Welcome Spring!!!

​Can you believe April is here already?!!?  This year has started out with the addition of 3 new Board Members, an Interim Executive Director and our Annual Gala & 8th Annual Purple Ribbons Awards!!    We also have our first 2 Lupus Health Conferences scheduled and are working with Doctors to get more scheduled throughout the year!  Read all about our exciting changes below! 
Welcome New Boards Members & Interim Executive Director
We are excited to announce our 3 new Board Members, Allison Jones, Janet Green and Kamran Turkoglu.  

Allison Jones is Doctor of Pharmacy with professional experience in the Biotech Industry, specifically Regulatory Affairs. She is focused on consistently optimizing processes and keeping up with the clinical and pharmaceutical landscape. What interests Allison is combining her pharmacy and biotech knowledge to support patient advocacy. She is committed to giving back
and support the community via volunteering and education. She also enjoys consistently learning, making an impact, strategizing positive change, creating solutions and empowering others to reach their best potential.  In addition to her professional career Allison continues to volunteer with other nonprofit organizations by tutoring children K-8 th grade.  Allison is originally from Cary, NC, but currently lives in Fremont, California.

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Janet Green has been a Management professional with over 30 years of experience in leadership, business operations, and extensive volunteer roles. She has worked in high-tech since 1989 and has been at Adobe Systems for thirteen years, fulfilling many positions focusing on operations and process improvement. Her current role as Business Excellence leader has been her favorite, and she continues to love the challenge and opportunities it brings. She has accomplished much over the past two decades and is looking for new goals and aspirations to help others live a healthy and fulfilling life in any way she can.
Her greatest accomplishment has been working closely with orphans and destitute adults in Andhra Pradesh, India, for eight years. Working with others to shelter, feed, clothe, educate, and focus on health and spiritual growth within underprivileged communities during this time. Our team constructed a modern facility that continues to house thirty children and a local Christian church to help bring spiritual guidance to the surrounding communities.  She has recently serviced her Harley Davidson Nightster and purchased a new helmet and riding boots; hoping to begin riding again this summer!

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Kamran Tukoglu:  Dr Turkoglu is a seasoned emerging technologies/markets executive leader, with diverse advanced/innovative technology leadership and architecture background. Dr. Turkoglu possesses experience with concentration on emerging technologies, partnerships, markets, innovation, and business development, and holds past collaboration experience with many industry and academia partners including but not limited to NASA Ames Research Center, NIO-Autonomous Driving division, National Science Foundation, US Air Force Directorate and more. He has been actively participating as a Board Member in different organizations and has unique interest in health care, biology and preventive healthcare analytics.

We are excited to have new board members with a variety of backgrounds and experience to bring to our Foundation.

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Meet our new Interim Executive Director!  

Tom Bakewell: Tom is an accomplished IT executive with exceptional experience in the insurance, high tech industry and nonprofits with a relentless drive to improve business operations, increase productivity and reduce costs. He is a passionate problem solver known for business acumen, delivering on commitments and creating an environment of continuous improvement and entrepreneurship. In addition to his professional career, Mr. Bakewell has been involved in many nonprofit and charitable Organizations.  Tom is excited to join the Lupus Foundation of Northern California helping the Foundation achieve our strategic goals, continue to deliver outstanding patient programs and services, and to help to position us for continued success.  Tom currently lives in Aptos, California with his wife Alison. Their children reside throughout the Bay Area and western United States.

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8th Annual Purple Ribbon Awards
We had a lovely evening celebrating our 45th Anniversary & 8th Annual Purple Ribbon Honorees on March 18th!  It is always such an honor to hear lupus patients share their lupus journeys and know that we offer support and education to them and those who love them. You can view the photos from the evening here. If you joined us and had your photo taken, be sure to check them out here.

Fund the Mission 
It is not too late to Fund the Mission and help us continue to improve lives impacted by lupus.  Follow this link to donate today!

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2023 Programs
This year we have 2 Lupus Health Conferences scheduled for April!  Our first conference will focus on Systemic Lupus and Lupus Nephritis and our second conference will focus on Lupus in Young People, mainly adolescents and teens.  We are grateful to AstraZeneca, Aurinia, and GSK for their sponsorships for the 2023 Lupus Health Conferences.  You can find more information about both Lupus Health Conferences here at our website.

​We are planning some exciting events for Lupus Awareness Month in May, so be sure to check our website and/or social media to get the most up-to-date information.    Did you have a chance to join Julie Viscuso for a Breath mediation session in February?  If not you can view it here or just try it whenever you feel like you need to relax and de-stress!  We are working with Julie and some other talented people to offer some useful Living Well with Lupus sessions in 2023!

Mark your Calendar!! 
The 29th Annual Outrun Lupus 5K is coming back to Campbell Park on September 23rd!!  Get ready to start a Team and start training now, if you want to run and earn a placement medal!!   

Be sure to check our website or our social media to get details on when signup begins!! 

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