Manny Hernandez to Step Down as President of Diabetes Hands Foundation; Melissa Lee to Serve as Interim Executive Director

Twitter Summary: @diabeteshf announces @SweetlyVoiced as interim ED as @askmanny – DHF co-founder and President – announces he will step down in May 2015

On January 15, Manny Hernandez, Co-Founder and President of the Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF), said that he will resign as President of DHF in May. He has led DHF, which is a non-profit organization focused on diabetes online communities and advocacy work, since 2008. The DHF Board of Directors has chosen patient advocate Melissa Lee to serve as the interim Executive Director, effective immediately; a formal search will also take place for the next leader. Lee has been part of DHF since 2008, serving as the Lead Administrator of TuDiabetes (DHF’s English-speaking online community). She was elected to the DHF Board of Directors in 2012. Outside of DHF, Lee writes for “A Sweet Life,” which is a magazine focused on diabetes, as the tech editor, and she has a personal diabetes blog, “Sweetly Voiced.” She is a stellar diabetes advocate, and we wish her the best of luck in this new role.

Manny Hernandez is a long-time friend of The diaTribe Foundation, and we have always admired his commitment to improving the lives of people with diabetes through building community, advocating for better care, and raising awareness about diabetes through DHF. He has been integral to the growing diabetes advocacy movement, organizing the Diabetes Master Lab at the Children with Diabetes Conference, speaking at Advisory Committee hearings at the FDA (even via webcast!), and serving on behalf of patients as a panelist at the November 3 meeting with the FDA. Going forward, he will explore other opportunities in the healthcare sector, but his impact on DHF will last long after his departure, and we know that he will continue to be an inspirational leader for years to come. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.