Immediate Past President
Kathy Bruyere, immediate past President of the PASD Board of Directors, has spent her professional life championing many causes, from equal opportunities for women in the military to research for people affected by neurological diseases.
For many years, Kathy has contributed to the Association in a meaningful way. As a co-facilitator for the organization’s monthly support group, she shares the knowledge and experience she gained in helping her husband, Tom, manage his Parkinson’s Plus disease, called PSP. Tom passed away in 2007, but Kathy continues to devote her personal time in speaking or calling family members and caregivers as they struggle with the impact of this disease.
PASD is privileged to have Kathy as leader and Parkinson’s disease advocate, since she has national experience in promoting community outreach through the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, where she served on their Parkinson’s Resource Board. A San Diego resident, Kathy continues to be a compassionate and active advocate for enlisting support for state and national legislation in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s research and medicines.
As a Naval Officer, Kathy coordinated the successful litigation of a federal statute that discriminated against women in the workforce. This lawsuit helped open the way for the assignment of women to operational positions aboard Navy ships as well as leadership roles Navy-wide. Kathy represented military women as one of the 12 “Women of the Year” on the cover of Time Magazine.