Redondo Beach Resident Appointed to Beach Cities Health District’s Board

REDONDO BEACH, CA — A Redondo Beach resident was appointed to the Beach Cities Health District's Board of Directors, the district announced.

Vish Chatterji was appointed to the vacant seat created when Lenore Bloss resigned in April because of health issues. Chatterji campaigned for the seat in the 2016 but narrowly lost to Bloss and two other incumbents. The board unanimously voted at its June 13 meeting to appoint Chatterji to serve on the board until the 2018 election.

In total, 37 people applied for the vacancy but seven withdrew from consideration before the board meeting. Twenty applicants delivered three-minute statements on Tuesday night and public discussion followed before the BCHD board ultimately narrowed the field to five finalists:

• Michael Bobola, Redondo Beach
• Vish Chatterji, Redondo Beach
• Andrea Giancoli, Hermosa Beach
• Fred Manna, Manhattan Beach
• Mitch Ward, Manhattan Beach

After asking each a series of four questions, the board unanimously appointed Chatterji and subsequently swore him in

“Frankly, I’m inspired and awed by the number of qualified residents who applied for the position; it validates the integrity of this short-term appointment process,” BCHD board president Dr. Michelle Bholat said. “It certainly wasn’t an easy decision, but Vish is the right candidate. He has a close connection to our community as well as a demonstrated interest in public service and health."

A former product manager for companies in the U.S. and China, Chatterji — who holds an MBA from the University of Michigan — founded a successful tech startup, Openversa, in 2014. He currently serves on a variety of advisory boards — including Chai Energy and USC Master of Business for Veterans — and works for Head & Hearts Insights, where he coaches corporate executives and teaches holistic health practices like yoga and meditation.

A married father of three, Chatterji also volunteers as a Garden Docent at Madison Elementary School in Redondo Beach.

“I’m honored to have been appointed to the BCHD Board of Directors and excited to serve in the stewardship of this thought-leading organization, among an excellent group of people,” Chatterji said. “I look forward to sharing my holistic perspectives on health, on a path to making our Beach Cities one of the happiest places to live in the world.”

Photo courtesy of Head & Hearts Insights