Mark Sanchez, Ed.D., to join organization’s Board of Managers
San Diego and Boston – July 15, 2024 – Life Science Cares (LSC) San Diego, a nonprofit organization activating the financial and human capital of the life sciences industry and partnering with local nonprofits to disrupt the cycle of poverty and inequity throughout its communities, today announced that it has appointed Alicia Quinn Kitagawa to the position of Executive Director. She is succeeding outgoing Executive Director Leane Marchese.
“Since its founding in 2020, Life Science Cares San Diego has created an important bridge connecting the life sciences community with 23 carefully selected local nonprofit organizations, providing over $2.3 million in funding, over 14,000 hours of volunteer service, and 55 paid internships for under-resourced and underrepresented college students, as we serve the community’s access to education, basic needs, and economic opportunity. We are grateful to our founding Executive Director Leane Marchese for delivering the first phase of the organization’s development,” said Thomas Daniel, Chair and Founding Board Member of LSC San Diego. “We are now poised to scale the organization for greater impact. Alicia’s experience as a strategist, developer, implementer, and educator of social entrepreneurial programs at the interface between corporate entities and nonprofit organizations positions LSC San Diego well for the next phase of community impact.” 
Alicia brings more than 20 years of experience in both the nonprofit and private sectors. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Strategy and Engagement of the United Way San Diego County for over five years. Previously, she served as Director of Programs for Mission Edge, where, among other duties, she designed and implemented a corporate social responsibility program for Qualcomm to engage employees in skills-based volunteering in the nonprofit sector. Earlier in her career, Alicia served as Director of Programs for Accion U.S. Network and Director of Programs for San Diego Social Venture Partners. Alicia started her career as an analyst at JPMorgan Chase. She holds a B.S. in business administration from Georgetown University and a M.S. in social work and social enterprise administration from Columbia University. She also currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of the Barrio Logan College Institute and as a member of the Board of San Diego Social Venture Partners which helps philanthropists realize greater social impact through their collaborative investments in, and pro bono consulting with, local nonprofits.
“In just a few years since its establishment in San Diego, Life Science Cares has achieved remarkable success in positively impacting individuals facing poverty, a cause that deeply resonates with me,” said Ms. Quinn Kitagawa. “I’m eager to capitalize on my experience building deep and meaningful partnerships for social impact and collaborate with the Life Science Cares community. Together, we will further accelerate LSC San Diego’s growth and fuel transformative impact in San Diego.”
Amplifying the organization’s awareness and connection to the local educational community, LSC San Diego has appointed Mark Sanchez, Ed.D., President and Superintendent of Southwestern College, to its Board of Managers. Dr. Sanchez has served for over 24 years in community college leadership, teaching, and workforce development. He has developed and implemented comprehensive race conscious-equity focused instruction, student services and online programs designed to increase student access and success, student outreach and student personal development. He holds a B.A. in sociology from the Point Loma Nazarene University and M.A. and Ed.D. degrees from California State University, Fresno.
“Mark’s impact on San Diego’s educational environment during his tenure at Southwestern has been insightful, integrative, and highly impactful. We are delighted to have his contribution to our commitment to creating educational opportunities of high strategic impact in San Diego,” said Dr. Daniel.
About Life Science Cares
Life Science Cares (LSC) activates the financial and human capital of the life sciences industry and partners with nonprofits to disrupt the cycle of poverty and inequality in our communities. Now operating in five US life science hubs (Boston, Philadelphia, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, and New York), LSC has invested $16 million and tens of thousands of volunteer hours in community organizations providing access to basic needs, access to education or access to opportunity. Life Science Cares Switzerland, the first international LSC effort, launched in April 2024. Learn more at https://lifesciencecares.org.