Supporting 57,287 Angelenos Living with Parkinson’s Disease

Lora Kurtenbach has an extensive background in entertainment and consumer goods marketing with companies such as Game Show Network, Nickelodeon and Mattel. She currently spearheads digital strategy as a consultant for multiple small businesses, start-ups and nonprofits. Lora has been an advocate for people living with Parkinson’s disease, and a volunteer in the Los Angeles PD community, since her father was diagnosed in 2004.

Mark Siegel was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when he was 47 years old.  He became an activist in the Parkinson’s community shortly thereafter. He served for 10 years as president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Parkinson’s Disease. Association. During his tenure the chapter raised over $2 million for research and services to the community. In 2004, Mark headed a team of activists and public health doctors and researchers, who successfully passed legislation creating the California Parkinson’s Disease Registry, the first such registry in the United States. The registry is an important research tool that can be used to identify disease clusters and correlation between pesticide usage and the disease.

Board member Joe Moller is the founder of Joe Moller Events (JME), a national experiential marketing agency based in Los Angeles. Joe has worked with clients including the City of Santa Monica, Estee Lauder, Lexus, Piper-Heidsieck, Saks Fifth Avenue, Los Angeles Magazine, British Airways, Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Dre, and many more. Joe’s extensive philanthropic work has included projects with non-profit organizations such as the Southern California Special Olympics and St. Vincent’s Meals on Wheels. He also worked to help establish the local chapter of KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now), and co-founded the Skid Row Carnival of Love with the Wayfarer Foundation. A family connection to Parkinson’s has led him to advocate for those living with the disease through his work with PCLA.

Julia has worked as a speech-language pathologist in Outpatient Neurological Rehabilitation at Cedars-Sinai since 2005 and is an adjunct professor and clinical educator at California State University, Los Angeles.

Her areas of interest include working with adults with aphasia, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, and brain tumors. Julia has run two community groups at Cedars-Sinai for those with mild cognitive impairment and voice disorders due to Parkinson’s disease. She also works at Santa Monica College facilitating a cognitive-communication group for people with acquired brain injuries (stroke, TBI, hypoxia) one time a week as part of the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) program at Emeritus.

Barbara Rubin is a past member of the Florida State Museum committee for formulating educational programming. She is the founder and President of a successful wholesale bakery. As a consumer advocate in Virginia, she developed toy safety regulations that became a national standard. In 2001 Barbara was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Mark Siegel was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when he was 47 years old.  He became an activist in the Parkinson’s community shortly thereafter. He served for 10 years as president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Parkinson’s Disease. Association. During his tenure the chapter raised over $2 million for research and services to the community. In 2004, Mark headed a team of activists and public health doctors and researchers, who successfully passed legislation creating the California Parkinson’s Disease Registry, the first such registry in the United States. The registry is an important research tool that can be used to identify disease clusters and correlation between pesticide usage and the disease.

Sarah King has worked as an advocate for people living with Parkinson’s since 2011. As State Director for Southern California for the Parkinson’s Action Network from 2012-2015, Sarah worked with a network of grassroots leaders and volunteer advocates to implement PAN’s initiatives on the state and national levels. Sarah’s 15+ years in project management, public relations, and development in the non-profit sector has helped inform her advocacy and community work. In 2014 she was awarded the “Louis Fishman Award for Outstanding Advocacy” from the Parkinson’s Action Network.

Nicholas Szumski, MD is a fellowship-trained Movement Disorders specialist within the Cedars-Sinai Medical Group. He completed his residency at UCLA and advises PCLA on current medical issues which affect those living with Parkinson’s.