Board of Directors
Catrina Awalt
Board Chair
Catrina Awalt has been a resident of Catalina Island since 1982 and a dedicated community leader for over four decades. In 1985, she founded her first island business and continues to operate Two’s Company of Avalon. Recognizing early on the need for a more sustainable, year-round economy, she played a key role in efforts to strengthen local business and tourism.
Catrina has been a longstanding advocate for accessible, quality healthcare on the island. She was instrumental in championing Avalon’s Measure C, a half-cent sales tax passed in 2000 that has generated over $10 million in support of hospital operations for Catalina Island Health.
Her community involvement includes more than 40 years with Love Catalina Island (formerly the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce), where she served as Board Chair from 2011–2012, as well as leadership with Avalon Beautiful.
Her first initiative with Avalon Beautiful was to light up Crescent Avenue at the holidays and bring in a community Christmas tree. This was noticed by the Chamber of Commerce and morphed into Shop at Home, now Shop Catalina. In addition, Catrina was instrumental raising funds for Old Ben Park and seeing that project through.
Catrina joined the board of Catalina Island Health in 2015 and has served as Board Chair since 2021. She is deeply committed to advancing the organization’s mission and is a passionate advocate for the development of a new, seismically compliant replacement hospital to serve the island community for generations to come.
Nicole Hohenstein
Board Vice Chair
Nicole Hohenstein has over 30 years of hospitality experience. She has spent the majority of her career with Pacifica Host Hotels, a division of Pacifica Companies which is a hotel management and ownership company based in San Diego, CA. Pacifica Host owns and operates over 45 hotel and resort assets in five states across the United States. Three of those are located in Avalon and managed by Nicole. Heavily involved in the community, Nicole is active in the Avalon Rotary Club and sits on the board of Love Catalina Island, the island’s tourism authority. She has previously served as president and chair respectively of both organizations. Nicole is passionate about sustaining and increasing quality healthcare on the island for all residents and visitors.
Judy Grear
Board Secretary
Judy Grear is a retired educator. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Literature from the University of California San Diego and has completed over 100 units of upper division and extension courses. She assisted her elderly parents with their medical care and “values having good hospital services available.” She is President of the Board for Avalon’s Friends of the Library and Vice-President of Catalina Kid Ventures. She and her husband Dave had visited the island for 40 years and decided to move to Avalon in 2010. Known for her honesty and reliability, Grear cares about “getting things done” while collaborating with other AMDC Board members committed to the hospital and how it can better serve the community of residents and visitors.
Dr. Renee MacLeod
Board Treasurer
Dr. Renee MacLeod is a board-certified family medicine physician with over 28 years of clinical experience. She was a Resident Physician at the Catalina Island Medical Center in the summer of 1996 and has been watching the progression and growth of the medical center since that time. Dr. MacLeod considers herself fortunate to hold a seat on the CIH Board of Directors and serve as the Treasurer. Dr. MacLeod started her solo private medical office from the ground up in El Segundo, CA. After running that office in the "Marcus Welby" style for 10 years she was bought out by a large corporation and worked as a family physician in Manhattan Beach, CA for nearly 11 years with that corporation. Currently, Dr. MacLeod is employed as a Medical Director for an international medical provider and has the privilege of working remotely. She has clinical knowledge relating to patient care in today's economic climate. Possessing the skills to navigate insurance billing, patient satisfaction metrics, working as part of an integrated health care team and recognizing the importance of follow-through and follow-up are the qualities that she holds dear. Dr. MacLeod is proud to assist Catalina Island Health with its growth and is delighted to be serving the island she loves and calls home.
Tim Kielpinski
Board Member Ex Officio
Catalina Island Health CEO Tim Kielpinski was a member of the hospital’s operating board of directors in 2023 before joining the staff as the Chief Strategy Officer in January 2024. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer for seven years at the Catalina Island Conservancy overseeing all operations in support of its conservation, education, and recreational goals. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as a Captain in the Army for 8 years. Following his military service, he held various leadership and entrepreneurial roles, including merging his IT company with another and taking it public. He is a quick study with strong leadership skills and a broad understanding of operations and construction projects – especially on the island. Since joining CIH, Kielpinski has been instrumental in securing ongoing funding for its day-to-day operations and has been deeply involved in the planning of the new hospital. He and his wife live in Avalon.
Trudy Saldana
Board Member
Trudy Saldana is a retired business owner with decades of experience. She has dedicated her time and attention to helping improve healthcare services on Catalina Island.
For thirty-three years Trudy owned and operated Coyote Joe’s Bar and Restaurant as well as managed properties and apartment rentals. A fiscal conservative, she has experience with profit and loss issues, management, strategic planning, logistics, and issues specific to living on the island. She was also instrumental in establishing Avalon’s first preschool named, “Preschool Learning for Avalon Youth”, (P.L.A.Y.)
Trudy has been married to her husband Joe for sixty years. Her three children were born in the Catalina Island Hospital. In fact, Trudy recalls a time when a doctor made house calls on the island. She cares about everyone receiving access to quality healthcare and effective medical treatment on Catalina Island.
She understands the medical needs of residents and visitors alike. She is focused on maintaining and enhancing the quality of medical services provided on the island. Serving on the Catalina Island Health Board is her way to give back to the community she has called home for over half a century.
Dr. John Christian Fox
Board Member
As a leader in the medical field, Dr. Fox has served as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Vice Chair of Academic Affairs for the University of Irvine School of Medicine. He has also shared his expertise in ultrasound on numerous task forces, panels, and boards for the likes of the American Registry of Medical Sonographers, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and the Society of Ultrasound Medicine in Medical Education. Dr. Fox is also an accomplished lecturer and editor of several medical textbooks and currently serves as the Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine. Since he first visited Catalina Island when he was 10, the island has become his family's favorite playground. Dr. Fox has shared that it is an honor for him to contribute to the health of the community by serving on the CI Health Board.
Denise Motter
Board Member
Denise’s career path as a CPA, attorney, and Bench Officer, has resulted in a high level of expertise in accounting and law. In addition, she has been actively involved in a number of executive positions in professional and philanthropic nonprofit organizations. Denise will bring these skills, knowledge, and drive to the CI Health board.
John Baackes
Board Member
Former CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan serving over two million members. L.A. Care provides access to quality and affordable health care for Los Angeles County residents through a variety of health coverage programs, including Medicaid, L.A. Care Covered™ (California Health Benefit Exchange), L.A. Care Cal MediConnect Plan, and PASC-SEIU Homecare Workers Health Care Plan.
He was instrumental in CIH receiving a $2 million grant from L.A. Care in 2024. After his retirement, he joined our team as a consultant to help solve CIH’s ongoing financial issues.
Baackes has more than 40 years of health care experience. Before joining L.A. Care, he served as president of Philadelphia-based AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Plans where he oversaw the Medicare Advantage business unit. Prior to that position, he was CEO of Senior Whole Health in Cambridge, MA, a voluntary health care plan for more than 10,000 low-income seniors in Massachusetts and New York.
He currently serves on the boards of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA), California Association of Health Plans (CAHP), and Local Health Plans of California (LHPC).
Throughout his career, Baackes has served in several executive leadership roles across the healthcare industry, including Senior Vice President for Group Health Incorporated in Albany, NY; President of Kaiser Permanente’s Northeast Division in Latham, NY; and CEO of Community Health Plan, also in Latham.