Kalpana Bhandarkar, MPH, MBA
Schuyler Center Trustee Kalpana Bhandarkar has served on the board for ten years, and brings 18 years of experience in health care administration and strategy, as well as many years of experience engaging non-profit organizations on strategy, fundraising, policy and advocacy. Read more about why Kalpana serves on the Schuyler Center board, and what the work of the organization means to her.
What drew you to serve on the Schuyler Center Board?
“This country has not lived up to its promise and does not have a consensus base for one set of values. While there is a misalignment in shaping and agreeing on our collective values, there are many populations that are disproportionately hurt and oppressed by governmental policies and programs (or lack thereof). Advocates have always been the backbone of this country — holding a mirror up to government and the general public, pushing it to be better and do better.
SCAA comprises some of the most important advocates in the state and country — keeping its finger on the pulse of what children and families need to maintain health and comfort, whether they have access to it, and if not, how to enable that access. As we push for equity in health care, income access, education and other domains, SCAA will remain strong in its advocacy.
I serve on the Board to contribute what I can in human and financial capital to help enable the organization to continue its essential work.
What does the work of the Schuyler Center mean to you? Why is it important?
I started my career in child advocacy, moved to work in adolescent health care delivery, and then remained in health care delivery and social determinants for my entire career. And of course, as I raise children, the health and development of children is of prime importance to me. It does not make sense to me (or sit well with me) that I can raise my children with comfort and ability to meet their needs but a family a mile away (or 50 miles away) does not have access or supports to do the same. Especially in a country with this much wealth.
What are your hopes for the future of the organization?
I hope Schuyler Center continues to remain strong in the results it brings about. I’d love to see: 1) more staff to support the incredible amount of work; 2) continued outreach to highlight the impact of policies (positive and negative) so that the general public understands the urgency and importance of its work; 3) a broader donor base to support our work – I hope more people join us! 4) more bandwidth to present the negative impact of wealth inequity and wealth concentration (in NYS / nationally) on the health and lives of children and families. This is a small and strong organization doing amazing work, and so much potential to enact change.”
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