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Leadership & Governance

Adam Garone at a hospital sitting with a child in the hospital playing on a Nintendo Switch gaming station
Adam Garone, CEO of Starlight Children's Foundation, playing on a Starlight Gaming Station with a patient at White Memorial in Los Angeles

Adam Garone, chief executive officer of Starlight Children’s Foundation, is an activist, a change agent, and a social entrepreneur with a passion and purpose to have fun and do good while serving others. His unwavering commitment and dedication to Starlight’s mission of delivering happiness to seriously ill children and their families through play-centered programs is a testament to his connection and experience with childhood illness.

After watching his then 3-year-old niece undergo seven months of the most aggressive form of chemotherapy, Adam’s life changed forever. He knew he wanted to be part of Starlight Children’s Foundation. In 2019, he accepted the opportunity to lead the organization and deliver happiness to millions of seriously ill children, just like his niece.

Our Board

As a 501(c)(3) public charity we are committed to best practice levels of governance, transparency, accountability, and financial management.

The CEO is responsible for managing the overall operations and resources of Starlight. The CEO reports into the board who collectively provide strategic direction and oversight.

  1. Alisa Bowen

    Chair

  2. Howard Cohl

    Vice Chair, Nominations & Governance Committee Chair

  3. Shaunna Hatcher

    Secretary

  4. Brian Karmelich (CPA)

    Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair

  5. Shawn Harpen

    Audit Committee Chair

  6. Kira Goldberg

    HR & Compensation Committee Chair

  7. Carol Levey

    Marketing & Development Committee Chair

  8. Thomas Chou

  9. Sarah Cramer

  1. Patricia Lady

  2. Rechelle Porter (CCLS)

  3. Jeff Small

  4. Paula Whiteman (MD, FACEP, FAAP)

  5. Dawn Wilcox Verrecchia

  1. Peter Samuelson

    Co-Founder

  2. Steven Spielberg

    Chairman Emeritus