Board of Directors

San Francisco, CA

David McNinch is an executive in the biopharma industry with extensive experience in orphan diseases. Over his 20 plus year career he has worked with a number of large and small companies including AstraZeneca, Novartis, Genentech, and InterMune. He is currently Chief Business Officer of Encoded Therapeutics, a gene therapy company focused on development of transformative genetic therapies for pediatric epilepsies and neurodevelopment disorders. David has worked on the development and commercialization of drugs for orphan diseases including Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, acromegaly, and cystic fibrosis. He served on the Board of Trustees for the Huntington's Disease Society of America from 1999 - 2006. David is a native South Carolinian and graduate of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.

New Castle, NH

Laurie is a partner at Vigilant Capital, LLC. From 2002 through early 2013, she served clients as both a relationship manager and wealth planner. Prior to joining Vigilant, Laurie was a senior vice president in the private clients group of Fleet Boston Financial for 18 years. Laurie earned her MBA from Southern New Hampshire University, is a Certified Financial Planner™ and a graduate of the Cannon Financial Institute for Trust, Estate, and Financial Planning. In addition to her role with the PFF, Laurie serves as the co-chair of the Patient Family Advisory Council of Portsmouth Regional Hospital. Previously, she served as a board trustee of Southern New Hampshire University, a board member of the Northern New England Financial Planning Association, and as a chair of the Estate Planning Council of New Hampshire. She was also a founding member and chair of the Women’s Business Center, a chair and advisory board member of Families First of the Greater (NH) Seacoast, a chair and treasurer of the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women, and a trustee of the Crotched Mountain Foundation. Laurie is a graduate of the 2006 Leadership NH program. In 2002, Laurie was honored with the Small Business Administration’s New Hampshire Women in Business Advocate of the Year Award. She was the recipient of the PFF’s Ralph Howard Legacy Award in 2021 for her efforts in patient advocacy and Board leadership.

New York City, NY

Terence Hales is a corporate real estate executive based in New York City. He has over 20 years of industry experience and has worked for a number of global Fortune 100 companies including Time Warner, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, CBS Corporation, and Pfizer Inc. In his previous roles he was responsible for real estate strategy, transaction management, and cost efficiency. Terence is currently the Director of Global Real Estate for Zoetis Inc., the former Pfizer Animal Health Division. Mr. Hales is the founder of the NYC Run-Walk-Hike for Pulmonary Fibrosis, which has raised more than $400,000 toward PF research and patient services. Mr. Hales’s father was diagnosed with PF and subsequently underwent a successful double-lung transplant in 2007, surviving for 13 years post-transplant. Mr. Hales was previously a board member of the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, where his work included lobbying members of congress to support research funding for pulmonary fibrosis. Mr. Hales has a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Masters of Business Administration from Fordham University.

Wheaton, IL

Martin Attwell’s family has been deeply affected by pulmonary fibrosis as both his father and father-in-law passed away from the disease. Martin became involved with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in 2014 and currently serves on the Finance Committee. He was a key member of the Strategic Planning Committee that developed the PFF 2020 Strategic Plan. His family has been strong supporters of the PFF Walk since its inception and he has been a frequent attendee at the PFF Summit, Annual Volunteer Meeting, and Broadway Belts for PFF!.

Martin has worked in the Energy and Health Insurance sectors for more than 30 years. He began his career as a Software Engineer in London. He had a long career with BP and Amoco in various roles in Finance, IT and Organizational Change in the UK and the US where he led many large-scale process improvement and organizational change projects. Most recently, he was Director of Organizational Effectiveness at Health Care Service Corporation.

He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, Law Degree from the University of London, and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Imperial College, London. He is certified as both a Project Management and Change Management professional. He currently lives in the Chicago area with his wife, Colleen. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, collecting antique maps, and supporting his favorite “football” team Chelsea FC.

San Francisco, CA

George Eliades is Senior Vice President for Corporate Development and the Chief Transformation Officer for Jazz Pharmaceuticals.  He brings significant global management consulting expertise from his 15 years at Bain & Company, where his work focused on biotech and pharmaceuticals industries. He has worked across multiple therapeutic areas, with deep expertise in oncology, neurology, endocrinology, ophthalmology, respiratory, and several other specialty categories. Dr. Eliades' nonprofit work has included support for the merger integration of CHI and BayBio into the California Life Sciences Association, and is currently a member of the board and the compensation committee for Oyster Point Pharma. He has also led work with the American Society of Retina Specialists, focusing on helping the ASRS membership grow their practices in an era of declining reimbursements. Publications include “Healthcare 2020”—a perspective on the key trends shaping the global healthcare market and “Opportunities in integrated care for pharma and biotech.” Dr. Eliades graduated magna cum laude with highest honors from Harvard College where he received a Bachelor of Arts. He also holds a Master of Arts and PhD from Harvard University.    

Dr. Fang’s focuses on translational medicine, integrating a background in basic science and biomarker research with patient management experience for the development of multivariate diagnostic algorithms for clinical decision-making. He was Chief Medical Officer for private and public biotechnology companies focused on the accelerated translation of biomolecular advances and technologies into products with high clinical impact. Dr. Fang was also a physician-scientist at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he provided patient care in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine with independent NIH RO1-supported basic science research. Dr Fang continued practicing in the USCF ILD Clinic on a voluntary basis as a service to patients and community physicians for 10 years after his transition into biotechnology.

New York City, NY

Julie Halston is an actress with a long list of theatrical and television credits. She began her career co-starring in the comedy plays of Charles Busch in the 1980s, and was a founding member of his theatre company, Theatre-in-Limbo. In 1992 she wrote and performed a series of one-woman shows, Julie Halston’s Lifetime of Comedy, which eventually earned her a CBS network development deal for a sitcom pilot. In the late 1990s and 2000s she appeared in a steady stream of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows including The Man Who Came to Dinner (2000), Hairspray (2002), Gypsy (2003), Anything Goes (2012), and Tootsie (2019). She has received the Richard Seff Award for her portrayal of Gay Wellington in You Can’t Take It With You (2014). She also has numerous film and TV credits. She earned her BA in Theatre Arts from Hofstra University. 

Julie’s husband Ralph Howard, celebrated and veteran radio news anchor, was diagnosed with PF in 2008. He received a life-extending lung transplant 2010, but ultimately lost his battle in August of 2018. Julie is the host of the largest PFF fundraiser Broadway Belts for PFF!, which has raised over $2M since its debut in 2011. Julie recently launched a new half-hour comedy talk show, Virtual Halston, during the COVID-19 2020 pandemic, and has used the show in part to encourage support of the PFF.

Evanston, IL

Jeff Harris is an officer and shareholder of the Chicago law firm of Figliulo & Silverman, P.C. His business litigation practice of nearly 40 years includes matters relating to construction, commercial real estate, corporate and partnership disputes, professional liability and fiduciary duties.

In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Harris is President of the Mary D. Harris Memorial Foundation, which he founded in 1998 following the death of his wife from pulmonary fibrosis; current member and former Chair of the Board Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, former Chair of the Board of the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis; and Vice-President of LAH Oil, Inc. In 2005, he received the Frank Cabral Humanitarian Award from the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis in recognition of his contributions to furthering education, patient support and research regarding the disease.

Mr. Harris received his undergraduate degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and his Juris Doctorate from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

Menlo Park, CA

Susan Jacobs is a research nurse manager in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine as well as a nurse coordinator in the Interstitial Lung Disease Program, both for Stanford Medical Center; she has been with Stanford since 1998. She is also an assistant clinical professor with the UCSF Graduate School of Nursing. Her primary area of interest is improving symptom management for patients with chronic lung disease.

From 1996 to 1998 she served as project manager for an NIH grant studying Dyspnea with UCSF, and from 1991 to 1996 she was manager and clinical coordinator for the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at Seton Medical Center. From 1988 to 1991 she was a pulmonary nurse specialist and study coordinator for Veterans Hospital Medical Center. She served as an educational coordinator in the Cardiothoracic Surgical ICU at Stanford Medical Center (1982-1986) after receiving her MS in Pulmonary Nursing in 1982 from UCSF; prior to this she was a critical care nurse at Providence Hospital (1975-1976) and Sequoia Hospital (1976-1982). She received her BS in Nursing in 1975 from California State University at Chico.

Susan is lead author on the first national patient survey of almost 2000 supplemental oxygen users in the US.  She is also lead author on the recently published ATS clinical practice guideline on Home Oxygen Therapy for Adults with Chronic Lung Disease.  Susan collaborates with policy makers and advocacy groups to address care gaps for patients using supplemental oxygen. She received the National LAM Foundation Leader award in 2014, Outstanding Clinician Award from the California Thoracic Society in 2016, and the ATS PAR Award of Excellence in 2020. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (2019). Susan serves on the PFF Medical Advisory Board, has served as faculty for the PFF Summit since its inception in 2011, and has been an active member of the Summit Program Organizing Committee since 2016.

Heather Kagel lives in northern New York and has been engaged with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation since 2015. A retired attorney and Privacy Compliance Professional, Heather is a PFF Ambassador Emeritus and started a Dallas walk called Ready. Set. Breathe. That walk has since become the PFF Dallas Walk and continues to raise substantial funds for the PFF.

Heather was diagnosed with IPF with a TERC mutation in 2013. In 2016, she was diagnosed with, and beat, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), representing another complication arising from her genetic mutation. Thankfully, and with much gratitude to her donor, in October 2019, Heather received a double lung transplant at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. 

Heather is also on the Board of Directors of Team Telomere, whose focus is on patients with telomere biology disorders (TBDs). Heather is passionate about raising awareness of, research for, and supporting those with pulmonary fibrosis and TBDs. Through awareness campaigns, fundraising activities, and speaking with patients, medical providers, and pharmaceutical companies, Heather continues to work to better the lives of, and treatments for, those with these life-threatening diseases.

Heather lives with her husband Rick and their dog Huckleberry. She loves cheering on her children Mitchell (26) and Samantha (24) as they live active and healthy lives.

Wethersfield, Connecticut

PJ Kamani is the CEO of ABC Language Services, a language services provider based in Connecticut.    Prior to starting this venture in 2001, PJ was involved in other B-to-B service enterprises in partnership with a Canadian company.  Earlier in his career, he managed the Francophone Africa loan portfolio for Equator Bank, a subsidiary of HSBC Bank. 

With a family long afflicted by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, PJ has lost two siblings and a parent to the disease.  He, himself, has recently been diagnosed with the disease. 

With a long history of volunteerism, PJ has been a member of the PFF Finance Committee since October 2019 and joined the Board in March 2021.  Prior to this, he served on the Finance Committee of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP – BeTheMatch) for 8 years (chairing the Committee for two) and on the Board of Directors  of the NMDP for  8 years.

PJ received his Bachelor’s Degree from the Haile Selassie I University in Ethiopia and his MBA from the Harvard Business School. 

Making Connecticut his home with his wife Sonia, PJ is an avid NE Patriots fan and enjoys traveling and books. 

Rochester, MN

Dr. Limper has long been involved with the PFF. He is currently serving as Chair of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee, Chair of the Medical Advisory Board, and is past-Chair of the former Scientific Advisory Committee, which is now the Research Review Committee (RRC). He has also been actively involved in each of the PFF Summits and has served on the committee to peer-review all academic abstracts for poster presentation and award selection.

Dr. Limper is with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and studies lung defense and elimination of fungal infections, such as pneumocystis pneumonia, in patients with impaired defense systems. Dr. Limper and his team seek to find new ways beyond traditional antibiotics to prevent and fight lung infections in these individuals.

Additional research interests focus on interstitial lung diseases and pulmonary fibrosis. Dr. Limper's laboratory studies the causes and mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis in an effort to identify new drug combinations that may be beneficial for patients with these disorders.

In 2017, Dr. Limper was named the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery Associate Dean of Practice Transformation. In this role, he leads a team highly focused on the science of care delivery, not simply on anecdotal evidence. Using innovative pilot projects, novel methodologies combined with patient-centered approaches, and robust data mining and management technology, the team works closely with Mayo Clinic practice to discover new ways to improve health and the way people experience health care.

Erin McGarry is a Chief Financial Officer focusing on financial performance, building scalable solutions for accounting, financial planning, analysis and operations of a company. She has experience with mergers and acquisitions and equity raises in healthcare companies. Ms. McGarry currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of EdgeIQ in Boston. Her husband suffers from systemic scleroderma and interstitial lung disease. Ms. McGarry is motivated to help raise awareness and funding for this devastating illness.

Devi Kumar-Nambiar is an experienced in-house attorney with a wide breadth of legal and business experience. She is Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of CPS Energy in San Antonio. Ms. Kumar-Nambiar is respected and trusted by peers and leaders to provide reasonable and solution-oriented counsel while building strong team relationships. Her husband, Dr. Anoop Nambiar, is the Founding Director of the Center for Interstitial Lung Disease at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Ms. Kumar-Nambiar secured a partnership with the San Antonio Legal Services Association to assist the San Antonio Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group with help on a variety of documents and directives related to their care. 

Dr. Pan is a physician-scientist executive with experience in clinical practice, managed care, physician group management, healthcare quality improvement, healthcare information technology, chronic care management, enterprise sales and marketing and more. Dr. Pan wants to transform the way in which healthcare products and services are delivered and reimbursed to improve patient outcomes. He is Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer for Salusive, Inc. in Emeryville, Calif. There, Dr. Pan is responsible for managing clinical operations and formulating corporate strategy as well as working with the business development team. Previously, Dr. Pan was Medical Director and Health Economist for Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.

Charlotte, NC

Pat Rosa is a Senior Vice President with Wells Fargo & Company. Pat has 21 years of experience at Wells Fargo in the Operational Risk Management and Information Security fields. She performs key roles contributing to the firm’s governance and oversight responsibilities. Pat is an active member of the PFF’s Development Committee since 2017.  Pat’s personal experience with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) was with her late husband, Tony Rosa, who passed away from the disease in October 2007. Pat has made it her personal mission to support the cause in finding a cure and looks forward to contributing to the Board in this endeavor.

Pat has a B.A. in Psychology and Education from College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, NY. She has a Master’s in Education in Reading, Language and Literacy from University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). Pat has been a volunteer with the non-profit organization Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region (HPCCR) since 2009. Pat lives in Charlotte, NC. Pat is an avid reader and yoga practitioner. She has one daughter, Stephanie, a Golden doodle named Chloe, and a black cat named Luna.

Chicago, IL

William T. Schmidt was named President & CEO of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) in August 2017. In this role, Mr. Schmidt is responsible for the overall management and direction of the Foundation, which is the leading national organization that mobilizes people and resources to provide access to high quality care, and leads research for a cure so people with pulmonary fibrosis will live longer, healthier lives. Prior to joining PFF, for twelve years he was CEO of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, the largest non-governmental source of funding for retinal degenerative disease research in the world.

Mr. Schmidt has had extensive experience as a senior executive for a number of high-profile and respected health research advocacy organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF).  An honors graduate of Amherst College, Mr. Schmidt also received his J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law and completed the Kellogg Graduate School of Management’s Executive Development Program.