NADF Leadership
NADF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lori Engler Ginsburg - Co-President
Lori Engler Ginsburg exemplifies an unwavering dedication to advocating for individuals with adrenal diseases. As the Co-President of the Board of Directors at the National Adrenal Diseases Foundation (NADF), Lori's commitment spans over five impactful years in a range of leadership capacities. Her journey began as NADF's Executive Director, a pivotal role where she led the foundation's exponential growth and remarkable achievements. Guiding a proficient team, she architected an operational framework that amplified the organization's effectiveness. Lori's dynamic leadership also forged invaluable partnerships with pharmaceutical leaders, medical associations, and adrenal disease advocacy groups, augmenting the foundation's influence.
A visionary pioneer, Lori pioneered an international consortium, fostering unprecedented global connections for NADF and enriching its associations with adrenal disease patient organizations around the world. Prior to her NADF tenure, Lori's career was tremendously successful as a Senior Vice President at Citigroup, leading Client Experience Strategy. Amidst her corporate journey, Lori was confronted with an Addison's disease diagnosis, an experience that transformed her into a proactive volunteer and advocate for adrenal insufficiency awareness.
Lori's profile shines as a seasoned luminary, equipped with remarkable leadership finesse and a fervent drive to effect change in the lives of those impacted by adrenal diseases. With unwavering commitment, she champions her patients, ceaselessly striving to ensure their access to optimal healthcare resources. Lori Engler Ginsburg's narrative is one defined by compassion, expertise, and a resolute mission to empower the adrenal disease community.
Erin A. Foley-Moudry, MPH, Co-President
Erin has been a member of NADF since her diagnosis in 1993 with Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome type 2 (APS 2), a combination of Primary Adrenal Insufficiency (PAI), Type 1 diabetes and hypothyroidism. As a college freshman, Erin became gravely ill, was hospitalized for eight days and discharged with only a hypothyroidism diagnosis. A retired nurse, her mother recognized the signs of PAI a few days later after relentlessly researching while watching her daughter die. Post-diagnosis and recovery, Erin continued with her major of Health Policy and Administration and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Penn State four years later. Across those years, NADF’s Quarterly Newsletter was her only connection to others with PAI and she recalls reading every single word of each issue twice.
Erin began her healthcare career running programming and operations for the Diabetes Youth and Family Foundation in California and then went on to sell insulin pumps in Texas. After moving back to her home state of New Jersey to begin her Master’s in Public Health at Columbia University in NYC, she learned that NADF was seeking new board members. Erin applied, was accepted and quickly became President and Executive Director of NADF, running the organization for several years until she and her husband David were blessed with their son Tommy in 2004. She rejoined the Board in 2010 once she had established a successful career supporting pharmaceutical company efforts to obtain health insurance access for patients to the medications they need. Erin now serves as NADF Board VP, continuing to contribute her time selflessly to the organization. She is especially grateful to her mother for her diagnosis and help with her APS 2, her husband and son and their support, and for finding career in which she uses her degrees in health care every single day. When not working or volunteering for NADF or the American Diabetes Association, you can often find Erin spending her time with her family and energetic rescue dog at their New Jersey home.
Susan Majka, Secretary
Susan discovered the NADF in late 2021 after being diagnosed with Addison’s disease. Because the NADF website provided so much essential information for newly diagnosed patients, Susan wanted to work with the team to help other people with adrenal diagnoses. She has worked on the Adrenal Insufficiency Registry (MyAI) team with Dr. Regan for approximately a year and has learned an enormous amount through that association.
After earning a BA in English at Merrimack College, Susan taught Freshman Composition at Auburn University while working on a graduate degree. Later, she earned her RN and worked in a Medical ICU for a year and in the operating room for 14 years. In 1995, Susan earned her J.D. and worked as an attorney for various courts for 10 years and then for the Federal Government for 15 years. She has taught as an adjunct faculty at Malone College and Cuyahoga Community College, and she co-authored a textbook on Legal Writing that was published by Pearson Publishing in 2017. Susan retired four months before her AI diagnosis.
Ellen Aigner, Treasurer
As the NADF Treasurer, Ellen brings over 30 years of finance and accounting experience. She holds a BS and MBA in Business Administration. She serves as the Controller for a large tile/stone/flooring distributor in Arizona, where she resides with her wife of 25 years and their Scotty dog, Sadie. Ellen’s passion for NADF stems from her own personal experience, after being diagnosed with autoimmune Addison’s in 2003. She is deeply committed to bringing awareness to
adrenal diseases for patients like herself.
Elizabeth Regan, MD, PhD, Board Member
Dr. Regan is a physician/researcher in Colorado who is interested in improving diagnosis and care for people affected by adrenal disease, particularly adrenal insufficiency. She is developing a research focused patient registry that will collect information about people with various forms of adrenal insufficiency. Her goal is to encourage other researchers to use the registry for research projects to improve drug treatment options and look for prevention strategies. She recently published a paper that described the earlier (2015-2016) NADF registry and linked the results to the 1997 survey that Dr. Margulies had collected. This paper documented significant issues with diagnosis and patient satisfaction with their care.
Holly Jagger, MA, Board Member
Holly has been employed in both public school and private special-needs settings for more than 40 years, first employed as a music therapist at St. Joseph’s Hospital after earning a Bachelor’s (1987) in Music Therapy summa cum laude. Upon completion of an intensive internship, she became supervisor of the department where she was responsible for evaluating clients’ data and providing orientation to college freshmen majoring in the field.
In 1997 she completed her Master of Arts in Education magna cum laude from Marywood University after which she taught Vocal Music in the Vestal School District for 19 years. She took an active role in designing the district’s music curriculum to align with NYSED guidelines.
Diagnosed in 1994 with Addison’s disease while completing graduate studies, she also developed hypothyroidism in the year 2000. With her former diagnosis of Premature Ovarian Failure in 1984, she was then found to have Polyglandular Syndrome Type 2.
She soon saw the need for local support in her area of upstate NY and her home of northeastern PA, where she focused on assisting others and expanding awareness of adrenal insufficiency in the medical community. She has been an advocate for NADF in numerous roles since that time and currently serves as a board member.
Smita Abraham, MD, Board Member
Dr. Abraham is an academic endocrinologist with a special interest in adrenal and pituitary disorders including, but not limited to adrenal insufficiency, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, primary aldosteronism, pheochromocytoma and Cushing’s syndrome. Dr. Abraham has conducted research in many of these areas and is currently conducting a study to re-define the cortisol cut-off level within the cosyntropin stimulation test to more accurately diagnose adrenal insufficiency. Dr. Abraham practices endocrinology part-time at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY. She also is a consultant to pharmaceutical companies based on her experience as a medical officer at the United States Food and Drug Administration. In this role, she works with companies to develop robust clinical development programs to bring safe and effective endocrine drugs to market.
Dr. Abraham fully stands behind the NADF mission and in her various roles hopes to help NADF reach its goals to improve the lives of patients with adrenal diseases.
Gavin Christensen, Board Member
Gavin is an entrepreneurial Venture Capitalist with a passion for investing and building Utah and the West. In 2008, Gavin recognized a need for both leadership and capital at the seed stage in Utah. Gavin worked with the Utah ecosystem to found Kickstart Seed Fund to fill this gap. Starting a seed stage firm focused on Utah during the Great Recession was not easy, but Kickstart is now the most active investor in Utah at the seed stage with 100+ investments. Gavin received a Master’s of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management and a B.A. in Economics (with Honors) from Brigham Young University. Gavin serves on the boards of many startup and growth companies.
NADF STAFF
Kalina Warren, Executive Director
In September 2023, I accepted the role of Executive Director (ED) of the National Adrenal Diseases Foundation (NADF), a position earned after many years of service as a volunteer, Board Member, Board President, and Co-President. My professional background includes a Master's degree in Biology from the University of Warsaw, Poland, and 30 years of experience in the Environmental Field in Florida. I strongly believe in the interconnectedness of health and the environment and consider myself fortunate to serve both causes, recognizing the pivotal role they play in shaping the wellbeing of individuals and communities. As the ED of NADF, I aspire to steer the foundation towards growth and foster collaborative efforts with patients, the medical community, and the industry.
Jenna Buckley, Program and Publication Coordinator
Jenna has over 5+ years of marketing operations experience within the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Iona College with a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing. While there, she was inducted as a member of the Delta Epsilon Sigma and Beta Gamma Sigma honors societies. Jenna joined the NADF team in May 2021 as Secretary of the Board of Directors and has now joined the staff as Program and Publications Coordinator.
Vanessa O’Rourke, Community Engagement Manager
Vanessa has been eager to help others navigate their diagnosis since her difficulty receiving one for Primary Adrenal Insufficiency in 2016. The first half of her life was spent as a performer, yoga instructor, teacher and outdoor enthusiast, who transitioned into a slower pace of life after years of battling with health. She has spent this new chapter channeling her talents into advocating, educating and supporting those with chronic illnesses. She has been volunteering alongside NADF over the last few years and is eager to continue to do so.
Vanessa graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from The College of Santa Fe, has gone through 400+ hours of Yoga Therapy training and is deeply devoted to the meditative practices of writing silly songs on her Ukulele and crocheting endlessly into the night.
Meg Zinky, Interactive Media Designer
Magdalen (Meg) Zinky joined NADF as the Interactive Media Designer in June 2024 after learning about the organization through her college friend Vanessa O’Rourke. Meg brings with her more than a decade of social media and website management for small-team organizations ranging from agricultural education to international youth conferences. She is excited to help NADF grow their social media following and responsiveness, as well as keeping the website in top shape. She holds a BA in Acting from the College of Santa Fe and an MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College. She lives in East Tennessee near the Smoky Mountains where she divides her time between flower farming, costume design, fiction writing, long-form improv, and parenting.
Lesley Myrvold, NADF Support Staff
Lesley has been passionate about helping others find clarity in their health journeys ever since her own long path to a diagnosis of Primary Addison’s in 2012. A lifelong lover of nature, cats, books, and quiet moments with family, she learned early on how grounding simple joys can be while navigating chronic illness. After lots of uncertainty, her diagnosis brought not only answers but a deep commitment to supporting others facing similar challenges and has been a volunteer with NADF since 2020. Lesley graduated from Oakland University in Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design and loves to incorporate her love for art and design in many aspects of her life.
Many thanks to the countless volunteers who help us keep NADF running! From support group leaders to conference helpers to those who donate their special skills, we thank you for the work you do for the NADF community.