Board of Directors
The Board supports the work of the CI Heath Foundation and provides mission-based leadership and strategic governance. While day-to-day operations are led by the CI Health Foundation Chair, the Board-Chair relationship is a partnership, and the appropriate involvement of the members is both critical and expected.
We are always open to additional Board Members who have extensive professional experience with significant executive leadership accomplishments in business, government, philanthropy or the nonprofit sector.
Julia Souza
Chair
Julia brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, with a long and distinguished career dedicated to training Boards of Directors in financial management, legislative matters, and effective governance practices. Her expertise has helped numerous organizations strengthen their structure and ensure long-term sustainability.
She currently serves as Chair of the Catalina Island Health Foundation, where she helps guide efforts to support fundraising for a new hospital and quality healthcare for residents and visitors of Santa Catalina Island.
Beyond her leadership work, Julia is deeply committed to community service. She actively volunteers with several organizations, including chairing a nonprofit professional choir in which she also performs, and teaching Sunday school.
Julia and her husband, Jeff, became part-time residents of Catalina in 2025 after many years of visiting. Over time, they developed a deep appreciation for the island’s unique charm and close-knit community.
In her spare time, Julia enjoys gardening, caring for her flock of chickens, and supporting her husband in managing their medical clinics in Northern California. When in Catalina, she can often be found relaxing on her front porch or seaside—always with a warm smile and a genuine appreciation for the community she serves.
Kelly Nelson Brown
Vice Chair
Kelly has consistently been the top producing agent and local expert for Catalina Island real estate since 2010. A realtor since 2006 and broker since 2012, Kelly enjoys helping others successfully navigate the purchase or sale of island property. In 1981, when Kelly first moved to Catalina Island, she expected to be here for two years. "I fell in love with the people and the lifestyle and I never left," she says. An active Realtor since 2006, Kelly's career has allowed her to blend the profession she loves, with the community and island location that captured her heart.
Lance Ware
Treasurer
Bio Coming Soon
Gail Fornasiere
Secretary
Gail is the Director of Planned Giving and Community Engagement at Catalina Island Health, where she leads philanthropic growth and community outreach initiatives that strengthen access to care for Catalina Island residents and visitors. Previously serving as Director of Community Outreach, she has played a key role in building partnerships, advancing donor engagement, and elevating the organization’s visibility.
She brings extensive experience in marketing, communications, and community relations from her long tenure with the Catalina Museum for Art & History, where she served in various senior leadership roles including Deputy Director of External Affairs. She is an active community advocate and nonprofit leader. Currently, she is also serving on the board of Love Catalina Island Tourism Authority as its incoming chair.
Directors
Tim Kielpinski
Board Member Ex Officio
Catalina Island Health CEO Tim Kielpinski was a member of the hospital’s operating board of directors in 2023 before joining the staff as the Chief Strategy Officer in January 2024. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer for seven years at the Catalina Island Conservancy overseeing all operations in support of its conservation, education, and recreational goals. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as a Captain in the Army for 8 years. Following his military service, he held various leadership and entrepreneurial roles, including merging his IT company with another and taking it public. He is a quick study with strong leadership skills and a broad understanding of operations and construction projects – especially on the island. Since joining CIH, Kielpinski has been instrumental in securing ongoing funding for its day-to-day operations and has been deeply involved in the planning of the new hospital. He and his wife live in Avalon.
Ray McKewon
Ray served 30 years in the Navy, starting as a Navy diver, and achieving the rank of Captain along with the title, Commodore, as group commander for Naval Coastal Warfare. Ray also started a company in 1990 which, by the time of his retirement in 2005, had $1 Billion in sales and over $100 million in profit, with nearly 3,000 employees. Ray has also staged over 100 concerts in Catalina with such names as The Wailers, Smash Mouth, Michael Franti, and his tributes to Abba, Woodstock, Santana, the Rolling Stones, and many others. Prior to serving on the board of CI Health Foundation, he served on the board of the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce.
Ritch Haynes
Ritch D. Haynes recently retired as Executive Vice President of HealthTrio, the leading supplier of internet portals to many of America’s preeminent healthcare payer and provider organizations.
With a master’s degree in mathematics, Mr. Haynes was an early developer of clinical and administrative information systems in the healthcare industry. In the early 1990s, Mr. Haynes founded Medical Communication Networks, Inc. (MCN), a joint venture of Integrated Medical Systems and UniHealth America. Mr. Haynes served as CEO and President. MCN was instrumental in deploying clinical and administrative functionality to over 77,000 physician desktops, over 200 hospitals, and many large payer organizations.
Previously, Mr. Haynes was Chairman, CEO and President of Professional Healthcare Systems (PHS). Originally a wholly owned subsidiary of American Medical International (AMI), PHS provided its best-of-class patient accounting, ADT, and medical record solutions to over 350 hospitals, including many of America’s leading medical centers and research institutions.
Mr. Haynes is a frequent national speaker and is a member of numerous professional organizations. He has served on many for-profit and not-for-profit boards of directors.
Jeff Aronson
Bio Coming Soon!
Charles Keller, Sr.
Staff
Julie Ware
Development Assistant