Leadership

Philippe Schaison, PhD

Board Chair | Soltego, CEO

Larry Nichter, MD, FACS, FAAP

Founder and Medical Director | Pacific Center Plastic Surgery, Co-owner | BioSpa Medical, Co-owner

In 1987, Larry Nichter, MD, President and Founder of Plasticos Foundation, began what would become one of his lifelong missions: performing reconstructive surgery for those without resources and training surgeons to do the same around the world in the treatment of congenital deformities, trauma care, burn and hand reconstruction. Over time Dr. Nichter realized that most of the philanthropic organizations he worked with were focused on what could be accomplished on a single trip rather than teaching local medical professionals surgical skills needed to continue this work and magnify the benefit creating sustainability rather than dependence on visiting teams. “Teaching a man to fish” was the impetus to starting Plasticos Foundation in 1999, one of the earliest surgical relief nonprofits to focus on training, local independence, and enabling others to do the same. To date, Dr. Nichter has led or participated in more than 80 medical missions in multiple countries and continents, training hundreds of surgeons and countless medical personnel and overseeing the treatment of several thousand people for whom deformity would have been a life sentence. More importantly, those surgeons trained by Plasticos Foundation continue the ripple effect by restoring the lives of those less fortunate and training other surgeons as well. A film of a mission he served as trip leader to Vietnam near the Cambodia border won an Academy Award for the best documentary, entitled: A Story of Healing.
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An Honors Graduate of Boston University School of Medicine, and Surgical Residencies at UCLA and University of Virginia, Dr. Nichter has been a plastic and reconstructive surgeon for three decades. At USC, as a tenured Professor of Plastic Surgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and subsequently in private practice where he served as Chairman, Department of Plastic Surgery at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, one of the largest Plastic Surgical Departments in the world. He has received national and international recognition for his surgical skills and compassionate involvement with patients and physicians alike. He has selected by his peers as one of “The Best Doctors in America”, Top Doctor”, “Most Compassionate Doctor” and research awards by the American College of Surgeons and others. Dr. Nichter has been featured in numerous publications and a recent cover story by Time Magazine highlighted his practice and surgical skill. Dr. Nichter has published more than one hundred peer review articles, book chapters in the field and has completed several fellowships as well as being triple Board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and American College of Surgeons, including the Special Competency Certificate in Hand Surgery. His greatest passion is the honor of restoring the gift of health to those who otherwise are without hope matching his belief that we enrich our lives in direct proportion to how much we benefit those less fortunate than ourselves and empower others to do the same.

Paul Little

Treasurer | Sientra, CFO, Senior VP & Treasurer

Hans Keirstead, PhD

Secretary | AIVITA Biomedical, Inc., CEO

Dr. Keirstead is an internationally known stem cell expert and has led therapy development for late stage cancers, immune disorders, motor neuron diseases, spinal cord injury and retinal diseases. He is the CEO of AIVITA Biomedical. He was previously CSO of Caladrius which acquired California Stem Cell in 2014. Dr. Keirstead founded California Stem Cell, served as CEO, and led 3 rounds of the investment and sale of the Company, each at high value gain to investors. In the past 18 months, he has led the application for and award of approximately $22M of grants. He holds Board positions in several prominent biotechnology companies.

Previously, he founded and served as the CEO of Ability Biomedical, which developed technology sold to Bristol Myers Squibb at high value gain to investors. Concurrently, Dr. Keirstead was a Professor at the University of California at Irvine where he founded and directed the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, raising $77 million to establish its research building. As a Full Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology, he was awarded over $16 million in grants during his 15 year tenure. He has mentored over 100 students, published over 100 manuscripts, and has been granted over 20 patents. In 2005, he was awarded the Distinguished Award for Research, the UCI Academic Senate’s highest honor, as well as the UCI Innovation Award for innovative research leading to corporate and clinical development. He was a founding advisor of the California Stem Cell Initiative that resulted in a $3 billion stem cell fund (CIRM). He has been a long-time advisor to several governments on biomedical policy.

Dr. Keirstead received his Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of British Columbia, Canada for which he received the Cameron Award for the outstanding Ph.D. thesis in the country. He conducted four years of Post-Doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge. He received the distinct honor of election as Senate Member of the University of Cambridge and Fellow of the Governing Body of Downing College, and was the youngest member to have been elected to those positions.

Susan Williamson

Executive Director | Plasticos Foundation

Susan Williamson joined the Plasticos Foundation in 2015 as the organization’s first Executive Director with eighteen years of progressive fundraising and administrative experience. Working closely with the Founder and Board of Directors, Susan will design, implement and oversee the organization’s strategic and operations plans. Her personal priority is to secure sustainable funding streams in order to fulfill the multiple mission requests received by the Plasticos Foundation each year by engaging philanthropic individuals and institutions in the United States and abroad.

Prior to joining the Plasticos Foundation, Susan served as the California Director of Development at THINK Together, Chief Development Officer at CASA, Director of Major Gifts at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Finance Director at the Boy Scouts of America. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media Communication and has interned for both MTV and indie music label Nettwerk Records and serves on the OC Cares Board of Directors.

Thomas V. Girardi

Girardi Keese Lawyers

Sol Khazani

US Auto Parts Network, Inc., Co-founder | American Condenser, Inc., Co-founder | Kool-Vue, Founder

Sol Khazani is one of our highly experienced board members. He has been a successful entrepreneur his entire adult life starting with his first company Perfect Fit. In 1995, Sol became the co-founder and vice president of American Condenser, Inc., a company that produces air conditioning condensers for automotive and industrial applications. Sol is also the co-founder or US Auto Parts, a public internet retailer of automotive parts. In 2001 Sol became the chief financial officer of US Auto and later became one of the company’s board of directors. Sol has a B.S degree in accounting, and a M.B.A from National University. He has two children, is an avid traveler, and enjoys spending his free time biking and reading political biographies.

Caroline Van Hove

Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Chief Commercial Officer

Nella Webster O’Grady

Miracle Mile Advisors, Managing Director

Nella Webster O’Grady is responsible for Palo Capital’s marketing and client service activities. Nella has over thirty years of experience providing investment management, trust, and financial planning services to clients throughout Southern California. She previously served in senior management roles at US Trust, Wilmington Trust, and First American Trust. During this time, she has developed a deep understanding of the services clients and their family members need to build and maintain their financial security.

In addition to Plasticos Foundation, Nella currently serves on the board of directors of the Girl Scouts of Orange County, Chairs the Friends of the Girl Scouts Trust Board, is Membership Chair for the Pacific Symphony 100, and a member of the Board of Counselors for Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business. She is also active on the Advisory Board for Women Helping Women and the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine, along with participating on the Executive committee for her ProVisors group. Other leadership roles have included 9 years on the Board of Orange County United Way, Founding member and Chair of the Woman’s Philanthropy Fund and Tocqueville Society, the California Art Club, the Anaheim Performing Arts Center, Musical Theater West, and the OC Baron’s League of the American Cancer Society.

Nella earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from Chapman University and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance from California State University, Long Beach. She also holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation.