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Board of Directors
Arlene Rosenthal - President Robert B. Hunt - Vice President
Judy Deertrack - Secretary Charlie Paglia - Director
Wayne Gottlieb - Treasurer Denise Rodriguez Bowman MSW
Damir Danny Donlagic Kathleen von Dehn
Leo Daniel Milmet Gayle Hodges
Dr. Gregory Wagoner, M.D.
Joan Wolff
Advisory Board
Lloyd Brushett Jim Fox
Stuart Lynn Joseph A. Roman, Esq.
Wayne R. McKinny, M.D. - Founder and President Emeritus
Arlene Rosenthal - President
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and got a B.A. in Spanish at U.C.L.A. After graduating in 1966 I worked for the Probation Department as a counselor and then as a bilingual teacher in the L.A. District. The lure of Berkeley and all the social change happening there was too great so I picked up and left L.A. for life in the Bay Area. I spent several years there teaching school and enjoying all the political ferver, the S.F. Opera House, the Symphony, theater, and all the natural outdoors where one could hike and commune with nature.

I came to the desert in 1973, worked as a bilingual teacher until starting my own custom-clothing business. My spirit of community stuck and I found myself involved in social change and working in organizations where I could help to bring that about for those who were unable to advocate for themselves. It was as a child that my parents taught me the value of community action and interaction and the idea that we had an obligation to help make things better in the world in which we lived.

After years of serving on many boards and raising much money I was asked to sit on the Board of the Well in the Desert. I later became its President and serve with much pleasure.

I am also proud to serve as President of OperaArts, an organization created to provide quality cultural events to the public for free or for affordable prices.

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Robert B. Hunt - Vice President
Born and raised in Hawaii to a family of teachers, helping the youth of our nation has always been in my blood. My parents owned and operated a school that was started by my grandparents. Both my brother and sister became teachers because of our history, and as a youth myself, after school, I was always in charge of children younger than me assisting with homework or watching them on the playground. After the birth of my daughter I moved to "The Mainland", as we called the 48 states, on business in Los Angeles in 1981. After doing a few menial jobs found a carrier in The Newspaper Promotion Business working with youth training them in real life sales experience. This I did for the better part of 15 years. My partner and I bought a 2nd home in the Desert and spent more time that year in the Desert than in our LA home, so we decided to become full time Desert Rats, and I have never looked back. Over the past 22 years in the Desert I have owned several businesses including being a Realtor, owning a health food store and restaurants as well as a wellness center. Whatever endeavor I participated in we were always supporters of the community either participating in community events or fundraisers or being the organizer of an event, such as The Ride for Aids and Other Life Threatening Diseases in 1995. So when about 4 years ago I was asked to be on the board of The Well In The Desert it seemed like the right thing to do. Now, having been on the board for over 4 years and Vice President for 3, I have watched and participated in the transformation of an organization that has always had the heart and dignity of all individuals as their founding principles. It is an honor to serve as a board member.
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Judy Deertrack, Secretary
Judy Deertrack was born in Mariposa, California, a mountain town that serves as a gateway to Yosemite National Park. Her family later moved into the San Joaquin Valley (the other Desert!), where she enjoyed the freedom of a rural environment growing up. Judy was one of the first paralegals in Central California, working for a famous corporate attorney who convinced her to attend law school. She graduated from San Joaquin College of Law and practiced civil law for a number of years until she married a Native American Elder and returned with him to the exotic environment of Taos Pueblo, New Mexico. Judy and her husband formed a consulting firm named Deertrack & Associates, and proceeded to work under contract with the Taos Pueblo Office of the WarChief on a series of land use and cultural issues; mostly dealing with non-Indian intrusion into the sensitive cultural environment that the Tribe has sustained as one of the oldest living cultures in the world. During her tenure with the Tribe, she participated in the successful nomination of Taos Pueblo as a World Heritage Living Cultural Site through the United Nations. This time period sensitized her deeply to cross-cultural issues, including genocide, child neglect, poverty, alcoholism, dispossession, and human insensitivity. Life can be expected to juxtapose hardship with beauty, and the Pueblo cultures do not disappoint -- thus, the anomaly of living within a culture also graced by profound tradition, indigenous knowledge, music, and dance. Upon her return to California in 1998, she obtained a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning, and has worked until just recently with the County of Riverside Planning Department; wherein she was educated in government responsibility to provide housing for persons of all income levels. She remains grateful to add her own experiences to other volunteers in order to alleviate, wherever possible, the hardships of persons seeking adequate food, shelter, and safety.
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Charlie Paglia, Director
I have a BA Degree in Speech Pathology from California State University, Los Angeles and a California Credential for Speech and Language Therapy. I served in the U.S. Navy for 4 years and worked for ABC Television for 7 years and the Glendale School District for 26 years, where I worked mostly in elementary schools (special education) with children from ages 3 to 12 years old. Goals included rehabilitation of speech, voice, stuttering, and language problems.

I retired in June 2006 and moved from Los Angeles to Palm Springs. Besides attending COD for self-improvement, I volunteered at the Golden Rainbow Senior Center and have been assisting in kindergarten at Cahuilla Elementary in Palm Springs for the past four years.

I've enjoyed volunteer work for the past five years with the intention of enhancing my personal life and those of seniors and children in the Coachella Valley area. However, at this time, I feel very fortunate to have found the Well in The Desert Program. Working at their lunch program has convinced me that providing food and social dignity to the needy is just not a charity but an obligation to those in need all around the world. Some of us have more time to give to any cause and my desire is to be available whenever I can make a contribution. I will also continue to support the program at El Cahuilla Elementary in Palm Springs.
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Gayle Hodges
Gayle was born in Pampa, Texas and graduated from high school in Wink, Texas, also the home of Roy Orbison. She finished Draughon's Business College in Lubbock and than moved to Dallas to seek a career with the airline industry. She was accepted by Braniff International in 1963 and Northwest Airlines in 1990 where she enjoyed an exciting life for 32 years as a flight attendant. During those years she flew troops to Vietnam, the Mondale charters when he ran for President, Europe, South America, Mexico, and the Far East. She worked during the time period when uniforms were designed by famous designers, and Braniff's were designed by Pucci and Halston.

The many years that she lived in Dallas she was very active with the Le Femme Du Monde, who raised the money for The Dallas Counsel of World Affairs, bringing international speakers to Dallas. She served as an officer for the Dallas Summer Musical Guild and on the Board of Directors for The Dallas Summer Musicals under the direction of Tom Hughes. She started the Braniff Blood Bank at Dallas Fort Worth Airport and headed the drive for several years before moving to Kansas City. During the year she lived in Kansas City she volunteered at a food kitchen prepping food.

She left the airline industry to enjoy a new life with her husband, Chuck Hodges. They have been married for 12 years and enjoy their family of three sons, Chris, James, and Rollo, theirs wives, and their five grandchildren. They enjoy traveling to far away places, reading books, skiing, and socializing with friends and family.

Gayle has continued to work as past president of Dusty Wings raising money for Guide Dogs, Gilda's Club, and Animal Samaritan. She has served on various 501c charities boards such as Dusty Wings, Palm Springs Youth Center, Palm Canyon Theatre, and Well in the Desert. She has been privileged to have served as a volunteer at the Youth Center helping children with their homework and for the last four years at the Well in the Desert serving food.

Helping others gives joy to her life.

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Kathleen von Dehn
A full time resident for more than 20 years, Kathleen von Dehn enjoys the Desert not only for its sunshine and abundant beauty, but for the warmth and heart of a giving community that truly makes it a joy to call the Coachella Valley her home.

Kathleen is President of Kajon Media, a full service video production, multimedia and special events company, and has a hands-on approach to all of the projects that the company handles. As executive producer and creator of local television programs such as Home Makeover In The Desert and On The Law, she loves the collaborative process that make visions come to life. Kathleen has a passion for bringing people together, whether for business, a good cause or just for having fun. The most recent endeavor in event planning on a large scale is Kajon Media's Coachella Wine Festival, a semi-annual event that launched its first 3-day event in April of 2010.

Community Service is an important part of Kathleen's life. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of Well in the Desert, she is also the President of Winewomen PSP, which benefits local charities with its monthly wine events, as well as a Member of both the Einenhower Medical Center Auxiliary and Incight Board of Directors.

When not in production or serving on a committee, Kathleen can be found relaxing at her home in Bermuda Dunes with Jonathan Reiss, cooking a great gourmet meal and taking in a Desert sunset.

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Damir Danny Donlagic
I was born in Bosnia in 1985 and grew up during the Balkan war. I moved with my parents to the United States in 1993 at the age of eight as a refugee from the war. I will never forget the humanitarian help my family and I received the first few months and am honored to have the opportunity to assist in giving the same kind of help back to others in need. I graduated from College of the Desert with an A.A. in Phiolosophy and transferred to CSU San Bernardino, where I received a B.A. in Multi-Disciplinary Social Science. Going through a social science program in college has given me priceless knowledge and respect for other cultures, races, and situations as well as an unbiased and more collected approach to examining social issues. I have also been helping my family operate our cafe/restaurant Cafe Jasmin, which has been open in downtown Palm Springs since 1995. I am very honored to be able to serve as a board member and truly strive to bring many good ideas to the table as well as assist our needy community as best as I can.
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Leo Daniel Milmet, Student Ambassador Coordinator
Leo was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 28, 2003 to Morris and Sarah Milmet. His father died when he was ten months old. At two years of age, Leo moved to West Bloomfield, Michigan and attended Echo Park and Stepping Stone For Gifted Education. Leo's hobbies are swimming, composing plays, books, movies and travel. He has been to London, England, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Niagara Falls, Canada (and San Diego, California for a personal invitation to attend the Captains ceremony on the USS Ronald Reagan). Leo never buys a present for himself, only souvenirs for his friends and family. He donates regularly to orphans and people in need. Leo now attends the Jewish Community School of the Desert. He just recently won first place in the all school spelling bee. On Leo's birthday, he raises money for the Jewish Community School of the Desert and Well In The Desert. Leo's motto in life is always to help others first.

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Denise Rodriguez Bowman MSW
A native of the Coachella Valley, I was born and raised in the Cathedral City and Palm Springs area. These beautiful mountains were my playground, and serviced as a shelter from the hustle and bustle of other cities.

I graduated from Palm Springs High School in 1991 and attended College of the Desert for several years.

I received my bachelor's of science degree in social sciences in 1998 from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. At Cal Poly, I learned the value of community service and helping others. I dedicated most of my college experience to volunteering. I was a Director for various college based volunteer programs, such as Helping Hands, a Housing Authority program to allow children who reside in government assisted housing to clean up and beautify their living environment while fostering positive friendships with college students. I was also a Co-Director for Poly Pals, a Cal Poly Big Brother Big Sister program. Additionally, I volunteered at juvenile hall with incarcarated youth, the SLO homeless shelter and worked to help clean up coastal oceans. While volunteering and committed to my studies, I interned with San Luis Obispo Child Protective Services. After college I continued in the helping profession serving as a Family Service Worker with SLO Head Start.

I received a Master's of Social Work Degree with an Emphasis in Child, Youth & Families from Cal State, San Bernardino in 2001. I interned at Morongo Basin Mental Health working with children in a play therapy setting. I currently work with County of Riverside Child Protective Services. Within the child welfare area I've worked in the areas of Emergency Response and Independent Living Skills. Presently, I am a Supervising Forensic Child Interviewer. I've been an interviewer for 8 years. I specialize in the area of child sexual abuse, witnesses to violent crimes, and physical abuse. Interviewing and engaging children is my passion - it is science and art. My spirit to come back home in the volunteering sense is with Well of the Desert. I have a lot of knowledge of the community and struggles that many of our desert people endure both on a personal and professional basis. Community service and being part of social causes runs deep within my being. I am truly honored to be part of this grass roots organization.
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Dr. Gregory Wagoner M.D.
Gregory Wagoner, M.D., has been on the Board since 2008. He comes to us from the east coast where he was the Medical Director of the largest homeless health program in the United states, serving over 12,000 individuals annually at 80 sites and at a 104 bed in-patient facility. He focused on improving the quality of primary care while in Boston, and he specialized in the comprehensive delivery of care for chronic conditions such as diabetes and depression for homeless individuals. He now continues to work for Boston Health Care for the Homeless doing special projects.

Greg was born and educated in the midwest, moving to Boston to complete his residency in Internal Medicine. He started the first group practice in the Boston suburbs in 1977 and served as Managing Partner for that organization. He also taught at Tufts University School of Medicine during this time. After 12 years in this practice, he moved to California where he served as Medcial Director and Chief Medical Officer for several organizations, including FHP and CIGNA. He specialized in the care of those insured by MediCal and the Latino population around Santa Ana. During this time he received his M.B.A. from the Univeristy of California, Irvine.

Subsequently he has served as Chief Medical Officer for a national practice management organization based in Ft. Worth, Texas, and Medical Director for an IPA in Maine. He has worked with the Boston homeless program for the past 8 years.

He splits is time currently between Palm Springs and New England. He enjoys travel, cooking, tennis, and good times with friends and family back in the midwest.
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Joan Wolff
My name is Joan Wolff, born in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Beverly Hills and graduated from Beverly Hills High. Attended UCLA. Married a New Yorker and have two childern, divorced, and have been with my partner, Ernie for 36 years. I have been on numerous boards over the 33 years living in Palm Springs. To name a few...President of Tiempo de Los Ninos. Started a hospice at Desert Hospital (with 3 others), on the auzillary board of Desert Regional M.C. Vice President of the police advisory board, a long standing board member of the Foundation of the retarded (ARC), Stroke Center Auxillary Board, started the Make a Wish Foundation in the valley. Still Volunteer at DRMC... and chair the Dinah Shore Family Waiting Room. Went to school at 40, and became an emergency room nurse. Also worned and ran all of the tennis tournaments for Sonny Bono...and a staff member for the Easter Bowl Tennis Tournament for juniors. ...Worked with Doug Brown in PS and fund raising. very proud to be a board member of "The Well in the Desert".
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Poverty Prevention - Intervention - Advocacy