Frederick J. Ferrer named new CEO of The Health Trust

Respected community leader takes the helm to help launch vision of Silicon Valley as healthiest region in America

November 7, 2007, Campbell, CA –

Frederick J. Ferrer, a nationally-recognized expert in child development and nonprofit leadership strategies and an active community leader in Silicon Valley for more than 20 years, has been named Chief Executive Officer of The Health Trust.

Ferrer is leaving his consulting practice, Manzanita Solutions, to take the post previously held by founding CEO Gary Allen who retired in June.

“We are delighted that Fred has accepted this position,” said Judy Heyboer of The Health Trust Board of Trustees who chaired the Search Committee. “His reputation in the community is outstanding, and he has an impressive record of building effective coalitions, policy advocacy and thought leadership. We had more than 100 candidates for this position, but Fred’s broad-based experience and dynamic skills as a leader stood out as ideal for the next phase of The Health Trust.”

Ferrer served as Executive Director of Estrella Family Services in San Jose for 18 years where he grew the organization from serving 74 children initially to multiple programs that touched the lives of more than 1,000 young children and their families every year. His expertise in child development and family support was put to good use in his volunteer positions as past chair and commissioner of the FIRST 5 Commission of Santa Clara County, as a board member of the Rocketship One Charter Elementary School, and a member of the Department of Education’s Autism Advisory Board, among others.

“Health is the basis of all child development, so I am aware of the challenges to creating a healthy community for all of our residents – no matter their age, income or access to what it takes to live a healthy life,” Ferrer said. “I have a lot of clinical experience, front line experience. My roots are in providing real services to real people, understanding their needs at the deepest level.”

Ferrer’s community involvement has also spanned a wide range, including American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley where he was a member of Class XI and a former member of the Board. He was honored with the coveted John Gardner Leadership Award from ALF in 2004, and the Kindred Spirit Award from the Children’s Discovery Museum. He has served on the board of United Way Silicon Valley and is a community advisor to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Junior League of San Jose.
“For 12 years, The Health Trust has provided much-needed services to our community,” Ferrer said. “I have been familiar with its programs and grants for years and admire the work accomplished by its dedicated, hard-working staff. It is an exciting time to join the team as The Health Trust transitions to its new priority focus areas and the vision of engaging the community to make Silicon Valley the healthiest region in America. It is an extraordinary opportunity to leverage the resources of a well-established, effective organization to make a big difference in the lives of people.”

A resident of Willow Glen, Ferrer holds a B.S. degree from Santa Clara University and an M.S. from San Jose State University. He is also a graduate of the Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management Program at Harvard University. He is on the adjunct faculty of DeAnza College and Santa Clara University’s Graduate School of Education.

The Health Trust, founded in 1996, announced its new vision earlier this year and its three new priority focus areas: preventing obesity, promoting healthy aging, and reducing health disparities. It is the presenting sponsor of BODY WORLDS 2 and The Three Pound Gem, the anatomical exhibit now on display at The Tech Museum of Innovation, which is drawing crowds of more than 11,000 visitors a week to learn more about the human body and healthy living.

For more information on The Health Trust, visit the website www.healthtrust.org.

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Media Contacts:

Fred Ferrer, CEO of The Health Trust
(408) 559-9385
fredf@healthtrust.org

Diane McNutt, Communications Consultant
(408) 354-1242
mcnuttco@aol.com