PAULA SELESNICK

BOARD SECRETARY

PAULA SELESNICK received her B.A. in Political Science from Loyola University (Maryland) and her J.D. from Catholic University School of Law in Washington D.C. For the past 26 years, she has proudly served as a Deputy District Attorney for the County of Los Angeles. Paula retired in May 2025.

Paula has been a huge supporter of PHASE ONE since learning about the charity from friend and Chairman of the Board, Marc Lebowitz. Paula started on the granting committee which allowed her to witness the insights and inner workings of PHASE ONE. Paula has also volunteered for the Gala Committee and FACT. for the past several years. Paula now serves as the Secretary of the Board. Through PHASE ONE, Paula has found herself surrounded and supported by so many other like-minded people. Paula has been involved in charitable organizations for the past 30 years.

Cancer has affected too many people in Paula’s family. In the Spring of 2017, Paula’s youngest daughter, Kaela, was diagnosed with CML, a chronic form of leukemia that typically affects men in their late 60s, not normally found in 15-year-old girls. Kaela takes a life-saving medicine daily that started from a Phase I trial. Then, only three years later in late 2020, Paula was diagnosed with Stage 2A triple-negative breast cancer. Paula was lucky enough to be patient 49 of 50 in a Phase II clinical trial at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center that ended up saving her life. In fact, the immunotherapy she was given is now a standard of care for breast cancer treatment. Unfortunately Paula’s cancer resurfaced in 2024. Thanks to incredible doctors and previous Phase I trials., Paula is on a novel treatment regiment that has been effective.

Paula has been happily married for the past 30 years to Andy Selesnick and they have two beautiful daughters, Hannah (27) and Kaela (23), as well as a golden retriever named Maverick.