Thomas Anzelmo, MD and Gina M. Ross have retired from the Board of Directors of the John S. Mulholland Family Foundation. As founding Board Members of great distinction, they will continue to serve as Director Emeritus and Director Emerita, respectively.

I first met Tommy in kindergarten and he has been one of my closest friends since. As a physician, he has been instrumental in providing cogent advice and counsel on health matters, particularly food nutrition and how improper diet can lead to catastrophic health issues, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, even stroke.

He has been involved in every aspect of our perspective as it relates to providing our families with the most nutritional food offerings, especially encouraging our foray into fresh produce. He personally selected, along with the hotel’s executive chef, our vegan meals at our Gala. One of my fondest memories over the last dozen years is the day we spent together, childhood friends, delivering food and working a pantry.

I first met Gina Ross in 1990 when she was Principal at Great Falls Elementary School and she signed us up as the school’s business partner. Many times she asked me to “walk to the edge of the cliff” with her and I did. She later became the founding principal of Buzz Aldrin Elementary School and we followed her there, in my advanced roles as fundraiser, 6th grade visiting civics teacher, reader to the younger grades and many other assignments. At JSM, she has been the soul of the organization and chief cheerleader. But her most significant contribution is introducing us to three current stellar Board Members: Dr. Nancia DAlimonte, Dr. Liz Ramsey-Reeves and Capt. Jeff Rogaliner.

As we continue to grow, change must be embraced, and we must keep an open mind to a new paradigm that fits our new reality. We are much larger than we ever envisioned, yet still not unwieldy, and we now look to additional means of funding and service to the many families we are privileged to serve.