The Alpha-1 Foundation is proud to announce the appointment of Catherine Vernon to the Alpha-1 Foundation Board of Directors.
Catherine began serving the Alpha-1 community in 2019 when she became an Alpha-1 Support Group Leader in Southwest Florida. She brings several years of nonprofit consulting, executive leadership, and legal experience to the Alpha-1 Foundation Board of Directors.
“We are excited to welcome Catherine Vernon to the Board. She has been a support group leader and Foundation volunteer for several years. I have worked closely with her on the development committee and found her to be bright, well organized, and a tireless worker for her fellow Alphas. We are lucky to have her in our community,” said Jon Hagstrom, Chair of the Alpha-1 Foundation Board of Directors.
She was diagnosed as a ZZ Alpha in January 2014. Her symptoms manifested as post-radiation lung disease after breast cancer radiation in 2008. Other family members also carry the Alpha-1 genetic defect.
Catherine is a licensed attorney with prior experience working for medical device manufacturer Philips, involving FDA and HIPPA compliance as it relates to research, testing, manufacturing, and international sales compliance for the global import and export of CT, MRI, Nuclear Imaging, and other imaging devices.
She also acted as an international corporate attorney familiar with legal issues associated with a large international manufacturer of construction surfacing materials, managing all global legal matters and legal staff as General Counsel for a $2 billion division of a public corporation with 14 factories in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Additionally, she served as the Executive Director of a performing arts nonprofit, with responsibility for all business administration, budgeting, development, fundraising, & performance management.
Rounding out her professional experience is ten years of banking experience as a federal regulator for the US Treasury Department, and as a commercial lender.
“The Alpha-1 Foundation is very close to my interest area given my illness and my family members’ illness. I wanted to become more involved in a meaningful way,” said Catherine. “Serving our area Alphas as an Alpha-1 Support Group Leader has been an honor and labor of love. I am continuously inspired by the strength, endurance, resourcefulness, and humor of our Gulf Coast Alphas in the face of many ongoing daily life challengers. The stories shared at our quarterly support group meetings provide meaningful learning and caring opportunities for all of us. My goal is to continue to provide whatever assistance and guidance I can to my fellow Alphas, anytime, anywhere.”
