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Stamford, Conn. – November 11, 2024 – Americares, the health-focused relief and development organization, is pleased to announce the election of Joy Gustafson Weintz to its Board of Directors. Weintz, who will serve a three-year term, brings to the board a wealth of experience in philanthropy and community engagement, along with a deep commitment to Americares mission of saving lives and improving health for people affected by poverty and disaster.
“We are thrilled to welcome Joy to our Board of Directors,” said Americares President and CEO Christine Squires. “I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand how Joy’s passion for helping others shines through in everything she does. Her longstanding support of our work, combined with her keen insight into both business and philanthropy, will be instrumental in advancing our work and helping more people in need around the world.”
The Americares Board of Directors oversees all aspects of the organization’s life-changing health programs, including its disaster response work and support for 4,000 under-resourced hospitals and health clinics worldwide.
Weintz was first introduced to Americares in 1991 when her husband, Eric Weintz, was recruited by the organization’s founder Bob Macauley to serve as a project director, where he helped coordinate the distribution of humanitarian aid across 22 countries over the course of 50 missions. Throughout the years, the Weintz family has played a key role in advancing Americares development and awareness efforts, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she and her husband helped establish Americares Bay Area Leadership Council. The couple co-chaired the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2024 Americares Airlift Benefits, helping to raise millions of dollars to support the organization’s life-saving health programs.
“Joining the Americares Board of Directors is a tremendous opportunity to help drive and empower meaningful change,” said Weintz. “I’ve witnessed extraordinary growth and vast expansion of Americares health programs over the past 30 years. Americares global clinics and partnerships make a world of difference in the lives of people facing crises and health care insecurity. I’m excited to take on an even more active role in helping them achieve their goals. I look forward to contributing to the continued growth and impact of this extraordinary organization.”
In addition to her work with Americares, Weintz is involved with a number of other programs, including the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, The Riekes Center for Human Enhancement and various initiatives at Stanford University. She is a staunch advocate of accommodations and opportunities that enrich public education for all students, especially those who are underserved and students with exceptional dyslexic abilities.
Weintz’s professional background includes extensive time performing due diligence, market analysis and investor relations for commercial real estate investment funds in the San Francisco Bay Area and western U.S. regions. She has leveraged her research and engagement experience to advance Americares fundraising efforts, introduce new high-impact donors and foster collaborative relationships that help drive the organization’s mission.
A leader in the humanitarian sector, Americares is No. 9 on the Forbes 2023 list of Top 100 Charities and a four-star rated charity—the highest possible—by Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. Americares helps communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters; increase accessibility, availability, affordability and acceptability of medicine and medical supplies; improve and expand health services; and prevent disease and promote good health.
Weintz earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and investments from Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. She lives in Menlo Park, Calif., with her husband Eric and their three sons, Cortney, Bryce and Leif.