Veterans Medical Research Foundation of SD
Donations deductibleRevenue
$16m
year to 30 September 2025
Expenses
$16.6m
year to 30 September 2025
Total assets
$4.8m
$4.5m liabilities
Net assets
$314k
assets less liabilities
Directors and trustees
12
3.9 years on average
Staff
112
1 volunteers
Chair observed
≥7 yrs
Phillip L Jelsma Esq
Left since last filing
0
no seats appear to have opened
Veterans Medical Research Foundation of SD's network
12 peoplei12 people on this map.The large node is the subject of this page. Solid lines are what the register itself records (12). Form 990 filings give names without a person identifier; SEC insider filings carry a CIK.The board
12 listediTime on the board is observed from the annual filings: the IRS files no appointment date, so the bar counts years from the first filing the person appears on - a lower bound, not a filed start date. Names are exactly as filed. The IRS publishes no person identifier, so this edition does not yet link a person across organisations.Time served and departures are observed across annual filings. Observed time served is a lower bound - a member may have joined before the first year on record. The organisation reported 13 voting members of its governing body on its latest Form 990 Part VI, which matches the board listed here.| Name | Role as filed | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phillip L Jelsma ESQ Chair (also filed as Phillip L Jelsma) | Chairman | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Adrian Dollarhide MD | Director | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Bruce Gillingham MD Radm USN RET | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Erica LIN MD | Director | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Frank Pearson DPT PA-C | Director | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Larry Eddingfield Capt USN RET | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Mark Bipes Rdml USN RET | Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Michael Kiefer MHA Fache | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Niloofar Afari PH D | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Paul Pearigen MD Rdml USN RET | Director | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Pete Hekman Vadm USN RET | Vice Chairman | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Robin Samit ESQ (also filed as Robin Samit) | Director | 2018 | 8 yrs |
Officers and senior leadership
21 listediNamed in Part VII as officers, key employees or highest-compensated staff - not board members, shown for completeness.| Name | Title as filed | On the filings |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Cassius | CFO (Start 5/1/18) | since 2018 |
| Alma Munoz Canete | Pre Award Director | 2018 |
| Bray Mari V | Vmu Director | since 2022 |
| Cassius Adam | CFO | 2024 |
| Dohner Matthew | Post Award Director | 2024 |
| Freiser Jean | Pre Award Director | 2024 |
| Funk Stephen | Research Associate | 2024 |
| Harbecke Ruth M | Research Associate | 2024 |
| James F Christian | It Manager | 2025 |
| Jean Freiser | Pre Award Director | since 2019 |
| Mari Bray DVM Daclam | Vmu Director | 2023 |
| Mari V Bray | Vmu Director | since 2018 |
| Maria Sittmann | Executive Director/CEO | since 2018 |
| Matthew Doehner | Post Award Director | since 2018 |
| Matthew Dohner | Pre Award Director | since 2021 |
| MEI HAU GAO | Research Associate | since 2018 |
| MEI HUA GAO | Research Associate | 2020 |
| Ronald Larson | CFO (Term 6/1/18) | 2018 |
| Ruth Harbecke PHD | Research Scientist | since 2018 |
| Sittmann Maria | Executive Director/CEO | 2024 |
| Stephen Funk Pharmd | Research Pharmacist | since 2021 |
Pay and hours
year to 30 September 2025iFrom Part VII of the Form 990: compensation reported for each officer, director, trustee, key employee and highest-paid staff member, and the average hours a week they report. Most board members are unpaid; a blank means nothing was reported. Pay from related organisations is shown separately.| Name | Title as filed | Hours a week | Pay from the organisation | Related organisations | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maria Sittmann | Executive Director/CEO | 40 | $385k | $20k | |
| Adam Cassius | CFO | 40 | $224k | $36k | |
| Ruth M Harbecke | Research Associate | 40 | $142k | $34k | |
| Matthew Dohner | Pre Award Director | 40 | $133k | $34k | |
| Jean Freiser | Post Award Director | 40 | $127k | $19k | |
| Mari V Bray | Vmu Director | 40 | $116k | $18k | |
| James F Christian | It Manager | 40 | $109k | $11k | |
| Pete Hekman Vadm Usn Ret | Vice Chairman | 1 | $0 | ||
| Phillip L Jelsma Esq | Chairman | 4 | $0 | ||
| Michael Kiefer Mha Fache | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Niloofar Afari Ph D | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Robin Samit Esq | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Paul Pearigen MD RDML Usn Ret | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Bruce Gillingham MD Radm Usn Ret | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Larry Eddingfield Capt Usn Ret | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Frank Pearson Dpt Pa-C | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Erica Lin MD | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Adrian Dollarhide MD | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Mark Bipes RDML Usn Ret | Director | 1 | $0 |
About
- Legal name
- Veterans Medical Research Foundation of Sd
- EIN
- 330189397
- Address
- 3350 la Jolla Village Dr No151a, San Diego, CA, 92161-0002
- State
- California
- Mission
- Honoring military service with science; our bench-to-bedside approach has led to breakthroughs in areas such as shingles prevention, heart disease, metabolic diseases and ground breaking work on post-traumatic stress disorder. (as filed on the Form 990)
- Activity (NTEE)
- H900 Medical research
- IRS classification
- 501(c)03 (tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) where shown)
- Classified purpose
- Medical Research
- Size band
- 6 (IRS master file code)
- Formed
- 1989
- Principal officer
- Maria Sittmann (as named on the Form 990)
- IRS ruling date
- 1 October 1987
- Status
- Code 01 (unconditional exemption)
- Form 990 filings on record
- 8, latest 2025
- IRS Publication 78
- PC (contributions deductible)
Most connected
Longest observed on the filings
≥8years on the filingsPhillip L Jelsma ESQ
≥8years on the filingsRobin Samit ESQ
≥6years on the filingsPete Hekman Vadm USN RET
≥4years on the filingsErica LIN MD
Latest return
year to 30 September 2025iFigures from the newest Form 990 or 990-EZ in the IRS e-file releases of 2025 and 2026, for the year ending 30 September 2025. US dollars, as filed.- Total assets
- $4.8m
- Total liabilities
- $4.5m
- Net assets or fund balances
- $314k
- Contributions and grants received
- $12.5m
- Program service revenue
- $3.6m
- Employees
- 112
- Volunteers
- 1
Filed finances
1 yeariTotals as filed on the IRS Form 990 (revenue and expenses), by tax year.| Tax year | Total revenue | Total expenses | Surplus or deficit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $16.6m | $17.4m | Deficit $804k |
As filed on the IRS Form 990. US dollars.