The National Women's Health Resource Center Names Prominent Washington Business Leaders to Board of Directors


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Michela English, Susan Penfield and Holly Townsend Join NWHRC Board

Washington, DC - The National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC), the nation's leading independent health information source for women, announced today the appointment of Washingtonians Michela English, Susan Penfield and Holly Townsend to the organization's board of directors.

In addition, the NWHRC elected Kathleen Drew as the chair of the board of directors for 2008. A member of the NWHRC Board of Directors for six years, Ms. Drew is executive producer of video projects for The Magazine Group, one of the nation's top custom publishing companies, based in Washington, DC. Ms. Drew worked nearly 20 years in television journalism as a producer and writer for networks including ABC, CNN and CBS.

"We are so pleased to welcome such an accomplished group of women to our board," said Ms. Drew. "They've established themselves as successful business leaders in their industries, and each brings a unique expertise that will help NWHRC continue to grow and succeed."

Michela English is the president and CEO of Fight for Children, a nonprofit organization focused on educational and health care initiatives to ensure that all children in Washington, DC, have opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed. Prior to leading Fight for Children, Ms. English was a senior executive at Discovery Communications and at the National Geographic Society. During eight years at Discovery, English served as president of Discovery Consumer Products and as President and COO of Discovery.com. Her responsibilities included Discovery's nationwide retail chain, global merchandise licensing business, Internet, new media, and education businesses. At the National Geographic Society, she served as senior vice president with responsibility for the book division, Traveler magazine, WORLD magazine for children, educational media, and international publishing.

Susan Penfield is a vice president with Booz Allen & Hamilton located based at their headquarters in McLean, Virginia. With over 20 years of strategic development and technology delivery experience, Ms. Penfield leads Booz Allen's public sector health team. She specializes in the management and strategic use of information technology with the global, U.S. federal and commercial health sectors. As part of her not-for-profit experience, Ms. Penfield led a Booz Allen delegation to New Delhi, India, and Beijing, China, in support of conducting a strategic simulation to evaluate the economic, public health and security impact of HIV/AIDS in India. Before joining Booz Allen & Hamilton, Ms. Penfield spent seven years in a variety of technology management positions, including support to science, engineering and financial focused organizations.

Holly Townsend is the founding CEO and president of The Townsend Group, Inc., a leading advertising, exhibit and sponsorship marketing firm based in Bethesda, Maryland, that specializes in nonprofits. A successful entrepreneur, Ms. Townsend founded her company in 1983, and 10 years later, she created a companion company, Association Publishers, to meet the growing research needs of her nonprofit clients. Prior to starting The Townsend Group, Ms. Townsend worked for The Atlantic Monthly and the Washingtonian, among other publications. She speaks, writes and is frequently quoted on the subjects of association publishing, marketing and research.

"We are happy to welcome these new members to join our dedicated board of directors," said Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, executive director of the NWHRC. "We look to our board for thoughtful guidance in helping us continue to achieve our mission of providing women across the country the health information they need to make informed decisions. The exciting, savvy insight each of these women brings to the table will keep NWHRC at the top of its game, which translates to more women getting the health information they deserve."

Since its inception in 1988, the National Women's Health Resource Center has emerged as a trusted source for women seeking credible health information. Through its award- winning Web site, fmxhosting.com/drupal635, and print publications, the NWHRC develops and distributes up-to-date and objective women's health information based on the latest advances in medical research and practice.

The following is a complete listing of the 2008 NWHRC Board of Directors:

Kathleen Drew
The Magazine Group
Michela English
Fight for Children
Nancy Glick
Ruder Finn
Patricia Gurne, Esq.
Gurne Porter PLLC
Kitty Kelley
Author
Mary Jo Manning, Esq.
Wiley Rein LLP
Susan Penfield
Booz Allen & Hamilton
Joann V. Pinkerton, MD
University of Virginia
Saralie Slonsky
Women's Health Consultant
Julie Johnson Staples
Warburg Pincus
Holly Townsend
The Townsend Group
Elizabeth Weatherman
Warburg Pincus
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