Board of Trustees

William Schuyler was formerly the vice president of government relations for GlaxoSmithKline. Schuyler was responsible for overseeing the company's government relations activities before both the state and federal governments. He also oversaw GSK's work with patient and professional organizations.

Pam McNamara is a senior healthcare executive.  She co-founded and was CEO of Health Helm, Inc., a Boston-based mobile software company supporting Patient Reported Outcomes and engagement to improve outcomes and reduce costs through better care coordination and communications with physicians and clinicians. 

Dr. Silas Norman was born and educated in Detroit. He attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a degree in psychology. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Norman worked for two years for Lutheran Social Services of Michigan as a foster care worker. He then attended Wayne State University School of Medicine, graduating with honors, and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Dr. Jamie Green received her undergraduate degree from Duquesne University and her medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine. She completed her internal medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and her nephrology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh where she also obtained her Master of Science in Medical Education.

Jeff Pearson is the Vice President of Investments for AdventHealth, one of the nation's largest faith-based health systems.  He has over 20 years of institutional investment experience and oversees a 10-person investment team.  Based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, he leads the team managing operating capital, insurance trusts, and employee retirement portfolios totaling approximately $16 billion. 

Dr. Charlotte Jones-Burton is a healthcare industry trailblazer who is passionate about creating healthier communities globally through drug development, patient advocacy and people engagement/empowerment.  Her three-pronged approach reflects her personal values of community, service, and health and wellness.  Charlotte combines her leadership in research and people development with her clinical acumen to positively impact the lives of patients and communities who suffer with chronic diseases. 

LaVarne Addison Burton is President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Kidney Fund (AKF), a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight kidney disease and help people live healthier lives. Ms. Burton has led AKF since 2005.

Frances Ashe-Goins is a mom and was previously caregiver for her daughter who lived with kidney failure for more than 20 years. Though she is a registered nurse and health educator, "mom mode" kicked in when she learned her daughter had an issue with her kidneys.

Dr. Kenneth R. Bridges received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and subsequently trained in internal medicine and hematology in Boston, at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospitals, respectively.

Oliver Tate Brooks, M.D. received his undergraduate degree in biology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977, graduating in three years.  While at Morehouse, he received the Frederick E. Mapp Prize in Biology for excellence in biology. 

Mr. Butler joined Akebia in Cambridge, Massachusetts as President and CEO in September, 2013. He has more than 35 years of experience leading the development, launch and commercialization of innovative therapies. He led Akebia's Initial Public Offering in 2014, and over the past ten years has raised well over $1 billion through equity offerings and multiple non-dilutive license agreements, to finance the development of Akebia's novel pipeline. 

Brian Krex is the General Counsel of Kalvista Pharmaceuticals where he has global responsibility for all legal matters affecting the company.

Dr. Bambi W. Gaddist is Principle of Structural Health Dynamics, LLC., a South Carolina based public health firm that builds institutional skills and program capacity among organizations and systems addressing serving vulnerable populations.  She received a Bachelor of Science from Tuskegee University in the area of Physical Education and Health, a M.S in Physical Education Administration/Health from Indiana University, and completed Doctoral studies in the areas of Human Sexuality and Family Life Education at the University of South Carolina. 

Maria A. Grasso is Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and 
Corporate Secretary of Flushing Financial Corporation and Flushing Bank. She joined the Bank in 2006 as Chief Operating Officer and was elected Corporate Secretary in 2007.

Dr. Patrick Gee, Ph.D., is a relentless advocate for change. With a deep-rooted passion for justice, he is dedicated to dismantling systemic barriers that perpetuate poverty, social and racial injustices, and the need for criminal justice reform. Driven by his personal experience as a former Peritoneal Dialysis and In-Center Hemodialysis patient and now a Post-Kidney Transplant recipient, Patrick understands the dire consequences of Diabetic Kidney Disease firsthand. This propelled him to found iAdvocate, a faith-based health and wellness organization that empowers underserved communities of color.

Lydia is a small business owner and the mother of four, including both a kidney donor and a kidney transplant recipient.  Her family has been greatly impacted by genetic kidney disease.

Elena M. Paul is the first General Counsel of Ringling College of Art and Design, a college with a contemporary art museum in Sarasota, Florida, which was founded in 1931.

Prior to that position, she was the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, a performing arts organization and school that furthers the vision of the artist and civil rights activist, Alvin Ailey. She also managed Ailey’s Human Resources Department.

John is a retired accounting and finance professional with over 40 years experience in those fields. John worked for 25 years as the CFO of two nonprofits and 15 years as a senior manager in the audit and consulting divisions of a Big 4 public accounting firm.

Katie is currently the CFO at Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), one of the largest not-for-profit organizations in the United States. In this capacity, Katie is responsible for financial administration, accounting and reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and cash management, among other functions.

Melanie Turieo is a Partner at PA Consulting Group where she leads the Product Development business for their Healthcare & Life Sciences division.  Melanie is a Human-Centered Design expert with over 25 years' experience in the design and development of regulated medical products.

Priscilla VanderVeer is a Vice President of Public Affairs at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the trade association representing America's research-based biopharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Raynard Washington currently serves as Public Health Director for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He was appointed in December 2021, making him the first African American to serve in this role. Washington leads more than 900 interdisciplinary public health professionals working daily to protect and improve the health of the county’s 1.1 million residents with an emphasis on improving health equity. 

Dr. Williams is a life science executive with extensive experience as a pharmaceutical drug developer, healthcare policy consultant, portfolio strategist and patient advocate. She is a results-oriented, accomplished, executive leader and physician scientist and board member, with 25+ years of pharmaceutical drug development experience, across all clinical development phases and multiple therapeutic areas (virology [HIV and HCV], cardiovascular, renal, GI, maternal and women's health, including infertility). 

Gail Wick serves is as Trustee Emeritus of the American Kidney Fund (AKF) Board of Trustees. She is also an AKF representative for Kidney Care Partners (KCP) and serves on the Community Advisory Committee for Highland-Cashiers Hospital, as well as serves as the chair of the Vision Cashiers Health and Wellness Task Force in North Carolina.