Arlene Siavelis Kehl

National Philoptochos Advisor – Arlene Siavelis Kehl

Upon the appointment by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Arlene Siavelis Kehl serves as the Advisor to the National Philoptochos Executive Board for the 2024-2026 term. Arlene, a lifelong Chicagoan, resides in Winnetka, Illinois, with her husband, Dr. Kenneth A. Kehl, DDS. She is a proud Wildcat alumna and received her B.S. from the School of Communications, Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, majoring in Communications and minoring in Economics, and her M.B.A. from J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, with concentrations in Marketing, Finance, and Hospital and Health Services Management. Her professional experience is highlighted most notably by her 30 years as an executive/shareholder of Medline Industries, Inc. in the healthcare industry.

Arlene is an active lifetime steward of St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago and its Philoptochos chapter, where she served as Treasurer and President, and her “home” Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos, where she served tirelessly on the Board in various capacities for ten years.

In 1994, Arlene was appointed by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos of blessed memory to the National Philoptochos Board. For the last 30 years, she has embraced faithfully by giving of her time, talents, and treasures and worked diligently to further the ministries of the “friends of the poor” while upholding the teachings of our Holy Greek Orthodox Church. Then she was reappointed to the National Philoptochos Board by His Eminence Spyridon Former Archbishop of America.

From 2002 to 2016, upon the appointment to the Executive Board by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America, Arlene served for two years as Secretary, four years as Second Vice President, and eight years as First Vice President.

As Advisor, Arlene sees a bright future for Philoptochos to grow and reach new heights in their philanthropic work. Her fervent hope is that love, grace, and truth will guide her and her Philoptochos sisters as they endeavor to make a significant difference in the lives of individuals and families in need and the less fortunate among us.

Arlene and her husband Kenneth, a convert to the Orthodox Christian Faith, are also stewards at other parishes and Philoptochos chapters in the Archdiocesan District, and Metropolises of Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago. They believe in embracing Philanthropy, Fellowship, and Faith in Action, wherever their travels take them. They encourage younger members of our community to join them in service to our fellow man.

Their older son Kenneth L. Kehl, MD, an oncologist, researcher and assistant professor, their daughter-in-law Ekaterina Gladysheva Kehl, MD, a medical director and critical care pulmonologist, and their dear grandson Brandon Kenneth Kehl, live in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Their younger son Kevin R. Kehl, a senior software engineer in information technology for networking in the professional business community, and their daughter-in-law Nina Yi Ning Tseng Kehl, specializing in data marketing analytics and now a personal life coach, reside in San Francisco, California. May their beloved children and precious grandson be blessed with good health and much happiness as they pursue their life’s dreams and pay their successes forward by helping others.