Local Pittsburgh Residents Dr. Sandra Kim to Serve as President and Jared Henigin to Serve as Vice President
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia chapter, a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, announced the appointment of Dr. Sandra Kim as board president and Jared Henigin as board vice president. The appointees will begin their new roles January 2021 and serve for two years.
Kim is director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center and Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, with interests focused on pediatric IBD, including adolescent transitioning, quality improvement in pediatric IBD and the impact of the gastrointestinal microbiota in IBD. Kim is dedicated to many of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s education and advocacy programs, serving as chairperson of government affairs and advocacy for the National Scientific Advisory Committee, serving on task forces for diversity and inclusion and access to care, and as a reviewer for the Litwin Grant program. In addition, she co-chairs the Clinical Practice Committee and serves on the Physician Leadership Committee and strategy council for ImproveCareNow, an international pediatric IBD quality improvement collaborative. Kim has received numerous awards for her leadership in patient education and advocacy, including the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Rosenthal Award in 2011 and 2018 and the Foundation’s “2020 Uniting to Care and Cure” award.
In her new role as board president, Kim succeeds Rhonda Bolding, who has served on the chapter board for six years. Bolding remains dedicated to the Foundation and will continue to serve on the National Board of Trustees, to which she was elected in 2020, and in a new role as chairperson of the Nominating and Volunteer Development Committee for the local chapter. Under Bolding’s leadership, the chapter has elevated awareness of the Foundation’s mission and engaged local volunteers through impactful communication, cultivated new corporate partners and created a signature fundraising gala, Night of Steel.
Prior to his appointment as board vice president, Henigin became involved with the Foundation’s Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia chapter in 2018 and began serving as a board member in December 2018. A dedicated Foundation supporter, he has participated in many of the organization’s fundraising and advocacy events, including the Take Steps walk, spin4 cycling event and the chapter’s signature Night of Steel event. A Blairsville native and 2011 graduate of Duquesne University, Henigin now resides in Greentree.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Kim and Jared to their new leadership roles with our chapter,” said Eric Hecker, executive director of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia chapter. “They are role models for dedicated service and advocacy for patients and caregivers in our local community, and we look forward to their leadership in continuing to drive awareness and support for our mission. On behalf of our entire Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia chapter, I would like to thank Rhonda for her service as board president for the last several years. We have been inspired by her passion and leadership, and we are grateful that she will remain a dedicated member of our chapter board and the Foundation’s National Board of Trustees.”
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is the leading nonprofit organization uniting to cure IBD and to improve the quality of life for the estimated 3.1 Americans living with these diseases. The Foundation’s Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia chapter engages and empowers patients and caregivers throughout the region through support groups, partnerships with healthcare providers, and educational and advocacy programs.
To learn more about the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and its work in the community, visit www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/wpawv.
About the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to finding cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life for the estimated 3.1 million Americans living with these diseases. For over 50 years, we have been inspiring and engaging patients and caregivers in the country’s largest inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) community and helping to dramatically accelerate the pace of research. The Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia chapter unites the community of patients, caregivers and medical professionals through support groups, partnerships with regional healthcare providers, and educational and advocacy programs. For more information, visit www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/wpawv.
