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About Us>>Who We Are>>Meet Our Team
Dina Matos joined CARES Foundation in January 2009 as a development consultant for the 2009 Everyone CARES Gala. After recognizing Dina's wide range of skills and experience in health related non-profit management, in May, 2009, the board asked Dina to take a leadership role as the Executive Director.
Dina brings with her almost two decades of experience in healthcare. Before joining CARES, she served as the Executive Director of the Columbus Foundation (the philanthropic arm of Columbus Hospital) in Newark, NJ from November, 1999, through May, 2008. Before joining Columbus Foundation, she held various positions at Columbus Hospital including Director of Public Relations and Marketing and Director of Patient and Public Relations.
Throughout her career, Dina has incorporated health and wellness programs into all of her community outreach efforts with the many organizations for which she has worked or volunteered. At Columbus Hospital, she developed the Senior Health Improvement Program (S.H.I.P.), a free health and wellness program for adults 55 and over. The program was aimed at helping seniors stay healthy and informed about health care issues through screenings and educational programs.
Prior to joining Columbus Hospital, she was served in a number of roles at Saint James Hospital also in Newark, including Coordinator of Community Relations and Manager of Public and Professional Relations. During her tenure at Saint James she developed a senior membership program, a general services tri-lingual newsletter, a tri-lingual newsletter for expectant mothers, and a patient satisfaction program.
Dina's interest in health care extends beyond her professional career. She has volunteered with many health care organizations and institutions, often in a leadership capacity including: trustee of the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, trustee of the Ironbound Boys' and Girls' Club and Senior Center, member of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey's (CINJ) Leadership Council, spokesperson of the March of Dimes' Prematurity Campaign, trustee of D.A.R.E, and Vice President of the Portuguese American Congress of New Jersey. Dina has served as spokesperson and volunteer for the following organizations/campaigns: National Poison Prevention Week, Bernard W. Gimble Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center, Women's Heart Foundation, and C.J. Foundation for SIDS. Her other interests include children and senior services, education, literacy and under-privileged populations. Dina's involvement in these areas includes serving as an advocate and spokesperson for the for: Verizon's "New Jersey Reads" program, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street's "New Beginnings", Governor's Book Club, One Book New Jersey, Abbot Preschool Program, Boys' and Girls' Clubs, Special Olympics, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and Teach for America.
She also has served as Commissioner of the Planning Board of the City of Elizabeth, New Jersey, Treasurer of the Portuguese American Scholarship Foundation, member of the Northern New Jersey Maternal/Child Health Consortium's planning committee, and a member of the New Jersey Health Care Public Relations and Marketing Association.
Dina has received numerous awards and recognitions, including: City of Hope "Woman of the Year", Cancer Institute of New Jersey's "Award of Hope", Portuguese American Women's Association's "Outstanding Public Service" and the Boy Scouts of America's "Hispanic Good Scout."
Raised in Newark, New Jersey, Dina attended Wilson Avenue School, East Side High School and Rutgers University where she majored in Political Science She is a fellow of the United Way of Essex and West Hudson Project Leadership Class of 1999. Dina lives in New Jersey with her daughter.
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Karen Fountain brings a breadth of experience to her position at CARES. She has been a teacher; a women’s health clinic counselor; the coordinator of Union County’s Community Health Services; and most recently, a consultant in the international division of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Karen graduated from the University of Richmond with a degree in French and Women’s Studies. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, has an elementary education certification from Southern Connecticut State University and a lactation counseling certification.
She has been active in her local community through a variety of volunteering positions and globally through her work for Heifer International.
As a mother of a child diagnosed with both a seizure disorder and an autoimmune disorder, she appreciates the challenges faced by families coping with a hospitalized child and ongoing medical care. Karen lives in Westfield with her husband and 3 children.
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Karen Lin Su, M.D.
Medical Director
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Dr. Su currently is a research associate at the Hospital for Special Surgery and Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology at Weill Medical College of Cornell, both in New York. She is certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology by American Board of Pediatrics and holds two awards from the National Institutes of Health for her rare disease and health research work. Extensively published, her work has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed publications including the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism and Clinical Pediatrics. She graduated cum laude with honors from Yale University and then went on to complete her medical degree at Cornell University Medical College. Hide Dr. Su's Bio
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Kristofer Florendo is a new addition to the CARES family as of the summer of 2011. As a college intern, Kristofer designs electronic communications for members and maintains web tools for fundraising events. He is a graduating senior from Union High School looking forward to starting college at Union County College in the fall. He is pursuing a degree in accounting to later become a Forensic Accountant. He enjoys staying shape by running with friends. He has visited numerous places around the world such as Maine, Florida, California, Massachusetts, Washington, Ohio, Oklahoma, Nevada, Canada, Pennsylvania, the Bahamas, Aruba, Los Cabos, Athens, Crete and Hong Kong.Hide Kristofer's Bio |
