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The People We are a small but mighty bunch that is blooming with passion for girls suffering from Rett Syndrome. We are always looking to add to our team. Please contact us if you would like to get involved!
GP2C Team and Board
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Founder and Executive Director  Ingrid Harding, mother of a daughter with Rett Syndrome, founded Girl Power 2 Cure, Inc. in May 2006. She wanted to find a way to engage young girls with their special needs peers after watching wonderful bonds form between her own daughter and her classmates in school.
Ingrid hopes Girl Power 2 Cure, Inc. will bring mainstream awareness of Rett Syndrome and help raise the millions of dollars it will take to cure tens of thousands of suffering girls.
Ingrid is also the co-founder and a Trustee of the Rett Syndrome Research Trust. Prior to Girl Power 2 Cure, Inc., Ingrid was CEO Program Director for PlayhouseRadio.com, an Internet children’s music station.
Ingrid works from her home in Florida where she resides with her husband Peter and three children: Pierce (14), Sarah (11) and Gretchen (9).
visit Sarah's page
email Ingrid
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Family Support Coordinator  Kelly Butler is an invaluable part of our organization here at Girl Power 2 Cure for over four years. Kelly has a heart a million miles wide and has helped make GP2C what it is today. Her daughter Brooklyn is seven years old and was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome shortly after her second birthday.
Kelly hopes that hundreds of families and friends of girls with Rett Syndrome will get involved in GP2C events to raise the desperately needed funds to continue Rett Syndrome research -- research Kelly knows will lead to the discovery of a cure for these amazing girls.
Prior to Girl Power 2 Cure, Inc., Kelly was the Associate Director of Admission at Trine University (formally Tri-State University). Kelly works from her home in Indiana where she lives with her daughter Brooklyn and son Boston.
visit Brooklyn's Page
email Kelly
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Program Coordinator 
Cynthia brings over 15 years of experience in marketing, community building, and fundraising for the non-profit and healthcare sectors. Her diverse background includes working with various national organizations such as the YMCA, United Way, AmeriCorps and the Alzheimer’s Association. She is extremely excited to join Girl Power 2 Cure and bring her passion for helping others, as well as her unwavering spirit, to raising awareness for Rett Syndrome.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University with a double major in Psychology and Sociology. Cynthia has a proven commitment to serving others and has been praised for her strong leadership skills, caring demeanor, and community involvement.
Cynthia and her husband, Carlo, reside in St. Augustine, Florida with their three children- Carlo (5), Ava (3) and Aidan (1). email Cynthia
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RettGirl.org Coordinator  Bridget MacDonald has served on our Mother’s Advisory Board for several years, and is now our RettGirl.org Coordinator. She is passionate about Rett Syndrome and doing everything she can to bring a cure to the thousands of girls affected. A busy mother of three, her middle child, Annie, has Rett Syndrome. She home schools Annie and is active in all of her children’s schools and extracurricular activities.
Bridget graduated from Western Michigan University in 1999 with a B.A. in Nutrition. She worked as a clinical, registered dietitian at William Beaumont Hospital and was a program director at the American Diabetes Association prior to motherhood. She lives in Michigan with her husband, Scott, and children: James (8), Annie (7), and Grace (5). visit Annie's page
email Bridget
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Board Chairman Director of Training & Development Safeguard Business Systems, Inc., Irving, TX
 Roger is a member of our Board of Directors. He has worked extensively in the retail, restaurant, and franchise arenas designing and developing training for corporations. Roger lives in Irving, Texas, with his wife and two beautiful daughters; Juliana, who has Rett Syndrome, and Olivia.
His wife, Kristy, serves on Girl Power 2 Cure's Mothers' Advisory Board.
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Board Treasurer Vice President, Sales & Marketing, MSC Care Management  Pam brings to the GP2C board over 20 years experience in sales, marketing and business development in a variety of industries including distribution and healthcare services. She has supplemented her business experience with various personal development and community service opportunities, having previously served on the board of a local non-profit, The Housing Partnership of NE FL and as an alumnus of the 2007 class of Leadership Jacksonville. Pam lives in Saint Johns, FL just south of the city limits of Jacksonville, with her two kids and two dogs.
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Board Secretary  Emilie is our newest member! She lives the life of a special needs mother who is trying to find the perfect balance between all her children. She is very active in the school communities of her three children and raises awareness for Rett Syndrome wherever she goes!
Emilie always wants her daughter with special differences to feel like she "belongs" and to have friendships like her peers. Everything she does for her, is with this in mind. Emilie recently started Camp Amica, a summer camp for girls in their neighborhood, so Anna Cate can spend time with her typical peers.
Emilie graduated from Mary Washington College in 1998 with a B.A. in Sociology.
Emilie lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and their three children Anna Cate (who lives with Rett Syndrome), Betsie and Eli.
visit Anna Cate's page
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Board Member Senior Vice-President, The Capital Group Companies  A graduate of Davidson College, Prem is an Investment Analyst at The Capital Group Companies. He spent 10 years working in their Singapore office, and currently lives and works in Los Angeles with his wife, Susan, his son, Matthew, (and two dogs)! He serves as a Trustee at Davidson College, and is also on the Board of Project Life, a group dedicated to engaging college students as bone marrow donors.
"Ingrid (GP2C Founder) and her husband Pete's commitment to making sure that their daughter Sarah lives as a normal a life as possible, integrating into the fabric of the every day, has humbled and motivated me over the years. The prospects of working towards a cure, and the hope of a better tomorrow for all Rett families is my reason for trying to help in what ever capacity I can."
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Board Member Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Turfer Athletic  Jennifer joins us with over decade of experience in merchandising
and marketing. She currently works as
the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Turfer Athletic with a focus on
national programs. Jennifer learned
about Rett Syndrome and Girl Power 2 Cure through her very close college
friends, Roger and Kristy Brooks, parents of a little girl who has Rett Syndrome, Juliana. Jenn lives with her husband Jack and Chihuahua
Jackson in Alexandria, VA.
“I am honored by the opportunity to be part of such an amazing organization. The spirit of these girls is an inspiration and the families that support them set an example for us all to follow.”
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Board Member
 Jennifer is a stay-at-home mother of three children, who’s youngest, Ysabel, was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome on April 3, 2008. Before motherhood, she worked in the retail industry for a few years then spent 5 years at ING Barings in New York City before leaving to continue her degree in Nutrition. She graduated with a BA in Physical Fitness Management from Marymount University in Arlington, VA. Jennifer is devoted to her family, friends, and helping in any way she can to find a cure for Rett Syndrome. Her strength, determination, and love shine through in her day-to-day care for Ysa, and the hours spent at numerous therapies to provide Ysa with the best tools and ability to grow and succeed. She lives in NJ with her husband Tony, three children, Colin (11), Ellie (9), Ysabel (6) and their dog, Finn. “I am very honored and excited to be working with such a wonderful group of people who are so dedicated to helping us find a cure for Rett Syndrome. I dream of the day when Ysa calls me ‘mommy,’ and I can watch her run with her big brother, sister and Finn.”
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Board Member  We welcome Rett Dad Wally Trester, to the GP2C Team. Wally, a manager with Hussmann, lives in Texas with his wife Ronda and two children: Deven and Courtney, who suffers from Rett Syndrome.
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Board Member  Mary brings over 25 years of professional experience in the field of clinical social work with a specialization in chronic health issues. Part of this time has included working for the Epilepsy Foundation of America and the Florida Department of Health. She has extensive experience counseling and treating persons with seizures and other chronic health issues. She complements her counseling work with 18 years of management in the field of public health, currently working as division director of preventive and intervention programs and as the agency quality improvement coordinator.
Mary is inspired by her niece Hannah who lives with Rett Syndrome. Hannah is the daughter of her brother Greg and sister-in-law Karen. Hannah touches so many people daily with her smiles and warmth!
Mary is excited to bring her passion, knowledge and skills to GP2C!
mothers advisory board
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 "Hope is an anchor to the soul". Girl Power 2 Cure has given me hope that someday I will get my daughter back. I am so excited to be involved and I will try to do what I can for Anna and for all the girls who are trapped and want to fly!!!! I love my new Rett family and can't wait to celebrate all the research that is being done because of them and their efforts. I am a blessed stay at home mom of six amazing kids!
Rhea is also our Canadian representative. Her daughter is Anna.
visit Anna's page
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"I truly believe our family was meant to be a part of this incredible journey to find a cure. We feel so blessed to be Juliana's parents. Our girls are amazing and they teach us everyday about what is important in life; love, compassion, patience and inspiration. I feel so honored to have been chosen. Girl Power 2 Cure will make it happen! Go Girl Power!"
Kristy is a First Grade Bilingual Teacher and mother of two in Texas. Her daughter is Juliana. visit Juliana's page
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 "Being Oaklynn's mom has been amazing. She has taught me so much more than I could ever teach her. These girls are so inspirational and deserve to live the life they have always wanted. Being a part of the Girl Power 2 Cure community has been great. I am so grateful my sister found it shortly after Oaklynn's diagnosis. It has brought me hope, encouragement, strength, and love. Let's help find these girls a cure!"
I thought I would teach my daughter about the world, it turns out I need to teach the world about my daughter. They see a little girl who can't talk, I see a miracle who does not need words! -Mom of 2 girls and owns a vinyl business in Arizona. Daughter is Oaklynn.
visit Oaklynn's page
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 "Girl Power 2 Cure has given me a place to come for support and for help. I have been encouraged to become a voice for not only my daughter Emma, but for all girls suffering with Rett Syndrome. Together we can and will make a difference!"
Jen is a music teacher and mother of two in New York. Her daughter is Emma.
visit Emma's page
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"Brynn has truly made us believe in hope. Hope is a wish in your heart of good things to come. We know her sunshine will come as long as we continue to believe. We ARE believers! We joined Girl Power 2 Cure for support and to help contribute in finding a cure for all of the sweet angels whom suffer from Rett Syndrome."
Kristin is a stay at home mother to 2 beautiful children in Columbus, OH. visit Brynn's page
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“I am so excited to be working with Girl Power 2 Cure! I have a feeling that some exciting things are going to be happening very soon in the Rett world! Rett Syndrome is what McKenna has, but it is NOT who she is. Living with Rett Syndrome really helps me put my life into perspective. I have learned what is truly important.”
Shelley has a BA in Special Education, a Master’s degree in Reading, and she is currently working on a second Master’s degree in ESL.
Shelley has been a special education teacher for 23 years. She teaches in an inclusive classroom, and she has presented on inclusion at Rett conferences in Illinois. She lives in Plano, Illinois with her husband, Jim, and their three children, McKenna (17 RS), Bryson (12), and Braylon (4).
visit McKenna's page
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 "When my daughter Emma was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome at the age of four, there was so much hope and excitement because the gene had been found. To cope with my grief at the time, I set an expectation for a cure to be found by the time Emma turned 10. When we reached that milestone in 2009, I found myself grieving all over again.
An invite to a Rockin' for Rett event turned those feelings around into a more positive energy. From that moment, my hope was revived and I knew I needed to do more. Girl Power 2 Cure is an amazing organization full of caring, strong, hopeful individuals. Together we will make all of our daughters' lives better until the day that cure is found. With Girl Power 2 Cure, I now have the support I need to make it through to whenever that day may come!"
Kelly is the Deposit Services Supervisor at a large Credit Union in PA, where she has worked for 18 years. Her daughter is Emma.
visit Emma's page
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"I joined Girl Power 2 Cure after we learned of our daughter, Laura's diagnosis of Rett Syndrome in March of 2007. Since then we have learned so much from her and we believe she was sent to us to teach us so much about love, patience, and life. Girl Power has given us a place to go to for help and be a part of an incredible journey."
Tina is a high school music teacher in Tucson, AZ. Her daughter is Laura.
visit Laura's page
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 "When Sophia was diagnosed with Rett in 2006 I was overwhelmed by the (lack of) positive information available, lack of knowledgeable doctors, and the statistics that were presented in regards to quality, and quantity of life. I felt there was little hope, and so little to believe in.... It was years later when I learned of Girl Power to Cure, and our lives were forever changed. I learned that there was HOPE! That we were not alone, and that together~ we CAN make a difference. A simple invite for Rockin' for Rett gave me an insight to who and what GP2C was really all about. Strangers welcomed us into their home, shared meals with us, and treated us like family. My son learned that there are kids, all over the world with a Rett sister~ just like him. Through Girl Power we all formed friendships, and found a place to turn to for strength, guidance, advice, and support. Girl Power is a symbol of strength and courage. It's flower, a simple reminder that if we believe, anything is possible. I am honored to be a part of this organization, and am looking forward to meeting and helping other families on this journey." Mimi lives in Indiana with her son Calen and daughter Sophia.
visit Sophia's page
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