VISION FOR TOMORROW - Key Persons
Barbara grew up on a farm in Iowa. Her mother had sporadic aniridia which was passed down to her. She has two boys, who are now around 40-years old and who inherited aniridia. Barbara has a BA degree in Elementary Education. She has been retired for ten years and serves as a volunteer in her community; she enjoys helping others.
Brooke and her husband, Ted, call Lincoln Park, Chicago, home. Their 3-year-old son, Charlie, was diagnosed with aniridia just two months after his birth. Over the past three years, Brooke and Ted have been dedicated to connecting with others in the aniridia community, learning about the rare condition and ongoing research, and ensuring that Charlie receives the best possible care. Their mission now is to support and advocate for those who are beginning their journey with aniridia, demonstrating that children like Charlie can lead rich and happy lives.
Chéleah Googe, Ph.D. (she/her), joined the VFT Board in August 2023. She is an educator, facilitator, and equity advocate and is currently the Director of Leadership & Equity for Breck School in Golden Valley, MN. A Virginia native, Chéleah earned her bachelor's degree in Education Policy from the University of Richmond, her master's in Counselor Education from Virginia Commonwealth University, and her doctorate in Education from Old Dominion University. Chéleah values advocating for students to have access to what they need to thrive in their educational settings. She is excited to join the VFT board and continue that advocacy for folks in the low-vision community. In her spare time, she loves being an auntie, traveling, and spending time with her partner and friends.
Diana lives in Northern Alabama with her young daughter who has sporadic aniridia. Diana was born in Cuba and moved to the US at the age of 17. She is a practicing pathologist with a fellowship in molecular genetic pathology and hematopathology. She is passionate about supporting and educating parents whose newborns were newly diagnosed with aniridia; particularly when it comes to the intricacies of genetic testing and early contact with pediatric ophthalmologists and early intervention.
Ferialle was born with sporadic aniridia. She was born in Pennsylvania but grew up in Michigan. After graduating high school, she moved to Winter Park, Florida to attend college at Full Sail University where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Digital Arts and Design. After graduating college, she got married and moved to southeast Florida. There, she began working as a Graphic Designer in the sign manufacturing industry. She currently has 5 years of industry experience designing indoor signage for public buildings as well as business and roadway signs. She also works as a freelance graphic designer, creating logos and branding content. She has learned ways to adapt and overcome obstacles to be able to live an independent life. She hopes to use her personal experience with aniridia to help provide support, guidance, and resources to other patients and their families. She wants to use her expertise as a Graphic Designer to help raise awareness of aniridia and raise funds for continued research.
Grayson Chinn (he/him) joined the VFT Board in January 2021, and is the first Board member with aniridia. He was born and raised in Virginia. He was diagnosed with sporadic aniridia at 2-months old and started using eyedrops to treat glaucoma at age 6. While having low vision, he enjoyed sports, to include basketball, tennis and swimming throughout elementary and high school. Grayson graduated from the University of Virginia in 2002 and subsequently completed graduate school at The George Washington University. He has worked for the federal government since 2006. Grayson also maintains an interest in youth mentoring and holds an MA in Youth Development Leadership from Clemson University.
Grayson and his wife Suzanne have a daughter Ellie, who was born in 2016 and also has aniridia. Suzanne serves as a VFT volunteer, helping to coordinate the organization's family support efforts. They enjoy spending time with family and friends around their home near Washington, DC.
Lindsey is a mother to three children. She and her husband have been married 13 years and live in Dallas, TX. She has worked in education for the past 15 years as an elementary teacher, with a focus on childhood literacy. Lindsey's daughter Emory was diagnosed at 4-months old with sporadic aniridia. She is their "sweet and sassy middle child" who loves to play on the soccer team, go to gymnastics class, and scooter all around the neighborhood!
Matthew Wolfe (he/him) joined VFT's Board of Directors as Treasurer in March of 2021. VFT provided tremendous information and support to Matthew when his son was diagnosed with aniridia shortly after birth. Matthew has great passion for the VFT mission and the research funded by the Foundation for the benefit of the low vision community.
Matthew has more than 30 years of commercial banking experience and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Marketing from Indiana University and an MBA in Finance from DePaul University. Matthew previously served as Treasurer for the Chicago Athletic Association. In his free time, Matthew and his wife Susan (also on the Board) enjoy attending many sporting events for their two young sons.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
Susan Wolfe (she/her) has served on the leadership team of VFT since 2015 and was recently named its President. Susan is committed to navigating and promoting research to better understand and more effectively treat ocular complications common in aniridia to help improve outcomes for people with low vision. She found the family support from VFT instrumental when her son was diagnosed with aniridia in 2011 and is thankful to be able to help serve others now in a similar manner through her position on the board of VFT. Susan was part of the team that recently formed Aniridia North America and currently serves as the Board Treasurer. Susan is a graduate of the University of Dayton. She has worked in public relations for agencies and large corporations throughout her career.
Susan and her husband Matt, also on the VFT Board, live in Illinois with their family. Lately you can almost always find them on the sidelines watching their two boys participate in any number of sports activities.
Taylor is the father of five children (one daughter and four boys). One of his boys, Luka, was born with sporadic aniridia. Personally, Taylor enjoys all things Dallas sports - Cowboys, Rangers, Mavericks and Stars. He enjoys supporting his children in their personal athletic endeavors through football, baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, and dance. Professionally, Taylor is a leader in the role of President of a luxury fine jewelry and timepiece company in Dallas, Texas.
Originally from Omaha, NE, Ted currently lives in Chicago. He graduated from Marquette University and has been a commercial real estate professional in Chicago for 15 years. Ted and his wife, Brooke, have a young son (Charlie) who was diagnosed with sporadic aniridia when he was 2-months old.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board