found exploring the world with her husband Bob and her talented extended family.

Jeremy Hovland 2019 - present

Jeremy brings 27 years of experience as an attorney at the Asian Development Bank to the GNE board. He has held various legal and administrative positions at ADB, including the role of general counsel. Jeremy earned his BA, MA, and JD degrees from Harvard University. He contributes invaluable insights, good humor, and a wealth of experience to all of GNE's projects. Always eager to participate and learn, he was one of the first "Sweet Talk/Conversacion Dulce" coaches.

Monica Brown - 2020 to present.

Monica is a Native Oregonian with a passion for science and travel. After obtaining her BSc at University of Oregon, she moved on to Research at OHSU. There she was immersed in advancing the understanding of diabetes and immunology, making significant contributions to research that has improved lives. Besides her GNE executive role as Secretary, Monica heads up the communications, social media and fundraising arms. She is an avid world traveler and, in addition, has transformed a humble shuttle bus into a fully equipped camper van. This endeavor reflects Monica's unwavering spirit of exploration, ever eager to seek out new horizons.

Glen Cunningham 2021 – present

Glen is a dedicated volunteer board member at GNE. With degrees in both business and nursing, he boasts an illustrious career in healthcare, providing leadership to hospitals and health systems in clinical development, strategy, quality, and operations. Glen's most recent role was as the Vice President of Population Health at Samaritan Health Services in Corvallis, Oregon. He has also been involved in mentoring healthcare startups in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare information technology. Committed to GNE's mission, Glen aims to enhance its capabilities to address the challenges he's observed in delivering quality health education to all, particularly individuals facing socioeconomic difficulties.

Julia Saltzgiver - 2021 to present.

Julia is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Lactation Counselor. She is passionate about providing equitable and culturally appropriate care to underserved populations. After graduating from the University of Delaware with a degree in dietetics, she went on to work at WIC in Ocala Florida before completing her dietetic internship at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). She currently works as a primary care dietitian at Lancaster Family Health Center in Salem, Oregon which is part of the largest Federally Qualified Health Care Center in the Pacific Northwest: Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic.

Douglas McGirr - 2022 to present.

Doug first became involved with GNE during the organization's initial efforts in electronic health education in Nepal, and he now serves as an advisor for all things tech-related that GNE pursues. He also serves as GNE's treasurer and in-house programmer. Outside of the organization, he helps coordinate a local charity clinic and enjoys baking, metalworking, and film photography.

Rosa Wolff 2023 –

Rosa is a Registered Nurse, originally from Perú, although she has been living in Oregon for over two decades. She completed her undergraduate degree in Public Health at Oregon State University and then earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Oregon Health and Sciences University. Rosa brings her focus on promoting education and wellbeing, providing preventative care interventions, and health coaching for people living with chronic conditions to GNE’s board, as well being a native Spanish speaker. For the last several years, she has been involved in the creation of programs to increase access to primary and preventative care for vulnerable individuals, to help them achieve the best possible quality of health. She currently works for Samaritan Health Services in Corvallis and is supporting GNE’s mission to help improve the well-being of those in need through education and empowerment.

Isidro Gonzalez 2023 - present

Isidro's diverse community service reflects a commitment to cultural connection and impactful change. His leadership in the 4-H Fiesta Mexicana Dance Group and mentorship in the 4-H Outreach Program reflect his commitment to education and youth development. He began at Albany InReach Services Safety-Net Clinic as an undergraduate researcher and then as a bilingual interpreter. After earning his B.S. at OSU, he has engaged in hands-on work with Global Nutrition & Empowerment, showcasing his passion for global health. Isidro, always eager to engage and grow, contributes his unique perspectives and heartfelt dedication as volunteer coordinator and as one of the “Sweet Talk/Conversación Dulce” coaches.

Therese Waterhous – 2023

Therese, a founding member of GNE, brings her extensive expertise as a nutritionist and eating disorder specialist to the GNE board. Currently consulting and training through her private practice, Willamette Nutrition Source, LLC, she has a remarkable track record. She has actively served on committees and task forces for various organizations, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, and the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED). She remains engaged on AED's Medical Care Standards Committee and Nutrition Task Force and is a co-author of AED's Nutrition Guidelines booklets. In 2016-2017, she received a grant from a local Coordinated Care Organization to train healthcare professionals across three counties on eating disorder evaluation and treatment. Her commitment to education extends to teaching and training clinicians in Oregon, spanning medical students, insurance company staff, county and state organizational staff, and national presentations on eating disorders.