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.

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.