Eileen Lynch

When Eileen Lynch first came to the Coachella Valley, she was still unsure about leaving the East Coast. “I think I told them no two or three times,” she recalls of  being invited to take the executive director job at Parkinson’s Resource Organization (PRO). But a visit to the desert, and a single hike, convinced her to stay. “I  instantly connected with the area and the landscape around us, and I think I was halfway through my first hike here when I said, ‘Yeah, I’m going to take this job.’  ”

Five years later, Lynch runs both the operational and programmatic sides of  the nonprofit, which helps people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers navigate the emotional and practical challenges of the disease. “You might get the diagnosis and a prescription and a doctor’s appointment six months down the road. In between, there is this vast amount of  information and support you need, and we want to be there to provide it,” she says. All of  PRO’s programs, including support groups, one-on-one consultations, and a comprehensive resource directory, are free.

Her favorite moments are the quiet ones, when she hears from families who feel seen, supported, and less alone. “It was one thing to get the job,” she says. “It was another to feel that I was actually earning it.”