Board of Advisors
Jewel Williams Johnson
Jewel Williams Johnson proudly serves as the Westchester County Legislator representing the 8th Legislative District. Re-elected in 2023, she is currently serving her second term on the Westchester County Board of Legislators. Legislator Williams Johnson is a trailblazer, making history in her first term as the first freshman legislator to Chair the Board’s Committee on Budget & Appropriations since the Board’s inception—one of its most powerful and consequential committees. She also chairs the Health Sub-Committee and the Non-Profit Taskforce, and serves as Vice Chair of the Committee on Human Services. In addition, she is an active member of the committees on Housing & Planning, Labor & Human Rights, Public Works & Transportation, and the Families Taskforce.
Westchester County Board of Legislators
Srihari S. Naidu, MD, FACC, FAHA, FSCAI
Dr. Srihari S. Naidu is the Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center at Westchester Medical Center in New York, and a nationally recognized leader in interventional cardiology. He has authored over 200 scientific papers and led key clinical guidelines for the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, including chairing the national Best Practices document for cardiac catheterization laboratories since 2012. A Brown University alum and Trustee Emeritus, he founded the Emerging Leader Mentorship Program for the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions and has held leadership roles across major cardiovascular organizations, including President of the New York State Chapter of the American College of Cardiology and the New York Cardiological Society. Named one of Crain’s Top 100 New York Healthcare Leaders in 2021, he co-authored Lindsay’s Big Heart in 2024 to raise awareness of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and was appointed to the New York Cardiac Advisory Council. He will serve as President of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions from 2025 to 2026.
Westchester Medical Center
Kristen Alouisa
Kristen Alouisa is a dedicated executive leader with over a decade of nonprofit leadership experience. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of the Westchester Fairfield Chapter of the American Heart Association (AHA). Kristen is known for her ability to drive annual revenue growth through innovative operations, fundraising, relationship management, and strategic communications—always with passion and professionalism. Previously, Kristen was the Executive Director of an animal welfare organization. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Mercy University and serves on the Board of Directors for The College of Westchester Charitable Foundation. Additionally, she provides pro bono development consulting to smaller nonprofits, helping them amplify their impact. Kristen is passionate about community service and believes in the power of collective action to create positive change, particularly in advancing women’s health and empowerment.
American Heart Association
Dr. Daren Wu is a board-certified family physician and the Chief Medical Officer at Open Door Family Medical Center. Open Door employs over 150 clinicians across 6 sites in Westchester and Putnam counties in New York state, caring for over 60,000 patients each year. As a federally qualified health center, Open Door is on the frontlines in the fight for health equity and is dedicated to reducing barriers for patients to access affordable and high-quality health services. Dr. Wu graduated from SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine and received his Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in New York City. He completed his internship and residency at the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital of New York. He is a founding faculty member of the Northwell-Phelps Family Medicine Residency program where he continues to train resident physicians.
Daren Wu, MD
Open Door Family Medical Center
Brandi Gestri, MD
After graduating from George Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Gestri did her internal medicine residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan and joined the department of internal medicine as a primary care physician at Mount Kisco Medical Group/ CareMount Medical Group, where she practiced for 20 years. She developed an interest in the role nutrition plays in preventive medicine, which led to a Master's in Nutrition Education from American University and subsequent coursework to become board-certified in Lifestyle Medicine as well as Culinary Medicine. She joined Northwell at the Center for Weight Management where she practices evidence-based treatment of obesity and teaches culinary medicine courses at the Center for Healthy Living.
Northwell Health
Mandy Sandkuhler
In the 13 years she has worked for The Mended Hearts, Inc., Mandy Sandkuhler has had the opportunity to support and serve volunteers, patients and families affected by heart disease. In her role as Director of Partnerships and Communications, Mandy works with MHI’s partners and sponsors on funding opportunities, program design and deliverables, and advocacy initiatives. Mandy oversees all Mended Hearts®, Young Mended Hearts®, and Mended Little Hearts® chapters and groups, helping them grow and function. Additionally, she manages all communications for the organization, including Heartbeat® Magazine, MHI social media channels, National News, chapter newsletters, and volunteer communications. Mandy received her Bachelor of Arts Honors degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, and her Master of Journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada.
Mended Hearts
