Barbara Crowell Roy (President), Eve’s mother, holds a MBA degree from Boston College and a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University. She is a retired registered nurse and licensed mental health counselor in Rhode Island. She served as president of Valley Forward Association (now Arizona Forward) in Phoenix, AZ, and director of the Community Support Program of East Bay Mental Health Center in Barrington, R.I. In the past, she has served on numerous boards of non profit organizations. As a volunteer, Barbara is actively engaged in managing all of Eve’s Fund’s programs and activities. |
Wyatt E. Crowell, Eve’s brother, is Head of North America, Citi Commercial Bank (CCB NAM). Citi Commercial Bank provides global banking solutions to mid-sized companies that are looking to grow rapidly and expand internationally. He holds a B.A. degree in Economics from Colgate University and an MBA degree with Honors from Columbia University, and he has more than 30 years of experience in global corporate investment banking. |
Ksenija Topic, DPM, is Podiatry, Wound Care Director at Winslow Indian Health Care Center in Winslow, Arizona. She fell in love with the Navajo people and their land while doing a residency rotation as part of her training and decided to move there. She holds a doctorate in Podiatric Medicine from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, The Doctor William Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine and a BA in Biology from Haverford College. |
Marc Flitter, MD. (Treasurer) was a board certified practicing neurosurgeon at San Juan Regional Medical Center (SJRMC) in Farmington New Mexico until his retirement in 2015. He often cared for Navajo and other Native American patients. Marc served as chief of staff at SJRMC and has participated in many community organizations in Farmington. He graduated from Temple University School of Medicine. Dr. Flitter currently serves as the Medical Director of ThinkFirst Navajo—our award winning injury prevention program. |
Derrick Watchman is President and owner of Sagebrush Hill Group LLC, a gaming, banking, finance, economic development advisory and development company. Derrick is a member of the Navajo Nation and was raised on the Navajo reservation. He is the former Chief Executive Officer for the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise and also served as their Chief Financial Officer. Previously, he was Vice President in JP Morgan Chase Bank’s Native American Banking Group, where he provided tribal financial and banking services. He is formerly the Chief of Staff for the Navajo Nation and also served as Director of Indian Affairs for the U.S. Department of Energy. Mr. Watchman holds a MBA from the University of California and a Bachelors degree from the University of Arizona. |
Ela Yazzie-King is a member of the Navajo Nation and resides in St. Michaels, Ariz. She has a physical disability due to a car accident that occurred when she was two years old. She was appointed by President Clinton as the first Native American to serve on the National Council on Disability. She has designed, led, and participated in many programs in rehabilitation and disability. In all of these activities her main objective has been to educate and encourage self-empowerment to Native Americans with disabilities. She holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology and a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling. |
Catherine Zaharko (Secretary) has spent over 25 years as a healthcare marketing executive. Her areas of expertise include public relations, market analysis, fund development, community outreach and physician and government relations.She has a strong background and interest in wellness, including development of population health initiatives where she brought a variety of community programs together to identify synergies. Throughout her career she has worked with non-profit organizations as a board member or in an advisory capacity. She has assisted with strategic planning, fund development and grant writing and provided leadership on special projects. In 2008 she received special recognition from Totah Behavioral Health, a Native American drug and alcohol abuse program, for her support of their initiatives. Catherine holds a B.A. in English from the University of Texas, El Paso. Chairman Emeritus (Deceased)
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Barbara Crowell Roy (President), Eve’s mother, holds a MBA degree from Boston College and a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University. She is a retired registered nurse and licensed mental health counselor in Rhode Island. She served as president of Valley Forward Association (now Arizona Forward) in Phoenix, AZ, and director of the Community Support Program of East Bay Mental Health Center in Barrington, R.I. In the past, she has served on numerous boards of non profit organizations. As a volunteer, Barbara is actively engaged in managing all of Eve’s Fund’s programs and activities.
Ksenija Topic, DPM, is Podiatry, Wound Care Director at Winslow Indian Health Care Center in Winslow, Arizona. She fell in love with the Navajo people and their land while doing a residency rotation as part of her training and decided to move there. She holds a doctorate in Podiatric Medicine from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, The Doctor William Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine and a BA in Biology from Haverford College.
Marc Flitter, MD. (Treasurer) was a board certified practicing neurosurgeon at San Juan Regional Medical Center (SJRMC) in Farmington New Mexico until his retirement in 2015. He often cared for Navajo and other Native American patients. Marc served as chief of staff at SJRMC and has participated in many community organizations in Farmington. He graduated from Temple University School of Medicine. Dr. Flitter currently serves as the Medical Director of ThinkFirst Navajo—our award winning injury prevention program.
Derrick Watchman is President and owner of Sagebrush Hill Group LLC, a gaming, banking, finance, economic development advisory and development company. Derrick is a member of the Navajo Nation and was raised on the Navajo reservation. He is the former Chief Executive Officer for the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise and also served as their Chief Financial Officer. Previously, he was Vice President in JP Morgan Chase Bank’s Native American Banking Group, where he provided tribal financial and banking services. He is formerly the Chief of Staff for the Navajo Nation and also served as Director of Indian Affairs for the U.S. Department of Energy. Mr. Watchman holds a MBA from the University of California and a Bachelors degree from the University of Arizona.
Ela Yazzie-King is a member of the Navajo Nation and resides in St. Michaels, Ariz. She has a physical disability due to a car accident that occurred when she was two years old. She was appointed by President Clinton as the first Native American to serve on the National Council on Disability. She has designed, led, and participated in many programs in rehabilitation and disability. In all of these activities her main objective has been to educate and encourage self-empowerment to Native Americans with disabilities. She holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology and a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling.
Catherine Zaharko (Secretary) has spent over 25 years as a healthcare marketing executive. Her areas of expertise include public relations, market analysis, fund development, community outreach and physician and government relations.
Robert M. Crowell, MD, with the assistance of Eve’s mother, started Eve’s Fund for Native American Health Initiatives in 2005 as a way to honor the memory of their daughter, Eve Erin Crowell, who died that year. Eve had a special place in her heart for Native Americans and Eve’s parent’s wanted to pay tribute to that part of Eve’s spirit. Bob, a graduate of Harvard Medical School (Class of 1966) had over 35 years experience in the care of neurosurgical and traumatic brain injury patients. He also directed neurosurgical and stroke programs in Boston, Phoenix and Chicago. Working in a volunteer capacity as a consulting neurosurgeon on the Navajo Nation, Bob saw first hand the high number of deaths and brain and spinal cord injuries especially among Navajo youth. Eve’s death gave him a new purpose. He knew that she would want him to continue his commitment to helping others. So, he, with the help of Eve’s mom Barbara, started ThinkFirst Navajo Injury Prevention program—the largest Eve’s Fund initiative —to address the alarming and preventable rates of injury among at-risk Navajo youth. In the ensuing years, Eve’s Fund expanded to include not only injury prevention, but also to awarding scholarships to Navajo youth, providing books to elementary schools and supporting other community organizations with similar values and youth populations served. In 2013, Bob developed Alzheimer’s disease and has had to curtail his activities with the organization. Eve’s Fund would not be the success it is today without Bob’s hard work and vision for what it could become. Sadly, Bob passed away on March 24, 2020 from complications of his illness. His obituary can be viewed here: 
