• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations

  • Members' Login
  • Contact
  • Join the Alliance
  • Donate
  • What is ALS/MND
  • Find a Member Association
  • Support for PALS & CALS
    • Fundamental Rights for People with ALS/MND and Caregivers
    • Research
      • Voice Preservation
      • Open Science
      • Expanded Access
      • Understanding ALS/MND Research
      • Improving Regulatory Pathways
      • Right to Try
      • US FDA Orphan Drug Designation
      • Unproven (Off-Label) Treatments
      • Open Label Extension
    • Advocacy
      • Advocacy Toolkit
      • Emergency Preparedness Toolkit
      • Equitable Access to Therapies
      • Recommendations for Trial Sponsors
    • Clinical Care
      • Genetic Counselling & Testing
      • Mental Health Support
      • Nursing and Symptom Management
      • Nutrition and Swallowing
      • Occupational Therapy and Activities of Daily Living
      • Physiotherapy and Mobility
      • Respiratory Care
      • Speech Therapy and Communication
      • Support for Family & Caregivers
      • Technology
      • Global Clinic Locator
    • Drugs in Development
      • AB Science – Masitinib
      • BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics – NurOwn
      • Clene Nanomedicine – CNM-Au8
      • Collaborative Medicinal Development – CuATSM
      • ILB – Tikomed
      • Kadimastem – AstroRx
      • Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America – Oral Edaravone
      • Neuronata-R/Lenzumestrocel
      • NeuroSense – PrimeC
      • Neuvivo – NP001
      • Prilenia Therapeutics – Pridopidine
      • SOD1 Therapies & Trials
      • T Regulatory Cell Therapies
      • Ulefnersen – Ionis Pharmaceuticals
    • Approved Drugs
      • Nuedexta
      • Radicava/Edaravone
      • Riluzole/Tiglutik
      • Rozebalamin/Methylcobalamin
      • Tofersen/Qalsody
    • Drugs No Longer in Development
      • Amylyx – AMX0035
      • Collaborative Medicinal Development – CuATSM
      • Cytokinetics – Reldesemtiv
      • Orphazyme – Arimoclomol
      • TUDCA Trial
  • Support for Health Professionals
    • Breaking the News in ALS/MND
    • Diagnostic Delay (in development)
  • Events/Programs
    • Calendar of Events/Programs
    • Alliance Meeting
    • Allied Professionals Forum
    • Alliance Webinars
    • ALS/MND Connect
    • Global Day Calendar
    • March of Faces
    • Patient Fellows Program
    • Global CRLI
    • International Symposium
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • ALS/MND Health Literacy Map
    • Board of Trustees
    • Advisory Councils/Committees
      • Scientific Advisory Council
      • PALS and CALS Advisory Council
      • Innovation and Technology Council
      • Advocacy and Public Policy Forum
      • Research Directors Forum
      • Governance Committee
      • Finance Committee
    • Staff
    • History
    • Archives
      • Newsletters
      • Meetings
    • Awards
      • Forbes Norris Award
      • Humanitarian Award
      • Allied Health Professional Award
      • Student Innovation Award
  • Members
    • Member Registration
    • Forgot Password

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

  • Philip Brindle,  MND Association,  Diagnosed 2015,  England

    Philip Brindle, MND Association, Diagnosed 2015, England

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

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

  • Oliver Juenke, DGM, Germany

    Oliver Juenke, DGM, Germany

  • Natalya Rybakova, Russia

    Natalya Rybakova, Russia

  • Frank "Papa" Taylor

    Frank “Papa” Taylor

  • Mary Thomas, Diagnosed 2013 , MND Australia

    Mary Thomas, Diagnosed 2013 , MND Australia

  • Fabrice Kamp, Germany

    Fabrice Kamp, Germany

  • Frank "Papa" Taylor, USA

    Frank “Papa” Taylor, USA

  • John Dinon, MND Australia

    John Dinon, MND Australia

  • Brian Lovell, Diagnosed 2011 . MND Australia

    Brian Lovell, Diagnosed 2011 . MND Australia

  • Ana María Zavala, FYADENMAC, Diagnosed 2019, Mexico

    Ana María Zavala, FYADENMAC, Diagnosed 2019, Mexico

  • Maria Lucia Wood Saldanha, Associação Pró-Cura da ELA, Brazil

    Maria Lucia Wood Saldanha, Associação Pró-Cura da ELA, Brazil

  • Willi Klein

    Willi Klein

  • Steve Lufkin, USA

    Steve Lufkin, USA
    IMG_3993

  • Zelina Brito, Diagnosed 2018, Brazil

    Zelina Brito, Diagnosed 2018, Brazil

  • Olga Cosentino, Diagnosed 2013,  Asociación ELA Argentina

    Olga Cosentino, Diagnosed 2013, Asociación ELA Argentina

  • Verónica Isabel Castro Molina, Diagnosed 2014, Argentina

    Verónica Isabel Castro Molina, Diagnosed 2014, Argentina

  • Steven Spencer, Diagnosed 2014 , MND New Zealand

    Steven Spencer, Diagnosed 2014 , MND New Zealand

  • H. Todd Kelly, Diagnosed 2013 , ALS Hope Foundation, USA

    H. Todd Kelly, Diagnosed 2013 , ALS Hope Foundation, USA

  • Steven Gallagher, Canada

    Steven Gallagher, Canada

  • Diana Fernandez, Diagnosed 2009 , Asociación ELA Argentina

    Diana Fernandez, Diagnosed 2009 , Asociación ELA Argentina

  • Karl Hughes, Diagnosed 2010 , IMNDA,  Ireland

    Karl Hughes, Diagnosed 2010 , IMNDA, Ireland

  • Jose Espinosa, Argentina

    Jose Espinosa, Argentina

  • Dr Shelly Hoover

    Dr Shelly Hoover

  • Catherine Pearce, Australia

    Catherine Pearce, Australia

  • Dorette Lüdi, Diagnosed 2014 , ALS Schweiz, Switzerland

    Dorette Lüdi, Diagnosed 2014 , ALS Schweiz, Switzerland

  • Cassio Fernando da Silva, Diagnosed 2013 , ABrELA, Brazil

    Cassio Fernando da Silva, Diagnosed 2013 , ABrELA, Brazil

  • Alfredo Santos, Diagnosed 2013 , ACELA, Colombia

    Alfredo Santos, Diagnosed 2013 , ACELA, Colombia

  • Valdomiro Xavier Honório, Brazil

    Valdomiro Xavier Honório, Brazil

  • Robbie Caliste, UK

    Robbie Caliste, UK

  • Inta Grubb, Diagnosed 2014,  MND Australia

    Inta Grubb, Diagnosed 2014, MND Australia

  • MNDaSG Group PALS & CALS, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Singapore (MNDaSG)

    MNDaSG Group PALS & CALS, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Singapore (MNDaSG)

  • Oliver Juenke, Germany

    Oliver Juenke, Germany

  • Soledad Rodriguez, FUNDELA, Diagnosed 2013, Spain

    Soledad Rodriguez, FUNDELA, Diagnosed 2013, Spain

  • Wilfried Leusing

    Wilfried Leusing

  • IMG_1211

    IMG_1211

  • Greg Heydet, ALS Hope Foundation, USA

    Greg Heydet, ALS Hope Foundation, USA

  • Claire Garry, USA

    Claire Garry, USA
    20200117_214643

  • Irene McCaughey, Diagnosed 2011,  MND Australia

    Irene McCaughey, Diagnosed 2011, MND Australia

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

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

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

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

  • Peng Yi-Wen

    Peng Yi-Wen

  • Enzo Maccarrone, AISLA ONLUS, Italy

    Enzo Maccarrone, AISLA ONLUS, Italy

  • Michel Perrozzo, ARSLA, Diagnosed 2015, France

    Michel Perrozzo, ARSLA, Diagnosed 2015, France

  • Timothy Holman, Switzerland

    Timothy Holman, Switzerland

  • Calum Ferguson, Diagnosed 2010 , MND Scotland, UK

    Calum Ferguson, Diagnosed 2010 , MND Scotland, UK

  • Fernando Ocampo Cardona, Colombia

    Fernando Ocampo Cardona, Colombia

  • Liong Ting Ngu, MND Malaysia, Diagnosed 2014

    Liong Ting Ngu, MND Malaysia, Diagnosed 2014

  • Tammy Moore and Eddy Lefrancois

    Tammy Moore and Eddy Lefrancois

  • Debbie Craghill, USA

    Debbie Craghill, USA

Learn more about the March of Faces

Latest Tweets

  • Just now

Footer

Subscribe to our Bi-Monthly Newsletter

Sign up to receive updates and to hear what's going on in the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations.

"*" indicates required fields

 
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Return to top of page

Contact | Disclaimer | Privacy Notice & Cookies | Sitemap

Copyright © 2025 The International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations. All rights reserved.


Registered in England: Charity Number 1079504 · Site built by graphics.coop · Powered by WordPress · Members' login