Sticks-2-Schools Adds Aiassa and Wilkinson to Board of Directors
Heritage Bank VP and Wilkinson Group CEO Bring Experience with Large, Youth-Focused Nonprofits
San Jose, CA—Sticks-2-Schools, a nonprofit organization helping to fight childhood obesity by introducing lacrosse into the physical education program of local schools, announced today that H. John Aiassa and David Wilkinson have joined its board of directors.
John Aiassa is the vice president of business development for Heritage Bank of Commerce. An active supporter of philanthropic community activities and a dedicated children’s advocate, Mr. Aiassa is the founding member and director of the Foundation for Autistic Children’s Education (FACES) and worked with former NFL player Ronnie Lott to found All Stars Helping Kids, an organization that strives to put more low-income youth on the path to college. Mr. Aiassa also donates his time to serve as an auctioneer for the annual Catholic Charities Golf Tour.
David Wilkinson, president and CEO of The Wilkinson Group, leverages his marketing experience to help corporations develop and promote corporate philanthropic activities. He spearheaded Cisco Systems’ NetAid program addressing global poverty issues and contributed to the development of the San Jose Grand Prix, a racing event that benefited The Canary Foundation’s early cancer detection program. In addition, Mr. Wilkinson helped Akamai Technologies establish the Magic of Math website supporting math education programs in primary schools. Currently, Mr. Wilkinson works with the San Jose Stealth on marketing and community outreach activities.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have added such experienced and well-respected members to our board,” said Eric Venzon, president and CEO of Sticks-to-Schools. ”The time and effort they put into this organization will help us reach our goal of expansion into more schools.”
According to the Santa Clara County Children’s Report of 2007, childhood obesity has a direct link to hypertension, diabetes and depression later in life. In Santa Clara County alone, more than 20 percent of children ages 5-19 are overweight. Of these children, 75% will grow up to become obese adults. Sticks-to-Schools’ mission is to combat this epidemic through the integration of lacrosse into a school’s P.E. program. Through increased physical activity, Sticks-2-Schools aims to reduce a child’s chances of lifetime obesity.
Sticks-2-Schools (S2S), is a nonprofit organization devoted to reducing the epidemic of childhood obesity by making exercise fun. The organization works with schools in the Greater Bay Area to introduce lacrosse into their physical education curriculum or after-school programs. Since 2005, the program has served 38,150 youth in 60 elementary, middle, and high schools. The Sticks-2-Schools board of directors includes:
Eric Venzon, S2S president/co-founder, is the CEO/CFO of Teamwrkx, Inc., a provider of commercial construction, development, mechanical, and facilities management services. Mr. Venzon has a passion for community outreach and encourages his company to support a variety of charities and causes, including funding the building of Escuela Rosario, a school for impoverished children in Honduras. He has been a pivotal leader in the progression of Sticks-2-Schools and personally funded the organization's journey to nonprofit status.
Johnny Mouradian, S2S vice president/co-founder, is the president and general manager of the San Jose Stealth. Mr. Mouradian learned to play lacrosse growing up in Canada, and as an elementary school teacher, shared his love for the sport with his students. As a professional lacrosse player, he qualified for several World Lacrosse Team titles in the 1970s. Later, in a variety of leadership positions from team executive to shareholder, he led his teams to victory in eight Professional World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. Mr. Mouradian was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2001 and the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2008.
Kathy Colin, S2S treasurer and a principal with Teamwrkx Mechanical, Inc., a provider of HVAC services to Bay Area companies, spent 20 years in the banking and real estate industries before retiring as district manager and assistant vice president with Washington Mutual. She was honored as Chairperson of the Year by the American Institute of Banking and was one of the first female presidents of Kiwanis International, where she supported community projects in 96 different countries. Ms. Colin has coached and managed several Little League baseball teams and served on the organization’s board of directors.
Mar Junge, S2S secretary, is the principal of c3PR, a Silicon Valley-based marketing and public relations agency serving growth-oriented companies. A champion of youth services for two decades, Ms. Junge has been recognized by the California State Parks and Recreation Society for her contributions to the community. She also served as the principal grant writer for Adolescent Counseling Services in Palo Alto during the nonprofit agency’s high-growth period. Along with Messrs. Venzon and Mouradian, Ms. Junge has been with Sticks-2-Schools since its founding. Her PR agency provides the organization with pro bono copywriting services.
Denise Watkins, S2S director, is the owner of the San Jose Stealth. She launched her second career as a community volunteer after 18 years as a software and systems engineer in the telecommunications industry. Ms. Watkins founded and now serves as president of the Pleasanton Schools Educational Enrichment Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports art, science and other enrichment programs in the schools. She is also a board member of the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, a venue that aims to bring high-quality visual and performing arts events to the Tri-Valley area.
Patrick Kernan, S2S director, is a transactional attorney focusing on corporate, real estate, land use, employment, intellectual property, health, sports and entertainment and commercial finance law. Prior to founding the Law Offices of Patrick J. Kernan in 2007, he was a partner at Riegels Campos & Kenyon, LLP in Sacramento and was a VP and general counsel for the ValleyCare Health System in Pleasanton. Mr. Kernan is a trustee on the Pleasanton Unified School District Board and also sits on the board of the El Dorado Community Foundation and the Livermore Performing Arts Foundation.
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