CARLSBAD, Calif., August 14, 2020 (Newswire.com) – WCG Cares is pleased to announce five new members to its Board of Directors: Sylvia Cares, Senior Finance Manager, Qualcomm; Upeka de Silva, Policy Officer with Dignity in Dying & Compassion in Dying; Brian McKenna, Deputy Director, Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition; Ben Plumley, founder, Hunuvat; and Paula Tavrow, Director, UCLA’s Bixby Program in Population and Reproductive Health, and Adjunct Professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
“These individuals bring extensive experience and diverse backgrounds to WCG’s Board and are committed to our mission of empowering women and girls around the world with reproductive choice,” said Shannon Bledsoe, WCG Executive Director. “I am delighted that they chose to serve on our board and look forward to their collaboration in the years to come.”
Sylvia Cares brings over 20 years of experience in Finance, including 13+ years at a publicly traded Fortune 200 technology company, 6 years in forensic accounting and economics, and 3 years in buy-side M&A advisory services. Ms. Cares currently serves as a Senior Finance Manager at Qualcomm, responsible for budgeting and forecasting over $1B in operating expenses.
Upeka de Silva has supported a range of international sexual and reproductive health and rights programs, including youth-friendly services, post-abortion contraception, and fistula care. She has worked with the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She has a special interest in projects that seek to address sensitive issues, challenge misconceptions, and promote new thinking in relation to advancing reproductive choice.
Brian McKenna is the Deputy Director at the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, where he co-manages the multi-center, multi-lingual, global Secretariat, leads private sector and European partner engagements, and supervises technical staff who implement global and regional initiatives in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
Ben Plumley founded Hunuvat in 2018, a global health access strategy agency, to forge partnerships between the biomedical private sector, governments, communities, and the UN; develop policies and advocacy strategies for corporations and non-profits on access to infectious disease, cancer, and auto-immune medicines strategies, universal healthcare, and low-cost health schemes; and advise and fundraise for a global network of indigenous communities.
Paula Tavrow, Ph.D., MSc, MALD, is the Director of UCLA’s Bixby Program in Population and Reproductive Health and an Adjunct Professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Her current research interests center on adolescent reproductive health, early marriage, coerced sex, intimate partner violence, and the quality of healthcare in East and Southern Africa.
“Each of these new members exemplify characteristics of exceptional board leaders, and we are proud to welcome them to our team,” said Jill Sheffield, WCG Board Chair.
About WCG
WCG is an international non-profit organization committed to empowering, educating, and enabling women and girls to make informed choices and access critical reproductive health products and services. WCG forms strategic partnerships to introduce new contraceptive and HIV prevention methods around the world.
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