Pettit Elected President of Scleroderma Foundation Southern California

April 15, 2013 - PRLog -- CONTACT: Jerold D Kappel
              Interim Executive Director
PHONE: 310-287-0793
E-MAIL: SocaChapter@scleroderma.org

CHRIS PETTIT ELECTED PRESIDENT OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CULVER CITY, CA/APRIL 15, 2013) –Chris Pettit, of Southern Wine and Spirits, was elected President of the Scleroderma Foundation of Southern California at the Annual Meeting in January, 2013.  Chris Pettit is the founder of the Foundation’s Fight for Lexi Golf Tournament in honor of his daughter who was diagnosed with the disease as a young teenager.

The Scleroderma Foundation of Southern California is an affiliate of the Scleroderma Foundation, which has its headquarters in Danvers, Massachusetts.  The Southern California affiliate offers support and education for those suffering from this often fatal autoimmune disease, and funds research into its causes, disease management and cure.

Daniel Furst, MD, the Carl M. Pearson Professor in Rheumatology at UCLA, led the Southern California Scleroderma Foundation since 2006.  Dr. Furst will remain on the Board as Vice President.  Dr. Furst also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of both the Southern California and national Foundations.  The other officers are:
•   Helen Greenburg, Vice President, Director of Human Resources at Mount Sinai Memorial Parks
•   Dennis Benner, Treasurer, Management Consultant
•   David Parker, Secretary, Founding Partner of Parker Shumaker Mills LLP

The Foundation Board members are: Brad Allen (NFL Films), Joel Cherman (Nuveen Investments), Chris Corman (Mattel), Sheetal Desai, MD (UCI Rheumatology), Wilma Pinder (Assistant City Attorney, City of Los Angeles, retired).

About The Scleroderma Foundation of Southern California
The Foundation was founded more than thirty years ago with the threefold mission of research, education, and support. The Foundation addresses the needs of the Scleroderma community to learn about this disease and how best to deal with it.  Scleroderma is an autoimmune connective tissue disease affecting blood vessels and collagen in the human body that can result in debilitating effects. It can cause serious internal complications that can become fatal. There is no cure. The Scleroderma Foundation of Southern California is an affiliate of the national foundation and serves patients and caregivers in six counties of Southern California.  The SoCal Foundation has support groups throughout the region that provide educational programs and critical peer support.  Additional patient services include teleseminars, educational programs, e-newsletters, published newsletters, and in-service days at medical centers and in its offices in Culver City.

The Scleroderma Foundation of Southern California
10319 Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
www.scleroderma.org/socal
310-287-0793
socachapter@scleroderma.org