Meet the New CFIDS Association Board Members

The CFIDS Association is pleased to introduce our newest board members, who began their terms in November. Their range of backgrounds—from public policy to business to media—as well as their personal experience with the illness in their own lives or in those of friends and family adds a wealth of perspective to the governance of the Association.

Here’s a bit of background on each of the new board members.

Adam Lesser

Adam Lesser, Los Angeles, California
Adam has lived with CFS since 2003. Prior to getting sick, he graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University in 2001 with a degree in English literature and worked for two years as a news editor for NBC News, based in New York. He did additional work as a field producer for the network, including coverage of the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston. Since leaving NBC due to his illness, Adam has pursued his interest in biochemistry and physiology, studying at Santa Monica College and working this past summer as the National Science Foundation funded Frontiers in Biological Research (FIBR) intern at UCLA’s Weiss Lab, which studies protein folding and single molecule spectroscopy. Adam attended the CFIDS Association’s Lobby Day in 2006.

Amy Squires

Amy Squires, Alexandria, Virginia
Amy is a consultant with IBM’s public sector strategy and change practice. Her interest in CFS stems from her concern for her sister and close friends who have been debilitated to varying degrees by the illness. Before joining the Association’s Board in 2007, Amy participated in two Lobby Day events and provided pro bono support to the Association’s long-range planning efforts. Amy has a background in public administration and public policy, having worked at the Office of Management and Budget and as a consultant to numerous federal and state agencies. Amy looks forward to contributing to the Board’s work, in particular moving CFS further up on the public health agenda.

Brian Smith

Brian Smith, Omaha, Nebraska
Brian became ill with a severe case of mono in March 1995 during soccer tryouts as a high school freshman. He tried to resume regular school/extracurricular activities after about six weeks, but never got better. After many visits to doctors, he was finally diagnosed with CFS in the spring of 1996. Although CFS caused him to miss much of high school, he graduated on time with honors and was able to attend college on and off, finally graduating from Arizona State University in 2004. He worked for the Vanguard Group until the fall of 2005, when he resigned due to a significant relapse. Later that year, after “recovering” from the relapse, Brian began taking science courses necessary for applying to medical school. In addition to caring for a seriously ill family member, Brian is doing coursework in genetics. Brian is a Lobby Day alumnus, having participated in the 2006 and 2007 events.

Patrick Venetucci

Patrick Venetucci, Chicago, Illinois
Patrick is a senior executive at an advertising agency, Leo Burnett Worldwide, where he has held a number of management roles based in Chicago and Tokyo. He is currently executive vice president, global head of Human Resources and a board member of Leo Burnett Worldwide’s Global Leadership Committee. He holds his MBA in finance and marketing from the University of Chicago and is a strategic advisor to several entrepreneurial ventures.

Patrick’s family has been affected by CFS since 1999. He and his family are committed to the discovery of a biomarker for CFS and ultimately a cure.

In addition to these new board members, the Association welcomes a new chairman, Jennie Spotila, who has served on the board since 2006. She replaces Susan Jacobs, who has reached the three-year term limit for chairman and will be taking on the role of secretary in 2008. The Association also bids a sad but appreciative farewell to Rick Baldwin and Adrianne Ryan as they retire from the board and Terry Hedrick as she leaves to take care of health and family needs.

Learn more about new board chairman Jennie Spotila’s journey with CFS in her “Defining Moments” essay in this issue of the CFIDSLink. You can also read articles and personal stories by current and recent Association board members, including Susan Jacob's thoughts about the role of the board from her "Message to Members" in the fall 2007 CFIDS Chronicle. See http://www.cfids.org/about/board-of-directors.asp.

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