DYSAUTONOMIA PROJECT - Key Persons
Al Ruechel, a graduate of Iowa State University, is a retired Television News Anchor from Bay News 9 serving the greater Tampa Bay area. He has been reporting and anchoring for more than 50 years, 34 of those years in the Tampa Bay area, interviewing literally thousands of newsmakers, politicians, subject matter experts, and even 6 presidents, and numerous presidential candidates
He has won dozens of anchoring and reporting awards working in Ames, Iowa, St. Louis, Missouri, Fort Myers, Florida, Albany, New York, and Tampa. He's been awarded the Florida Medical Communicators Award two years in a row as well as 4 Emmy Awards for investigative and live on-air anchoring. He also volunteers at many of the Bay Area social service agencies as well as being on the Worship Team at his local church. He also hosts a bi-weekly interview segment on WPDS with Pinellas County School officials.
Al became involved with TDP through his friendship with Kelly and Nate Freeman. His background in short and long form interviewing made him a natural choice for leading the video discussions on our website.
He's been married to the love of his life, Jennifer, since 1976. They have four children and 12 grandchildren, so far.
Alexandra has been an integral part of TDP's growth and management since its beginning. She is a founding board member, serving as a board officer since TDP's inception in 2014. Most recently, she was the Board President in 2022. Alexandra has been involved in Tampa Bay nonprofit work since the 1990's, working with organizations including The Children's Home Inc., The Florida Orchestra and the Hillsborough Education Foundation. She is an alumna of the University of South Florida and a longtime resident of Tampa Bay where she has volunteered in many capacities lending her public relations and fundraising skills.
Angela is an imaginative master fundraiser who has served the community for more than three decades as a volunteer. Many millions have been raised benefiting local private schools through her creativity, organizational and management skills which she's used to mobilize committees and rally donors. In 2019, Angela joined the TDP board and chaired the Under The Umbrella Gala - which was her creation. The event was wildly successful, raising more than $500,000, catapulting TDP's mission to new heights. Angela knows firsthand the hardships dysautonomia patients endure, as her daughter suffered through misdiagnosis for years. Through TDP her daughter found answers, spurring her on to provide the same for the many others searching for information and understanding.
Job Titles:
- Development and Events Associate
- Development and Events Manager
Ashleigh received her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of South Florida in 2017. She then went on to receive her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Social Innovation and Change from the University of Southern California in 2018. As a social worker, Ashleigh believes in being a voice and change agent that helps individuals, organizations and communities thrive. Ashleigh joined TDP as the Development and Events Associate in February 2022. She comes from a local veterans' nonprofit and brings with her a tremendous passion for nonprofit work, as well as fundraising, grant writing and event planning knowledge. In her free time, Ashleigh enjoys traveling, reading, and watching baseball.
Beth Pike became involved with The Dysautonomia Project when her daughter, at age 25, became acutely ill. Her daughter spent more than 60 days in 2 hospitals trying to figure out what was wrong with her, and why she was so desperately ailing. Her daughter is still currently a research patient at the NIH hoping to shed light on the autonomic nervous system for others. Her professional career as a physical therapist assistant for over 25 years serves her in educating patients about Dysautonomia and what's happening to their bodies. Patients need safe and manageable exercise protocols to improve their overall health and mental wellbeing . Beth serves as Secretary of TDP and on the board of directors in order to help create hope for dysautonomia patients, and their families, so they won't have to go through the despair and isolation that her family has suffered
Mr. Ward received a B.S.A. in 1970 and a J.D. in 1973 from the University of Florida. A native of Tampa, Florida, Mr. Ward has been involved in many professional and community activities since moving to Clearwater, having served on organizations, including the Clearwater Bar Association, the American Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Division, American Bar and Florida Bar Young Lawyers Divisions. Mr. Ward is a former President of the Pinellas Real Estate Law Council and Past Chairman of the Greater Clearwater Chamber of Commerce, the Pinellas County United Way and the United Way of Tampa Bay. Mr. Ward has lectured frequently regarding real property and condominium law. His practice includes real estate, corporate, condominium, commercial, banking, wills and trusts and general law.
Cheryl became involved with The Dysautonomia Project in 2015 while a part-time employee at Network People, Nate and Kelly's Information Technology company. As Kelly's health continued to decline and The Dysautonomia Project continued to gain momentum, the board realized the nonprofit needed administrative support to manage the growing organization. To this day, Cheryl continues to work for Network People and also provides administrative and bookkeeping oversite for TDP. Over the years, she has gained an awareness of how life-altering dysautonomia symptoms can be, how much patients struggle and feel helpless, and why education is so critical. Cheryl is deeply passionate about helping fulfill TDP's mission to educate healthcare professionals, patients and the community about dysautonomia, and is personally involved in taking this education into local school districts. She has witnessed first-hand the impact that dysautonomia has had on her precious friend Kelly, and on many other patients she has been blessed to meet. As a result, Cheryl is deeply committed to TDP and helping the organization do whatever it takes to provide hope to those who suffer from autonomic nervous system disorders.
Job Titles:
- Head of Autonomic Medicine at the NIH
Hunt Brand is Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Network People with over 30 years' experience driving technology roadmaps, developing innovative secure systems, managing security, and streamlining operational processes. Hunt served his local community as Commissioner and Mayor of The City of Belleair Bluffs where he repaired relationships, improved partnerships and was known as the voice of reason. He was honored to join the TDP board of directors to help with online messaging and support systems to support our mission in 2018.
Jason Jensen, AIA, LEED AP, joined Wannemacher Jensen Architectural Firm in 2002. After gaining experience in New York City, he returned to St. Petersburg with a goal to innovate architecture for this generation in the Tampa Bay area.
Reverend John Hiers retired as rector for the Church of the Ascension in 2020. He has served his community as an Episcopal priest for over 40 years. John joined the board of TDP in January 2022 to help the organization connect with key supporters in the community to further TDP's mission.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor at the University of Tampa
Dr. Bryant is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tampa, Department of Nursing, and a pediatric Nurse Practitioner with over 12 years' experience. She took her expertise on the road in November of 2021 as the owner of Dr. Joonie's Examinavan. Dr. Bryant trains her nursing students in autonomic disorders from both professional and personal experience, having identified symptoms in her grade-school-age son. She gives educational presentations on behalf of TDP at local, state and national nursing conferences and trainings. She joined TDP's board of directors in 2020.
A founding director of TDP, Karen brings a wealth of leadership and fundraising experience to the board. She has served as TDP's president and is the immediate past president of the Joseph F. Cornelius Family Foundation; past president of the Junior League of Clearwater/Dunedin; past president of Suncoast Family YMCA; past president of St. Paul School Parents' Association; past president of Tri Delta Clearwater Alumnae Association. Karen's professional experience includes her roles at Executive Director of UPARC Foundation (now ARC of Tampa Bay Foundation) and Executive Director of the Florida Blood Services Foundation. Additionally, she has served on the boards of the Salvation Army Advisory Board; Isaiah's Inn; Leadership Pinellas; Leadership Tampa Bay; Church of the Ascension Vestry; Morton Plant Community Affairs; Clearwater Library Foundation; UPARC Foundation; American Red Cross; Florida Prostate Cancer Center Network; Association of Fund-Raising Professionals and Carlouel Yacht Club.
Job Titles:
- Founding Director
- Founding Director of the Dysautonomia Project and Co - Author of the Dysautonomia Project Book
Kelly Freeman was an active businesswoman and mother of four when a routine dental procedure left her mysteriously and completely debilitated. Not one local doctor could offer her help, so she scoured the country looking for answers. She spent seven years mostly in bed, having been a patient in several of the nation's top hospitals.
Kelly Freeman is the Founding Director of The Dysautonomia Project and co-author of The Dysautonomia Project Book. Kelly, a dysautonomia patient herself, aims to transform the care of patients with dysautonomia through the education of physicians, patients, and community leaders with the mission of speeding time to diagnosis, proper assessment, and treatment of patients in community-based clinics and hospital settings around the world.
After realizing that medical professionals in her own community were lacking knowledge about dysautonomia, Kelly set out to create awareness and education on the community level. This is when The Dysautonomia Project was born. What started as a small vision in May of 2014, has now grown into a large mission to educate our community-based medical professionals and reduce diagnosis time from 6 years to just 15 minutes. Through the distribution of The Dysautonomia Project Book and participation in various community educational events, Kelly Freeman is changing how doctors approach autonomic disorders each and every day.
Marli is a native of Pinellas County. She and her husband recently returned home after many years living in Coral Gables. She is an alumna of the University of Florida and the University of Miami where she also worked as Director of Alumni Relations and Development from 2014 - 2018. Most recently, Marli served as the Director of Development for Casa Familia, Inc., a 501(c)(3) dedicated to the development of affordable housing for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Miami-Dade County. In 2011, as Executive Director for CoralGables@HOME, a nonprofit program supporting aging in place, Marli launched the annual Coral Gables Tour of Kitchens fundraiser which still thrives today. She has an extensive history of volunteerism and is currently a member of the North Pinellas Woman's Club. Marli is a member of the Leadership Pinellas class of 2022 - 2023. She joined The Dysautonomia Project as Director of Development in January 2022.
Job Titles:
- Interim Treasurer, past - President
- Treasurer and past - President
Nate and Kelly Freeman founded Network People, Inc. in 1996, a company that specializes in IT security/management and website digital marketing. Nate is the president of Network People. He holds a bachelor's degree from Willamette University in Business Economics. He co-founded The Dysautonomia Project with Kelly in 2014 and has served as its president and currently serves as Treasurer. Nate serves on the board of the Joseph F. Cornelius Foundation as Treasurer. He and Kelly are passionate about building and strengthening marriages and currently serve as leaders in a marrieds ministry at church. He is also an active alumni member of Leadership Pinellas. Previously, Nate served on the board of the ARC Tampa Bay Foundation and as the Technology Advisory Board of the YMCA.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Associate at Coldwell
Susan Jinks is an Associate at Coldwell Banker Real Estate. She has personal experience with dysautonomia patients in her family and among her close friends. Susan joined TDP's board in 2017. She has been a tremendous asset to TDP for organizing and hosting events and recruiting volunteers through her vast network of community connections.
Susan Rolston has more than 30 years' experience leading high-performing organizations in public education and the nonprofit sector. For more than a decade, she was the Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County. Under her leadership, the organization expanded its donor base, increased its budget through diversified revenues, and ultimately improved the lives of 300% more children. After leading a highly successful merger with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, she retired in 2014. Post retirement Susan traveled the country conducting agency audits for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Prior to her work with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Susan administered the Pinellas County Schools' community involvement and school-based volunteer programs.
A longtime Pinellas resident, Susan has served in numerous public service and volunteer capacities. In 2015, she was appointed to the Juvenile Welfare Board by Governor Rick Scott and currently serves as Immediate Past Board Chair. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, Sixth Judicial Circuit Florida Bar Grievance Committee, and United Way Suncoast's Community Impact Committee. Her most recent leadership appointment is with The Florida Bar's Citizens Advisory Committee.
Susan's adult daughter, Jayne took years to confirm a diagnosis of POTS and Mast Cell Activation. Jayne, like Kelly, is married with two teenage children; managing the chronic illness while helping to maintain a quality of life for Jayne's family is a priority for Susan. After connecting with Kelly for guidance to help her family navigate the challenge of an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan, Susan has remained connected to TDP as a donor.
Terry Igo joined The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company at its inception in 2001 on Sanibel Island. He was instrumental in growing the initial client asset base, (now more than $2 billion), followed by a successful expansion into Naples and then to the Tampa Bay region in 2010. Since assuming the CEO position in 2013, Terry has grown the Florida footprint to also include Belleair/Clearwater and Tarpon Springs. In addition to directing company-wide operations, Terry serves as a member of the Asset Management Committee, the Risk Management Committee, Strategic Planning, and the Board of Directors.
He has served as advisor to many Florida non-profit organizations, assisting with capital and planned giving campaigns; increasing awareness of philanthropic giving. Terry currently serves on the Straz Center for the Performing Arts Board of Trustees and is a member of the CEO Council of Tampa Bay. He is also past chairman and founder of the Go Red for Men of Tampa Bay - American Heart Association, and a past trustee of Hodges University. He and his family resided on Sanibel-Captiva Islands and Fort Myers for 20 years before relocating to Tampa Bay in 2013.