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The EHE Foundation Board of Directors
All of our board members have been personally touched by EHE and are committed and dedicated to our Mission. To contact any of them, please email us at [email protected].
Jenni Kovach
President, Director of Development
Jenni Kovach joined The EHE Foundation Board in 2018 and brings over 20 years of experience in the Human Resources field. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from The Ohio State University and her MBA from the University of Phoenix. Jenni is also certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). She currently holds the position of Chief People Officer at IGS, a privately held energy company.
Jenni spent time previously on a non-profit board supporting domestic violence victims. Her board experience provided her the opportunity to implement structure and process to this shelter that supports six counties in Ohio. In addition, she has been an avid supporter of Pelotonia, a grassroots bike ride, raising money for cancer research for the past nine years.
Jenni brings her passion for people, strategic mindset and her desire to continually make a positive impact to the EHE Foundation. She will concentrate her efforts as the Director of Development on identifying and cultivating the relationship with prospective donors as well as owning the grant proposal process.
Julie Wahl
Vice President, Secretary
Julie founded The EHE Foundation in 2015. EHE had affected her family and she was feeling helpless in the fight. She quickly realized that in order to move this cause forward, she and others needed to come together. At that point, the Foundation was formed and the Board assembled.
Julie is a veteran of the US Army and has a BA in Accounting. She brings to the Foundation experience in education, financial management and tax preparation. Julie's family has recently retired from the military and she dedicates herself full time to The EHE Foundation. Her ability to interact and support diverse people and cultures and her compassion and adaptability have been instrumental in the Foundation’s success.
Julie continues to provide support for central leadership of the Foundation. In addition, she focuses on national fundraisers and supporting grassroots events. She plays an integral role in communicating with donors, patients and caregivers including current EHE information and Foundation updates.
Sarah Bright
Treasurer, Director of Finance
Sarah joined the EHE Foundation Board in 2017 with fifteen years of financial and business management experience with not-for-profit organizations. Prior to forming her company in 2008, The Bright Solutions, Sarah served as both the Director of Finance & Administration and the Patron Services Manager for The Washington Chorus. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Miami (Florida) and a Master of Arts in Arts Management from George Mason University. Sarah is a classically trained vocalist (lyric coloratura) and still performs for special occasions.
Sarah has direct accounting experience with all needs in the not-for-profit fiscal cycle. Sarah has worked extensively with not for profit boards for the past fifteen years. She has also served as Treasurer for not for profit boards in Washington, DC. In addition, she gives her time to the children’s ministry at her church.
Sarah excels in interpreting corporate culture, analyzing areas where there could be efficiencies, and problem solves in matters of accounting and organizational development. In her dual roles as Treasurer & Director of Finance, she will provide guidance on governance, structure and organizational development to the EHE Foundation along with budget preparations and financial management.
Amy Baghdadi, J.D.
Amy Baghdadi is an attorney with 15 years’ experience in commercial litigation and risk management. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1994 and her Juris Doctorate from the University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco in 1997. In 2010, Amy was diagnosed with EHE in her liver and lungs, and in 2011 she had a liver transplant. Her volunteer work has included acting as a Lead Ambassador for the Donor Network West, an organ procurement organization in Northern California, working with the National Charity League, Compass Family Services, and serving in a variety of roles with her children’s school including in advancement and fund raising. Amy has served on the Board of Trustees for the French American International School and International High School since 2018 and is currently the Chair of the Board. Amy lives in San Francisco, California with her husband and two children.
David A. Casimir, J.D., Ph.D
Dr. Casimir counsels clients in all areas of intellectual property including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. A major focus of his practice is in the area of patent prosecution, post-issuance proceedings, litigation, litigation avoidance, due diligence, business counseling, and licensing with an emphasis in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, medical device, and business methods fields. Link to full bio.
LeeAnn Conner
Director of Marketing and Operations
LeeAnn joined The EHE Foundation Board in 2015. She draws upon 22+ years of experience and education in program management, marketing, human resources, executive-level leadership and budget management. She retired in 2016 after culminating her service as the Director of the United States Army Retention Program in the Pentagon.
LeeAnn’s roles in the Foundation is Director of Marketing and Operations. With her past military experience, LeeAnn brings structure, process and diligence to the Foundation. Her responsibilities include marketing, communication, database operations, and support with fundraising. LeeAnn has committed herself full time to the mission of The EHE Foundation since her retirement from the military.
John McFadden, Ph.D., CRNA, APRN
With more than 35 years of experience in healthcare, Dr. McFadden has held positions as a
nurse executive, hospital and university program accreditation surveyor, faculty member, and
consultant. Today, he is Vice Provost of the College of Health and Wellness at Barry University
and Professor of Anesthesiology.
Dr. McFadden has served on the board and as president of the Florida Association of Nurse
Anesthetists (FANA) and as Treasurer of the Florida Association of Colleges of Nursing. At a
national level, he served the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) as a board
member and as a Taskforce Chair and member of the American Association of Colleges of
Nursing (AACN). He currently serves on the editorial board of the BHSF Nursing & Health
Sciences Research Journal.
Dr. McFadden has delivered more than 60 professional, national, and international
presentations, workshops, journal articles, and textbook chapters. He is passionate about
interprofessional collaboration and patient-focused healthcare.
Denise Robinson
Director of Research
Denise Robinson joined the EHE Foundation Board in 2019 after serving the Foundation in a volunteer role supporting EHE research expansion and development. Denise has 18 years of clinical research experience, including Phase I-IV clinical trials across numerous rare and life-threatening diseases. Her efforts are largely focused on supporting oncology and hematology research, with a tireless passion to ensure that more patients and clinicians have opportunities to participate in meaningful research studies. Her operational experience and talents continue to provide volunteer support to advance EHE research globally.
Jane Gutkovich
Board Member Emeritus
Jane is a founding Board Member of the EHE Foundation, which was established in 2015. Jane brings vast experience in the medical industry. She has a degree in Civil Engineering from the Polytechnic College in Belarus and attended the Nuclear Medical Technologist program at the State University of New York. Jane has worked as a manager at a Nuclear Stress Lab for over 20 years and brings experience in process development, leadership and clinical research to the EHE Foundation.
For over six years, Jane wore two hats for the Foundation – Vice President and Director of Research. She was externally focused on representing the EHE Foundation to donors and other individuals that help the foundation achieve the mission. She is also instrumental in foundation operations such as fundraising and reporting. Jane also helped develop and implement the research strategy, oversees research activities, attracts new researches to EHE and manages the patient registry. She has been instrumental in educating the medical and research community about EHE and promoting the foundation’s mission of developing effective treatments for EHE.
In 2020, Jane moved from her position on the Board of Directors to start a new chapter, as the Foundation's first Emeritus Board Member. In this role, Jane works strategically with us to continue to support patients worldwide and recruit researchers to EHE.
