Terri Theisen elected to National Psoriasis Foundation Board of Trustees

Theisen brings 25 years experience to board

PORTLAND, Ore. (March 20, 2009)—The National Psoriasis Foundation named Terri Theisen of Atlanta, Ga., to the Board of Trustees in recognition of her longtime commitment to the Foundation as a member, volunteer and donor.

A member of the Psoriasis Foundation since 1995, Theisen brings more than 25 years of executive leadership and organizational development to the Foundation's board. As the founder of Theisen Consulting LLC, she has provided counsel to several hundred organizations in strategic planning, facilitation, board governance and effectiveness, organizational development and public policy.

Prior to founding Theisen Consulting LLC in November 2001, Terri served as a vice president for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, senior vice president for the American Cancer Society, southeast division, and CEO of the Georgia chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Theisen currently serves on the board of directors of Visiting Nurse Health System/Hospice Atlanta, is vice chair of the United Way's Women of Alexis de Tocqueville Cabinet, and is a trustee of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation, and chair of its Annual Fund Committee.

Additionally, Theisen is a member of many professional and civic organizations, including the Institute of Management Consultants, American Public Health Association, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, American Society of Association Executives, Organization Change Alliance, the Alliance for Non Profit Management, and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.

"I'm pleased to have a leader of Terri's caliber joining the board," said Dale White, Chairman of the Psoriasis Foundation Board of Trustees. "Terri's career and wealth of experience will provide additional strength and depth to our Board as the Foundation continues to search for a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. We look forward to Terri's contributions as a member of the Foundation's Board of Trustees."

As a member of the Psoriasis Foundation's volunteer board, Theisen will help direct the organization by evaluating and approving long-term plans, determining goals and providing financial oversight. Board members also work with Randy Beranek, president and CEO of the National Psoriasis Foundation, to accomplish the organization's goals.

Visit the National Psoriasis Foundation Board of Trustees Web page to learn more.

Psoriasis is a noncontagious, genetic disease that results when faulty signals in the immune system prompt skin cells to regenerate too quickly, causing red, scaly lesions that can crack and bleed. It often affects the elbows, knees, scalp and torso but can appear anywhere on the body. As many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis, according to the National Institutes of Health. Ten percent to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory disease which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints. Psoriasis can affect anyone at any age, including children. There is no cure yet for this lifelong disease.

The National Psoriasis Foundation is the world's largest nonprofit patient advocacy organization dedicated to fighting psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and the voice for millions of Americans who are affected by these diseases. Our mission is to find a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and to eliminate their devastating effects through research, advocacy and education. For more information, call the Psoriasis Foundation, headquartered in Portland, Ore., at 800.723.9166, or visit www.psoriasis.org.