Alice Lara, RN

President and CEO, Sudden Arrhythmia Syndromes (SADS) Foundation

I came to SADS looking for a challenging, fast-paced position that would utilize my skills in fund raising, marketing/public relations, volunteer management, program development, and financial management, as well as my medical background. But mostly, I wanted to work for a nonprofit that I felt was really doing good work! SADS is such an organization.

I was trained as a Registered Nurse and worked for 8 years in nursing, nursing administration and teaching nursing. I have spent the past 14 years working in the nonprofit world—in administration, fund raising and consulting—in the Bay Area and now in Salt Lake City.

I have one, son now living in Hawaii. The rest of my family live in the Salt Lake area.

My dog, Genevieve, is the SADS office dog. We love to go for long walk/runs every morning and to wander the Farmer’s Market in the summer. I love cooking, reading, gardening, travel and needlepoint or counted cross-stitch.

I am excited about the new Board and staff. I am honored to be involved with SADS, our volunteers and our staff. Working together, I know we can make a difference!

Michelle Hoon

Program Associate, SADS

Michelle is the new Program Associate for SADS. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in History and Spanish. In college she was afforded the opportunity to travel to Spain and study language, culture, history, and art. After college she was able to spend one year in Washington DC, working as an intern for one of Arizona’s congressional representatives. She grew up volunteering time and energy, along with her family, to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Arizona. She has been fortunate to find another volunteer opportunity in the last year with a local group, CHOICE Humanitarian, which raises money to fund development projects around the world. She has maintained an interest in public policy matters and cultural study, hopes to further her education in a few years, and continue a career in the public sector. She is excited to work with the volunteers and families of the SADS Foundation to promote awareness of LQT.

Chris Ferguson

Vice-President of Development, SADS

Chris comes to us from the University of Utah, where he served as a Director of Development. He has been in the development field for over six years, representing a number of nonprofits including the Huntsman Cancer Institute, American Diabetes Association, and the American Lung Association to name a few. Chris has a degree in biology and a background as a cancer researcher prior to moving into the development field. His interests are working with nonprofits, social & justice groups, catamaran sailing, and diving.

Jennifer Marinovich

Special Projects-Development, SADS

Jenny just moved to Virginia and is working part-time on development projects. During the past two years, she worked as the Development Director and the Program Associate. Prior to coming to SADS, she worked at the International Rescue Committee in Phoenix, Arizona developing a microenterprise program for refugees. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and hopes to further her education in a few years. She is excited to continue working and supporting SADS volunteers and programs. Jenny is married and they are expecting their first child at the end of May. She loves traveling, reading, and hiking.

Carla Haglund

Family Support Coordinator, SADS

Carla is a lifelong Minnesotan. She has been a secretary at the Mayo Clinic for 11 years and has worked along side Dr. Michael Ackerman (current President of SADS) since 1999. Currently, she coordinates the activities of both Mayo’s Long QT Syndrome Clinic and the Mayo Clinic Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory. She was hired recently as the Support Programs Coordinator for the SADS Foundation. Carla is grateful to be part of this life changing and life saving Foundation. In her spare time, Carla enjoys coaching her daughter’s 6^th grade traveling basketball team, taking in a sporting event, golfing, camping, or spending time with her family.