Stroud Water Research Center is pleased to welcome Lee Clark, M.A.B.C., Tracey Nguyen, J.D., M.B.A., and Krysti (Lan Chi) Vo, M.D., into service with the Stroud Center board of directors. They join Seetha Coleman-Kammula, Ph.D., to bring a new cohort (2021) of leaders with exceptional talent to help guide the Stroud Center, along with its other 18 talented board members, in its future pursuits.
“I am very excited to welcome our new board members and look forward to leveraging their expertise and interests in pursuit of our mission and leadership of the Stroud Center,” said Stroud Center Executive Director Dave Arscott, Ph.D.
Over the last two years, the Stroud Center’s board and staff have embarked on a strategic and values-based effort to actively promote diversity across all levels of the organization. One outcome of this effort has been to expand the Stroud Center’s network of friends and colleagues with the assistance of the Roz Group with their diversity and inclusion assessments and support.
As the Stroud Center focused on enhancing board diversity and inclusion, Arscott was connected with DiverseForce on Boards (DFOB), a partnership between DiverseForce and the University of Pennsylvania. DFOB is a training and matching program for emerging and senior leaders of color. When Arscott and other board members attended a DFOB matching event in December of 2020, they had an opportunity to meet exceptionally qualified candidates who were interested in the Stroud Center’s mission and vision. Three of those candidates, Clark, Nguyen, and Vo, would later commit to serving on the Stroud Center’s board of directors.
Mr. Lee Clark is an environmental justice policy manager with the League of Conservation Voters in New Jersey. He holds a Bachelor of Science in political science and a master’s in business communications from Rider University. Mr. Clark tirelessly raises awareness and advocates for environmental justice priorities involving clean energy, clean water, clean air, and open space.
“Climate change, systemic pollution, and other environmental issues disproportionately affect low-income households and communities of color. We see it in restricted access to clean water, clean air, green spaces, natural disaster aid, and more. If our mission is to advance knowledge and stewardship of fresh water, we have to make it a priority to reach all communities equitably.”
Ms. Tracey Nguyen, principal of Baker Tilly Capital, LLC, is an alumna of Villanova University, where after earning her Bachelor of Science in accounting and Bachelor of Arts in communications, she moved forward to earn her Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Villanova School of Law. Ms. Nguyen specializes in real estate finance, tax credits, and incentives and speaks nationally to audiences about affordable housing, community development, and social impact investing.
“For those impacted by racial and socioeconomic disparities, it is important to create opportunities for empowerment. I believe Stroud Water Research Center can do that through education, representation, and leadership.”
Dr. Krysti (Lan Chi) Vo is an attending psychiatrist with the Autism Integrated Care Program, and the medical director of telehealth with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Vo completed medical school at the University of Texas, a residency in general psychiatry at Emory University, and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. Dr. Vo is an entrepreneur and continues to work toward the development of evidence-based digital health interventions that increase access among diverse and underserved patient populations while limiting carbon emissions.
“There is evidence to suggest that outdoor adventures and time in nature have a positive impact on mental health, and I am excited about the experiential outdoor learning opportunities Stroud Water Research Center provides for children and adolescents.”
