About
About
![Vitalyst Goals image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/LSA7-877x585.jpg)
Mission View Block Party held by Living Streets Alliance (2017 Innovation Grant award recipient) |Photo credit: Scott Griessel/ Creatista
Vitalyst Health Foundation is on a mission
To connect, support, and inform efforts to improve the health of individuals and communities in Arizona.
Established following the sale of the St. Luke’s Health System to a for-profit corporation in 1996, the foundation operated as St. Luke’s Charitable Health Trust (1996–1999) and St. Luke’s Health Initiatives (2000–2016).
Over its history, Vitalyst has invested more than $130 million into Arizona health, in areas ranging from statewide health policy to local community gardens. Along the way, the organization has established itself as a thought leader, convener, framer, and catalyst of key health initiatives and coalitions.
Read our annual Community Reports from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019 to see what we’ve accomplished in the past couple fiscal years. All of our Community Reports since 2011 can be read here.
Additionally, our 20-year report, which provides a historical overview of the Foundation’s work in the community, is available to read here.
These are the faces that make Vitalyst Health Foundation possible
Staff
Emeritus Trustee
Trustee
![Suzanne Pfister featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Suzanne_headshot-e1557956220781-300x412.jpg)
Suzanne Pfister
President and Chief Executive Officer
![Roy Pringle featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Roy_headshot-e1557956711945-300x412.jpg)
Roy Pringle
Chief Operating Officer
![Jason Barrow featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Jason-Barrow-0435-scaled-e1643314045337-300x412.jpg)
Jason Barrow
Controller, TAPAZ
![Virginia Bezerra De Menezes featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Virginia-Bezerra-DeMenezes-106644-web-300x412.jpg)
Virginia Bezerra De Menezes
Program Manager of Learning and Evaluation
![Stephanie Gallegos featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Stephanie_headshot-e1557956407976-300x412.jpg)
Stephanie Gallegos
Assistant Director of Administration and Operations
![Angelica Gerardo featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Angelica-Gerardo-0090-Copy-300x412.jpg)
Angelica Gerardo
Accounts Payable Administrator
![Michelle Goodthunder featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Michelle-Goodthunder-8699-300x412.jpg)
Michelle Goodthunder
Program Manager of Grants and Partnerships
![Gabriel Jaramillo featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Gabriel-Jamarillo-Pic-1-1-300x412.jpg)
Gabriel Jaramillo
Director of Healthy Communities
![Vlash Kallanxhi featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Vlash-Kallanxhi-0054-Copy-300x412.jpg)
Vlash Kallanxhi
Senior Accountant
![David Martinez III featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/David-headshot-e1557956534224-300x412.jpg)
David Martinez III
Director of Community Engagement
![Kelsey Otten featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Kelsey_headshot-e1557956621278-300x412.jpg)
Kelsey Otten
Assistant Director of Partner Engagement
![Sergio Paris featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Sergio-Paris-0479-scaled-e1643332007442-300x412.jpg)
Sergio Paris
Director of Strategic Communications
![Ana Roscetti featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Ana-Roscetti-Copy-300x412.jpg)
Ana Roscetti
Director, State Health Policy and Advocacy
![Juan Salas featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Juan-Salas-106627-1-scaled.jpg)
Juan Salas
Director of Operations and Accounting, TAPAZ
![Gina Schumacher featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Gina-Schumacher-8720-300x412.jpg)
Gina Schumacher
Office Administrator
![Javier Cardenas featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/JCárdenas-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Javier Cardenas, MD
Past Chair
![Robert B. Posner featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/missing-headshots-1-300x412.png)
Robert B. Posner, MD
Trustee (1992-2014)
![Lee Hunter featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/LHunter-headshot-e1559931175732-300x412.jpg)
Lee Hunter
Trustee (1987-2012) & Former Chair
![Maurice Portley featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/MPortley-headshot-300x412.jpg)
Judge Maurice "Mo" Portley
Trustee (2002-2014) & Former Chair
![Vanessa Nelson Hill featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/VHill-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Vanessa Nelson Hill, PhD, RN
![Robert Applewhite featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/missing-headshots-1-300x412.png)
Robert "Bob" Applewhite
Trustee (1977-2017) & Former Chair
![Judith V. Shannon featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/JShannon-headshot-300x412.jpg)
Judith V. "Judy" Shannon
Trustee (2002-2014) & Former Chair
![Dan Coleman featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/missing-headshots-1-300x412.png)
Dan Coleman
Trustee (2003-2015)
![Essen Otu featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/EOtu-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Essen Otu, MPA
![Cash Beechler featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/missing-headshots-1-300x412.png)
Cash Beechler, MD
Trustee (1988-2013)
![Dean A. Rennell featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/DRennell-headshot-e1558023355702-300x412.jpg)
Dean A. Rennell
Trustee (1997-2014) & Former Chair
![Martha Taylor Thomas featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/missing-headshots-1-300x412.png)
Martha Taylor Thomas
Trustee (1986-2014)
![Beth Schermer featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/BSchermer-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Beth Schermer, JD
![L.J. U’Ren featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/CUren-headshot-300x412.jpg)
L.J. "Chip" U'Ren
Trustee (1994-2012) & Former Chair
![Sherri Slayton featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SSlayton-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Sherri Slayton
![J. Michael Powers featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/M-Powers-300x412.png)
J. Michael Powers, MD
Trustee (1990-2012) & Former Chair
![Gary Volkenant featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/GVolkenant-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Gary Volkenant
![Ann‐Marie Alameddin featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Alameddin-Ann-Marie-color-PRINT-300x412.jpg)
Ann-Marie Alameddin
![David Castillo featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/dave-castillo-headshot-2021-300x412.jpg)
David Castillo
President and CEO, Native Community Capital
![Nathan Delafield, MD featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Dr.-Delafield-300x412.jpg)
Nathan Delafield, MD
![Dede Yazzie Devine featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/DianaYazzieDevine-Photo-300x412.jpg)
Dede Yazzie Devine
![Milton Dohoney, Jr. featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MDohoney-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Milton Dohoney, Jr.
![Priscilla Foote featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/PFoote-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Priscilla Foote, LMSW
Sectretary
![Will Humble featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Will-Portrait-AzHHA-Copy-300x412.jpg)
Will Humble
![Maria Manriquez featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MManriquez-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Maria Manriquez, MD
![Aidan McSheffrey featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/AMcSheffrey-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Aidan McSheffrey
Treasurer
![Susan Pepin featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/SPepin-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Susan Pepin, MD, MPH
Vice Chair
![Joshua D. Peterson featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/JPeterson-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Joshua D. Peterson, CFP®
Chair
![Siman Qaasim featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/SQaasim-final-300x412.jpg)
Siman Qaasim
![Jesus Rivera featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Jesus-Rivera-headshot-300x412.jpg)
Jesus Rivera
![Nicholas F. Vasquez featured image](https://vitalyst.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/NVasquez-VitalystBoard-300x412.jpg)
Nicholas F. Vasquez, MD
Immediate Past Chair