WEST PALM BEACH, FL. – At 11:30 am on December 14, 2006 at the Kravis Center Cohen Pavilion, Palm Healthcare Foundation will hold its 5^th Anniversary Celebration. Keynote Speaker of this celebratory luncheon will be Lieutenant Colonel Consuelo Castillo-Kickbusch, the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the U.S. Army.

Lt. Col. Castillo-Kickbusch, born of immigrant parents in a Laredo, Texas barrio, where she overcame the fierce challenges of poverty, discrimination and illiteracy, has become a successful role model for her community. After graduating from Hardin Simmons University, she entered the military and became the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the U. S. Army.

Consuelo Castillo-Kickbusch retired after two decades, honoring her mother’s dying wish that she become a community leader. In 1996, she founded Educational Achievement Services, Inc., and in 1998, helped found the Family Leadership Institute. The Institute helps immigrant/migrant Hispanic families take part in their children’s education so the children stay in school and pursue advanced degrees. She has won numerous awards and has been featured in English and Hispanic media nationwide. As a motivational speaker, Lt. Col. Castillo-Kickbusch inspires Fortune 500 CEOs as well as children. Her book, Journey to the Future: A Roadmap for Success for Youth, offers children practical techniques to increase their self-esteem and a framework for early leadership development.  She is the mother of five daughters and lives with her husband, Lt. Col. (Ret.) David K. Kickbusch, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Consuelo Castillo-Kickbusch’s powerful and passionate message about the importance of diversity, effective leadership, and taking charge to overcome challenges in our communities will resonate deeply with our supporters and healthcare partners,” said Suzette Wexner, Palm Healthcare Foundation President. 

Palm Healthcare Foundation’s 5^th Anniversary Luncheon celebration will also feature: a presentation of Palm Healthcare Foundation’s 2006 Commitment to community Honorees who have made significant contributions to strengthen healthcare in Palm Beach County, and the unveiling of the plans for the new Palm Healthcare Pavilion and Mollie Wilmot Children’s Center, a state-of-the-art $12 million project that will transform care for local children with special healthcare needs.

About Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc.
Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc. was chartered in 2001 as an independent community healthcare foundation. Believing that “Together We Can Do More,” the foundation’s mission is to transform healthcare challenges by bringing together the talents and resources of the community to create innovative solutions that deliver high-impact results. The Foundation’s funding priorities—access to healthcare, healthcare quality and safety, healthcare technology, healthcare policy and healthcare workforce—are designed to empower non-profit healthcare organizations and healthcare professionals to create programs and services that improve the quality of life for Palm Beach County’s underserved citizens.  Since 2001, the Foundation has distributed more than $14 million to over 70 non-profit organizations in Palm Beach County operating over 130 programs that met its funding goals.  To learn more about Palm Healthcare Foundation, please visit www.palmhealthcare.org.