As the American Heart Association kicks off its centennial year, Mary C. Heltzel of Stifel Investments and Dr. James Harvey of WellSpan Health were named co-chairs of this year's York Heart Ball.

Heltzel, a financial adviser with more than 25 years of experience, serves as senior vice president of investments at Stifel. She focuses on retirement planning, education planning, estate planning strategies, and investments to create traditional portfolio investment allocations. She began her career with Merrill Lynch in 1994 and spent nearly two decades there before joining Stifel in October 2013. In 2020 and 2022, Heltzel was named to Forbes' America's Top Women Wealth Advisors.

In addition to serving as Heart Ball co-chair, Heltzel serves on the American Heart Association - South Central Pennsylvania board of directors. She has also been involved with boards related to the arts, works to assist with children's education, and is involved with several community service organizations. A Pennsylvania native, Heltzel grew up and went to school in York. She was named York College Alumni of the Year in 2022, and she continues to live in York with her husband, Dave.

Harvey is serving as co-chair of the York Heart Ball for the second year in a row. He is an interventional cardiologist with WellSpan York Hospital and serves as vice president and chief medical officer of the hospital's heart and vascular service line. Harvey is board-certified in internal medicine as well as cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology. He has a special interest in structural and valvular heart disease, complex coronary artery disease, and mechanical cardiovascular circulatory support, and he is the current medical director of the structural heart program for WellSpan Health. Harvey also serves as a member of the executive council for the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Cardiology.

Harvey completed his undergraduate and master's degrees at Vanderbilt University and then earned his medical degree at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He went on to complete his internship and residency training in internal medicine at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta followed by fellowship training in both cardiovascular medicine and interventional cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic. During this time, Harvey was selected to serve as the chief interventional cardiology fellow. Harvey currently resides in Red Lion with his wife, Jackie, and two daughters.

The 2024 York Heart Ball, presented by WellSpan Health, is set for Saturday, April 6, at 6 p.m. at the Yorktowne Hotel, 48 E. Market St., York. Additional support is provided by Stifel, UPMC, and UPMC Health Plan. The annual event acknowledges the American Heart Association's year-round efforts to drive health equity in York County. In honor of the association's centennial celebration, the event will also celebrate its 100-year history of pioneering scientific discovery, advocating for healthy communities, and working to reduce heart disease and stroke death rates.

Throughout the evening, the American Heart Association will honor volunteers and patrons, feature stories of survivors, and entertain guests with dinner, dancing, and an auction. For more information, visit http://www.heart.org/yorkhb or contact Gail Frassetta at gail.frassetta@heart.org or 717-730-1771.