Who We Are

Leadership

Board of Directors

Chair - Curt Ringness

Curt Ringness Curt has maintained a number of different businesses throughout his career, including Liberty Industries, Inc. in Youngstown, OH, a marketing corporation specializing in sales of industrial wood products and Liberty Technologies, LLP, an industrial stretch and shrink wrap machine manufacturing company. From nearly twenty years, Curt was the chief financial officer of Mullikin Medical Centers and Pioneer Hospital, overseeing its growth from two offices to the largest organization of its kind in the western United States with over 60 medical clinics.

Curt and his life partner Barry became annual donors to Desert AIDS Project as Partners for Life in 1998. Curt was invited to join the D.A.P. Board of Directors in 2000 and elected President of the Board in late 2007. In addition to D.A.P., the couple has contributed to several charitable organizations including the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and the AIDS Assistance Program. They are also Friends of the Rancho Mirage Library.

Vice Chair - Hon. Steve Lachs

Steve Lachs is a retired Superior Court Judge, who currently works as a private judge, providing mediation, arbitration, and other services to clients. He was appointed by then-Governor Jerry Brown and was the first openly gay judge in the country.

While living in Los Angeles for much of his life, Steve was a board member of the Gay and Lesbian Center for nine years; a board member for five years of AIDS Project Los Angeles, including a stint as Chair of the Board; and was the treasurer and board member for Congregation Kol Ami. He was a founder of MECLA, the first gay and lesbian political action committee in the country. Steve has also taught and lectured on various areas of law at law schools, judicial colleges, and professional groups.

Now living in Rancho Mirage with his partner of over 25 years, Steve serves on the board of his homeowners association and is a Commissioner on the Rancho Mirage Library Commission.

Finance Committee Chair - Fred Drewette

Fred Dewette Fred Drewette: Fred Drewette is currently Chief Financial Officer of Anaheim Regional Medical Center, one of the facilities operated by AHMC. He has previously served as Chief Financial Officer of San Dimas Community Hospital, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, and Desert Regional Medical Center. Fred joined Desert AIDS Project in 1993 as a member of the finance committee and in 1996 was elected to the Board of Directors. In 1997 he was elected Treasurer of the Board of Directors, a position he has held continuously since that time. With Bachelors and Masters Degrees from California State University at Fullerton, Fred currently lives with his family in Corona, California.

Secretary - Tammy Fox

Tammy Fox has over 30 years of banking experience, including trust administration, investment management, estate settlement, and mutual fund sales with Bank of America and other major banks. She has spent 20 years in the Coachella Valley business community. In addition to sitting on D.A.P.'s Board of Directors, Tammy is Treasurer of the Desert Estate Planning Council. She is also a founding member and Secretary of The Coachella Valley Fund. Her advisory board memberships include the University of California, Riverside (UCR) Planned Gifts Committee, the Professional Advisors Council of The Community Foundation, and Eisenhower Medical Center Planned Giving. Tammy is also a member of the Women Leaders Forum.http://www.bankofamerica.com/ustrust

Ted Briggs

Ted Briggs Ted left the corporate world behind more than 20 years ago to begin life as a consultant, where he established himself as a nationally recognized leader in sales and marketing management and sales compensation. Ted has a long track record of success in providing strategic business solutions for major corporations, as well as building his own businesses as an entrepreneur. Ted has held leadership positions in three different large consulting firms, and has a client list spanning many industries and a wide range of company sizes including many of the Fortune 100.

Ted has been active in many non-profit organizations in and outside the Coachella Valley. As a Board member for Gay Associated Youth for seven years, Ted served as both Vice President and Treasurer, while also being a hands-on fundraiser and planner for the organization. He and his partner – also named Ted! – have been donors to and supporters of Desert AIDS Project for over ten years.

Kathie Browne

Kathie Browne has been an attorney since 1985 and has her own private practice in Rancho Mirage, California, specializing in estate planning, business and real estate law. She earned several academic awards while earning a J.D. Degree from Southwestern University and an LL.M. Degree in Corporate Law from New York University. Her charitable activities include serving on the planned giving committees of Desert Aids Project, Eisenhower Medical Center, McCallum Theatre, College of the Desert and the American Cancer Society. She is the President of the Desert Estate Planning Council and serves on the board of The Coachella Valley Fund. Kathie is also a member of the Women Leaders Forum.

Jim Casey

Casey serves as President/CEO of Integrated Wealth Management, Inc, a highly regarded investment counseling organization. Since his involvement with Desert AIDS Project, he and his firm have donated over $1 million to support client services. Jim Casey has also served as co-chair of the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards galas since 2009.

Steve Kaufer

Kaufer served as a D.A.P. Board member from 1987-1997, rejoining the Board in 2007. Kaufer has always been active in D.A.P. fundraising. In honor of their many years of involvement as volunteers and donors to D.A.P., Steve Kaufer received the Partners for Life Award at the 2010 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards. It was Kaufer and fellow long-time Board member Andrew Green who met with Steve Chase, already a D.A.P. volunteer, to convince him that he should join them on its Board. Kaufer is a nationally known security consultant and expert on workplace violence. He advises a wide range of government agencies and companies, including those in the Fortune 100. With over 30 years in the security industry, he designs multi-faceted solutions to complex security and violence issues. Kaufer has earned the designation of Certified Protection Professional (CPP) from ASIS International, the largest professional security association in the world. www.howtoprotect.com

Barbara Keller

Barbara Keller Barbara has been a docent of the Palm Springs Art Museum for 18 years and is also a Trustee, serving on the Executive Committee. She is past president of the Museum Associates Council and has acted as chair for key Museum fundraising events. In addition, Barbara is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Jewish Family Service of the Desert, where she has served as Honorary Chair of their gala, One Night Only, for 5 years. Barbara zealously supports the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Federation, and the Human Rights Commission among other worthy charities, and has also served on the Board of Trustees of the McCallum Theatre. Barbara has co-chaired the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards galas with her inimitable co-chair Jim Casey and team and Dinner At My Place with the fabulous Steve Kaufer. Barbara and her husband, Jerry, own Acqua Pazza and LULU, two California bistros in Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs.

Gary Riley

Gary Riley is Vice President and Relationship Manager in The Private Bank at Union Bank of California. With an MBA in Finance, Gary is a seasoned banking professional with many years of experience. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for Desert AIDS Project, Gary also serves on the board of the Children's Fund of San Bernardino County. www.uboc.com/wealth/privatebanking

Chair Emeritus - Russ Russell

Long-standing ties with the local community, understanding of the Coachella Valley, and collaborative style have helped Russ Russell build bridges that have brought people together in the fight against AIDS. As Vice President and Regional Director for The Private Bank-Desert Region of Union Bank of California, Russ has brought a strategic and financial knowledge to D.A.P. for eight years that has been invaluable. In addition, Russ has served and continues to serve for a variety of worthwhile organizations in the Coachella Valley including the American Cancer Society, Desert Estates Planning Council, McCallum Theater, College of the Desert Foundation, Friends of the Rancho Mirage Library, and others. www.uboc.com

Lanny Seese

Dr. Lanny Seese was a founding partner and worked as a physician at Mullikin Medical Centers from for nearly two decades. With a practice that included care and treatment of persons with HIV and AIDS from the mid-1980s, Lanny has continued to have a special interest in their well-being. After Mullikin went public and Lanny retired, his ongoing commitment brought him to the board of directors of Desert AIDS Project in 2004.

Gregory E. Seller

Gregory E. Seller Gregg Seller is the senior financial officer responsible for managing Great-West Retirement Services' business in the Government Market in the United States. He is founder and co-editor of Focus on 457. He has more than 34 years of experience in the governmental and corporate pension market and is a founding member of the National Association of Governmental Defined Contribution Administrators (NAGDCA.) In addition to his work for a number of retirement and financial services industry groups, Gregg has also served as a volunteer and board member for various charitable, arts, and philanthropic organizations over the past 34 years.

Karolee M. Sowle

Karolee M. Sowle Karolee is the Chief Executive Officer of Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, CA. She joined the hospital in 1997 and has served as the Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operating Officer. In March 2008, she was promoted to Chief Executive Officer.

Stephen Winters

Stephen Winters Steve held both U.S. and international management positions of increasing scope throughout his career as a corporate attorney, eventually retiring as General Counsel for BP America. In addition to making significant financial contributions to and raising funds for the arts and LGBT causes, Steve has served as a Board member of AIDS Pastoral Care Network, Metropolitan Family Services and Casa Central in Chicago.