Ann Rhomberg grew up in a big Iowa family, and became part of an even bigger family when she joined Solidarity Bridge as Associate Director in 2007. She has been Executive Director since 2012. What most drew her to Solidarity Bridge was our vision of helping those in need within the context of mutuality. “We all have needs and this work challenges us to think differently about who’s helping who.” Ann is passionate about expanding the message and mission of Solidarity Bridge, creating an effective day-to-day work environment, and strengthening our infrastructure for years to come. Her prior work included social work, healthcare administration and management consulting.

Born in La Paz, Bolivia, Maria Eugenia has lived in many places, but spent most of her life in her home country. She and her family experienced the military regimes of the 1980’s, and when she was still in grade school, they spent a few years in the U.S. and Ecuador. These experiences opened her to new perspectives, new friends, and new ideas. Later, studying sociology and social work in Chile, she worked on health and education projects among underprivileged populations in the outskirts of Santiago. This was another life lesson in embracing diversity and questioning the realities of social inequality and injustice. In graduate school she studied anthropology, a discipline from which one may explore truths about the human experience as people(s) themselves view, experience, and express them. Anthropology also calls us to appreciate our common humanity and our diversity in its multiple layers. Maria Eugenia believes in the important role that Solidarity Bridge serves in saving lives and protecting the health of so many people; contributing in this way to the fight against injustice and inequality. She has participated as a missioner and volunteer for many years before joining our staff, and during that time, she learned from, and was inspired by, the transformative action of those who make up our solidarity family.

Megan Kennedy-Farrell first traveled to Latin America more than twenty years ago as an undergraduate student. Since then, she has accompanied delegations and immersion groups of college students and religious leaders throughout Central and South America. Megan is deeply committed to a “faith that does justice.” With a Masters degree in Religious Education from the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago, Megan’s past work included campus minister at Loyola University Chicago, Program Coordinator at the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America and Director of Peacebuilders Initiative at Catholic Theological Union.  She has served on the Board of Directors of the Br. David Darst Center, Witness for Peace and Nazareth Farm.  Megan lives in Evanston with her husband and two young children who provide daily inspiration for this journey of solidarity and justice.

Growing up in Indianapolis, Lindsay had a passion for learning about other peoples and cultures.  She continued to fall in love with international work during a semester abroad in Lima, Perú.  After completing a Masters in Nonprofit Management, she became aware of a growing desire to more fully integrate her faith and her work.  She went on to serve for five years as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  In her role with Solidarity Bridge, she is grateful for the opportunity to continue to learn and be transformed through cross-cultural experiences. She is honored to be part of the mission of building bridges of solidarity and mutuality between cultures and offering bridges out of poverty for marginalized communities.
 

Jodi Grahl’s passion for her work connects to her past. “While backpacking through southern Mexico as a college student, I found myself in a remote health clinic in the Chiapas rainforest, standing in line to see a doctor. There I witnessed a desperate scene of a young indigenous couple seeking help for their severely dehydrated child. I knew then that I was obligated to dedicate my life to understanding why such things happen in our modern world, and then, to do something about it.” Jodi has spent her adult life, mostly in Southern Mexico, working with NGOs. She is currently the Director of Solidarity Bridge’s General Surgery, Gynecologic Surgery and Pacemaker Programs. Jodi lives with her two young daughters in Evanston.

Martha grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, moving to Chicago in 2000 after graduating from Virginia Tech with a Masters in Accounting. She worked for many years as a small business accountant, but eventually shifted her accountability to her growing family. Upon returning to work, it was important for Martha to find a meaningful organization that she could believe in. The people and mission of Solidarity Bridge drew her to us and we are grateful! Martha and her husband live in Evanston with their 4 kids. She enjoys running, swimming, biking and hanging out at the beach with her family.

Catherine loves building cross-cultural relationships. For 15 years, she has dedicated her career to fundraising for NGOs that invest in sustainable community development. Her previous roles have taken her to India, South Africa, Honduras, and several other countries to work alongside local community development leaders.

“It's inspiring to work with our Bolivian and Paraguayan partners,” she shares. “It's an honor to be a part of the team, to share the stories of on the ground care and invite others to be a part of the transformation in the lives of our patients, physicians, and the greater community.”

Allison is passionate about creating a more just world and has dedicated her career to this pursuit. For over 15 years, she has supported a variety of local and international organizations in communication, fundraising, and project development.

Originally from Chicago, Allison lived for 13 years in Guatemala, during which time she ran a Fair Trade organization, called Yabal Guatemala, that partnered with rural indigenous women weavers. Through her work with women and rural communities, she witnessed a myriad of difficulties low-income families face in their struggle to provide a better future for their children. On top of already difficult economic hardships, a medical diagnosis of a family member can lead to truly heart-breaking scenarios – situations that, in a more equitable context, could have been prevented. Out of this experience, Allison is excited to contribute to Solidarity Bridge’s mission, bridging this gap in medical access.

Sanja found herself in a great company of individuals at Solidarity Bridge, where she is gladly contributing to the meaningful work done by the organization. Outside of work, Sanja enjoys spending time in nature, biking, walking, yoga, gardening, preparing healthy plant-based meals, talking with family and friends abroad, living sustainably,  and learning about and applying new ways of maintaining healthy mind/body. 

Brian Clarke recently joined our board after volunteering to take a leadership role in our Strategic Planning process. He is a versatile business executive with deep experience in helping organizations with major transitions such as mergers and acquisitions, business integration, strategic planning, litigation management, governance and more. Brian currently serves as Senior Corporate Counsel in Veolia North America, where he previously was Executive Vice President - Business Support. He has also served as Senior Vice President for Business Integration for Aegion Corporation, and a Partner at Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather and Geraldson. The mission of Solidarity Bridge speaks to Brian's sense of his life long Catholic identity. “I think the work of Solidarity Bridge is what we should be doing to meet the call of this year of mercy, as proclaimed by Pope Francis."

Kurt W. Florian, JD, joined the Solidarity Bridge board in 2008 serving two terms as board chair. He is an on-the-ground leader and has made numerous trips to Bolivia with our mission teams. His passion for Bolivia began years ago when he participated in a high school year-abroad program in Cochabamba.  Through that term, he became fluent in Spanish and more sensitive to people in great need.  Beyond Solidarity Bridge,  Kurt is the current President and Chief Executive Officer of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago and has served on their board for over twenty years.  He has also been an Adjunct Professor at the Chicago-Kent College of Law of the Illinois Institute of Technology teaching courses in mergers and acquisitions.

Meredith 'Gay' Garrett, M.D, has been a passionate supporter of Solidarity Bridge since her first mission trip in 2010. She is a well-respected General Surgeon who has formed deep bonds alongside our partner surgeons in Bolivia, with particular focus on advanced laparoscopic training. She believes this collegial, partner model renders the most care to those in need. When Gay is not in the operating room, she enjoys traveling with her husband Mark and hanging out with her dogs.

Cynthia Judge works in the field of Communications, as a leadership trainer, speaker coach, actor and producer. She travels the country conducting workshops on enhancing leadership, presentation skills, managerial coaching and other topics. She is a Regional Director, Midwest Casting Director and an actor/teacher with Simulations, Inc. an organization that partners with the healthcare industry using improvisation to enhance communication techniques. Cynthia is an active member of St. Nicholas Parish, and it was there that she was introduced to Solidarity Bridge. Moved by its mission, she began volunteering with the organization, facilitating staff development retreats and the 2016 board/staff retreat. Cynthia is a community mentor for Senior Studies at Evanston Township High School, and also works with teenagers at BUILD Chicago as a coach for the public speaking program. Cynthia lives in Evanston with her husband, actor Brad Armacost. Their son, Evan, is an undergraduate at Boston University. 
 

Shelley Bacastow joins our board in 2024 as the recently retired Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of a public company in the wireless connectivity industry where she managed the company’s worldwide legal, regulatory, corporate governance and compliance matters and served as a liaison to the board of directors. In 2012, Shelley and her family were introduced to Solidarity Bridge through long-time friend Fr. Bob Oldershaw and began their support of Solidarity Bridge. In 2015, her son, Ryan, served as a translator for the medical team on a Bolivian mission. In her retirement, Shelley is looking forward to making additional contributions to Solidarity Bridge, including to the board’s strategic planning and expansion efforts in order to increase the number of Bolivian patients with access to quality surgical care.

Bolivia holds a special place in the heart of Alvaro Encinas, MD. As the son of Bolivian immigrants to the United States, he recalls several visits to Bolivia as a child. Encinas says "I visited Bolivia several times while I was growing up and saw lots of poverty. I always told myself that when I became older, I would give back to Bolivia in some way."  Through his involvement with Solidarity Bridge, he has accomplished this goal. Alvaro is married with two children and works as a Family Practitioner in Chicago, IL. He became involved with Solidarity Bridge through his involvement with the Bolivian American Medical Society, where he serves as the President. He went on his first medical mission with Solidarity Bridge in September 2015 and says that it will be the first of many.

Catherine Flanagan, J.D. first joined Solidarity Bridge as a volunteer in 2018, primarily working in the area of Mission and Identity. Over time she expanded her involvement into communications, grant writing, and delving into SB’s 20-year history for a series of blogs. Catherine traveled to Bolivia with us on our 2019 MSMT as communications coordinator and after spending time learning the stories of our patients and partners, became even more deeply committed to the mission of Solidarity Bridge. Joining the board seemed to be a natural next step for this retired lawyer and mother of four who has embraced the Jesuit ideal of being a “woman for others” through service on the board of Reach Out and Read Illinois and volunteer work with Madonna Mission, Meals on Wheels, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and her parish, St. Joan of Arc.

Kevin Foy is the Director of the Office of Lifelong Formation and former Director of Global Mission for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Prior to joining the archdiocese, Kevin worked in mission education and promotion for the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, who are dedicated to missionary work overseas in over 20 countries. Kevin has spent time with communities and missionaries in Bolivia, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico, and worked with mission partners from across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Additionally, Kevin has worked as a Catholic school teacher and done nonprofit work with families of children with developmental delays and disabilities.

Dale Granchalek, JD, values service to others. He joined our board in 2012, became Treasurer  in 2013, and served as Board Chair from 2016 to 2023.  He is well-known at Solidarity Bridge and his home parish, St. Nicholas, as an unofficial official photographer of events, mission trips and milestones. He is a member of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, and of the Committee for the Post-Detention Support with the Immigrant Justice Center. Now retired from JP Morgan, Dale enjoys photography, gardening, carpentry and law. He and his wife Erica have been married for 50+ years and have been long-term benefactors of Solidarity Bridge. They have four sons and four grandchildren.

Dr. Monica Joseph-Griffin joins the board as a pediatrician with a focus on patient safety and quality. She participated in her first mission trip to Bolivia with Solidarity Bridge in 2016. She has remained connected to Solidarity Bridge ever since. She has participated in three additional mission trips since then and looks forward to the next one. She cherishes the connections, relationships and sharing of ideas which bridge us in solidarity. Bringing healthcare to those in need by equipping the Bolivian doctors with knowledge and resources brings out the best in all who are touched.

Dr. Richard Moser has been the primary leader of our Neurosurgery Program since it’s inception in 2006 and he has served on our board since that time. He is both professor and Chairman at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and has particular interest in neurosurgical oncology as well as gene therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. He got involved with Solidarity Bridge in order “to make the world a better place and to leverage relationships in order to obtain maximum benefit to the greatest number.”  Richard’s love for getting to know people nourishes our partnerships with Bolivian physicians and institutions. And his love for the Art Institute and Chicago Symphony nourishes his passion for the arts!

Lisiane works for Mastercard Corporation in Brazil, her native home and the country she continues to love. Her bachelor's degree in Statistics Science and master’s degrees in both Digital Marketing and Business Administration prepared her well for her past work with other multinational companies and her current work in Marketing/Data Analytics & Data Strategy.

Solidarity Bridge fulfills one of Lisiane’s major wishes in life which is to serve people in need in her region (Latin America) with care and justice. And Lisiane is fulfilling our aim to continue growing via new marketing ideas. We’re really grateful for her ‘hands-on work' with our team! Lisiane and her husband live in Sao Paulo city, and they enjoy running, cooking together, traveling and spending quality time with their families and friends.

Eric Rhodes has served as a leader in the healthcare industry for over 16 years and currently is the President and CEO of Ascension St. Francis Hospital in Evanston IL. As a graduate of Xavier University located in Cincinnati, OH, he obtained a Bachelors of Business Management and a Master’s in Health Management Administration. Eric has served on numerous boards including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Champaign IL, Evanston City Chamber of Commerce, etc. Eric is also a member of ACHE and NAHSE.

When asked why he wanted to join our board, he stated “The mission, vision and values of Solidarity Bridge are truly inspiring and the magnitude of the positive impact upon those who are most vulnerable are the key drivers to unwavering support and engagement. I’m thrilled to serve on your board”

In his free time, Eric enjoys fitness, sports and spending time with his family and friends.

Chris came to Solidarity Bridge via his passion for promoting dialogue across diverse cultures, particularly around themes of socially-engaged faith and religious pluralism. He currently serves as the Director of the Center for Religion, Culture and Community at DePaul University and has taught classes titled “Religious Worldviews and Ethical Perspectives”, “Latinx Liberation Traditions” and “Romero and Ellacuría: Salvation in History." Chris brings a unique academic perspective to our board, infusing faith formation frameworks into our complex medical mission activities. Chris and his wife, Allison, are raising their 3 children in the Evanston area. In his spare time he enjoys jazz, windsurfing, and surfing.

Brian is a dynamic executive with extensive experience in pharmaceutical, medical device, and materials science industries including strong market familiarity with both the US & global acute-care infrastructure. With experience from entrepreneurial work in Evanston and now as a member of Baxter International’s Global Leadership Team; Brian brings additional expertise in marketing and business development to Solidarity Bridge. Brian holds a BS and MS in Materials Science Engineering from Northwestern University, as well as an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. Brian and his wife Kelly were introduced to Solidarity Bridge by Father Robert Oldershaw, who married the couple years ago and has been a close friend for decades.

Dr. Enrique Via-Reque was integral to the founding of Solidarity Bridge. As a Bolivian-American doctor who had previously led mission teams from the diocese of Joliet, Dr. Via-Reque brought deep knowledge and experience related to the practice of medicine in both countries. This was crucial in forming the sustainable model that has made our work mutually beneficial for all those involved. Dr. Via-Reque was a primary leader on 23 Solidarity Bridge mission teams, served as our Medical Director for over 16 years. He continues to serve on our Board of Directors. His generosity, faith, and commitment to the people of Bolivia and Paraguay continue to strengthen and inspire us.

Sr. Donna Marie Wolowicki, C.R., has served on the Solidarity Bridge Board since 2011. She is especially impressed by the organization’s commitment not only to providing surgery, but also to educating physicians and staff of hospitals in Bolivia. Sr. Donna says, “I feel very connected and passionate about the mission and work of Solidarity Bridge.  In my current leadership position at a local high school, I feel strongly about including service in the experience of my students. Sharing about the work of Solidarity Bridge helps me give the students real life examples of what people are able to do.” Her hobbies include reading, gardening and art.