Salinas Valley Health Welcomes Newly Elected Board Member

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

SALINAS, CA, December 15, 2016- Salinas Valley Health (Salinas Valley Health) welcomes newly elected Board of Directors member Carissa Purnell, EDD. District voters elected Purnell for District 2 during the November election. Aurelio Salazar Jr, a Trustee at Hartnell Community College did the honor of swearing in the newest member of the Board. Dr. Purnell joins Chris Orman in District 1, Rafael Garcia in District 3, Margaret D’Arrigo-Martin in District 4, and Carmel Gil in District 5.

“We congratulate Dr. Carissa Purnell and are looking forward to working with her”, says Pete Delgado, President/CEO of Salinas Valley Health. “She has a long track record of community service and involvement. We welcome her input in helping us advance the health and wellness of our region.”

Dr. Purnell grew up in Carmichael and moved to the Central Coast to attend college where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 2007. She earned her Master’s Degree in Library Science, Information Architecture and Systems Design from San Jose State University in 2009, and completed her Doctorate in Education at San Francisco State University in 2013.

Purnell has founded and been involved with a number of programs and non-profits focused on improving the quality of life for young people. Currently she is the Director of the Alisal Family Resource Center (AFRC) for the Alisal Union School District and Lecturer at California State University Monterey Bay in the Service Learning Department.

The Board also elected members to new positions and selected committee assignments. Orman will serve as Board President, D'Arrigo-Martin as Vice President, Gil as Secretary, Garcia as Treasurer, and Purnell as Assistant Treasurer.

Carissa Purnell replaces outgoing board member Victor Rey. Salinas Valley Health President/CEO Pete Delgado publicly thanked Rey for his service on the Salinas Valley Health Board of Directors. Each publicly elected board member serves a four year term.