2008 NAMI-NYC Metro Board

President
Charlotte Moses Fischman, Esq. A member of NAMI-NYC Metro board since 1999 and its president since 2004, Ms. Fischman is a partner at the law firm of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP and serves as general counsel of the firm. Her long history of public service includes service on the board of directors of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Legal Aid Society. She currently serves as special counsel to the Disciplinary Committee in the First Department and as a consulting member of The New York Community Trust. She is committed to New York City's mental health community and to the recovery of her daughter, Ann.

Vice President
Jay Neugeboren, a NAMI-NYC Metro board member since 2002, currently serves as a vice president and chairs the Library Committee. He is the author of 16 books, including two about mental illness: Imagining Robert: My Brother, Madness, and Survival, a New York Times Notable Book of 1997, and Transforming Madness: New Lives for People Living with Mental Illness, recipient of a "Ken" Award from NAMI-NYC Metro in 2000. His latest novel, 1940, will be published in the spring of 2008. He has received many other accolades for his novels and short stories. In addition, he serves on the boards of several organizations, including Columbia University's Center for Prevention of Homelessness, Pathways to Housing, Genesis Clubhouse (Worcester, MA) and the Family Diversity Project. He was, for many years, a professor and writer-in-residence at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, but has relocated, full-time, to New York City, where he hopes to continue being active in projects that educate the general public about mental illness and that advocate for those, like his brother Robert, who suffer from long-term serious and persistent mental illnesses.

Vice President
Barbara Ricci understands the crucial role that an organization such as NAMI-NYC Metro plays for families and individuals living with mental illness. In the late 1980's while attending medical school, her younger brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Since then, she has become actively involved in mental health advocacy, both in Pennsylvania and New York; today she is a primary benefactor for NAMI-Lancaster, PA, and a lifetime member of NAMI-NYC Metro. For six years, she and her family provided housing and funding for the volunteer-run mental health drop-in center ICAN, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Aside from her responsibilities as a mental health advocate, Barbara works at UBS in New York as a managing director in the firm's Fixed Income Department. She is also on the steering committee for the All Bar None Organization in Fixed Income, a program designed to provide networking and leadership opportunities for women at UBS.

Vice President
David B. Spanier, Esq., assistant general counsel in the legal department of 1199 SEIU National Benefits Fund, has been practicing in the employee benefits field since 1975. He has participated in the audit and self-correction of both employee pension and welfare benefit plans throughout his employee benefits career, practicing with both private law and benefits consulting firms, including Curtis, Mallet, Prevost, Colt & Mosle and William M. Mercer, Inc. He is actively involved in ERISA litigation and administrative hearings, mergers and acquisitions and advice to ERISA plan fiduciaries, and, most recently, ERISA compliance related to HIPAA. He is a frequent contributor to chapters and articles in Employee Benefits Law, Employee Benefits Handbook, Health Care Benefits Law and the Journal of Compensation and Benefits. His interest in NAMI is based on his personal experiences with mental illness and those of family and friends. Professionally, he has advised clients since the early 1990s in regard to compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 and various related health laws (both state and federal) that have an impact on employee benefit plans, particularly with respect to the provision of healthcare benefits.

Treasurer
Gary Hirsh, C.P.A./C.F.P. With over 25 years of experience in public accounting, Mr. Hirsh currently serves as the director of his firm's financial advisory affiliate, Sobel Financial Advisors, LLC. He possesses a diverse professional background, which was obtained in a wide range of industries, including wholesale/distribution, manufacturing, public relations and professional practices. His integration of financial planning expertise and accounting knowledge bring his clients a multidimensional perspective on accounting, tax and financial/investment matters. Mr. Hirsh received his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the State University of New York at Binghamton, where he graduated magna cum laude. In 1991, he earned his diploma in financial planning from Adelphi University. Having seen the effect depression has had on family members, Mr. Hirsh has joined NAMI in an effort to help eradicate stigma and the disparities surrounding mental illness.

Brian Blake has served as a senior career management consultant at JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) Career Services since November 2001. He regularly counsels all levels of JPMC career services clients on every phase of career planning and advancement. Mr. Blake has a background in conflict resolution/mediation, which has greatly enhanced his communication skills as well as enabled him to identify problems as they arise and provide solutions before an issue escalates. He formerly managed a dispute resolution organization for the City University of New York and has provided pro bono mediation services for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Mr. Blake also developed and taught a conflict resolution foundations course at New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies for six years. He holds a law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a bachelor's degree in political science and philosophy from New York University.

Steven R. Coe has served as the executive director of Community Access (CA) since 1979. Over the course of his 26-year tenure there, he has transformed it from a grassroots, neighborhood housing organization to become a leader in the fight to provide affordable housing and employment opportunities for New Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities. A tireless advocate for individuals with mental illness, Mr. Coe was a founding member of the Association for Community Living, a state-wide trade association, and served as ACL's president from 2002 to 2006. He has also served as a board member of the Coalition for the Homeless and the Coalition of Voluntary Mental Health Agencies. In 1997, Mr. Coe served as the co-chair of the Campaign for NY/NY II, which successfully secured over $80 million in new funding for homeless people with psychiatric disabilities. Mr. Coe currently serves as chair of the New York State Campaign for Mental Health Housing, a new initiative aimed at securing a long-term solution to the housing shortage faced by people with psychiatric disabilities. Mr. Coe received his B.S. in urban and rural studies from the University of California, San Diego, and an M.A. in urban affairs and policy analysis from Milano Graduate School at the New School.

Spencer Eth, M.D. Dr. Eth is a professor and vice chairman at New York Medical College's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He is also the medical director and senior vice president for the Behavioral Health Services center at Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers. Dr. Eth graduated magna cum laude from New York University. After receiving the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, he went on to pursue graduate studies at Wadham College at Oxford University. He then received his M.D. from UCLA Medical School and completed his residency at the New York Hospital - Cornell Medical Center's Payne Whitney Clinic. A prolific writer, Dr. Eth has authored or co-authored over 100 articles and chapters for various publications in his field. He is, in addition, the editor of a number of books on the subject of child and adolescent psychiatry.

Diane Lightbourne is a lifelong community and consumer advocate and activist. An amateur artist and writer, Ms. Lightbourne is the founder of various grassroots coalitions and the editor of several community newsletters. Since December 2003, she has served as a volunteer at NAMI-NYC Metro's Kenneth Johnson Memorial Research Library. From 1998 through 2006 she worked as director, peer coordinator, and facilitator for Project Us Psychosocial Club, where she instituted a safer, healthier, cleaner, tranquil environment for individuals with mental illness. Under her innovative direction, she increased attendance; introduced several services including simple tax preparation, Saturday breakfast, arts and crafts instruction, a food pantry, and a clothing bank; as well as organizing petitions and committees for consumer rights. Other duties included organizing excursions for clients, bookkeeping, attendance monitoring, and conflict mediation. Prior to joining Project Us, Diane worked as an editorial assistant at Street News NY, where she contributed story ideas and edited articles; and was an Eligibility Specialist at the New York Department of Social Services, where she evaluated client's eligibility and administered funds. Additional volunteer experience includes working as a New York Public Library Adult Literacy tutor.

Jacqueline Martinez, M.P.H. Ms. Martinez is the senior program director at the New York State Health Foundation, where she plays a lead role in developing and managing the grant-making activities of the Foundation and the strategic and creative development of leadership and capacity-building programs with community-based organizations throughout the state. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was the director of the Northern Manhattan Community Voices Collaborative, a network of over 35 community-based organizations and institutions in Central Harlem and Washington Heights. Ms. Martinez has also managed programs for Alianza Dominicana, Beginning with Children, among other organizations serving the needs of economically disadvantaged communities. Ms. Martinez received her bachelor's degree in human development from Cornell University and a Master's of Public Health from Columbia University. Working with NAMI provides the opportunity to advocate for policies that increase access to culturally responsive mental health care for all racial and ethnic groups.

Keri McDonough appreciates the considerable difference NAMI can make in a family's ability to continue to treasure life after being devastated by a serious mental illness. For two years, Ms. McDonough managed the publications and marketing initiatives at NAMI-NYC Metro and played a large role in its fundraising and advocacy efforts. She currently serves as an account supervisor in the health care practice of GCI Group, where she provides day-to-day strategic counsel and manages four public relations account teams for health care products. Throughout her career, Ms. McDonough has developed an expertise in nonprofit communications, fundraising, and advocacy through her work with the 14th Street-Union Square BID, Amnesty International, and Mount Sinai's Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program. She currently serves on the Baltic Street Mental Health Board. Ms. McDonough earned a BA in sociology from Tulane University and an MA in mass communication and society from the School of Journalism and Communications Studies at the University of Oregon.

Nathan Romano joined NAMI-NYC Metro in 2006 with a desire to help reshape society's negative view of mental illness and those it affects. As the only child of a single parent with bipolar disorder, Mr. Romano watched his parent struggle with the illness and its related social and economic issues. He also learned firsthand of structural issues inherent in a medical establishment that did not always have consumers' best interests at heart. Today, Mr. Romano is a senior managing director of Bear Stearns & Co, where he acts as a senior advisor to the firm's largest hedge fund and private equity clients. Prior to Bear Stearns he worked at Bain & Company in their private equity practice. He received his MBA with honors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California, where he was a walk-on for their nationally ranked tennis team. Mr. Romano currently serves on the board of Integrated Textile Group, an international textile group in the home furnishings industry, and acts as an advisor to On-Ramps, a recruiting and consulting firm specializing in workplace innovation.

George Sing. Mr. Sing's interest in working with NAMI-NYC Metro stems from personal experience with a family member who has struggled with mental illness. He is a managing director of Lancet Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in biomedical and health care companies. He is a founder and CEO of Stemnion, Inc., a Lancet Capital portfolio company that develops amnion-derived stem cell products for un-met medical needs. Since its inception, Mr. Sing has served as a board director of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. He was a founding partner of Merrill Lynch Venture Capital in 1982, which invested in start-up high technology ventures in the biomedical, software, information technology, and telecommunications industries. Mr. Sing received an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.

Michael Thompson, F.S.A., M.A.A.A., has over 20 years of experience in health care and employee benefits strategy development and implementation, design, financing, pricing, operations and analysis. He is currently a principal in the human resources services practice PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and serves as the company's national leader and speaker on health and performance strategies. Prior to joining PwC, Michael served as an executive with a managed care organization, leading up their operations, underwriting and national accounts. He is currently a fellow of the Society of Actuaries and serves on a number of committees, including the Federal Health Committee.

Julissa Viana-Hernandez, rejoins NAMI-NYC Metro board after serving as 1st vice president and gala committee chair from 2000 to 2005. Ms. Viana-Hernandez lends expertise in several areas of communications and has extensive experience in educating the media, consumers, and providers on various disorders such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In her most current position, Ms. Viana-Hernandez is part of the US communications company for the 3rd largest pharmaceutical company - sanofi-aventis. She has worked at several public relations agencies and has also served as a spokesperson for the American Red Cross of Greater New York, where she developed media campaigns to reach diverse audiences. She is committed to sharing her communications expertise with NAMI to broaden the organization's reach and deliver its messages to those who may not be aware of its services. Ms. Viana-Hernandez's dedication to NAMI and her professional focus on mental health issues have been motivated by her brother, who suffered for more than nine years with schizophrenia until he took his own life in 2004.

Advisory Board

Ralph Aquilla, M.D.
Spencer Eth, M.D.
Michael Friedman, C.S.W.
Paul Fuchs, M.D.
Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D.
Rami P. Kaminski, M.D.
Harold S. Koplewicz, M.D.
Dova Marder, M.D.
Hunter McQuistion, M.D.
John Oldham, M.D.
Lewis A. Opler, M.D., Ph.D.
Anand Pandya, M.D.
Herbert Pardes, M.D.
Richard Rosenthal, M.D.
Zafar Sharif, M.D.
Zebulon Taintor, M.D.
E. Fuller Torrey, M.D.
Manuel Trujillo, M.D

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