CardioStart Expands Board of Trustees

Dr. Mariano Brizzio

Dr. Mariano Brizzio is a faculty member of Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and an Attending Cardiac Surgeon at the Valley-Columbia Heart Center in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Brizzio has been CardioStart volunteer for five years.  He served as chairman of the International Mission Committee and directed the past three CardioStart missions to Arequipa, Peru.  His bilingual abilities have proven invaluable in the training and development of cardiovascular surgical, anesthesia, and perfusion colleagues in South America. 

“Mariano has a courageous vision for CardioStart’s future and he brings with him the guarantee that CardioStart will always stay true to its core values of compassion and clinical integrity,” said Tom Hilton, CardioStart’s Board Chair.

Brizzio graduated from Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina (Argentina) in 1989 (MD). After completing his training in General Surgery and Cardiac & Vascular Surgery, Brizzio earned a Ph.D in Cardiovascular surgery in 1997 (Universidad del Salvador-Argentina.) In 2006 he completed a three-year advanced fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Heart & Lung Transplantation at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Clinical areas of interests and research are rheumatic heart valve disease, off pump CABG, minimal invasive cardio-thoracic surgery and adult congenital heart disease.

“I’m a firm believer in Cardiostart’s mission,” said Dr. Mariano Brizzio. “We change for good the lives of many people, giving them not only health care but also hope.”

William G. Slagle

William G. Slagle is a Partner with Arendale Holdings Corp, a large-scale diversified real estate development company with investments throughout the southeastern and western U.S.  Wil also has other real estate investments throughout the southeast and midwest U.S.  Prior to the real estate industry, Wil was the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NHB Holdings, Inc., a Federal Reserve regulated bank holding company, and the founder and Director of Proficio Bank, a FDIC insured commercial bank. 

“In the years I have known Will, I have been awed by his personal and professional success and unshakable integrity,” said Hilton. “Will brings to CardioStart a history of successful philanthropic service and he will help the organization significantly through development of strategic relationships.”

Earlier in his career, Wil was in the private equity and hedge fund industry.  Wil received a B.A. in Economics, Finance and Banking from the University of North Florida and has completed management and executive programs at Tufts and Harvard.  Wil also holds real estate investment affiliations through Landology.  Wil and his family live in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and actively involved in humanitarian and civic efforts. In addition to joining CardioStart’s Board of Trustees, Will served as a member of the Jacksonville Super Bowl XXXIX Host Committee and the Chairman of The Jacksonville Urban League Foundation.

“I’m delighted to bring business and financial management viewpoints to CardioStart in its service to those in need of lifesaving heart surgery,” said Wil Slagle. “My family and I know firsthand the value of trained medical teams with the successful treatment of our daughter’s heart issues.”