Meet our Team

Our Founder

MedWish was founded in 1993 by Dr. Lee Ponsky. In the summer of 1991, Lee spent time on a medical compound in Ogbomosho, Nigeria, where he served as a surgical assistant. It was there he witnessed first-hand the obvious lack of medical supplies in developing countries. Prior to starting medical school in 1993, Lee was determined to help resolve this need, therefore MedWish was born in an effort to repurpose medical surplus that would otherwise be discarded.

Read Lee's Full Bio

Lee attended University of Rochester as an undergraduate and then Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He began his training at the Cleveland Clinic, completed his residency, and extended his training to do a research fellowship in urologic oncology, followed by an additional fellowship in Advanced Urologic Laparoscopy and Endourology.

In 2005, Lee joined the faculty at University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and is currently the Chairman of the department of Urology and Director of the Urology Institute. He is a Professor of Urology and holds the Leo and Charlotte Goldberg Chair in Advanced Surgical Therapies, and a Master Clinician in Urologic Oncology. He has over 130 publications and has been invited as a visiting professor at numerous national and international conferences and institutions.

Lee has received numerous accolades for his medical contributions in addition to his role as the founder of MedWish International. Some of these recognitions include: U.S. Congressional Recognition, Crains Forty under Forty, as one of Northeast Ohio’s most influential people under the age of 40, to name a few. Lee has also received the Rescuer of Humanity Award from Project Love, which recognizes and honors an individual or an organization of national or international stature, which has chosen to use their leadership beyond professional or institutional requirements to positively change the course of humanity.

In 2019, he received the Champion of Integrity Award by the Better Business Bureau for consistently displaying an aggressive commitment to ethical, honest and fair business practices.

Lee also serves as a founding board member of the nonprofit MedWorks, which provides free healthcare to the uninsured and underinsured. Lee and his wife Monica have three children, Ilan, Eric, and Maiya.

Board of directors

Lee Ponsky, MD
Board President & Founder
University Hospitals

Brennan Igoe
Board Treasurer
Argonite Partners

Valerie Henderson, MPH, DSc
Board Vice President
Emergency Management Consultant

Ashley Wilson Baer
Board Secretary
PSI Services LLC

Krysta Alexinas
Healthcare Manufacturing
& Distribution Consultant

Stephen Downey
Cleveland Clinic

Rafid Fadul, MD
Community Intensivists
& North Bridge Management

Prakash Ganesh, MD, MPH
Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Neighborhood Family Practice

David Landever
Weisman, Kennedy & Berris

Joshua Miller, DO, FACP
Cleveland Clinic

Zac Ponsky
Ponsky Capital Partners

Emily Quan
Eaton Corporation

Sheldon Rose, MD, RDMS
Weatherby Healthcare

Brian J. Smith
Health Tech Development

Michael Zweig
OCTOBER 22, 1965 – MAY 1, 2023

MedWish International is deeply saddened by the recent passing of our Board Member, Michael Zweig. Michael was an incredible member of our family, first getting involved as a medical brigade volunteer on our 2011 Nicaragua brigade and again on our 2013 Guatemala trip. Michael joined the Board of Directors in 2013 and served as our Vice President for several years. He and his band, Disconnected, played at various MedWish events. He was a tenacious supporter of our mission and in many ways helped MedWish grow to where we are today. Michael was passionate about his family, his friends, music, and leaving an impact on the world, which he certainly did. He will be dearly missed.

MedWish Staff

Britta Latz

Executive Director

Britta started her MedWish journey as a summer intern in 2009 and returned in 2013. She officially joined the MedWish team in November 2015 as the Director of Business Operations. In March 2018, she transitioned into the role of Associate Executive Director. In November 2021, Britta became the Executive Director, overseeing MedWish’s strategic direction and overall operations. Britta has a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Commerce with a focus in international development, a graduate certificate in global health, and a Bachelor’s degree in French and Religious Studies

Jennifer Buck

Director of Operations

Jennifer joined the MedWish team in November 2017 as the Inventory Specialist at MedWish. In April 2018, she transitioned into the role of Humanitarian Aid Program Manager, and in 2020 she became Director of Operations. She directs the supply chain and day to day operations of MedWish, and leads our continuous efforts to improve the operational processes and efficiencies. Jennifer has a Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Stonybrook in Environmental Studies, with a concentration in waste management. Outside of work, Jennifer is an avid hiker, crafter, and reader.

Allison Busser

Director of Development

Allison joined the MedWish team in December 2021 as the Director of Development. Prior to her arrival, she spent nearly seven years as the Alumnae Director at Saint Joseph Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school in Cleveland, OH. Before returning to her alma mater in 2015, she served as the Director of Disability and Accessibility Services at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. Allie holds a Master’s degree in Counseling and Human Development and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training.

Andrea Desapri

Director of Partnerships

Andrea joined the MedWish team in April 2021, assuming the role of Procurement Specialist. She has served as a MedWish volunteer and brigade participant over the past several years and is excited to support the MedWish mission in this new capacity. Andrea has a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Akron and a Master’s of Science in Nursing with a focus on Nursing Education from Cleveland State University. In addition to her role at MedWish, Andrea works as a Registered Nurse and Nurse Educator. She loves hikes with her husband and pup, relaxing on the water in a kayak, watching college football, and traveling whenever possible – especially to the National Parks!

Brian Burkholder

Inventory Associate

Brian joined the MedWish team in February 2023 as Inventory Associate. Prior to MedWish, he spent nearly 2 decades in the screen printing industry producing t-shirts for the music industry. Outside of work, Brian enjoys making short quirky animations and motion graphics.

Michal Colie

Advancement Assistant

Michal joined MedWish in June 2023 as Advancement Assistant. In this role, she provides clerical and administrative assistance to the Director of Development and focuses on income financial activities. Michal holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology, with a concentration in Studio Art & Design, from Cleveland State University. Prior to working at MedWish, Michal worked as a Department Assistant for University Housing at Case Western Reserve University for over 4 years. Outside of work, Michal is a visual artist, passionate about music and singing, reading, films, movement of many kinds, spending time in nature, and being with her friends and family.

Jacob Dzierwa

International Programs Coordinator

Jacob joined MedWish in August 2019. Jacob graduated from John Carroll University in May 2018 where he majored in International Relations and minored in Peace, Justice, & Human Rights. In 2021, Jacob became our International Programs Coordinator. In his role, Jacob oversees MedWish’s international aid efforts, while offering the best service to our recipients. Outside of work, Jacob enjoys table top and video games, music of all types, in addition to being a world traveler. His most recent journey was to the United Nations to participate in the “High Level Political Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals”. Jacob has also traveled to Europe and Japan.

Kelsey Foster

Business Specialist

Kelsey joined MedWish in June 2021 as the Business Specialist. Her duties include overseeing Human Resources and Finance. Kelsey holds a Bachelor’s in Health Sciences from Cleveland State University and volunteered at MedWish during college. Prior to joining MedWish, she worked in Quality Improvement with University Hospitals. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, traveling (two favorite trips were to Ireland and Thailand), and exploring Cleveland with her husband and daughter.

Rachael fox

volunteer coordinator

Rachael joined the MedWish team in August 2022 as Volunteer Coordinator. In this role, Rachael oversees our sorting process volunteer groups that help at MedWish everyday. Rachael graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology with a minor in Nonprofit Studies. Prior to working at MedWish, Rachael worked at a Nonprofit Summer Camp for 4 years. Outside of work, Rachael enjoys reading, walking, and watching reality TV.

Dresden Limpach

Facilities & Warehouse Manager

Dresden joined the MedWish team in September 2016. In many ways, he is the face of MedWish for our hospital champions as he conducts our supply pickups in our MedWish truck and drives around much of Northeast Ohio on his routes. He also helps receive pickups into our warehouse and helps maintain the flow and storage of our supplies. Outside of work, Dresden enjoys tinkering with hobby electronics and computers. He also loves playing video games.

Dan mesh

Local & Domestic Programs Coordinator

Dan joined MedWish in July of 2021 as Local & Domestic Programs Coordinator. In this role, Dan oversees MedWish’s Local & Domestic Giving Program, Skill Building Program, Alternative Recycling Program, and reprocessing efforts. After teaching for 32 years, Dan decided to re-shape his passion for volunteerism into a career at MedWish. Although he spent most of his career teaching biology and chemistry, Dan has also been teaching classes in Bioethics and Homelessness. Dan has also been the Director of Community Engagement at Hawken for the past six years, so he is eager to help strengthen our presence in the local community. An avid traveler, Dan has enjoyed trips to the American Southwest, Russia, Vietnam, Italy, Mexico and the Caribbean. Outside of work, Dan loves reading and working in the garden and is a competitive trail runner and mountain biker.

Portia Nichols

Local Programs Assistant

Portia joined MedWish in June 2023 as Local Programs Assistant. In her role, she assists our Local & Domestic Programs Coordinator in facilitating orders, reprocessing efforts, and other Local Giving Program needs. Portia is a regular volunteer with various nonprofits and is excited to continue putting her passion to work with MedWish. Portia plans to transfer to Cleveland State University to major in Filmmaking with the goal of, one day, making documentaries featuring underrepresented communities. In her free time, Portia enjoys reading, writing, knitting, collecting Transformers action figures, gardening, and spending time with her nieces and nephews by volunteering locally.

Jaelyn Rogers

Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Jaelyn joined MedWish in September of 2021. In this role, her duties include management of all social platforms and other forms of communication with our MedWish community. Jaelyn holds a Bachelor’s in Communications from Cleveland State University. Outside of work, Jaelyn is a foodie who loves to travel, enjoying the delicious food every city has to offer. Jaelyn also enjoys reading and spending quality time with her friends and family.

Sara Thomas

Volunteer Administrator

Sara joined the MedWish team in November 2022. Prior to joining MedWish, most of her career has been in nonprofit fundraising, most recently as the Director of Development at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center. During the pandemic, she had a short stint in the corporate sector. Sara holds two Master’s Degrees in Nonprofit Business Administration and Organizational Development. In her free time, she teaches yoga, spends time with family, volunteers with Cultivate Yoga, and loves going on walks with her dog.

Thorn Wiese

Warehouse Associate

Thorn joined MedWish in September of 2021. In this role, Thorn also helps maintain the flow and storage of our supplies. Thorn graduated from EHOVE Career Center in 2013 with a concentration in Culinary Arts but likes to try new things and is currently experimenting with carpentry. In his spare time, Thorn loves playing video games and making art that he hopes to, one day, be able to sustain himself in order to spend more time with his family, which currently includes his crested gecko, Carl, and cat, Bailey. Thorn, alongside his fiancé, loves to travel all over and they hope to explore outside the USA soon.