Talk From the Heart and be Brief.

This is Pattie’s favorite quote-- words given by Susan K. Weber that she lives by.   But although her work comes from her heart, it is far from being brief.  

A San Diego Native, Pattie Welborn attended SDSU to pursue a career in Psychology and Education and transferred to UCLA, where she eventually got her Master’s degree in Psychology.  She has been involved in the San Diego community ever since she was a teenager.   She gets her love of Philanthropy from her mother, who pioneered several community programs as staff member at the WYCA.

Pattie met Dr. Howell as neighbors.  She was immediately drawn to Dr. Howell’s idea of promoting women’s health.  Dr. Howell always stressed the importance of women being their own health advocates; anywhere from researching information on women’s - health related issues, to keeping their own medical records.    For years research addressing women hadn't included female subjects in the process, not even at its basic level.  Simply put:  more often than not, women will be diagnosed and treated as a man, not as a woman, when we are clearly different! And it all starts with research.

But Pattie could not commit to becoming a Board Member as she was involved in other organizations that provided vital services to the community, starting with her mother’s legacy by becoming a member of the San Diego WYCA Board.  She is also an auxiliary member of the Board of the Salvation Army, in the Door of Hope and a member and past honoree of Women of Dedication Committees.  

She currently chairs the Program Committee for the Armed Services of the YMCA (and has been doing so for several years now), and is serving in the Board of Management.   She was also SVP of the Board at Children’s hospital.    She is one of the four founding members of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) and is a sustaining member of the Junior League and Las Patronas, just to mention a few.   In other words, Pattie is very dedicated to giving back to the community she so loves.

So Dr. Howell decided to patiently wait.  She knew that Pattie would "be hers" and become part of an incredible team dedicated to promoting women’s health.  And then one day five years ago, she was having a beer with Dr. Howell and knew it was time.  She has been the Howell Foundation’s Chair ever since. 

“I believe that women are the backbone of our family, and believe they have to be kept healthy, so they can be advocates of themselves and the family.  They need to be able to reach out and educate others as well. Women have to be put on the map”.   Strength is so characteristic of women…  I always encourage them pursue what they want to do – no matter what they endure.  And taking care of their health is at the top of the list of things that need to get done. 

Among her incredible endeavors Pattie’s favorite time is spent with her family --specifically with her grandchildren—not that she doesn’t like spending time with her kids (Clay, an orthopedic surgeon, and Christine, who followed her mom’s footsteps and studied psychology).  She just thinks the world of her grandkids! She loves spending time in her ranch in Julian-- or at the beach; reading and listening to music is Pattie’s way of distressing and (quite frankly) keeping her sanity! 

“I have been privileged to have chaired the Howell Foundation for several years, a journey that will hold a soft spot in my heart”, she comments.  For Pattie another year has come and gone.  For us at the Foundation it has been 5 incredible years of the hard work and support.

Leading by example, Pattie believes that you cannot follow in the negativity of life.   Her determination has definitely inspired the Foundation Board and Friends of Howell to keep promoting women’s health by Keeping the Women we Love Healthy.

Her best piece of advice?  “Take the time to look for the abundances of those moments in life with grace and love.  Forgiveness is important, and always respect other without discarding your opinion.  You always need to have one”.  


About the Doris A. Howell Foundation:
The Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research is committed to keeping the women we love healthy, advancing women’s health through research and educating women to be catalysts for improving family health in the community.

The organization does so by funding scholarships to scientists researching issues affecting women’s health; providing a forum for medical experts, scientists, doctors, researchers, and authors to convey the timely information on topics relevant to women’s health and the health. of their families through its Lecture and Evening Series, and by funding research initiatives that will create women’s health awareness and advocacy in the community. 

For more information about the Doris A. Howell Foundation, please visit www.howellfoundation.org.