Massachusetts Chapter Staff and Board of Directors Join our Community Chapter Staff Jessica van der Stad Executive Director Email Jessica617-634-2497 Laura Donahue Fundraising Event ManagerEmail Laura617-992-8456 Ronnie Dooley Regional Administrative Coordinator – Northeast RegionEmail Ronnie617-631-2208 Bill Patjane Regional DirectorEmail Bill APDA Information & Referral Center Boston University School of Medicine Cathi Thomas, MS, RNDirector APDA Center for Advanced Research Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Marie Saint Hilaire, MD, FRCPCMedical Director APDA Center for Advanced Research Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School Vikram Khurana, MD, PhDMedical Director Chapter Board of Directors The Chapter Board is comprised of approximately twenty volunteers with diverse backgrounds who meet monthly to direct the operation of the APDA Massachusetts Chapter. Board members are not paid for their services and are committed to the mission of helping find a cure through funding research, and to helping people in their day-to-day activities. Board members work extremely hard in planning and organizing information sessions, the annual Optimism Walk and numerous fundraising events. Working closely with the APDA Information & Referral Center at Boston University School of Medicine and Massachusetts’s two APDA Centers for Advanced Research, the APDA Massachusetts Chapter strives to provide service to the approximately 21,000 people living with Parkinson’s in the state,* as well as their family members and care partners. The Chapter fulfills this mission by giving grants to organizations providing Parkinson’s programming, supplying guidance and education to support groups across the state, and supporting educational programming in collaboration with the APDA Information & Referral Center at Boston University School of Medicine, among other activities. *Based on the 2020 Census. Executive Board President: Kristin StapletonVice President: Jay Zavala Treasurer: Alex Yen, PhDSecretary: Melissa Diggin, NP Members at Large Gail AchinAlexandra Deal, JDDebra R. Ellis, MSPT, NCSMelissa FireThomas GaraventiMeg McAuliffe Tim MacmillanLaurie Jo TullisRobert TullisCathy Wesalowski Advisors Tami DeAngelis, PT, DPTTerry Ellis, PhD, PT, NCSDonna McLaughlin, MSW, LICSWMarie Saint-Hilaire, MD, FRCPC David Sommer, MD, MPH Lisa Sommers, MA, CCC-SLPCathi Thomas, MS, RNLinda Tickle-Degnen, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA