By Thomas Lehrich, Board President

In this summer spotlight we highlight Board Members Kelsey Fukuda and Rick Coffey.

Kelsey is the Vice President of the Plus One Foundation Board of Directors. She originally came to the foundation as a student at University of Washington as an enthusiastic intern. She joined our Board a few years after graduation and became the chair of the marketing committee. Kelsey instantly created a rich and versatile digital platform, while creating a warm learning environment for the next generation of Plus One Foundation interns.

In her spare time, Kelsey is an accomplished hiker, camper, and photographer.  Her daily work is done on Mercer Island where she works at a dental practice. Nonprofits and the community from across the region marvel at the robust communication program built by Kelsey.

Meet board member Rick Coffey, our lead on the budget and finance committee. He is an alumnus of the Boeing Corporation and after decades in aerospace joined the California wine business with E. & J. Gallo Winery. Rick lends his business experience to a number of philanthropic projects across the West Coast.

Rick has a personal connection to neurological conditions, and he shared with us his childhood experiences. Born and raised in east LA, he learned at an early age about how damaging neurological illnesses can be to an individual and their family. His father started showing signs of a neurological problem when Rick was nine years old.  His father had several serious incidents, including accidentally crashing the family car while on vacation. After months of medical tests, Rick’s father was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy which is a rare neurological disorder. The disease affects body movements, walking and balance, and eye movements. Rick’s father endured years of gradual decline before succumbing to his disease seven years after its onset. As with many degenerative neurological conditions, Rick’s entire family was affected in profound, yet differing ways.  For Rick, it inspired him to start his first full-time job as he turned 18 and then pursue as much education as possible. He began taking courses at several community colleges in the LA area.  He completed his undergraduate degree in business administration, as well as several graduate programs.

Our Board members have built their commitment to the mission of the Plus One Foundation from shared experiences. For Kelsey it included working as an intern and becoming an advocate for nonprofit volunteering, and for Rick, having a family member with a degenerative neurological condition brought our mission close to home and his heart. Both have witnessed how little acts of kindness and giving can make a difference to someone suffering from a traumatic brain injury and neurological condition. We are so happy to have them on our Board.