President
Steve Herrick
Steve Herrick first worked in Latin America with the Peace Corps. He continued with a career in international business and banking. After retiring from over 30 years in international finance, Steve and his wife began translating for Operation Rainbow (a group of San Francisco-based orthopedic surgeons). They found that congenital birth defects can be partially corrected with the miracles of modern surgery but if the child was missing a limb, prosthetic care was not within the scope of Operation Rainbow. Steve presented the need for life-changing prosthetics to the board of FAKS Foundation. The board made a commitment to add pediatric prosthetic care to the services that FAKS will fund to improve the lives of deserving children in developing countries . . . one child at a time.
Vice President
Dr. Charles Mosher
Dr. Charles Mosher is Board-certified in Public Health, Preventive Medicine, and Tropical Diseases. He has practiced both Public Health and Family Medicine in California, Paraguay, Bolivia, Haiti, Ecuador and Mexico. He was physician in the Peace Corps and a Public Health Official at both State and County levels. He has published scientific papers and various pieces of non-fiction and fiction. Dr. Charles Mosher has traveled to Guatemala to evaluate prosthetic care resources there. His approach to public health is an integral element in how FAKS assists needy children.
Treasurer
Valorie Scott
Valorie has spent her career in the financial services industry while putting her passion into volunteering and serving on boards of non-profit organizations to advance the lives of women, children and immigrants. She is grateful to use her financial skills as treasurer of FAKS Foundation in its worthy mission of helping improve the lives of children in developing countries.
Secretary
Amy Smith
Amy Smith has practiced pediatric, intensive care nursing for over 16 years. While still in nursing school in Atlanta she found her passion for volunteering in Amazonas Brazil. There she provided basic medical care along with health education for children and expectant mothers. She has managed her nursing career to incorporate volunteering for medical programs in Brazil, Peru, Tanzania, India, Honduras, Ecuador and Guatemala.
In 2016, volunteering as a PACU nurse with Operation Rainbow, she cared for Dani after surgery to repair his clubbed foot. Dani (click on “Our Kids”. . “Dani’s Story”) is the first child to receive a prosthesis from FAKS. Having experienced first-hand how prosthetic care can change young lives, Amy is committed to do what she can to support FAKS Foundation helping children overcome physical limitations and reach their fullest potential.
Prosthetic Consultant
Monica Laurent
Monica has been a registered nurse for 25 years. She has experience as both an emergency room and recovery room nurse. With a passion for nursing and travel, she started her volunteer work with Rotaplast, a plastic surgery group, in 2000. She traveled with them to Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, Guatemala and India. She took a brief break in her volunteer work, to raise two daughters. She started her volunteer work again in 2016 with Operation Rainbow, an orthopedic group, traveling to Ecuador and Honduras, where she met and treated Levin, one of FAKS recipients. As an amputee herself, losing her leg at the age of three due to a congenital birth defect, she is very passionate about the mission of FAKS.
Consultant
Meghan Markowski
Meghan has been an orthopedic physician assistant for over 10 years. She works at Level 1 trauma hospital in Oakland, California, and has cared for many adults who have suffered severe orthopedic injuries. She has seen how obtaining a prosthesis can positively change the trajectory of one’s life. While volunteering with Operation Rainbow, she has met children who need a prosthesis and has joined FAKs to help children obtain and adapt to their prostheses. She hopes her dedication to the organization and its mission will instill confidence in children and allow them to live life to the fullest.