Future Foundation Global Enters a New Chapter of Leadership
Future Foundation Global (FFG) is entering a new chapter as the organization welcomes two new members to its Board of Trustees, announces a newly elected President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and honors two of the founding leaders who helped shape its early direction.
The transition reflects both continuity and growth. As FFG evolves, its leaders remain focused on strengthening the organization while staying grounded in its mission to empower Filipino physical therapists through education, mentorship, leadership, service, and global connection.
Honoring the Foundation
I hope the foundation's work has served you well and shown you the value of leading with kindness, integrity, and empathy. I trust you will carry this mission forward in whatever capacity or organization you serve, continuing to plant seeds that elevate our profession and benefit our patients worldwide.
- Consie Aguila, PT, DPT and Benjamin Aguila, PT, DPT
Founders, former Presidents, and longtime board members Maria Consie Aguila, PT, DPT and Benjamin Aguila, PT, DPT are stepping down from the Board after years of helping build and lead Future Foundation Global.
Looking back on their time with the organization, they shared that what they are most proud of is helping spark the belief that Filipino and Filipino American physical therapists have the talent, skill, and desire to advocate for the profession both locally and globally. For them, seeing a new generation of Filipino and Filipino American PT leaders step forward to serve their communities has been one of the most meaningful outcomes of that work.
As FFG enters its next chapter, their hope is that the organization continues to develop future leaders who will, in turn, mentor those who come after them. They also expressed the importance of remaining engaged with professional organizations such as APTA and PPTA and continuing to identify and elevate Filipino PT leaders across the United States, the Philippines, and the broader global diaspora.
As the next generation of leaders steps forward, Aguila and Aguila emphasized the values they hope will continue to guide the organization.
Jennifer Youssef Elected President
As FFG moves forward, Jennifer Youssef, PT, DPT, will serve as the organization’s newly elected President.
For Youssef, stepping into the presidency is both an honor and a responsibility. She sees leadership as an opportunity to serve with humility, inspire others, and help physical therapists recognize their potential not only as clinicians, but also as educators, mentors, and leaders.
Her priorities center on accessible education, leadership and mentorship development, and sustainable organizational growth. She hopes FFG will continue to provide affordable learning opportunities through summits, webinars, and other educational initiatives while expanding opportunities for Filipino physical therapists to connect and grow professionally.
“My 24 years as a physical therapist have taught me that education can transform careers, mentorship can build confidence, and leadership can strengthen communities.”
Her broader vision is for FFG to become an even stronger global community where Filipino physical therapists “learn together, lead together, mentor one another, and create opportunities for the next generation.”
Youssef describes her leadership philosophy as one rooted in humility, service, collaboration, accountability, and lifelong learning. At the heart of that philosophy is a simple belief: great leaders create more leaders.
Strengthening Governance and Stewardship
Joining Youssef in the newly elected leadership team are Fretche Garcia Blair, PT, DPT, as Secretary, and Rose Linsangan, PT, DPT, as Treasurer.
Good intentions can only take us so far; having a clear structure helps us turn those intentions into action.
– Fretche Blair, PT, DPT
For Blair, serving as Secretary is both a privilege and an opportunity to grow while reaffirming her commitment to FFG’s mission. She sees organizational structure, role clarity, membership, and meaningful engagement as important priorities for FFG at this stage of its development.
She also emphasizes the importance of stronger continuity from one leadership team to the next. In her role as Secretary, Blair hopes to strengthen documentation, communication, and follow-through so that decisions, unfinished priorities, and organizational knowledge are preserved rather than lost during transitions.
She envisions FFG growing into a stronger national network with broader representation across the United States, while remaining intentional about personal outreach and encouraging Filipino PTs to become more involved in the organization and profession.
We should not grow simply for the sake of growing. We should grow when we have the systems, people, and financial capacity to do so well.
– Rose Linsangan, PT, DPT
As Treasurer, Linsangan likewise views her role as both an honor and a responsibility. She describes it as a position of trust, particularly in helping steward the organization’s resources while remaining accountable to its mission and the community it serves.
Her priorities include sustainability, transparency, diversification of funding, and responsible growth. She hopes to strengthen financial systems and ensure that the board has clear information to guide decision-making while giving donors and supporters confidence that their contributions are being used responsibly.
For Linsangan, growth should remain intentional. As FFG expands its programs, partnerships, and reach, she believes its governance, financial practices, volunteer systems, and organizational infrastructure must grow alongside them.
Welcoming New Voices to the Board
FFG is also welcoming two new members to its Board of Trustees: Kim Christian Cunanan, PT, DPT, and September Grace Broño, PT, DPT.
Leadership is less about having a title and more about being willing to serve and creating an environment where other people can grow.
- Kim Cunanan, PT, DPT
Cunanan, a physical therapist currently practicing in outpatient orthopedics in California, brings experience from both the Philippines and the United States. As an internationally educated physical therapist, he hopes to bring multiple perspectives to the board, including the experiences of clinicians practicing in the Philippines, Filipino PTs transitioning into the U.S. healthcare system, and professionals navigating different stages of their careers.
What drew him to FFG was the organization’s foundation and the collective effort behind it. He was especially inspired by the fact that FFG was built not by a single person but through the contributions of many individuals who shared their time, expertise, and commitment to Filipino physical therapists.
Cunanan is particularly interested in strengthening community within FFG. He describes the professional journey as one in which each person can be a mentor to someone coming after them, a peer to someone walking alongside them, and a mentee to someone who has gone before them. His hope is to help build a community where Filipino PTs can connect across generations and geographic boundaries.
To me, leadership is not about position or recognition; it is about responsibility. It means being willing to listen, show up, and use what you have to help others move forward.
– September Broño, PT, DPT
Broño’s appointment also reflects the kind of leadership continuum FFG’s founders hoped to cultivate. Once a Future Foundation scholar herself, she now returns to the organization in a new capacity, helping shape its future as a member of the Board of Trustees.
Now practicing in Upstate New York, Broño says her own experience as a scholar shaped her appreciation for the organization and the value of having a community willing to invest in the growth of aspiring Filipino physical therapists.
Her interests include mentorship, scholarship, and professional development. She hopes to help create opportunities that allow others to receive the same kind of support and encouragement that helped shape her own journey.
Broño also sees opportunities for Filipino physical therapists to expand beyond traditional clinical roles into leadership, education, research, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and global collaboration. For her, leadership is less about recognition and more about responsibility: listening, showing up, and using one’s opportunities to help others move forward.
Building on What Came Before
Across the incoming leadership team and new Board members, a common theme emerges: growth should not mean leaving the past behind.
Instead, FFG’s next chapter is about building on the foundation already created, strengthening the systems needed for the future, and creating more opportunities for Filipino physical therapists to learn, lead, connect, and serve.
The founders helped plant the seeds. The next generation of leaders now carries the responsibility of nurturing what has grown while making space for new voices, new ideas, and new opportunities.
As Future Foundation Global moves forward, its mission remains rooted in the same belief that shaped its beginnings: Filipino physical therapists have the capacity not only to contribute to the profession, but to help lead it.
