Board of Directors

Chairperson

Dr. Mylotte retired from Independent Health as full-time associate medical director in 2016, and as a partner at Buffalo Geriatric and Rehabilitation Medicine in July 2011. Dr. Mylotte has continued working as a liaison with the Jacobs School of Medicine in an ongoing effort to attract students to a potential career in primary care, as well as other community nonprofit organizations committed to furthering the needs of our aging population. In addition to her work in private practice, Dr. Mylotte served as medical director at long-term care centers throughout the region. She has also had numerous hospital appointments and has served on several hospital committees, as well as on the Board of Directors of WNY IPA. Dr. Mylotte has had numerous academic appointments at the University at Buffalo’s School of Medicine and is currently ranked as clinical associate professor of medicine. In addition, Dr. Mylotte is a fellow at the American College of Physicians, and a member of the American Society of Internal Medicine and various other professional medical societies. She has also co-authored many abstracts and articles in peer reviewed journals.

Vice Chair

Don Boswell is president and chief executive officer of the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association (WNEDTV, WBFO-FM 88.7 and Classical 94.5 WNED), and a public broadcasting veteran of nearly 42 years, having held positions with North Texas Public Broadcasting Inc. in Dallas, KCTS in Seattle and WVIA-TV/FM in Pittston, Pennsylvania prior to joining WNED | WBFO in January of 1998. Boswell continues his long history of community involvement by serving on the boards of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), AAA, Greater Buffalo Convention and Visitors Bureau, University at Buffalo Foundation, National Conference for Community and Justice, the P2 Collaborative, New Era Cap Company and the Market Arcade Film and Arts Centre. Boswell is Vice Chair of PBS and Chair of the PBS Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and serves on the PBS Executive, Finance and Diversity Advisory committees. He previously chaired the Diversity Advisory Committee. He also serves on the PBS Foundation Board and Foundation Endowment Fund Committee.

Mansi Demla is a senior manager, product management, for Cox Automotive based in Atlanta, Georgia, whose focus is on continually improving its products to create faster vehicle transactions, enabling consumers to have a seamless online-to-offline experience. Demla is a product leader with more than 13 years of product management experience in software across multiple teams within the automotive industry. She is focused on efficiently releasing quality products in the automotive marketplace, including the desktop and mobile experience, based on market research, analytics, and business and financial goals. 

Prior to his retirement in April 2019, Dr. Foels dedicated more than 20 years to Independent Health, first joining the organization in 1997 as associate medical director before being named executive vice president and chief medical officer in 2009. Through Dr. Foels’ leadership, Independent Health has been at the forefront of developing numerous initiatives and programs designed to improve the quality and value of care to its members, including the establishment of Independent Health’s nationally recognized pay-for-performance program. In addition, Dr. Foels was able to assist Independent Health in the fulfillment of our mission and strategy to align with high-performing practices, providing them with the tools and capabilities to accelerate their performance improvement in the new, evolving health care environment. His experience in implementing health care strategies that control costs while simultaneously improving quality and customer satisfaction made him a valuable health care leader at the local and national level. Dr. Foels has more than 30 years of experience in health care management and prior to joining Independent Health was in private practice as a pediatrician, founding Western New York’s two largest pediatric group practices: Williamsville Pediatric Center and Tonawanda Pediatrics.

Dan Gagliardo is an entrepreneur and owner of D’Avolio, a family-operated business that specializes in providing quality olive oils and vinegars, and has now expanded into multiple restaurants and retail locations across Western New York. In 2015, Gagliardo opened a culinary school named D’Avolio Culinary Institute, which is located within St. Mary’s School for the Deaf in Buffalo, where students with different forms of abilities can earn a culinary certificate. Gagliardo has been a big advocate of the Independent Health Foundation’s Healthy Options Buffalo program to help the community make more informed decisions when dining out and eating at home and has served as a member of its Board of Directors as well as Board Chairman.

Gerard Mazurkiewicz is a tax partner of Dopkins & Company, LLP, who provides income and estate tax planning services to a variety of high wealth clients. He also works with a number of closely held companies in providing business and succession planning services. Prior to his tenure at Dopkins & Company, LLP, he spent more than 30 years with KPMG, LLP, and was the partner in charge of KPMG’s upstate New York/Albany tax practice. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mazurkiewicz is also a Trustee of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, past Chairman of the Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Foundation, Trustee and Finance Committee Chair for Queen of Heaven Parish, and past Chairman and current member of the Investment Committee of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. He is the 2009 recipient of the Trocaire College Reflections Award and 2008 Kaleida Spirit Award.

David McNamara is a partner of the Phillips Lytle LLP law firm, with his practice concentrated in the areas of general commercial litigation with an emphasis on the rights of secured creditors, breach of contract, lender liability, fraud, and controversies and transactions involving commercial real estate and project development. He served as Phillips Lytle’s managing partner from 2007-2016 and served as a member of its Governing Committee from 2001-2016. He maintains offices in Buffalo and New York City, and represents individuals, corporations and financial institutions in complex commercial litigation and real estate transactions. McNamara is a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee. He is a current member of the Harvard Law School Leadership in Law Firms Alumni Association and was the “Play it Forward” Capital Campaign Chair for Explore & More Children’s Museum. McNamara previously served as the vice president of the Board of Directors for Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University at Buffalo School of Law and on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County. He has been included on The Best Lawyers in America© list since 2011 and the Upstate New York Super Lawyers® list since 2007.

Dr. Mendonza has practiced medicine for more than 15 years, working at Kenmore Family Medicine since 2004 and previously at the Clarence Sheridan Medical Center and Highgate Medical Group. She has been affiliated with Kenmore Mercy Hospital since 2001. Dr. Mendonza is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Medicine, and member of the Medical Society of New York, Catholic Medical Partners Board of Directors, Federal Bureau of Investigation Citizen’s Academy Alumni Association and Peer Review Committee of Kenmore Mercy Hospital.

Dr. Yvonne Minor-Ragan is the president and chief executive officer of YM Ragan Consulting LLC, which was organized to fill the gap between need and skill sets of cultural competency, effective leadership, and strategic and organizational planning. Dr. Ragan is an internationally renowned, award winning educational leader who previously served as president of Buffalo Promise Neighborhood and principal of the Westminster Community Charter School. Dr. Ragan is featured in the International Study of Successful leaders News documentary, and currently serves as Chair of the John Oishei Race and Ethnic Task Force.

Dr. Pawlowski has practiced medicine for 16 years and has been Medical Director of Highgate Medical Group for 13 years. A Western New York native who grew up in Buffalo, Dr. Pawlowski was inspired to enter medicine so he could make a positive impact with post-traumatic stress health. Dr. Pawlowski is affiliated with Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, McGuire Group Nursing Homes and the Alternative Level of Care (ALOC) program. In 2017, Dr. Pawlowski was invited to be a guest speaker at the Leadership & Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Reed has been a primary care physician for the past 28 years, holding various leadership and administrative positions throughout her career, with the goal of transforming and improving the delivery of quality health care to all members of the community. Currently serving as the clinical lead physician for the Community Health Center of Buffalo, Dr. Reed manages clinical operations for the four clinical sites of the federally-qualified health centers under the umbrella of the Community Health Center of Buffalo. In addition, she oversees the development and implementation of workflows designed to meet the UDS requirements outlined by HRSA, the granting agency for federally-qualified health centers, serves as the physician lead for practice transformation and maintenance of Patient-Centered Medical Home certification, and clinical lead on various collaborative projects with other agencies/organizations.

Dr. Sheriff has been a primary care physician and partner with Amherst Medical Associates for more than 15 years, with nearly 40 years of experience in the health care field. Dr. Sheriff was the recipient of the 2019 Excellence in Healthcare Award by Buffalo Business First for his approach of patient care, which focuses on redefining the system of primary care, taking a step back from targeting disease management to communicate with his patients about the prevention of disease. In addition, Dr. Sheriff has also embraced the value-based reimbursement system, which rewards doctors for providing a higher quality of care to help prevent patients from cycling in and out of hospitals.

Patricia Smith has worked within health policy in the Washington, D.C., area for more than three decades, most recently serving as president and chief executive officer of Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), a national leadership organization in Washington, D.C., that brings together high-quality, innovative health plans and provider groups, for nearly a decade prior to her retirement. Smith is a respected expert in delivery system reform, Medicare and coordinated care issues nationwide. Prior to leading ACHP, Smith served as director of the Medicare Advantage Group at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Smith was previously vice president at America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and senior vice president for policy at ACHP from 2001 to 2004. She also serves on the advisory board of Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States and the public policy advisory board of the March of Dimes.

Daniel Weintraub is the cofounding partner of the accounting firm Lougen Valenti Bookbinder & Weintraub, LLP. He has been in practice for nearly 40 years and serves as the director of the firm's accounting and auditing practice, where he is responsible for the management of the firm's quality control and attest services to clients, as well as compliance with applicable professional standards. Weintraub is a member of the Construction Exchange of Buffalo and Western New York, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), where he serves on the Relations with the Legal Community Committee - Buffalo Chapter. He also serves on the board of Community Services for the Developmentally Disabled.