WIHD Welcomes Three Outstanding Women to its Board of Directors

VALHALLA, NY (October 2019) – The Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD) is pleased to announce the election of Helen Buhler, Jasmine Hernandez and Frances Rao, to its Board of Directors.

“Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD) is a unique community resource dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities, vulnerable children, and families by providing medical and clinical services, educating current and future professionals, and conducting innovative research. We cannot do our work without a strong and committed volunteer board of directors. We are honored to have these three outstanding women join our board,” said Susan Fox, President and CEO of WIHD.

Helen Buhler, PhD, has been a Professor and Program Director of the Communication Disorders Program at Mercy College since 2006 as well as serving as the college’s liaison to WIHD’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) program and advisory board. She has been a practicing pediatric speech language pathologist for 45 years, working with children with developmental disabilities in a variety of settings, including private practice. She has traveled on 16 global medical missions with graduate students to Peru, Columbia, India, Ethiopia, and Thailand. Dr. Buhler has a Bachelor's degree in English from Duquesne University, and a master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Long Island University and a Ph.D in Language, Literacy and Learning from Fordham University. Dr. Buhler is a resident of Poughkeepsie.

Frances Rao is an executive with nearly 20 years of experience directing privacy, compliance, and audit programs for large healthcare enterprises. Her background and education is in telecommunications and computer sciences. She has proven expertise in establishing high quality, practical and scalable compliance programs that support business strategies and operations. A collaborative and decisive leader with ability to influence all levels of organization, Rao will be a great asset to WIHD’s Board of Directors. She is a resident of Scarsdale.

Jasmine Hernandez is a private practice attorney and principal in the Law Office of Jasmine Hernandez. She holds a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in communications from the University of Southern California. Hernandez, who is of Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian descent, is a Bronx native who is passionate about serving her community. Her practice focuses on family law. She has previously served as a mentor for the National Latino Bar Association, the Vice President Chair of the National Latina/o Law Students Association and on the national board of Omega Phi Beta sorority. She values community service and hosts the Collective for A Cause Yonkers Annual Coat Drive in the Fall. Hernandez lives in Bronxville.

Westchester Institute for Human Development

As one of 67 University Centers of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, the Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD) is dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities and vulnerable children through professional education, direct service provision, and innovative research. For over 45 years, WIHD has been a key regional resource providing a wide range of medical, dental, clinical and social services to individuals with disabilities, vulnerable children, families and professionals throughout Westchester County and the Lower Hudson Valley. At WIHD, everything we do is guided by our vision of a future in which all people, including people with disabilities and vulnerable children, live healthy and productive lives as full members of society. For more information, go to www.wihd.org.