Thokomala Nathi "Feel at home with us"

MARTIN ROSENSTEIN, M.D.

VTT Leader

Martin was born and grew up in New York City.  He received his BA from New York University, and his MD degree from the State University of New York Downstate.  He did his residency in pediatrics at Montefiore Hospital, and a fellowship in allergy and immunology at Roosevelt Hospital.  He practiced allergy and immunology in New Jersey, with special interest in treating asthmatic children,  retired in 2002, and moved to San Diego.

Martin joined Rotary in 1975 in New Jersey where he served as club president on 2 separate occasions, was a member of the club board of directors and held several district positions.  He joined the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club in 2002 and has served on the board of directors.  Martin was an original member of the district Peace Committee, one of the founders of the district Model United Nations program, district co-chair for International Service, and interact advisor.

Martin became involved in working in Kwazulunatal, South Africa as a member of the exploratory team for the district “Aids Orphans Relief Project.”  He returned for follow-up on programs instituted by this project in District 9270, and returned again in April of 2010 to help organize the Global Grant Project which includes the present VTT.

Martin lives in Encinitas with his wife of 39 years, Sharon.  He has 3 daughters and 2 grandchildren on the East Coast, which keeps him busy travelling to see them.

BILL LENNARTZ

Bill has been President & CEO of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego for the last three years.  The Charity provides food and lodging, as well as many other services, for families who have children with a serious illness in local hospitals. Under his leadership, the Charity completed a new $25 million facility, increasing capacity fourfold and growing the number of families served from 3,000 to over 20,000 per year.

He was President & CEO of seven companies over the last 43 years in various mid level technologies.  He has been a member of 10 not for profit boards.  He was active in the Young Presidents Organization and co- founded the School of Entrepreneurship at The University of Southern California, where he taught two graduate courses.  He was also active in the management of The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games where he oversaw Fencing, Volleyball, Archery, and Yachting.

Bill was born in Wichita, Kansas, attended Colorado University, and with his wife of 48 years, raised their three daughters in Rolling Hills, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles.  He has five grandchildren ages 6 to 13.

In his free time, Bill enjoys mentoring young aspiring entrepreneurs, playing golf, working puzzles, and giving care to his wife who is afflicted with the neurological condition, dystonia.  He resides in Rancho Santa Fe, Ca.

LARISSA JOHNSON, BA, AFAA

Larissa is the Physical Activity and Community Youth Organization Coordinator for the Network for a Healthy California (formerly 5 a Day) at UC San Diego’s School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Development and Community Health. In this role, Ms. Johnson helps implement physical activity into organizations that work with low income populations as well as training organizations.  She assists schools, after school programs, and churches in integrating physical activity and nutrition education into their programming. Ms. Johnson works throughout San Diego to broaden the scope of collaborations between the division and a wide variety of community partners and industry, with the focus of improving the overall health of the region. one of the more innovative partnerships developed is the FriarFit Initiative in conjunction  with the Padres to improve nutritional and physical health of children and their families. She has promoted Family Fitness Days at the City Heights Farmers’ Market, the third Saturday of every month. This features free or low cost physical activities made available in and around City Heights. Furthermore, Ms. Johnson has recruited for and worked with over 200 Community Youth Organizations, such as Harmonium, SAY San Diego, YMCA, and Girls Scouts and has reached over nine thousand youth through nutrition and physical activities.

Larissa Johnson graduated from Tufts University with a BA in both English and Sociology and has worked with after schools and youth since 1994. She has a passion for making the lives of youth more enjoyable and, of course, healthy, because as Whitney Houston sang, “the children are our future.” Larissa has also been a certified dance and aerobics instructor since 1998 and currently teaches Zumba, Hip Hop, and Body Pump throughout San Diego.

If you knew Larissa, you would know that there are three things that drive her in life. Laughter, working with youth and DANCE! Some would say that she actually began dancing as soon as she left the womb and hasn't stopped since. She was born in Illinois but raised in New England where she learned to be a free spirit. Upon graduating from college, she moved to New York  City, South Beach, Maui, and Philadelphia before finally taking up residence in sunny San Diego where she has been since 2005. She has danced her way across the country and will now bring some of her passion for movement and physical activity to South Africa.

In her free time, Larissa is the Regional Chapter Coordinator for the Tufts Alumni in San Diego where she schedules all of the fun alumni events. She is the Vice President of Education for Toastmasters Club 54. She volunteers with Eugene Bowman Empowerment Center, Jenna Druck Foundation, and San Diego Coastkeepers. And, of course, whenever and wherever she can, she dances!

P. JAMIL MADATI, M.D.

Jamil was born in Dar es salaam, Tanzania and moved to London, England when he was 4 years old. After obtaining a primary and secondary school education in England, he then moved to the United States to complete his high school, college and post graduate education. After graduating from Phillips Academy Andover High School, he went on to Stanford University to obtain a BA in Psychology. During his four years at Stanford, he found the time to be a member of the Track & Field team as a 400m hurdler, spent a semester abroad in Paris while simultaneously completing his pre-medical course requirements. He subsequently obtained his M.D. degree from University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and completed the Pediatrics Residency training program at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. After residency training, he went on to Boston Children’s Hospital to complete fellowship training in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. After completing fellowship he then took his first job as an attending in the Emergency Department here in San Diego at Rady Children’s Hospital.

He currently serves as the Director of Emergency Medical Services for the Emergency Department at Rady Children’s Hospital and is integrally involved in resident and fellow education.

Jamil is currently living in San Diego with his new wife Holly and dog . He loves to travel and has a continual interest in disaster relief, child health and education efforts in developing countries. In his free time, he is an avid soccer (football) fan and plays on several adult leagues around San Diego. He also takes full advantage of the San Diego year round lovely weather and loves to train for and compete in triathlons.

DAKSHA BRAHMBHATT, R.N, MPH

Daksha has been working as a staff nurse in Rady’s Children Hospital, Emergency Department since January of 2009. Most of her career life has been spent working in adult and pediatric emergency departments. For the past nine years, Daksha has focused on post crisis recovery and humanitarian relief work around the globe. Her work has been centered on health care capacity building and direct medical relief post disasters. In the past year her interest and focus has been on pediatric health care internationally. 

Daksha is a third generation Indian, born and brought up in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania. Her family has resided in Africa since the days of British governance. She received her RN degree in Manchester, England and specialized in pediatrics at Great Ormond Street, Hospital for Sick Children in London. She moved to the United States to further her career and pursue a degree in Professional Arts with  a focus in Education.  She worked in Pasadena, California for nineteen years and moved to Baltimore for her graduate studies in International Public Health. She graduated from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2004 and since then has had a dual focus of clinical practice in the emergency department and international public health projects in various capacities.  

She also continues to facilitate Nursing in Global and Humanitarian Relief at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, once a year. Her goal is to continue her work in pediatric health care internationally and be part of organizations that are focused on decreasing pediatric mortality rates worldwide.                                                                                       

She loves to travel, read, hike and spend time with family  and friends.