The Whole Child is excited, honored, and grateful to welcome one new member and one returning member to our esteemed Board of Directors. Barbara Van Ligten and Bonnie Bilitch have joined our committed and engaged leadership team to further The Whole Child’s imperative mission to support families in need of emotional healing, physical wellness, and homes of their own.
“I am thrilled to welcome (and welcome back) these visionary and inspirational women to our Board,” said The Whole Child CEO Constanza Pachon. “Both Barbara and Bonnie have committed their careers and personal time to helping some of the most vulnerable children and families in our community. The Whole Child is extremely fortunate to have them joining our leadership to guide us, especially at the start of our new strategic plan.”
Barbara Van Ligten, an attorney who has recently retired from her role as a partner with Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, brings over 25 years of experience in employment law and defense of management in personnel and labor relations matters to The Whole Child’s leadership corps. During her career, she has worked cases involving discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wage and hour, and wrongful termination.
Barbara’s public sector clients have included the Regents of the University of California, the Orange County Transportation Authority, the City of Montebello, the City of Downey and the County of San Bernardino. She has represented clients before numerous state and federal administrative agencies, including the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. She earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School and her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Barbara and her husband have lived in Orange, California for 30 years and have five adult children. Barbara continues to volunteer her time with organizations serving youth, such as the Orange County Constitutional Rights Foundation Mock Trial Program and Ambassadors of Compassion. Barbara enjoys traveling, Pilates, and spending time with family and friends.
“I look forward to serving on the Board of The Whole Child and helping to direct its continued services to children and their families which are especially necessary in today’s world,” said Barbara. “I am particularly excited to serve on this board because The Whole Child is an organization that has grown over time, but in doing so has adapted its services to the changing needs of children and families to best meet the needs of the individuals it serves.”
Bonnie Bilitch, recently retired from her position as Chief Nursing Officer of Olive View-UCLA Medical Center at Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, has returned to The Whole Child Board to resume her work in guiding the organization on its path to becoming a best-in-class service provider. As a top-tier healthcare professional, she also takes a particular interest in caring for caregivers and looks forward to working with The Whole Child on team members mental and emotional wellness.
Bonnie is a California native who has lived in Whittier for over 30 years, where she and her husband raised their three adult children. Her professional career as a healthcare executive was spent with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services where she held leadership positions at LAC+USC Healthcare Network before taking on her Chief Nursing Officer role with Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. After retirement, she continues community involvement as a volunteer court-appointed special advocate (CASA) for youth in the dependency system. Bonnie enjoys practicing yoga, reading books and traveling with family and friends.
Please join The Whole Child leadership and staff in welcoming Barbara and Bonnie to our Board at this exciting time in The Whole Child’s growth!
