Foundation Staff
Executive Leadership
President & Chief Executive Officer
Bruce A. Chernof, MD, FACP
Bruce Allen Chernof, MD, FACP, serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of The SCAN Foundation. The SCAN Foundation is one of the largest foundations in the United States focused entirely on improving…
Vice President, Policy & Communications
Gretchen E. Alkema, PhD
Gretchen E. Alkema is Vice President of Policy and Communications at The SCAN Foundation. In this role, Gretchen oversees the Foundation’s communications and policy strategy development and execution…
Vice President, Programs & Operations
René Seidel, Dipl. Soz. Paed. (FH)
René Seidel is Vice President of Programs and Operations at The SCAN Foundation. Previously, René worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services in various capacities, including as…
Vice President, Innovations
John Zapolski
John Zapolski is Vice President of Innovations, focusing on engaging entrepreneurs and the creative community in support of advancing the Foundation’s mission to improve the quality of health and life…
Program Staff
Policy Analyst
Megan Burke, LCSW
Megan R. Burke is the Policy Analyst at The SCAN Foundation. In this role, she works to solve policy problems and elevate solutions to help older adults access the services and supports needed to live…
Grants Manager
Jennifer Katell, MA, MBA
Jennifer Katell joined The SCAN Foundation as Grants Manager in April 2020. In this role, she oversees the grantmaking process and manages the review of Foundation policies…
Director of Communications
Mari Nicholson, MHS
Mari Nicholson is Director of Communications for The SCAN Foundation. In this role, she executes the Foundation’s communication strategies and grantmaking. Mari has ample public health and…
Program Officer
Kali Peterson, MS, MPA
Kali Peterson serves as a Program Officer at The SCAN Foundation. In this role, she oversees a grant portfolio focused on long-term care financing and advancing person-centered and integrated care…
Senior Policy Advisor
Sarah S. Steenhausen, MS
Sarah Steenhausen is Senior Policy Advisor for The SCAN Foundation, directing the Foundation’s state policy engagement efforts. In this capacity, Sarah develops and oversees our state leadership strategy…
Director of Finance & Mission Impact Investments
Eric Thai, CPA, MBA
Eric Thai is Director of Finance and Mission Impact Investments for The SCAN Foundation. He is responsible for managing the Foundation’s accounting, finance, and investment functions…
Program Officer
Erin Westphal, MS
Erin Westphal serves as a Program Officer at The SCAN Foundation. Erin’s work focuses on building the business case for person-centered care models and integrating the care and financing for medical…
Administrative Staff
Executive Assistant
Gina Alferez
Gina Alferez serves as Executive Assistant for The SCAN Foundation. She brings over 18 years of administrative experience to the table with expertise in office management, event planning, scheduling…
Program Associate
Renata McElvany
Renata McElvany serves as the Program Associate for The SCAN Foundation. In this role, Renata provides communications and administrative support to our team. Her core responsibilities include website…