Board of Trustees
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is able to fulfill its mission and continue its battle against Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis because of our dedicated board of trustees.
You can learn more about each of our current board members below:
Officers
Annette R. Martinez, National Board Chair
Annette R. Martinez is a retired Senior Vice President for State Farm® Mutual Automobile Insurance Companies. Her role included company-wide oversight of Human Resources & Development, Public Affairs, and Executive Development & Succession, Corporate Responsibility, and Diversity & Inclusion. She had over 34 years of experience with State Farm.
Annette was appointed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis to the Board of Trustees for the University of Northern Colorado in December 2021 and the Colorado 19th Judicial Nominating Commission in early 2022. She also serves as the Chair of the Events Committee for the Northern Colorado American Cancer Society, and recently joined the board for Hispanic Organization Promoting Education (HoPE) based in Atlanta, GA. Annette previously served as a liaison on the Corporate Advisory Board for UnidosUS and as a board member for the Community Cancer Center Foundation. She is a Founding member of the Women’s Giving initiative (Women Empowered) for St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington, IL.
Annette has received several recognitions including the Black Enterprise Top Executive in Corporate Diversity in 2018, National Association of Female Executive's 2018 Diversity Champion for Women, Worldwide Top 100 CHRO in 2019, Insurance Business America's Hot 100 in 2020, and awarded the National Diversity Council's Power 50 Award for 2020 and 2021. In 2025, Annette was selected as an Honored Alumni for the University of Northern Colorado.
Annette joined the National Board of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation in 2021 and currently serves as the Chair of the Compensation & Benefits Committee. As a patient, she is passionate about the work of the foundation and is personally committed to its mission. She looks forward to her next role as incoming Chair. Annette lives in Windsor, CO with her husband, Ruben. They have one daughter, Andrea, a 2020 graduate of Harvard College.
Amber Backhaus, Immediate-Past Chair of the Board
Amber has over 20 years working as a government relations professional, representing clients before the Minnesota Legislature and state agencies. She is the Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs for United Strategies, LLC, where she works with business and non-profit clients to tell their stories to policymakers and promote public policy initiatives. She previously led advocacy efforts for the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association (MADA), a trade group representing Minnesota’s franchised new car and truck dealers.
Prior to joining MADA, Amber worked in the government relations practice of Leonard, Street & Deinard, acting on behalf of high-profile clients such as the Minnesota Timberwolves, State Farm Insurance, Express Scripts, and Supervalu. She also served as the Director of Public Affairs for the Minnesota Trucking Association. In 2012-2013, Amber was honored to be elected by her peers to serve two years as President of the Minnesota Government Relations Council and its 500 members.
Amber began her work with the Foundation as a participant in the Team Challenge program in 2011, running her first half-marathon ever. Since then, she has completed five more races with Team Challenge in memory of her brother Phil, and joined the board of the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter, serving as its president from 2014-2016.
Amber is married to Christopher Backhaus and has a son, Andrew.
Peter Higgins, MD, PhD, MSc (CRDSA), AGAF, Chair of the National Scientific Advisory Committee
Dr. Peter Higgins received his bachelor's degree and medical degrees from Duke University and completed a Ph.D. in molecular cancer biology at Duke. He completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Michigan in 2004, completed an M.Sc. in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and joined the University of Michigan faculty the same year.
Dr. Higgins currently serves as the IBD editor for the American Journal of Gastroenterology. His research focuses on inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. He is interested in the molecular mechanisms of intestinal fibrosis, which leads to intestinal blockages and surgery. Dr. Higgins studies the use of ultrasound to measure intestinal scarring, the use of biomarkers to detect early scarring, and measurement of markers of early inflammation. His clinical research includes studies on patient-reported outcomes in IBD, medication holidays after long-term remission in IBD, and biomarker-guided therapy in IBD. Dr. Higgins' research interests are complemented by his clinical interest in improving the quality of care of patients with IBD.
He is a member of the AGA IBD Quality Measures Committee and has participated in the development of national guidelines for high quality IBD care. Dr. Higgins has received many honors and awards, including the AGA IBD Clinical Research Excellence Award.
Fabio Cominelli, M.D., Ph.D., Chair-Elect of the National Scientific Advisory Committee
Dr. Cominelli is Distinguished University Professor, Chief of the Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease, and Director of the Digestive Health Research Institute at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). He is also the Chief Scientific Officer of the Digestive Health Institute at University Hospitals of Cleveland, the inaugural awardee of the Hermann Menges Jr Chair in Internal Medicine, and Associate Dean for Program Development. Dr. Cominelli has been the Principal Investigator (PI) of an R01 grant focused on the role of cytokines and the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation, which has been funded for three decades. He is also the PI of a T32 Training grant in Digestive Disease Sciences at CWRU, the T35 Case Medical Student Summer Training program, and the PI and Director of the Cleveland NIH P30 Digestive Diseases Research Core Center.
His research interest in the area of experimental inflammatory bowel disease and intestinal cytokines dates back more than 30 years to his fellowship in Gastroenterology research under Dr. Robert Zipser at Harbor UCLA Medical Center. These two general areas of research have remained the focus of his investigation ever since. He has been a member of the GMA-2 Study Section and the Chairperson of the Research Training Grant Committee of the CCFA. He was also the Chairman of the Research Initiatives Committee for the CCFA and Chair of the Research Policy Committee of the AGA. Dr. Cominelli was a member of the Advisory Council of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and a member and Chairperson of the GMPB Study Section. In recognition of his research accomplishments, Dr. Cominelli received the 2002 Outstanding Investigator Award from the American Federation for Medical Research for his studies, which established that targeted neutralization of a specific cytokine was effective for treating experimental IBD. In 2017 he was awarded the Distinguished Faculty Research Award and the Medal for Excellence in Health Science Innovation, Case Western Reserve University, the highest honor in the School of Medicine. In 2018 he was selected as the winner of the Maurice Saltzman Award from The Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation, Cleveland, OH. In 2023, he was honored as a Distinguished University Professor, an honorific title that acknowledges contributions of full-time, tenured faculty with exceptional research, scholarship, teaching, and service records.
Dr. Cominelli has over 30 years of experience, continuous NIH funding in cytokine biology, and many seminal discoveries in this field of investigation. His group was the first to report that specific blockade of a single pro-inflammatory cytokine, i.e., interleukin-1 (IL-1), was effective in reducing disease severity in an animal model of experimentally induced colitis and that an imbalance between intestinal pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines represents a pathogenic mechanism of auto-inflammatory diseases, including IBD. This concept has now garnered considerable attention due to reports of severe inflammatory disease in infants with homozygous germ-line mutations in the IL-1 gene family. These and other studies have formed the foundation for clinical trials using anti-cytokine therapy (e.g., anti-TNFα therapy) and administration of anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1 receptor antagonist) in patients with auto-inflammatory diseases. He was also the first to demonstrate a critical role of TL1A/DR3 in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation, and recent clinical trials have shown that blockade of TL1A signaling is effective in patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. More recently, Dr. Cominelli has developed strong expertise in nutrition, gut microbiome, and colonic tumorigenesis research by investigating the composition and function of the gut microbiome in humans and murine models of IBD and colitis-associated cancer.
Dr. Cominelli has published over 200 original articles and has extensive editorial experience. He has served as an Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member for several Journals, including The Journal of Immunology, Gastroenterology, Digestive and Liver Disease, The American Journal of Physiology, Translational Research, and others. He has been the Editor-in-Chief of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (2106-2024. Dr. Cominelli has also been an outstanding mentor, training more than 150 individuals, many of whom are independent investigators or academic leaders in Gastroenterology.
Dr. Cominelli is also a highly respected clinician with strong expertise in developing clinical programs for diagnosing and treating patients with digestive diseases. He has conceived and created one of the first multi-disciplinary Centers of Excellence in Digestive Health at UVA and the Digestive Health Institute at Cleveland Medical Center, University Hospitals of Cleveland. He has been named “American Top Doctor” in Gastroenterology by Castle Connonly Medical Ltd for the last 24 years (2001-2025).
Daniel Stone, Treasurer
Daniel Stone is one of the co‐founders of Ionic Capital Management LLC, a multi-strategy alternative asset manager, where he oversees the firm’s interest rate, currency, and credit strategies. He has over 25 years of experience managing relative value and arbitrage funds across asset classes.
Mr. Stone was formerly a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager in the US and European Volatility and Credit Arbitrage Group at Highbridge Capital Management. He joined Highbridge in 1996 and traded convertible bonds, equity, interest rate and credit derivatives.
Mr. Stone earned an AB in Economics magna cum laude from Harvard College.
Jeffrey W. Mittleman, Secretary
Jeffrey W. Mittleman is an attorney in the Healthcare Section of Holland & Knight. He is also co-leader of the firm's Healthcare & Life Sciences Industry Group and the Healthcare Regulatory and Enforcement Practice Group. He practices in the areas of health, regulatory and corporate law.
With more than 25 years of experience, he represents clients in a variety of sectors within the healthcare industry, including health plans (both fully and self-insured), PPOs, HMOs, insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmaceutical manufacturers (including a number of companies specializing in oncology medicine), medical device companies, retail pharmacies, long-term care pharmacies, specialty pharmacies, infusion pharmacies, compounding pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, wholesale drug distributors, dialysis companies, e-health, disease management and healthcare technology companies.
Mr. Mittleman counsels clients in a variety of corporate and contractual transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing, financing and services-related transactions. He also advises clients on fraud and abuse issues including the Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark Law and the Corporate Practice of Medicine, and the structuring of compliance and ethics programs, Medicare, Medicaid, ERISA, HIPAA, licensing, state insurance and managed care law. In addition, Mr. Mittleman has significant experience advising health plans in connection with the drafting of plan documents, ASO contracting and other regulatory issues.
Mr. Mittleman represents private equity firms in connection with investments in portfolio companies that are engaged in the healthcare and life sciences industries. He guides private equity clients through every stage of an acquisition, from evaluation of the opportunity and due diligence to deal structuring and negotiation to closing. Mr. Mittleman has published several articles and spoken at conferences regarding various health law issues, including compliance, fraud and abuse, pharmacy law, drug distribution and managed care.
Mr. Mittleman holds various leadership positions within the firm, including serving on the firm's Directors Committee. From 2007-2017, he served as the Boston office Public & Charitable Services Partner and from 2009-2017, he served as the co-chair of the Boston office's Diversity Committee.
NATIONAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Noël Brown
Noël Brown is a Managing Director and U.S. Head of Biotechnology Investment Banking at RBC Capital Markets. He is responsible for leading the biotechnology team which advises on a broad range of strategic and corporate finance solutions for both public and private biotechnology companies. Mr. Brown is a highly experienced advisor drawing on over 20 years in investment banking having executed IPOs, follow-ons, convertible debt, private placements of both debt and equity, venture capital, and mergers and acquisitions as both sellside and buyside advisor. He currently serves on the Healthcare Advisory Board of the Partnership Fund for New York City and Co-Hosts RBC Capital Markets’ podcast, Pathfinders in Biopharma, which provides Wall Street perspectives on the biotech industry.
Mr. Brown received his MBA with a concentration in Financial Management from the MIT Sloan School of Business where he was a Sherburne Fellow, his LL.B. from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, and his B.A. from the University of Western Ontario where he was a neuro-oncology research associate and co-authored work published in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
John Capodilupo
John Capodilupo is President of Synex Medical, Inc a health technology startup on a mission to build the first FDA cleared non-invasive blood glucose monitor by developing novel techniques based on nuclear magnetic resonance. Before working at Synex, John dropped out of Harvard College to co-found Whoop, Inc, whereas CTO he led technical teams to develop innovative technologies for wearable health and performance optimization.
John additionally shares his passion for and experience with early-stage startups by advising and investing in numerous companies utilizing science and technology to bring new products to market. John is a Venture Partner at the venture capital firm, Accomplice, and an active angel investor.
John was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2016 and first got introduced to the Foundation by participating in a Take Steps Walk a few days after leaving the hospital after his first flare. He lives in Boston, MA with his wife and daughter.
Chase Carpenter
Chase Carpenter is the Chief Information and Product Security Officer for Honeywell. Chase joined Honeywell in 2019 to establish a high performing, risk-based security organization that can keep Honeywell safe from all manners of threats and attacks. He is responsible for various aspects of security across the company—securing customer facing products and services, safeguarding Honeywell’s internal IT systems, data, and infrastructure, and providing physical security to protect people and facilities.
Prior to this role, Chase spent 20 years at Microsoft in a variety of security related roles, including consulting, development of security technologies and products, running product security for Windows and Xbox, and providing full security responsibilities to protect the Windows, Devices, and Gaming organizations, including protecting some of the world’s largest services. Before Microsoft, Chase worked at a variety of companies including Hewlett Packard, Yum Foods, BellSouth, and built an internet service provider from the ground up.
He is active as a governing body member for the Evanta CISO community helping provide security education for companies in the southeast. Chase is also a board member for Sandia National Laboratories and works with several non-profit organizations, including a previous role as the President of the Northwest Chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Chase holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Chase lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife Olivia, and two children, Tyson and Faith. Their family has very close ties to the organization. Chase’s wife, her brother, and her mother have all been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Most recently, Chase and Livi’s son Tyson was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis and is actively being monitored for Crohn’s as well.
Rocio Castrillon
With over 20 years’ experience in advertising, branding and integrated marketing, Rocio Castrillon is a multilingual strategic marketing professional with a commitment to attain business goals, drive sales growth and effectively communicate brand and value proposition through strategic marketing tactics. Demonstrating unparalled mental fortitude, she has consistently attained success in the advertising industry, achieving remarkable results with ambitious objectives while navigating demanding circumstances. In her personal pursuits, she remains unwaveringly committed to her goals, demonstrating unmatched resilience in the face of challenges. She utilizes her fluency in Spanish and French, combined with her marketing background, in her professional career to focus on global initiatives, as well as in her advocacy work to expand and pioneer patient accessibility to quality IBD information, resources, and research initiatives, with a focus on diversity.
Ms. Castrillon’s commitment to excellence is underscored by her academic background, holding a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), with an emphasis in Marketing and International Business, with minors in French and Spanish from the University of San Diego. She furthered her education by obtaining a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Global Business from Pepperdine University.
Shortly after her diagnosis with Crohn’s disease in 2008, after 5 years of living undiagnosed, Ms. Castrillon became passionately involved as a volunteer with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation through fundraising, advocating, and mentoring. She has completed multiple half marathons with Team Challenge, fundraised with spin4 crohn’s & colitis cures, and has received recognition as a Take Steps Honored Hero, as she continues to lead as a Take Steps Team Captain. She established and currently facilitates the first Spanish IBD support group and moderates the Hispanic/Latino online community. These experiences allow her to address the unique needs of diverse IBD communities through trust, camaraderie, and ongoing support. Her commitment to inclusivity extends to all her advocacy efforts, where she bridges language barriers and ensures her advocacy resonates with the diverse IBD population in both English and Spanish through her social media and beyond.
Ms. Castrillon has actively participated in multiple National and Chapter task forces and committees for the Foundation since her diagnosis. Her involvement has helped fortify the relationship between scientists, researchers, clinicians, and patients alike, propelling the Foundation’s mission forward while serving as a Stakeholder Reviewer for the Foundation’s research initiatives. She is also a Consumer Reviewer for the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.
Additionally, Ms. Castrillon is an Associate Editor for Crohn’s & Colitis 360 - a peer-reviewed, online-only, open access journal - where she published her first editorial in 2023. She actively uses her patient perspective on IBD panels and public speaking engagements and is a contributing health writer for Everyday Health. She was also selected to be in the pilot cohort of IBD patient influencers through the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) in 2023.
Originally born in Peru, Ms. Castrillon currently resides in Orange County, California, where she continues to channel her diverse experiences and unwavering dedication into making a positive impact both professionally and through consistent patient advocacy. You can follow Rocio’s advocacy efforts through her social media handle - @VoiceForIBD.
Alfredo Cepero, CPA
Alfredo N. Cepero is an assurance principal with the international accounting firm of BDO USA, P.C (BDO) with more than 35 years of experience in public accounting. He has spent his entire professional career in Miami currently with BDO and previously with a Big Four accounting firm. Alfredo leads BDO’s strategic business development and market growth initiatives in Florida. He also has extensive experience serving both public and privately held companies in a variety of industries including media, professional services, retail, distribution and manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare. This experience includes independent audit services, due diligence procedures as well as assisting companies with financial and operational issues. Alfredo is involved in all phases of accounting and auditing, mergers, consolidations and reorganizations.
Alfredo is a Past National Past-President and Board Member of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), a 100,000 plus member organization focused on the professional growth and development of Latino professionals and students. He is a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Alfredo is past Chairman of the Florida International University (FIU) College of Business Executive Dean’s Alumni Circle as well as a past Chairman of the FIU School of Accounting Advisory Board and past member of the FIU College of Business Dean’s Council.
He was active for many years coaching youth soccer with the local American Youth Soccer Association (AYSO) and served as local board member as well.
Alfredo has been involved in the Southern Florida Chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation since 2014 serving in various capacities and is consistently one of the highest fundraising teams in the annual Miami Take Steps Walk.
He earned his Bachelors of Accounting degree from Florida International University (FIU) in 1988 and his Masters of Accounting from FIU in 1990. He has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1990.
Alfredo has been married to his wife, Marlene for 31 years and has three children, Alfredo (26), Alejandro (24) and Carolina (20).
Deborah Crawford
With over 25 years of experience and interest in the healthcare field, Deborah Crawford spent her formative years with McKinsey & Company. As a consultant in the healthcare, insurance and energy industries, she primarily focused on strategic analysis and cost reduction. Prior to McKinsey, Deborah worked with Deloitte consulting with an emphasis on streamlining operations. In addition, she was Executive Director of Red {an orchestra}, an early stage, non-profit organization.
Active in the community, Deborah currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Clinic as Vice Chair of the Research & Education Committee and as a member of the Finance Committee. She also serves as a Trustee of Hathaway Brown School, where she is a member of the Executive Committee and Chairs the Strategic Horizons Task Force. Previously, Mrs. Crawford served on the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Foundation Board as Vice President of the Board, as member of the Executive Committee, Treasurer and Benefit Co-Chair.
Mrs. Crawford received her MBA degree with honors from the University of Chicago and Bachelor of Science degree with honors from Miami University.
Becky Flaherty
Becky Flaherty is the Regional Vice President of Satell Institute, the leading CEO organization dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility. She is an accomplished executive with a remarkable track record of leadership and innovation in the non-profit sector. With a passion for making a positive impact on her community, Becky has dedicated her career to driving organizational growth, promoting diversity and inclusion, and achieving meaningful results.
Previously Becky served as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh, a Quality Award winning BBBS agency. Under her leadership, the agency not only optimized efficiency but also increased its operating budget by 27%, to $6.4 million in assets.
In addition, Becky served as the Executive Director of Shady Lane, Inc., where she revitalized the mission of the 55-year-old institution. She championed the adoption of an innovative early childhood education model that embraced social emotional learning, inclusion, anti-racism, and community partnership, resulting in a 20% increase in enrollment and a diversified funding stream.
Becky's commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion is further demonstrated by her tenure as Vice President of Marketing and Development at Vibrant Pittsburgh. During her time there, she successfully expanded the corporate membership base, securing vital partnerships and increasing the organization's sustainability. She also pioneered a young advisors group dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the region.
Additionally, as the Chief Advancement Officer/Consultant at the Marilyn G. Rabb Foundation/Odysseus Foundation National, Becky led the organization through a successful rebranding process, diversified funding streams, and offered valuable consultation services to other national non-profit organizations.
Becky is a proud alumna of Carlow University, holding a Master of Science in Professional Leadership with a specialization in Training and Design. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business/Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing. Her impressive academic achievements are complemented by her experience as an adjunct faculty member at Carlow University, where she shared her knowledge in change management and organizational development.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Becky is a proud graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh’s class 39. Becky has recently been appointed to the National Board of Directors of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and also serves locally as the Western PA Vice Chair. Becky also sits on the Board of Nurture PA and has served on the Board of the National Veterans Art Museum based in Chicago where she led the marketing committee.
Becky resides in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband, two teenage daughters, mother-in-law and her energetic Labrador retriever! They like spending time outdoors, star gazing on clear evenings, and most recently enjoyed spending time driving from Anaheim, CA to Seattle, WA and hiking at Mt. Rainier.
Becky’s career and personal commitments reflect her unwavering dedication to making a positive impact on her community, promoting diversity and inclusion, and driving success in the non-profit sector. Her visionary leadership and ability to navigate challenging circumstances make her a true asset to any organization she serves.
Cheryl Guerin
As Executive Vice President, Global Brand Strategy & Innovation of Mastercard, Cheryl Guerin leads the overall stewardship of one of the world’s most iconic and recognizable brands. A passionate and accomplished marketer, Cheryl oversees the strategy and activation of Mastercard’s highly decorated Priceless campaign, advancing the brand to consumers and B2B audiences through cutting edge advertising, media, digital marketing and innovative insights that inform and inspire new opportunities for the business.
Cheryl recently led the launch of several innovations and platforms, including the True Name® card, which was globally recognized with a Cannes Lion Grand Prix in 2021. She spearheaded the Strivers Initiative supporting small businesses, Priceless Cities and Priceless Surprises experiences, as well as Priceless Causes’ Stand Up To Cancer program. The initiative has generated seven FDA-approved drugs.
During her tenure at Mastercard, Cheryl has held several senior marketing positions, including leading North America Marketing & Communications, U.S. Marketing and Global Digital Marketing. She also oversaw all products and services for North America and separately led the Global Credit Products business.
Prior to Mastercard, Cheryl worked on the advertising agency side at Bates Worldwide and Bozell, where she drove marketing strategy and execution for major brands across multiple categories, including consumer packaged goods, travel, consumer electronics, B2B and financial services.
Cheryl is a Clio, Effie and WARC awards juror and serves on the Board of Directors for The Advertising Club of New York, Ronald McDonald House NYC, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Westchester/CT and Women in Payments. She was named to Brand Innovators 2022 Top 100 Women in Brand Marketing list, Advancing Diversity.org Hall of Honors, Yahoo Finance OUTstanding Ally Role Model list, and the Moves Power Women list. Cheryl also received the Women in Payments “Change Agent” Award.
Cheryl earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business. She lives in Westchester, NY with her husband and two sons.
Kevin J. Harlen, MSPH, FACHE
Kevin Harlen has been a prominent member of the Washington Metropolitan Area medical community and has served in leadership positions across the region for nearly 30 years. He initially joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center in 1994 for an 11-year tenure, serving as part of the executive team in his position as Vice President of Professional Services followed by the position of Vice President of Strategic Planning and Business Development. From 2006 to 2008, he served as Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Hospital Alliance, a nonprofit organization formed in 2002 in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks to organize a regional hospital preparedness program.
After completing his work with the Northern Virginia Hospital Alliance, Mr. Harlen served as Chief Operating Officer of Capital Digestive Care from its founding in early 2008 until 2019 managing operations and leading the expansion of this independent GI practice from 50 to 130 providers. He then served as President of PE Gastro Management from its founding in August 2019 until January 2021. PE Gastro Management is a Management Services Organization formed through a partnership of Capital Digestive Care and Physicians Endoscopy. He served as President of Specialty Networks / GastroGPO from April 2022 until December 2022.
He remains an advisor to Specialty Networks. He also served as Executive Director of Digestive Health Physicians Association (DHPA) from its founding in February 2014 until January 2023. DHPA is a trade association comprised of 105 independent gastroenterology (GI) physician practices across the country with the aim of promoting and preserving accessible, high quality and cost-efficient care in the independent GI medical practice setting. The DHPA’s member practices include more than 2,500 gastroenterologists and other physician specialists who provide care for over 2 million people annually.
An active community member, Mr. Harlen is President of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Washington D.C. / Maryland / Virginia Chapter Board of Trustees and has served as Chair of Take Steps for the region for the past decade. He is also the President of the Infinity Legacy Board of Directors. Infinite Legacy, founded in January 2023 through the merger of Washington Regional Transplant Community and Living Legacy Foundation, is a non-profit organ procurement organization serving almost 10 million people in Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. Infinite Legacy facilitates organ, eye and tissue donation and educates people about the critical importance of registering to be a donor. Infinite Legacy works with 68 hospitals and eight transplant centers to decrease the number of people waiting for a lifesaving transplant.
Kevin holds Bachelor of Arts degree from Middlebury College and Masters of Science in Public Health from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill.
Kevin is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Member of the Medical Group Management Association, Member of the American Public Health Association, and a Member of the American Gastroenterological Association.
Ugonna Iroku, MD
Ugo Iroku, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist with clinical expertise in providing care to patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, completed his residency in Internal Medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) – Cornell University, and his fellowship in Gastroenterology at NYPH – Columbia University. Additionally, Dr. Iroku holds a Master of Health Science from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and completed executive business training through the PCEO program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Dr. Iroku serves as an Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and is a practicing gastroenterologist at Summit Health in New York City. He is a co-founder of the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH) and plays a pivotal role in community and professional education. He is the medical moderator of The Huddle, a monthly community meeting for IBD advocates and caregivers, and moderator of a healthcare provider roundtable on best practices in IBD care for diverse populations. He also serves as the IBD expert for Inside Tract, a community educational series aimed at underserved populations.
Dr. Iroku has contributed to national medical practice guidelines for the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and has been featured in prominent media platforms, including NPR’s Life Kit, WIRED Magazine’s Tech Support series, Business Insider’s Debunked series and in March 2025, will feature on a health panel at South by Southwest (SXSW). He is also a member of the medical editorial board for SELF magazine and serves on the medical advisory board of Color of Gastrointestinal Illnesses (COGI).
Kelly Issokson MS, RD, CNSC
Kelly Issokson is the Clinical Nutrition Coordinator at the F. Widjaja Inflammatory Bowel Disease Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, California. Kelly provides nutrition therapy to children and adults in the IBD clinics, including the Nutrition & Integrative IBD Subspecialty Clinic with Dr. Eric Vasiliauskas, and The Prehabilitation Subspecialty Clinic with nurse practitioner Andrea Banty. She is the Course Director and Apprenticeship Director of the newly minted Cedars-Sinai Advanced Dietary IBD Education and Training (DIET) Program.
Kelly earned her M.S. degree in Nutrition and completed her dietetic internship at California State University in Northridge, California. Kelly presents research and serves as an expert voice on panels at conferences and medical centers around the country. Recent speaking engagements include University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology & USC Keck School of Medicine, American College of Gastroenterology, Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo, FOOD: The Main Course, and a Visiting Professorship at the University of Chicago.
Kelly is the Associate Editor of Nutrition at the Crohn's & Colitis 360 online open-access journal. Kelly has published research investigating knowledge gaps within the IBD nutrition community, and best practices for screening and managing patients with malnutrition. Kelly’s current research focus is on the nutritional optimization of surgical patients with IBD. Kelly has also co-authored a chapter in Women’s Health in IBD on “The Role of Diet, Nutrition, and the Microbiome in Women with IBD.”
Kelly has been volunteering with the Foundation since 2013. She has been the Take Steps Team leader at Cedars-Sinai since 2016, she ran the Napa to Sonoma Team Challenge event in 2016 and the Vegas Team Challenge event in 2018. She has served on the Los Angeles local chapter as a member and co-chair (2019-2022) and is the chair of the Southwest Regional Education Committee (2022-2025). She also serves on the NSAC Patient Education Committee, Advocacy Committee, and Ingestible Taskforce Committee (2018-2024). Kelly regularly speaks at local support groups and always enjoys the opportunity to connect with the IBD community.
David Johnson
Dave Johnson is a seasoned healthcare executive and board leader in the medical technology sector, recognized for guiding global organizations and advancing innovation in patient care.
He previously served as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors at Convatec, a global leader in advanced wound care and ostomy technologies. In this role, he oversaw operations across 43 countries and led a workforce of more than 8,000 employees. Dave has also held CEO roles at Alliqua Biomedical and Enveric Life Sciences, and has served on the boards of Omni Life Sciences, Alliqua Biomedical, Enveric Life Sciences, Advanced Medical Balloons, and ENvue Medical.
His commitment to industry leadership and public service is further reflected in his board service with AdvaMed, the Medical Device Industry Association, and The United Way.
Dave is deeply dedicated to the mission of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and to improve the quality of life for those affected. His involvement with the Great Comebacks Program, in partnership with the Foundation, profoundly shaped this commitment, as did the experiences of close friends living with Crohn’s and colitis.
A graduate of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton, Alberta, Dave is also a Fellow of The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Kathy, have three grown children—Angela, Lindsay, and Brian—and seven grandchildren. They divide their time between Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Naples, Florida.
Sandra Kim, MD
Sandra Kim, MD, a nationally recognized expert in pediatric and adolescent inflammatory bowel diseases, is the chair of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Kim is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Inteflex (Integrated Pre-medical/Medical) Program. She completed her general pediatrics residency and pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at the Baylor College of Medicine and research post-doctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina Center for GI Biology and Disease under the mentorship of Dr. Balfour Sartor.
Dr. Kim’s clinical and research interests focus on pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases, including transitioning of care and quality improvement in pediatric IBD, patient advocacy, and the impact of the gastrointestinal microbiota in IBD. Her research has been funded by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and the NIH/NIDDK.
As a reflection of her dedication to her profession, Dr. Kim was awarded the 2011 and 2018 Rosenthal Awards and a 2020 Uniting to Care and Cure Award for her leadership in patient education and advocacy by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. She has also been awarded recognition in prior faculty roles at the Ohio State University for her commitment to patient care and medical student education (Gold Humanism Award and AOA).
Dr. Kim has been an active member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation over the past 25 years. She was a past chair for the Government Affairs and Pediatric Affairs committees for the Foundation’s National Scientific Advisory Committee (NSAC). She recently completed her term as board president for the Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia chapter of the Foundation (2021-2022). She currently is a member of the Northern Ohio Chapter Board of Directors.
She is actively involved in professional and patient advocacy organizations in addition to her work with the Foundation. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Improve Care Now (ICN), a national pediatric IBD quality improvement network and is also the past co-chair of the Health Equity committee and a member of the Community Council. In addition, she is on the NASPGHAN (North American Society first Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition) Foundation Board of Directors and is completing her term on the Public Affairs and Advocacy committee. Finally, she serves on the Medical Advisory Board for the Crohn’s and Colitis Young Adult Network (CCYAN).
Audra Miller
Audra Miller is the President & CEO of Stratus TMS, Inc., a software development company that provides technology solutions that are focused on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Audra also serves as Head of Operations for Cockerham & Associates, LLC., a diversity and inclusion consulting firm that helps companies develop and monitor their long-term SMART goals, including strategic drivers, metrics, and action plans.
Audra’s career includes experiences in manufacturing environments at Ford, General Motors and Britax Child Safety where she balanced the requirements of team initiatives with requirements of collective bargaining agreements and strategic priorities. She leverages her process, technology, and strategy skills to help organizations develop, achieve, and sustain mission-based objectives.
Audra has volunteered in supporting initiatives at the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation as a passionate advocate and patient. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from The Georgia Institute of Technology.
Elizabeth Orgel
Elizabeth Orgel brings more than 25 years of experience in strategic communications and marketing, beginning her career in journalism as a reporter and producer before moving into senior communications roles at Oracle and leading public relations firms. She has advised executive teams on corporate positioning, media strategy, investor relations, and growth through periods of transformation, and later worked as an independent communications advisor. Elizabeth also became a partner at a small, women-backed venture capital group focused on seed and early-stage companies, where she evaluated investments and supported portfolio company growth.
Active in the nonprofit community, Elizabeth has served on numerous boards, with a long-standing and deeply personal commitment to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation since 2010. She served as President of the Board of the Foundation’s New England Chapter from 2020–2026 and currently serves on the National Development & Advancement and National Advocacy Committees. Her dedication to the Foundation is shaped by the diagnosis of two of her three children at ages 6 and 16.
Elizabeth holds a master’s degree from Northeastern University’s Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. A Boston native, she lives in a nearby suburb with her husband, Rob; they have three adult children.
Sandra Quezada, MD
Sandra Quezada, M.D., M.S., AGAF is Associate Dean for Admissions, Associate Dean for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion, and Professor of Medicine in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Her overlapping clinical and research interests focus on the management of inflammatory bowel disease and how this intersects with social drivers of health. She is Co-Chair of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Equity Project, DEI Section Editor for the Gastroenterology journal, and Co-Principal Investigator for the NIH R-25 funded AGA FORWARD Program providing career development opportunities for early career underrepresented gastroenterologists.
Dr. Quezada received her undergraduate degree from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, and her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She completed her internal medicine residency and GI fellowship training at the University of Maryland and Baltimore VA Medical Center. In addition, Dr. Quezada earned a Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition at the Institute of Human Nutrition at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health in Baltimore.
She is passionate about equity in academic medicine and gastroenterology, and has worked locally, regionally, and nationally to amplify physician workforce diversity, and to impact the climate in which future and current physicians train and practice. She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the Gold Humanism Honor Society, recipient of the AGA Distinguished Service Award for Diversity and Inclusion, and of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Healio Disruptive Innovator Health Equity Award.
Dr. Quezada has collaborated with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation on several initiatives to optimize high quality care for all patients with IBD. She served on the Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation National Scientific Advisory Committee, and is currently member of the Diversity and Inclusion Workgroup as part of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Accelerating Enrollment in IBD Clinical Trials initiative. Through the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Dr. Quezada helped develop a Spanish-language IBD educational video, and has presented Spanish language IBD educational webinars for patients. She has always felt extremely committed to her patients with IBD, and with a recent IBD diagnosis in the family she is even more grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation National Board of Trustees.
Lori Siegel Rabinowitz
Lori Siegel Rabinowitz combines over 20 years of experience in capital markets (5 years) and financial planning experience (15 years) to serve an exclusive clientele of private business owners, corporate executives, and other high net worth individuals, as well as endowments and foundations. She works with these clients to develop strategies that address a broad array of investment, pre-transaction planning and philanthropic planning matters.
Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Lori was a banker within J.P. Morgan Private Bank, advising high net worth individuals and institutions on a variety of investment and wealth transfer issues. Earlier in her career, she spent several years at Citi Private Bank and Citi Smith Barney, and worked within the fixed income and equity derivatives divisions of Lehman Brothers and Deutsche Bank, respectively. Lori graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with honors, with a B.A. in international affairs and French from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. While attending university, Lori also matriculated at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. Lori holds a Certificate in Financial Planning from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University. She is a graduate of the Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
Outside the office, Lori is extremely active in her community. She volunteers at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey and supports the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and Roots and Wings, an organization dedicated to providing teens who have aged out of foster care with tools they need to succeed such as housing and career advice. Lori resides in Westfield, New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.
Armin A. Rahmanian
Armin currently serves as President of OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital and OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital. In this executive leadership role, he is responsible for translating strategy into execution to ensure that the communities served have access to the highest quality healthcare, associates have the resources and support they need to deliver on promises and a culture where providers want to practice medicine.
Prior to this role, Armin served in a variety of senior leadership roles at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, most recently as Chief Operating Officer of the Richard M Ross Heart Hospital and Associate Executive Director for University Hospital. In these senior leadership roles, Armin was responsible for daily operations within both hospitals, as well as a leadership role for key strategic centers of excellence, including Surgical Services, the Heart and Vascular Center and the Center for Critical Care. Prior to assuming these roles, Armin served in a leadership role at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago with oversight for Surgical Services.
Armin completed his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience & Biopsychology at Oberlin College and completed his Master of Health Administration degree at The Ohio State University. He completed a post-graduate Administrative Fellowship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He is actively engaged in the local community, serving on the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Board, volunteering with Dublin City Schools and a variety of Dublin youth sports programs. Armin is married and is the proud father of two children.
Megan Riehl, PsyD
She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Michigan. In her clinical practice she offers state-of-the-art care to those with digestive conditions. She is the clinical program director of GI Behavioral Health at Michigan Medicine where she has a full-time clinical practice, leads GI behavioral health trainings and provides peer consultation. She also holds several leadership positions within Michigan Medicine committed to the areas of wellbeing and professional development. Dr. Riehl is passionate about developing innovative educational programming to improve access to integrative care for patients with GI conditions and serves in several consultation roles to advance this mission.
Dr. Riehl is an actively involved member of various professional GI organizations and is a member of the national board of trustees with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. She is recognized as a Fellow with the American Gastroenterological Association. Her research and clinical expertise have led to several peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, invited commentaries and a co-authored book titled Mind Your Gut: The Science-based, Whole-body Guide to Living Well with IBS. She has been invited to speak internationally about her areas of expertise as well as on Sirius XM Doctor Radio, NPR and several well-known podcasts and television. Together with world renowned, digestive health expert Kate Scarlata, she co-hosts The Gut Health Podcast where these enthusiastic health care advocates discuss all aspects of gut health with other leading experts in the field. When it comes to self-care, Dr. Riehl loves to hop on the Peloton for classes featuring 90s and 2000s rap or get outside for fresh air and adventures with her family.
Jonathan D. Rose, MD, PhD
Philanthropist Jonathan D. Rose, M.D., Ph.D., is a steadfast champion and friend to the scientific research community, supporting a diverse array of research projects at leading institutions across the country. Dr. Rose has been a visionary funder of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s research program since 2019.
Earning his M.D. from Rush Medical University, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo, and an M.S. in Forensic Sciences from National University, Dr. Rose’s professional and academic experiences are impressive in both breadth and depth.
A true scholar with a passion for learning, Dr. Rose has not only achieved exceptional academic accomplishments, but has also pursued interests in technology and science. This has led him to receive numerous certifications and robust credentials in medical research, patient care, fire science, forensics, private investigations and security consulting, and medicolegal forensics.
Andrew Stern
Andrew Stern is the global co-leader of the Securities and Shareholder Litigation team at Sidley Austin, one of the world’s largest law firms. Andy focuses his practice on securities litigation and litigation relating to mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance issues, and proxy contests. These matters frequently involve allegations of violations of the federal securities laws and common-law fiduciary duties, breaches of merger agreements, as well as claims of market manipulation and antitrust violations. He has tried cases in state courts and the federal district and bankruptcy courts, as well as in arbitration forums in more than 10 states.
Andy is a senior editor of the Enhanced Scrutiny blog, where the Sidley team provides timely updates and thoughtful analysis on M&A and corporate governance matters from the Delaware courts and, on occasion, from other jurisdictions. Andy also is the co-author of the Securities Litigation chapter of Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts, the Fifth Edition, which was published in 2020 and is updated annually.
Such leadership on behalf of his clients has not gone unnoticed. Andy has been recognized in Chambers USA from 2014 to 2023 in Litigation: Securities where interviewees have stated that “he is incredibly strategic, extraordinarily knowledgeable in class actions and delivers excellent client service,” adding “his advice is always spot on.” Benchmark Litigation also has named Andy a “Litigation Star” (2015–2024).
Andy and his wife and two adult children have been active in the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation for many years and Andy previously served as a National Trustee from 2015 to 202
Douglas Wolf, MD
After graduating from Duke University, Dr. Wolf completed medical school, as well as his internship and residency at the West Virginia School of Medicine in Morgantown. During his fellowship in gastroenterology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio, Dr. Wolf began his research on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). He then joined the full-time faculty at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta for eight years prior to going into private practice.
For more than two decades, Dr. Wolf has focused his medical career on the evaluation and management of IBD – both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. His ongoing clinical research covers many aspects of these diseases, including advancements in diagnostic testing, treatments with biologics and new small molecules, as well as the use of colonoscopy and nutritional therapy. As a primary IBD care physician, he is actively involved in the development of shared decision-making practices between both patient and physician.
Dr. Wolf is a frequent lecturer on IBD to gastroenterologists nationally and internationally and was recently interviewed by CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, for an IBD segment on the network’s Vital Signs program. In addition, he regularly participates in patient education programs and IBD awareness events around Metro Atlanta, such as Camp Oasis, Take Steps, and Team Challenge.
Dr. Wolf is an active member of numerous professional medical organizations and holds several leadership and committee appointments – most notably with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Since 2012, he has served on the foundation’s National Scientific Advisory Committee. He has also co-chaired committees for professional education, professional membership, and government and industry relations. For the foundation’s Georgia chapter, he currently serves on the Board of Trustees and has previously served as committee chair of both the chapter’s medical advisory and education committees. In addition, Dr. Wolf also serves as Georgia’s representative on the Board of Governors for the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), along with being Georgia’s councilor and southeastern representative for the ACG.
Dr. Wolf joined Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates in 1994, and he serves as both Director of IBD Research and as Medical Director for the practice’s Center for Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis.