REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (June 14, 2017) – During a public meeting last night, the Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) Board of Directors appointed Redondo Beach resident Vish Chatterji to fill the vacant seat created by the April resignation of Lenore Bloss. Chatterji, who vied for a seat on the board in the 2016 election and narrowly lost to incumbents Bloss, Diehl and Poster, received a 4-0 vote from the governing body to serve until the Nov. 8, 2018 election.
In total, 37 people applied for the vacancy by the June 8 deadline, with seven opting to withdraw their names from consideration before the June 13th board meeting. Twenty applicants delivered three-minute statements on Tuesday night and public discussion followed before the BCHD board ultimately narrowed the field to five finalists:
- Michael Bobola, Redondo Beach
- Vish Chatterji, Redondo Beach
- Andrea Giancoli, Hermosa Beach
- Fred Manna, Manhattan Beach
- Mitch Ward, Manhattan Beach
After asking each a series of four questions, the board unanimously appointed Chatterji and subsequently swore him in.
“Frankly, I’m inspired and awed by the number of qualified residents who applied for the position; it validates the integrity of this short-term appointment process,” said Michelle Bholat, MD, BCHD board president. “It certainly wasn’t an easy decision, but Vish is the right candidate. He has a close connection to our community as well as a demonstrated interest in public service and health. I believe his business acumen and background in holistic health practices will create balance on the board, and I look forward to his service.”
A former product manager for companies in the U.S. and China, Chatterji – who holds an MBA from the University of Michigan – founded a successful tech startup, Openversa, in 2014. He currently serves on a variety of advisory boards – including Chai Energy and USC Master of Business for Veterans – and works for Head & Hearts Insights, where he coaches corporate executives and teaches holistic health practices like yoga and meditation. A married father of three, Chatterji also volunteers as a Garden Docent at Madison Elementary School in Redondo Beach.
“I’m honored to have been appointed to the BCHD Board of Directors and am excited to serve in the stewardship of this thought-leading organization, among an excellent group of people,” said Chatterji. “I look forward to sharing my holistic perspectives on health, on a path to making our Beach Cities one of the happiest places to live in the world.”
The vacancy on the BCHD board was created by the resignation of Lenore Bloss, who was elected in November 2016 to a four-year term after initially being appointed in 2015 to fill the vacancy created by the unexpected passing of Dr. Robert Grossman. She stepped down from the board on April 26, 2017 due to health issues.
To view the complete list of applicants and for more information on Beach Cities Health District, visit www.bchd.org.
