Know the Signs, Fight for Victory

Our Team

Michael Weamer

President & CEO

Michael has been President and CEO of The Marfan Foundation since 2015. His initial involvement dates back to 1999 and subsequently he served as both a member of the Board of Directors and as an advisor.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Michael served in leadership roles for the American Heart Association for over two decades. Previously, he was President of the National Society to Prevent Blindness and Affiliate Executive Director of the National Easter Seal Society. Michael also served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Black Cardiologists and was Chairman of Health Power, a national nonprofit organization committed to racial and ethnic minority groups’ health.

Michael is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University. He and his wife, Karen, have four children: Mollie, Caitlin, Sean, and Daniel, and seven grandchildren: Max, Lukas, Philip, twins Charlie and Michael, Jack and Natalie.

Our Staff

  • Chief Operating Officer
    Judy Gibaldi

  • Chief Science Officer
    Josephine Grima, PhD

  • Chief Philanthropy & Community Engagement Officer
    Helaine Baruch

  • Chief Global and Business Development Officer
    Eileen Novins

  • Chief Financial Officer
    Inderjeet Kaur, CPA

  • Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
    April Dawn Shinske

  • Senior Vice President of Technology
    Gretchen Gerish

  • Senior Vice President of Development
    Kimberly Huddleston

  • Senior Vice President, Development
    Deborah Goodman

  • Senior Director of Development
    Kara Burke

  • Director, The VEDS Movement (Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Division)
    Ryan Rodarmer, MS

  • Director, The Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation (Loeys-Dietz Division)
    Stacey Watson

  • Nurse, Help and Resource Center
    Janice Petrella Lynch, MSN, RN

  • Director of Help & Resource Center
    Stephanie Amdur-Clark, MSN, RN, NP

  • Director of Research
    Lauren May, MPH

  • Director of Development
    Alyssa Aiello

  • Director of Development – Walk Program
    Meredith Mischner

  • Vice President, Integrated Marketing Communications
    Susan Benvenuti

  • Technical Content Manager | Teen Program Manager
    Dominga Noe

  • Client Services Manager
    Andrea Friedman, MSW

  • Help Center Manager
    Kathleen Bolton

  • Development Manager
    Kristi Langford

  • Integrated Marketing Communications Manager
    Christopher Theriot

  • Administrative Office Manager
    Elva Prohens

  • Salesforce Administrator
    Lavanya Garimella

  • Accountant
    Andrea McAuliffe

  • Salesforce and Data Coordinator
    Kailie Dombrausky

Board of Directors

Bert Medina

Chair

OFFICERS

Immediate Past Chair
Cory A. Eaves

Treasurer
Caryn E. Kauffman, CPA

Secretary
Patricia McCabe

Members-at-Large
Scott D. Avitabile, esq.

Gil Bashe

Alan C. Braverman, M.D.

Juan Bowen, M.D.

Ray Chevallier

Brandy Banks Hotchkiss

Gary Kauffman

Jerry L. Lerman

Jeffrey C. LeSage

Sinclair Li

James “Jim” Prutow

Joaquin Ramos, Jr.

Dawn Reiner

Andrew Toy

Jon R. Tullis, CFRE, CGT

David R. Warren

Anthony “Tony” J. Yasick, M.D.

Duke Cameron, MD

Jess Milburn

Bryan Maher

Board Advisors
Maya Brown-Zimmerman

Karen Murray

Alix McLean Jennings

Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS

Professional
Advisory Board

Duke Cameron, MD

Chair

Duke Cameron, MD (Chair)
Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine

Adam David Bitterman, DO
Zucker School of Medicine
at Hofstra / Northwell

Juan Bowen, MD
Mayo Clinic, Rochester

Alan C. Braverman, MD
Washington University
School of Medicine

Peter H. Byers, MD
University of Washington
School of Medicine

Heidi M. Connolly, MD, FACC
Mayo Clinic

Joseph S. Coselli, MD
Baylor College of Medicine and St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital

Richard B. Devereux, MD
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical Center

Hal Dietz, MD
Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine

Sylvia A. Frazier-Bowers, DDS, PhD
Indiana University
School of Dentistry

Melissa Flint, PsyD, FT, CCTP
Midwestern University

Leonard N. Girardi, MD
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical Center

Rachel W. Kuchtey, MD, PhD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Ronald V. Lacro, MD
Boston Children’s Hospital

David Liang, MD, PhD
Stanford University
School of Medicine

Mark Lindsay, MD, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital

Bart Loeys, MD, PhD
University of Antwerp

Gretchen MacCarrick, MS, CGC
Johns Hopkins Hospital

S. Chris Malaisrie, MD
Northwestern Medicine

Irene H. Maumenee, MD
New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Medical Center

Dianna Milewicz, MD, PhD
University of Texas Medical School at Houston

D. Craig Miller, MD
Stanford University
School of Medicine

Shaine Morris, MD
Texas Children’s Hospital

Enid R. Neptune, MD
Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine

Reed E. Pyeritz, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Perelman School of Medicine

Mary J. Roman, MD
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical Center

Melissa Russo, MD
Brown University

Lynn Y. Sakai, PhD
Shriners Hospital and
Oregon Health & Science University

Sherene Shalhub, MD, MPH
Oregon Health & Science University

Paul D. Sponseller, MD
Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine

Luciana Young, MD
Seattle Children’s Hospital

Maya Brown-Zimmerman, MPH
PAB Advisor

Scientific Advisory Board

Craig T. Basson, MD, PhD

Chair

Craig T. Basson, MD, PhD (Chair)
Bitterroot Bio

Suneel Apte, MBBS, DPhil
Cleveland Clinic

Peter H. Byers, MD
University of Washington

David W. Dempster, PhD
Columbia University

Scott A. LeMaire, MD
Geisinger

Daniel Rifkin, PhD
NYU

Jil C. Tardiff, MD, PhD
University of Arizona

Jonathan W. Weinsaft, MD
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical Center

Latest News from the Marfan Foundation

The Marfan Foundation is the primary source for up-to-date and trustworthy information for patients and family members, as well as healthcare providers and researchers. If you or someone you love has Marfan syndrome or a related conditions, we offer easy-to-understand materials to help you on your medical journey.

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