Staff

Molly Snow
Council Director (molly@gotrlosangeles.org)

Molly joins Girls on the Run of Los Angeles County with 12 years of experience helping non-profit organizations build and improve fundraising programs. Her diverse industry experience includes producing complex, multi-day fundraising events (such as the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day and California AIDS Ride), organizational growth planning, project management and peer-to-peer fundraising. After hearing her 10-year-old niece, a two-season GOTR participant, loudly and proudly declare her personal “awesomeness”, something clicked and she knew where she wanted to focus her attention and experience. Bringing an intense belief in GOTR’s mission and a deep desire to see girls develop into confident, healthy individuals she is excited to be a part of this incredible, dedicated team.


Noemy Ponce Johnson
Program and Volunteer Director (noemy@gotrlosangeles.org)

Noemy first connected with Girls on the Run and its mission in the summer of 2008. She joined the team as a coach and was excited to accept a staff position later that year. She is proud to be part of a team of such dedicated and passionate board members and volunteers who value girls’ physical and emotional health. Noemy especially connects with GOTR of Los Angeles County’s emphasis on social justice and program accessibility for all girls, especially those in underserved areas. She is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and strongly believes in the positive influence of mentoring. Previously, Noemy served adolescents and families as a mental health therapist. Noemy holds a Master’s degree in Social Welfare and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, both from UCLA.

Board of Directors

Elizabeth Sadlon, Board Chair
(elizabeth@gotrlosangeles.org)

Elizabeth loves expanding her own experiences and discovering her own strengths by volunteering with Girls on the Run.  She’s the mother of two fabulous daughters, one who has participated in ten GOTR seasons, and one who is excited to be old enough for GOTR camp this summer.  Professionally, Elizabeth is a consultant to community benefit organizations, specializing in strategic planning, facilitation, and board development with social justice organizations.   Elizabeth is grateful for the experience of building the GOTR board from the ground up, seeing the incredible results that are possible when passionate people dedicate themselves to making a lasting difference in the life of girls.

Mia Arias

Mia is Project Manager at the National Health Foundation where she is responsible for the management and coordination of a multi-hospital chronic disease prevention and management consortium as well as the Southern California Patient Safety Collaborative, a peer-to-peer learning collaborative facilitating quality improvement within hospitals. Mia has seven years of experience working with non-profit community based organizations. She received her Master’s degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in nonprofit management from the University of Southern California and received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Mia joined the GOTRLA board in Spring 2010.

Leticia Tomas-Bustillos, Ph.D.

Leticia has over 13 years experience working across the K-20 education pipeline. Between 1997 and 2004, she was a teacher, technology coordinator and a reading specialist with the Montebello Unified School District. She has taught preservice teachers and postsecondary administrators as an assistant professor at Loyola Marymount University, Whittier College and USC. As Los Angeles County Education Foundation’s Associate Director, she works on a number of strategic initiatives, including advocating for improved access to early care and education opportunities for the most vulnerable children and youth in California. She has a B.A. from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. Leticia joined the GOTRLA board in Spring 2010.

Laurel A. Fowler

Laurel works as a Public Health Advisor for the CDC and is currently assigned to the Los Angeles County Immunization Program where she works as the Deputy Director.  In this role, she functions as a link between the federal, state and local levels, and provides advice and guidance on a comprehensive immunization program to prevent and reduce vaccine-preventable disease.  She also oversees the budget process, personnel development and training, and ensures that resources are utilized effectively.  Her other health and community experience includes quality improvement activities for a community mental health center, public information responsibilities for a regional center serving people with developmental disabilities, and a variety of roles with a managed behavioral health care company.  Laurel joined the GOTRLA board in May 2009.


J. Christine Harmes, Ph.D.

Christine is a consultant in the areas of evaluation and measurement, with an emphasis on technology integration. She formerly served as Associate Professor of Psychology at James Madison University teaching courses in scholarly communication, performance assessment, computer-based testing, and mixed methods research. She holds a Ph.D. with dual concentrations in Educational Measurement and Research and Instructional Technology. Her recent projects include work with the Florida Center for Instructional Technology to develop technology standards and assessment tools, and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to develop innovative items to assess nursing competence. Christine joined the GOTRLA board in Spring 2010, and is passionate about promoting running as a way to help girls and women realize their inner beauty and strength.

Christy Noel

Christy Noel has over 15 years of global experience in marketing, corporate branding, and communications programs. She is the Vice President of Marketing for Delphi Display Systems. Outside of the office, Christy is an endurance athlete and marathon coach that has completed multiple Ironman triathlons and marathons. She is thrilled to bring her business acumen, passion for running, and desire to increase self-confidence and the positive representation of girls and women to Girls on the Run.


Lauren Rauscher, Ph.D.

Lauren Rauscher has volunteered with Girls on the Run since 2002 in Atlanta.  She joined the Los Angeles Council when she relocated to California in 2006 to teach at California State University Long Beach, where she is an assistant professor.  Her research and teaching interests are anchored in the experiences of girls and women in relation to inequality, privilege, and identity politics.  More specifically, she explores the intersections of race, gender, and class in the domains of work, health and the body, well-being, and education.  She received her Ph.D. in Sociology with a concentration in Women’s Studies from Emory University in Atlanta, and her Masters in Sociology at The Center for Research on Women at the University of Memphis.  Lauren loves combining her professional skills, active lifestyle, and enthusiasm to help build the Los Angeles GOTR Council with others who are dedicated to girls’ health, empowerment, and social justice.


Belinda Madrid Teitel

Belinda is the Vice President of Education & Leadership Development at the Center for Nonprofit Management of Southern California and brings skills from the nonprofit, business and governmental sector. Ms. Teitel is an executive coach, and capacity building consultant and trainer on a range of topics, including raising funds from individuals, foundations and corporations, board development, organizational development, marketing and strategic planning. She has been coaching and consulting for nonprofit organizations for more than 13 years and has worked with over 100 organizations of all types and sizes. Prior to becoming a consultant, Ms. Teitel served as Southern California Director for Earth Share of California, a nonprofit federation of 90 premier local, state and national environmental organizations. She began her business career in the banking and finance field and has formed extensive alliances in the nonprofit, business and governmental sectors throughout Southern California.  Ms. Teitel is an active member of Hispanics in Philanthropy.  Belinda joined the board in June 2011.

GOTRLA is Seeking New Board Members

Our dynamic and highly engaged Board of Directors is looking for a few great new members!  Our application describes the commitments we ask of each other and the types of experience we most need at this stage of our development.  Click here for our 2012 Board Member Application.


Volunteer Leadership

Leanne Lowden Mothershead, Regional Coordinator for Pasadena and Glendale (leanne@gotrlosangeles.org)

Ashley Beglarian, CPA, Page & Associates (www.djpagecpa.com)