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International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations

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  • Support for PALS & CALS
    • Fundamental Rights for People with ALS/MND and Caregivers
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      • AB Science – Masitinib
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      • Nuedexta
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    • Drugs No Longer in Development
      • Amylyx – AMX0035
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Governance Committee

The role of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations’ Governance Committee is to review and report to the Board on items and areas within it’s remit and to develop and monitor procedures to ensure the organization’s legal and regulatory compliance.

Co-Chairs

Mary-Ellen Bench

Mary Ellen Bench advises on land use planning and municipal affairs at StrategyCorp. She has over 30 years of experience in municipal public service, mostly in leadership roles, where she was often engaged on project teams outside of the traditional legal role because of her practical approach to achieving solutions that work for all parties. has actively participated in many governance reviews and has sat on many not-for-profit boards based in Canada and the United States.  Mary Ellen also holds the Certified In-House Counsel (CIC.C) designation from the Canadian Corporation Counsel Association and the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

Marcela Santos

Marcela SantosMarcela is a Psychologist with Masters in Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities. Her dad lived with ALS for 16 years, and she was one of his primary caregivers. Her dad had a very positive outlook on ALS and the way he embraced it was passed to his daughter. Her father, Alfredo Santos recently passed away on February 8th 2020. She has dedicated all her academic and professional life to the care of people with disabilities in Colombia in public and private entities and NGOs. She has been a volunteer psychologist providing psychotherapy at no cost to PALS and their CALS in Colombia since 2014. Besides her academic history and professional experience, the personal experience with her dad, allows her to give a much more meaningful care to PALS & CALS.

Committee Members

Calaneet Balas

Calaneet Balas became CEO and President of The ALS Association in December 2017. She joined the organization in June 2016 as the Executive Vice President of Strategy, leading all three mission areas, including global research, public policy and care services, which work in an integrated fashion to find a cure, advance treatments and enhance the quality of life for people living with ALS. Calaneet joined the Board of Directors of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations in December 2017. Calaneet was elected Chair in December 2018.

Laura Freveletti

Laura Freveletti is Chief Executive Officer of the Les Turner ALS Foundation. She comes to the ALS field with 30 years of experience in executive leadership, most recently as senior program officer at The Allstate Foundation. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to driving social impact via strategic planning, fundraising, and innovative programming, with experience as a senior fundraising executive at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago and Lyric Opera of Chicago, as well as service as board president of the Sudden Infant Death Services (SIDS) of Illinois. Having lost her brother-in-law to ALS, she is committed to advancing research and improving care for the ALS community.

Michele Messmer Uccelli

Michele has a Masters in Disability Studies from the University of Leeds. She has over 25 years of experience in research and project development promoting empowerment in health at national and international levels working nin the United States and in Italy. Her broad experience includes advocacy, stakeholder engagement and social health research. For many years she was Director of Client & Healthcare Professional Programs and Professional Education at the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Society. Michele has participated in numerous international working groups and committees in the field of neuroscience. She continues to promote patient involvement in healthcare as a consultant to major Italian hospitals in the fields of oncology and neuroscience. She is the author of numerous scientific publications. Michele has several years of experience as a volunteer in an Italian hospice dedicated to ALS and oncology

Clare Sullivan 

A woman with short brown hair smiles, wearing a black blazer over a gray top, against a light background.Clare Sullivan is a results-oriented leader with over 20 years’ experience in leadership and advocacy across a range of sectors including health, community, infrastructure and government. Clare is driven to make Australia a better place to live and to improve the lives of Australians in her professional and personal life.

Clare comes to the role of CEO of MND Australia having delivered significant policy change, billions of dollars in funding programs and greater engagement for a diverse range of organizations. She now oversees millions of dollars in research funding while supporting State Associations in service delivery to improve the lives for people living with ALS/MND, and their families and caregivers.

Drawing on her experience as a CEO, Chief of Staff and senior executive, Clare is driven to deliver strong results for MND Australia, working to continually improve the care and support services
available for people living with ALS/MND while relentlessly pursuing a cure.

Riccardo Zuccarino

Riccardo Zuccarino is a doctor specialized in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Since his specialization he has been involved in the rehabilitation management ofneuromuscular diseases.Riccardo Zuccarino is a doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation in Italy. Since he became specialized, he has been involved in the rehabilitation management of neuromuscular diseases. He came to the field of hereditary neuropathies and neuromuscular diseases, and collaborated in the design of several rehabilitation studies dedicated to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and ALS/MND. He currently works with the outpatient and home management of people living with ALS/MND.

Since 2015, he has been one of the AISLA experts and clinical consultants, which responds to the needs of people living with ALS/MND or their families through one of the dedicated Listening Center of the Italian Association of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (AISLA). He has also been part of the NeMO Clinical Centers since 2011 as Physiatrist Manager at the Arenzano office, and the Clinical Director of the NeMO Trento Clinical Center since 2021.

He is a member of the Inherited Neuropathy Consortium, the Peripheral Nerve Society, and the European Reference Network. He also spent two years spent in the USA, from 2018 to 2020, at the University of Iowa, where he coordinated an international research group regarding a hereditary peripheral neuropathy, known as Charcot Marie Tooth. 

Primary Sidebar

About

  • Who We Are
  • Board of Trustees
  • Advisory Councils/Committees
    • PALS and CALS Advisory Council
    • Innovation and Technology Council
    • Scientific Advisory Council
    • Advocacy and Public Policy Forum
    • Research Directors Forum
    • Governance Committee
    • Finance Committee
  • Staff
  • History
  • Archives
    • Newsletters
    • Meetings
  • Awards

  • Alfredo Santos, Diagnosed 2013 , ACELA, Colombia

    Alfredo Santos, Diagnosed 2013 , ACELA, Colombia

  • Wiebke Braach, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke, Germany

    Wiebke Braach, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke, Germany

  • Paul Launer, USA

    Paul Launer, USA

  • Marcelo Farinelli, Diagnosed 2006, ABrELA, Brazil

    Marcelo Farinelli, Diagnosed 2006, ABrELA, Brazil

  • Monica Soriano, Diagnosed 2011 ,  Asociación ELA , Argentina

    Monica Soriano, Diagnosed 2011 , Asociación ELA , Argentina

  • Kris Van Reusel, Belgium

    Kris Van Reusel, Belgium

  • Zabun Nassar, MND Association, Diagnosed 2016, England

    Zabun Nassar, MND Association, Diagnosed 2016, England

  • Glen Elison,  ALS Hope Foundation,  Diagnosed 2019,  USA

    Glen Elison, ALS Hope Foundation, Diagnosed 2019, USA

  • Hanne Stenmose, Muskelsvindfonden, Denmark

    Hanne Stenmose, Muskelsvindfonden, Denmark

  • Emilienne Verhaegen, ALS Liga Belgium, Diagnosed 2014

    Emilienne Verhaegen, ALS Liga Belgium, Diagnosed 2014

  • Hans Dieter Olszewski, Diagnosed 2010 , DGM, Germany

    Hans Dieter Olszewski, Diagnosed 2010 , DGM, Germany

  • Claudia Cominetti, Associazione conSLAncio Onlus,  Italy

    Claudia Cominetti, Associazione conSLAncio Onlus, Italy

  • Shera Mukherjee, Diagnosed 2013,  Asha Ek Hope Foundation, India

    Shera Mukherjee, Diagnosed 2013, Asha Ek Hope Foundation, India

  • Chih Ching Darren Wong, MND Malaysia

    Chih Ching Darren Wong, MND Malaysia

  • Juvenal Bayona Romero

    Juvenal Bayona Romero

  • Roy

    Roy
    roy

  • Hollister

    Hollister
    hollister

  • Norm MacIsaac,  ALS Society of Canada,  ALS Society of Quebec,  Diagnosed 2014

    Norm MacIsaac, ALS Society of Canada, ALS Society of Quebec, Diagnosed 2014

  • Armando González Gómez, ACELA, Colombia

    Armando González Gómez, ACELA, Colombia

  • Margreth Burger-Saile, Diagnosed 2011,  ALS Schweiz,  Switzerland

    Margreth Burger-Saile, Diagnosed 2011, ALS Schweiz, Switzerland

  • Purningam Jacob, Diagnosed 2012 , Asha Ek Hope Foundation, India

    Purningam Jacob, Diagnosed 2012 , Asha Ek Hope Foundation, India

  • Jan Zuring, Diagnosed 2010 , The Netherlands

    Jan Zuring, Diagnosed 2010 , The Netherlands

  • Christian Bär, Germany

    Christian Bär, Germany

  • Lombana, Spain

    Lombana, Spain

  • Phil Rossall, MND-Association, UK

    Phil Rossall, MND-Association, UK

  • Bruno Leanza Mantegna, Diagnosed 1999 , AISLA Onlus, Italy

    Bruno Leanza Mantegna, Diagnosed 1999 , AISLA Onlus, Italy

  • Michel Perrozzo, ARSLA, Diagnosed 2015, France

    Michel Perrozzo, ARSLA, Diagnosed 2015, France

  • Kirsty Gerlach, MND New Zealand, Diagnosed 2017

    Kirsty Gerlach, MND New Zealand, Diagnosed 2017

  • Natalya Rybakova, Russia

    Natalya Rybakova, Russia

  • Art Eggert, USA

    Art Eggert, USA

  • Fabio Correia

    Fabio Correia

  • Susan Keldani, Les Turner ALS Foundation, USA

    Susan Keldani, Les Turner ALS Foundation, USA

  • Jason Goodman, Les Turner ALS Foundation, USA

    Jason Goodman, Les Turner ALS Foundation, USA

  • Dad

    Dad

  • Irene McCaughey, Diagnosed 2011,  MND Australia

    Irene McCaughey, Diagnosed 2011, MND Australia

  • Dr Shelly Hoover

    Dr Shelly Hoover

  • JP

    JP

  • Shay Rishoni, Diagnosed 2011 , Prize4Life, Israel

    Shay Rishoni, Diagnosed 2011 , Prize4Life, Israel

  • unnamed

    unnamed

  • Tammy Moore and Eddy Lefrancois

    Tammy Moore and Eddy Lefrancois

  • Animesh Kumar, Diagnosed 2013 , Asha Ek Hope Foundation, India

    Animesh Kumar, Diagnosed 2013 , Asha Ek Hope Foundation, India

  • John Dinon, MND Australia

    John Dinon, MND Australia

  • Guido De Mets, Belgium

    Guido De Mets, Belgium

  • Liam Dwyer, England

    Liam Dwyer, England

  • Ian and Teresa Roberts

    Ian and Teresa Roberts

  • Camilla Heiberg Freiberg, Muskelsvindfonden, Denmark

    Camilla Heiberg Freiberg, Muskelsvindfonden, Denmark

  • Richard Clark, MND New Zealand,  Diagnosed 2011

    Richard Clark, MND New Zealand, Diagnosed 2011

  • Claire Garry, USA

    Claire Garry, USA
    20200117_214643

  • Angela Jansen, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke e.V.-DGM, Diagnosed 1995, Germany

    Angela Jansen, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke e.V.-DGM, Diagnosed 1995, Germany

  • Jean

    Jean
    jean

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