Susan W. Hayes, President & CEO

Since 1996, Susan has served as president and CEO of ReSurge. As president, she ushered ReSurge through a strategic evolution from a direct service organization to one that also educates overseas medical professionals and builds the permanent surgical capacity in developing countries. Susan came to ReSurge with 15 years of management, fundraising and media experience in public broadcasting, including serving as vice president for development and publicity for the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association. Previously, Susan was a political science instructor at Syracuse University and the University of South Carolina, and a project manager for public policy think tank, Syracuse Research Corporation. Since 2009, Susan has served on the board of directors of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focused on the world’s poor and most vulnerable people. She also is a member of the steering committee for the NGO Leadership Institute at the Moynihan Institute for Global Affairs at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University. In addition, Susan serves on the board of Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Gatos, California and has served on the boards of Reading Partners and the Santa Clara Valley YWCA. Local honors include a 1998 Outstanding Women of Silicon Valley award and a 2002 Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN) Award. From 1996 to 2009, Susan was a volunteer on-air host for public television station KTEH in San Jose. She also frequently provides pro-bono counsel to local nonprofits on the subjects of nonprofit governance. Susan holds a master’s degree from Syracuse University and another from University of South Carolina. She also completed doctorate of philosophy coursework in political science at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. In addition, Susan is an alumna of the Stanford Graduate School Business Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders. Susan is a native of South Carolina, lived for 20 years in New York State, and now resides in San Jose.

Sara E. Anderson, Chief Communications and Advocacy Officer

Sara has more than 25 years of extensive experience in journalism, advocacy and all aspects of public relations. Most of her career has been based in Washington, DC, where she worked on Capitol Hill and for nonprofits lobbying the government, including as a: writer and public affairs consultant for a leading international humanitarian organization; director of public relations and marketing for a national trade association; managing editor of a national nonprofit’s magazine; congressional press secretary; and media consultant for a presidential campaign. Sara now lives in Palo Alto with her family and their golden retriever, Scooter. She is a volunteer with the Ragazzi Boys Chorus and was a member of Human Rights Watch’s California Committee North. Originally from Texas, Sara received her master’s degree from Georgetown University, focusing her studies in political philosophy and media and ethics.

Scott Corlew, M.D., Chief Medical Officer

As chief medical officer, Scott evaluates ReSurge’s surgical team trips and the organization’s education and empowerment programs for safety, quality assurance and effectiveness. He also travels extensively to assess potential new ReSurge sites. Most recently, Scott practiced plastic surgery with a multispecialty clinic in Tennessee, and served on the executive committee of the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. Scott earned his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and went on to complete his medical degree at Emory before completing his postgraduate training at Emory and the University of Maryland and University of Florida hospitals. Scott subsequently received his master’s degree in public health at Harvard. He has been an active volunteer and team member with ReSurge since 1990. Scott became ReSurge’s chief medical officer in 2007.

Beverly Kent, Chief Operations Officer

Beverly, a native of northern California, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a master’s degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton and a master of business administration degree from San Jose State University. She lived in France, Belgium, and southern California before returning to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996 with her three sons. After several years of teaching English as a second language, Beverly studied to become a psychotherapist. Her responsibilities include supporting the organization's CEO, staffing medical personnel on team trips, acting as liaison between ReSurge and the medical specialty committees, and overseeing the patient care improvement program.

Jayakrishnan (JK) Bhaktavatsala, India Country Director

JK has more than 20 years of experience in conceptualizing and leading large implementation programs in the field of public health and population development. Although JK was born in Kerala, India, his childhood and work experience span through most states in Northern India. He has particular interest and experience in strengthening district and rural health systems. Prior to ReSurge, JK was head of the HIV & AIDS program division and knowledge management division of HLFPPT (Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust) for eight years. In this role, JK led the establishment of large health implementation programs that reached out to rural poor and thus successfully achieving expansion of the programs division at HLFPPT. JK also draws his expertise from his research, teaching and training experience at the Institute of Health Management Research in Jaipur. In the past, JK has provided techno-managerial leadership to large disease prevention and social marketing programs at country level. JK holds a master’s degrees from the University of North Carolina in healthcare administration and from Nagpur University in statistics. JK and his wife, Archana, live in Hyderabad with their two children.

Jim Dirck, Director, Medical Supply Services

Jim Dirck was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has more than 25 years of experience in supply chain management and medical support services. He is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he studied literature and philosophy. He met the late Jim Warych, former ReSurge medical supply services director, in 1983 when both worked for Alexian Brothers Hospital in San Jose, California. In 199, he worked with Jim Warych in a part-time role at ReSurge. He rejoined the ReSurge team on a full-time basis in July 2005. Jim’s interests include old radios, collecting movies and rooting for Bay Area sports teams—especially the Giants. He lives in the redwoods with his wife and five children.

Erika Dowd, Director of Development

Erika joins ReSurge with more than 10 years of experience in nonprofit management and fundraising. She grew up in Los Angeles, California and earned her bachelor's degree in English and French from Grinnell College and a master's degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Erika has worked for several nonprofits in fundraising and programmatic roles, most recently spending four years with Health Leads, a Boston-based social enterprise that connects low-income families with the resources they need to be healthy. In 2012, she moved to the Bay Area and is excited to be back home in California. Erika looks forward to bringing her fundraising skills to the international health arena and helping ReSurge increase its impact on children and families around the world.

George Gregory, M.D., Anesthesia Director

A world leader in pediatric anesthesiology, George joined ReSurge as anesthesia director in 2004. Working part-time, George focuses on education and training for international medical partners, as well as recruitment of volunteer anesthesiologists. He is also an ex-officio member of ReSurge’s anesthesia, medical services and quality assurance committees. Since 1990, George has volunteered with ReSurge, leading volunteer surgical teams to a variety of sites. George founded the pediatric anesthesiology program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the 1960s and he remains at UCSF as a professor of anesthesia and pediatrics. He is the author and editor of hundreds of medical articles and books, including Pediatric Anesthesia, the leading textbook on the subject. George has received numerous awards from the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP), including the Distinguished Career Award for Critical Care in 1998. “I have spent my life teaching. I teach anesthesia residents and medical students and nurses in the United States...but it’s not the same thing. The students in the United States can get this information from lots of people,” said George. “By teaching medical professionals in developing countries, I know I’m actually doing something for somebody that couldn’t be done otherwise; something that makes a difference in their lives and the lives of their patients.”

Libby Hart, Associate Director, Annual Giving

Libby grew up in Spokane, Washington and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to attend Santa Clara University, where she graduated in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in English. Shortly after graduating, Libby joined the fundraising team at Peninsula Open Space Trust where she worked to save the local landscapes of the San Francisco Peninsula and Santa Cruz Mountain range. In joining ReSurge, Libby looks forward to using her fundraising experience to help transform the lives of children throughout the world. Today, Libby lives in Mountain View, continues to read for fun and enjoys traveling to new places and meeting new people.

Amy Laden, Director, International Services

Amy grew up in northern New Jersey, graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a major in political science, and then lived in Manhattan, where she worked for the Foreign Policy Association. She then traveled around Mexico and Central America for nearly a year, honing her high school Spanish. Amy moved to Boston and worked as a Spanish-speaking social worker with clients from the Caribbean, mainly Puerto Rico. She obtained her master’s degree in social work from San Jose State University. She has lived in the Bay Area since 1969, first working as a Spanish-speaking social worker for the County of Santa Clara, and then as a medical social worker at a local teaching hospital. Since 1976, Amy has worked at ReSurge, first as a social worker bringing children from our sites to the San Francisco Bay Area for surgery, and then in her current position, director of international services. Amy has an adopted child from Chile, who is now in college.

Joe Lippi, Associate Director, Medical Education and Outreach

A northern California native, Joe received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Boston University and a master's degree in global health and population from the Harvard School of Public Health. He brings more than seven years of experience in the Public Health sector and has participated in numerous projects as a researcher and consultant. Joe joined ReSurge in 2013 and is excited to put his Public Health skills to use to help ReSurge increase its impact around the world. Today, Joe lives in San Francisco where he enjoys drinking fancy coffee and seeing live music.

Ken Nessel, Medical Supplies Associate

Ken was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After having lived in Humboldt for 25 years, he recently moved to Sunnyvale, California, and is quickly getting familiar with his new home. Prior to ReSurge, Ken worked for years at St Joseph’s Hospital in Humboldt as a sterile processor, experience which he brings to our organization. Ken feels very fortunate to be able to apply his medical skills to help the less fortunate around the world.

Kristopher Pasillas, International Services and Communications Coordinator

Kris grew up in southern California where he attended the University of California, Los Angeles and earned his bachelor's degree in political science and history in 2007. In 2009, he left the United States to serve as a community health volunteer in the Peace Corps in Zombodze, Swaziland where his work focused on the country's overwhelming HIV/AIDS epidemic. In this role, Kris initiated a wide range of projects including establishing libraries and reading programs at two primary schools and developing a learn-to-swim program for local kids. After completing his Peace Corps service in 2011, Kris spent a few months working as a SCUBA divemaster in Koh Tao, Thailand and traveling through parts of Southeast Asia before returning to California. In early 2012, in what was possibly the biggest cultural shock of his life, Kris moved to the Bay Area where he enjoys riding his bike and getting lost in the great outdoors.

Dora Rusin-Gomez, M.D., Assistant Director, Volunteers and Medical Supplies

Dora was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. In 1998, she graduated from the Escuela Colombiana de Medicina, Universidad El Bosque in Bogotá and became a licensed practitioner of general medicine and worked in the university’s pharmacology department. After obtaining her degree, Dora moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she worked to help the local Hispanic community as a medical interpreter at Stanford Hospital. Concurrently, she studied at the University of California, Santa Cruz and obtained a certificate in clinical trials design and management. In 2000, Dora began working with the National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy, which combined her passion for working with children and horses. Dora began working for ReSurge in 2004.

Liliana Vazquez Giffen, Associate Director, Marketing and Communications

Liliana was born in Mexico City and raised in both Mexico and the United States. She graduated from Santa Clara University (SCU) in 2004 with a major in marketing and minor in political science and international business. During her time at SCU, she traveled to Bangladesh and spent a summer as an intern with the Grameen Bank in Dhaka studying the effects of micro finance as a development tool in rural villages. This experience affirmed her desire to pursue a career in international development. In the past, she worked with Relief International-Schools Online in their global technology education department. Today, Liliana lives in San Francisco, enjoys traveling and hopes to pick up a few more languages along the way.