The Sjögren’s Foundation would like you to meet our newest member on the Board of Directors, Lisa Rubenstein! Welcome!
First, how is a Board of Directors member selected?
The Sjögren’s Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors made up of patients, healthcare providers, caregivers, and people who may perform a role that is beneficial to the Board. To be considered for a Board seat, an individual must meet specific criteria including a level of knowledge about Sjögren’s disease and the Foundation, what it is like to live with the disease, and how their specific background can enrich the Board and therefore the guidance of the Foundation. Each Board seat term is for three years, and the seat can be renewed for another three-year term.
A potential board member is vetted by the Governance Committee (comprised of current Board members) and then presented at the May Board of Directors’ meeting to be voted in. Each new Board member term begins on July 1st, which is the first day of the Foundation’s fiscal year. The Board of Director’s for the Foundation meets three times per year to review the goals and priorities of the Foundation, and to set long term strategy and plans that will most benefit patients.
Meet Lisa Rubenstein, Patient Advocate
Lisa was diagnosed with Sjögren’s in 2013 at the age of 47. After spending years seeing doctors for various odd ailments that seemed unrelated, Lisa received a Sjögren’s diagnosis. Despite having an autoimmune disease, she finally got answers for her ailments under one diagnosis. Her most prominent symptoms were— and still are— neuropathy, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, gastrointestinal issues, and persistent interstitial cystitis. After diagnosis, she immediately turned to the Foundation for information and support.
Hailing from the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area, Lisa joined the DFW Support Group after diagnosis. She also became an active volunteer for the Foundation by chairing the Dallas Walk for Sjögren’s, speaking at Walk kick-offs, and generously sponsoring the Texas Walk.
Last year, Lisa agreed to be a subject patient for a presentation poster entitled, “My Four Pillars of Wellness: How Sleep, Diet, Exercise and Stress Reduction Enable Me to Define My Life and not let Sjögren’s Define Me,” which was displayed at the American College of Rheumatology Convergence conference. Her abstract for this poster was also subsequently published in a special online supplement of the journal, Arthritis & Rheumatology. To view the abstract for Lisa Rubenstein's Patient Perspectives poster, please visit here.
![](https://sjogrens.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/Lisa Rubenstein ACR Poster.png)
Don’t quit your day job!
Lisa brings her business experience to the Board as well as her patient experience. Lisa was the managing director of a technology consulting firm in Dallas, Texas before Sjögren’s required her to alter her career. She is now an ICF (International Coaching Federation) Professional Certified Coach with a focus on working with executive and senior leaders of Fortune 500 companies. In this role, she serves as a guide and strategic business partner to equip leaders to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. Lisa’s business, coaching, and executive leadership skill set will be an asset to the Board as will her patient-lived experience.
Why Lisa joined the Sjögren’s Foundation Board of Directors
“I am grateful to have been asked to join the Sjögren’s Foundation Board of Directors. Each of my reasons for saying yes to the nomination are just as important as the next, so they are not in any particular order. This is an opportunity for me to be of service which is a very significant value held by me and my family. It is important to be a patient advocate on the Board and be the voice of those on our Sjögren’s battlefield. It’s personal for me, as a Sjögren’s patient myself, and I have a dear friend’s daughter, who at 30, has had significant Sjögren’s related health issues, including cancer. I would like to do all I can to raise awareness and funds to bring new and better therapies to the forefront and make it easier for all of us and those who are yet to be diagnosed. I am in awe of the work I’ve seen over the years by the Board, President/CEO, and staff at the Foundation, and it’s both a privilege and responsibility to be a part of what’s next!” – Lisa Rubenstein, member of the Sjögren’s Foundation Board of Directors
Welcome to the Foundation’s Board of Directors, Lisa! We know you will be a great asset to both the Foundation and the Sjögren’s community!
The Sjögren’s Foundation would like you to meet our newest member on the Board of Directors, Lisa Rubenstein! Welcome!
First, how is a Board of Directors member selected?
The Sjögren’s Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors made up of patients, healthcare providers, caregivers, and people who may perform a role that is beneficial to the Board. To be considered for a Board seat, an individual must meet specific criteria including a level of knowledge about Sjögren’s disease and the Foundation, what it is like to live with the disease, and how their specific background can enrich the Board and therefore the guidance of the Foundation. Each Board seat term is for three years, and the seat can be renewed for another three-year term.
A potential board member is vetted by the Governance Committee (comprised of current Board members) and then presented at the May Board of Directors’ meeting to be voted in. Each new Board member term begins on July 1st, which is the first day of the Foundation’s fiscal year. The Board of Director’s for the Foundation meets three times per year to review the goals and priorities of the Foundation, and to set long term strategy and plans that will most benefit patients.
Meet Lisa Rubenstein, Patient Advocate
Lisa was diagnosed with Sjögren’s in 2013 at the age of 47. After spending years seeing doctors for various odd ailments that seemed unrelated, Lisa received a Sjögren’s diagnosis. Despite having an autoimmune disease, she finally got answers for her ailments under one diagnosis. Her most prominent symptoms were— and still are— neuropathy, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, gastrointestinal issues, and persistent interstitial cystitis. After diagnosis, she immediately turned to the Foundation for information and support.
Hailing from the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area, Lisa joined the DFW Support Group after diagnosis. She also became an active volunteer for the Foundation by chairing the Dallas Walk for Sjögren’s, speaking at Walk kick-offs, and generously sponsoring the Texas Walk.
Last year, Lisa agreed to be a subject patient for a presentation poster entitled, “My Four Pillars of Wellness: How Sleep, Diet, Exercise and Stress Reduction Enable Me to Define My Life and not let Sjögren’s Define Me,” which was displayed at the American College of Rheumatology Convergence conference. Her abstract for this poster was also subsequently published in a special online supplement of the journal, Arthritis & Rheumatology. To view the abstract for Lisa Rubenstein's Patient Perspectives poster, please visit here.
Don’t quit your day job!
Lisa brings her business experience to the Board as well as her patient experience. Lisa was the managing director of a technology consulting firm in Dallas, Texas before Sjögren’s required her to alter her career. She is now an ICF (International Coaching Federation) Professional Certified Coach with a focus on working with executive and senior leaders of Fortune 500 companies. In this role, she serves as a guide and strategic business partner to equip leaders to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. Lisa’s business, coaching, and executive leadership skill set will be an asset to the Board as will her patient-lived experience.
Why Lisa joined the Sjögren’s Foundation Board of Directors
“I am grateful to have been asked to join the Sjögren’s Foundation Board of Directors. Each of my reasons for saying yes to the nomination are just as important as the next, so they are not in any particular order. This is an opportunity for me to be of service which is a very significant value held by me and my family. It is important to be a patient advocate on the Board and be the voice of those on our Sjögren’s battlefield. It’s personal for me, as a Sjögren’s patient myself, and I have a dear friend’s daughter, who at 30, has had significant Sjögren’s related health issues, including cancer. I would like to do all I can to raise awareness and funds to bring new and better therapies to the forefront and make it easier for all of us and those who are yet to be diagnosed. I am in awe of the work I’ve seen over the years by the Board, President/CEO, and staff at the Foundation, and it’s both a privilege and responsibility to be a part of what’s next!” – Lisa Rubenstein, member of the Sjögren’s Foundation Board of Directors
Welcome to the Foundation’s Board of Directors, Lisa! We know you will be a great asset to both the Foundation and the Sjögren’s community!