Make-A-Wish America Welcomes New Additions to the National Board of Directors
Four new members, along with a newly elected board chair, position Make-A-Wish to have an even greater impact on children with critical illnesses and their families
PHOENIX, March 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Make-A-Wish America strives to bring the life-changing power of a wish to every child with a critical illness in the U.S. and its territories. The wish granting organization is taking another step closer to its goal by announcing four impressive additions to the Make-A-W-Wish National Board of Directors. Rebecca Messina of Mckinsey & Company, former U.S. Ambassador Daniel Yohannes, U.S. Bank's Reba Dominski and Dr. Shirley Davis of SDS Global Enterprises, Inc. have committed their time and talent to Make-A-Wish because they believe that every child deserves a childhood. The diversity of the newest board members reflects the organization's commitment to being an industry leader in diversity, equity and inclusion in all facets of business operations and mission delivery.
Rebecca Messina, senior advisor for consulting firm Mckinsey & Company, holds the distinction of being the first-ever global chief marketing officer for Uber where she focused on building a world class marketing network with the mission of helping the company define a strong brand in the hearts and minds of the consumers, drivers and communities it serves. Messina honed her marketing, branding and strategy skills through a 22-year stint at The Coca-Cola Company. Messina said, "It is an honor to be a part of Make-A-Wish and support the tremendous mission focused on bringing hope through once-in-a-lifetime experiences to children all over the world."
Daniel Yohannes is the former U.S. ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an international forum promoting economic growth, prosperity, sustainable development and energy security through better policies. Before his ambassadorship, Yohannes served as chief executive of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and prior to that, president of M&R Investments. "I am honored and pleased to be part of this wonderful organization, and to support its commitment to realize the wishes of our children," Yohannes said.
Reba Dominski joined U.S. Bank in June 2015 as the president of the U.S. Bank Foundation and senior vice president of corporate social responsibility. In 2017, she added chief social responsibility officer to her title and was promoted to executive vice president in 2019 overseeing all U.S. Bank community efforts. Previously, Dominski spent 21 years with Target Corporation where she held several senior roles. "I am deeply honored to serve on the Make-A-Wish board and to support the mission of this important organization doing life-saving work in service of families and children," Dominski said.
Dr. Shirley Davis is a global thought leader in HR and diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, a best-selling author and world-renowned speaker. In her current role as president and CEO of SDS Global Enterprises, Inc., she delivers the strategic solutions that enable organizational leaders to build high performing and inclusive cultures where all talent can thrive. Dr. Davis previously served as chief diversity and inclusion officer at several Fortune 100 companies and at the world's largest HR membership association, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Dr. Davis said, "One of the most rewarding things we can do is to make the lives of children and families much better, and I am extremely honored to be serving on the Make-A-Wish national board that does this in such a meaningful way."
"Board members often hold the keys to unlocking the new ideas and strategies that, when put into practice by our skilled staff members, translate into more experiences of hope for wish kids and their families," said Richard K. Davis, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. "We are fortunate to have Rebecca, Daniel, Reba and Shirley join such a diverse and talented group of leaders who believe in the Make-A-Wish mission and the ability for wishes to help children build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness."
In addition to the newest board members, George Barrios, founder and co-CEO of Isos Capital Management, who has served on the national board since 2014, has been appointed to chairman of the board. Barrios is an award-winning c-suite executive, who most recently served as co-president and board member of WWE. He will guide the national board and its 27 esteemed members, who represent the best and brightest in the areas of human resources, finance, fundraising, management, marketing and operations. "I have been blessed to see the impact of wishes firsthand and look forward to working with Richard and the board on continuing to further the mission," Barrios said.
"George has proven himself to be a tried and true leader amongst leaders in the board room for the last seven years," Davis said. "He is absolutely the right person to have at the helm steering this incredibly passionate and prolific group of board members in the direction that will have the greatest impact on Make-A-Wish and the children and families that we serve."
Make-A-Wish America is responsible for providing guidance, support, national programs, policies and performance standards to the 59 chapters of Make-A-Wish located throughout the United States and its territories. To learn more about Make-A-Wish and to find out how to get involved, visit https://wish.org/
About Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world's leading children's wish-granting organization, operating in every community in the United States and in nearly 50 countries worldwide. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 30,000 volunteers across the U.S., Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 500,000 wishes worldwide; more than 340,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit https://wish.org/
Make-A-Wish, Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Make-A-Wish swirl-and-star logo are marks of Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.
SOURCE Make-A-Wish Foundation of America
Share this article