PALS is fortunate to have a Board of Directors that provides guidance and support for our operations and bolsters our mission of inclusion. We are excited to introduce three new members who joined the board in the past year.
BY CHRIS RUSSO
Development Associate
Joe Magliocco: A lifelong resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, Joe first encountered PALS when a friend invited him to the Closing Ceremonies of the very first PALS West back in 2014. “It was so emotionally impactful that I naturally applied for the next season.” Over the past decade, Joe has served in a variety of volunteer roles at PALS programs, including Peer, Team Lead, Support Lead, and Program Administrator, and he feels that joining the board is a natural continuation of his engagement. His favorite parts of PALS are the connections we build, the growth each person experiences day-to-day, and the little moments of magic. “PALS has a transformative effect on everyone involved - Partners, Peers, parents/family, and even the broader community that PALS touches!”
Joe works as a strategy consultant helping pharma and biotech companies develop and launch new therapies across oncology, rare diseases, and other complex therapeutic areas. In his free time, he loves exercise and playing (and occasionally composing) music. “PALS has always been and always will be about the people involved and the connections & community we create. I appreciate how each person shows up as part of the PALS community - so thank you to everyone reading this for being you and being involved!”
Dr. Alexandria White: Originally from Chicago, Dr. Alexandria White currently resides in Mississippi where she utilizes her 16 years of experience training around diversity, leadership, and inclusive communities as Senior Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at ReBoot Accel. Dr. White’s first introduction to PALS was during her consulting work on leadership and diversity with our leadership team. Dr. White is a thrill-seeker in her spare time, having gone skydiving in the past!
Dr. White believes that PALS makes the world a better place, so she decided to join the Board of Directors to be able to be instrumental in the future of PALS. With her help, we will be able to achieve her goal and teach more people about how our programs change the lives of everyone connected to the experience.
Joel Spenadel: Proud parent of two (Hannah and Jacob), Joel Spenadel heard about PALS about 10 years ago, when a friend of his introduced him to our Executive Director, Jenni. That following summer, his son, Jacob, attended his first camp. Over the last decade, Joel has been able to observe PALS from a parent’s perspective and became inspired by what the founders, staff, board members, and many volunteers have achieved. “Every parent of a child with a disability hopes their son or daughter will be accepted into the broader community and interact in close contact with their peers regardless of ability, and PALS has made that a reality for many parents of a child with Down syndrome!”
In addition to 35 years of working at JPMorgan Chase, where Joel has been investing in renewable energy projects for more than half that time, Joel volunteers extensively. He enjoys playing tennis (pretty well) and golf (not so well), reading, watching live sports and Netflix shows, and going on dates with Beth, his wife of more than 30 years. Joel’s love for live sports goes a step further than others, though, as he may be the only person in the world to have attended the Hall of Fame induction of Chicago Cubs great Ernie Banks and attended Game Seven of the 2016 World Series.
Joel is looking forward to attending the 20th Anniversary celebrations and loves the energy of the PALS community, which he gets to experience every year with his Jacob’s PALS chant, “CA, CA, CAMP! PA, PA, PALS! We are, We are, We are Camp PALS! We are...CAMP PALS! WE ARE...CAMP PALS!!"
If you or someone you know would be an excellent addition to the board, please complete this interest form.