NADF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Lori Engler
Co-President Lori Engler 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's narrative is one defined by compassion, expertise, and a resolute mission to empower the adrenal disease community. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 hyperaldosteronism, 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. |
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Michal F. Slovick, MD
Board Member Dr. Slovick is a family physician in Wisconsin who is committed to improving the care of people living with adrenal disease and is passionate about conducting research to further our understanding of better treatments. She joined the NADF in 2021 as a mother of a child newly diagnosed with primary adrenal insufficiency and type 1 diabetes. Dr. Slovick’s goals include working with the NADF team to expand clinical adrenal research, supporting efforts to reach out to communities to educate and connect, and advocating for patients to have a voice in the direction of future research. |
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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. |
