Supporting 57,287 Angelenos Living with Parkinson’s 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.

Board Member Julia Nicholls, MA, CCC-SLP, 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. In May 2019 Julia received the Lois V. Douglass Distinguished Alumnus Award in recognition of significant accomplishments in the field of Speech-Language Pathology from California State University, Los Angeles, and in 2014 the Award for Excellence in Customer Service at Cedars-Sinai.

Gail Buckley had a 30-year career in social services, holding a master’s degree in social work. Now retired, she has been pursuing her passion of mentoring young women, traveling the world, and making art. Gail has served for many years on the Board of her family’s nonprofit charitable foundation. The organization, founded by her parents, supports educational and health related causes. Most recently Parkinson’s disease has been a focus for her in deciding funding priorities for the foundation. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011, Gail stays active and has found dance, Tai Chi, exercise and Pilates to all be beneficial.

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.