Board of Directors

Bill Young

William Young, MD, FAHS

President

Dr. Young is a neurologist at the Jefferson Headache Center. He received his medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine and has been in practice for 30 years. The Jefferson Headache Center is one of a very few academic headache centers in the country. The Center, founded in 1982, specializes in the treatment of patients with all types of headache pain. Dr. Young is the President of Miles for Migraine, and former president of the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy. Click for detailed information pertaining to Dr. Young’s extensive research profile, including research pertaining to migraine and stigma.

Ken Jones

Kenneth Jones, MBA

Senior Vice President - Health System Affiliates, UCSF Health

Kenneth M. Jones, UCSF Health’s Senior Vice President, having previously worked as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of UCSF Medical Center. He joined the organization in 2001. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Cain Brothers and Company, LLC, in San Francisco and was President and Chief Executive Officer of Summit Hospital in Oakland.

Among his chief accomplishments at UCSF Medical Center, Jones was responsible for planning and executing the February 1, 2015 opening and operation of the new 875,000 square foot Women’s, Children’s and Cancer Hospital and clinic complex at Mission Bay, and implemented key elements of the Medical Center strategic plan, including the 2014 merger with Children’s Hospital Oakland, and the development of a medical foundation to affiliate with community physicians. He maintained operating margins of over $100 million per year from 2010 to 2015. Patient satisfaction increased from 90 % to 92.8% from 2009 to 2014. In 2006, he was named CFO of the Year by the San Francisco Business Times magazine.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. Jones received his Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) in Mathematics from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He moved west to California, where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University.

Eileen Jones

Eileen Jones, RN, PHN

Founder and Vice Chairman

Eileen is the Founder of Miles for Migraine and served as President from 2008 – 2016. A migraine patient herself for many years, she started the nonprofit organization after a 2007 visit to Congress, along with mostly headache disorders physician research specialists from across the US, to advocate for the acute need for migraine research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). That group formalized into the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy, where Eileen is a founding board member, and returns annually at their own expense to ask Congressional representatives for headache research support. Miles for Migraine races exists to raise public support for the needs of migraine and headache disorders and direct funds to research. It is her fervent desire to expand the race to major U.S. cities.

After graduating from Stanford University, Eileen worked as a critical care unit nurse for many years and a disaster nurse specialist for the American Red Cross since 1998.

Vince Rogusky

Vince Rogusky

Chairman of the Board

Vince Rogusky has over 30 years of entrepreneurial and executive management experience leading businesses in a variety of industries. Vince’s extensive expertise and leadership includes business strategy and execution, finance, venture capital and private equity, strategic partnerships, enterprise software technology, business development, sales and marketing, product development, operations, and international business growth. His deep industry expertise includes healthcare, financial services, Cloud/SaaS software technology, and electronics. Vince is known as an enthusiastic leader and for his creative approaches, innovation, team building, and open management style.

Vince is currently the President & CEO of The Sharp Financial Group (“Sharp”), an integrated financial management firm providing business advisory, accounting & tax, wealth management, and capital solutions that help businesses and entrepreneurs create value and grow wealth. Vince is responsible for the overall vision and strategy of the firm along with major growth and business initiatives.

Shirley Kessel Headshot

Shirley Kessel

Board Member

Shirley is the mom of three daughters, two of whom live with migraine. When her youngest daughter Sydney became diagnosed at an early age, they both decided that it was time to take action to bring awareness and raise money for migraine research. They contacted Eileen Jones, who founded the Miles for Migraine race in San Francisco, and brought the race to the Philadelphia community in 2013. She became the Executive Director in 2017 when it became apparent that Miles for Migraine should take the race series around the USA.

Shirley has worked in healthcare since 1983 and has served on various non-profit boards since 1991. She is the immediate past Executive Director of Miles for Migraine.

Nina Riggins

Nina Riggins, MD, PhD, FAAN, FAHS

Board Member

Nina Riggins, MD, PhD, FAAN, FAHS is a Director of Headache and Traumatic Brain Injury Center at the University California San Diego (UCSD).

She completed her Neurology Residency at PENN State Medical Center and her Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship at State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo.

She completed her Headache Fellowship at the University California San Francisco (UCSF). She is a UCNS certified Headache Neurologist. She served as Associate Clinical Professor at UCSF prior to her current position at UCSD.

Dr Riggins is an innovative leader in headache treatment and neurological science, excelling in initiating and managing outpatient services and inpatient programs in a medical academic center. She is mentoring students, residents, and fellows. Dr Riggins devoted to the patient's care. She is developing educational materials for professionals via workshops, presentations, lectures, and podcasts. She is a member of First Contact Committee, American Headache Society and Member of BrainPac Executive Committee, American Academy of Neurology.

Dr Riggins is an Advocate for her Patients and Profession. She is leading multiple research projects with a goal to advance treatments for patients.

You can see link to her website here for more information

https://ninariggins.com/

Michelle Vargas

Michele Vargas

Board Member

Michele is an Aromatherapist who is an active member in several aromatherapy associations.  She teaches internationally on essential oil uses and safety as well as how to eliminate toxic products from one’s life.

She openly shares her personal struggle with chronic migraine and has become well known in the headache community.  She is a Patient Advisory board member of MFM and Patient Leadership Council of the National Headache Foundation and was a former board member of American Headache and Migraine Association. For several years, she has participated in speaking to her legislators during the Headache on the Hill event in Washington DC.