Board of Directors

Jerry Bumgarner joined the Can Do Board in April 2010. Jerry and his wife Penny attended the Can Do program in Vail in October 2008. The Can Do spirit became an inspiration and motivation to become involved.

Jerry grew up in North Carolina and joined the Marine Corps after high school and served on active duty for four years. After college in Fullerton, California, Jerry moved back to North Carolina and began a career in business.

In 1989 Jerry and Penny moved to the Greenville, SC area and opened barbeque restaurants in the surrounding area. Jerry was an active member of the Simpsonville, SC Chamber of Commerce and served as president for a term. Jerry volunteered with the American Cancer Society and prepared the food for the annual fund raising gala that was attended by over 1500 guests.

Jerry and Penny moved to Colorado in 1997 and currently live in Minturn. Jerry has been a member of the Minturn Town Council for eight years and is active in the community. Jerry is owner and broker of Eagle River Real Estate.

Jerry is a proud member of the Eagle Spinners bike team that was organized by his wife Penny. The team rides in the MS 150 in an effort to promote awareness of Can Do MS.

Caren joined the board of directors for Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, formerly The Heuga Center for MS in 2007, adding to the talent base of members with experience in MS care acquired through a professional career in the pharmaceutical industry. Caren is currently a consultant to biopharmaceutical companies, specializing in strategic and tactical marketing of pre-launch and early stage product development. Caren is a member of the Marketing Committee and provides expert knowledge of communication and messaging strategies designed to promote Can Do MS’s products and services.

In 1994 Caren obtained her Masters in Business Administration from Babson College through the international studies program. Prior to that Caren enjoyed a position as Associate Director at Tufts University’s European Center in Talloires, France where she lived and worked for six years. She moved to France following her graduation from Tufts University with a degree in biology and a concentration in French. Caren, fluent in French, eventually made her way back to the US for graduate school and then a position at Biogen Idec, Inc.

Caren began her professional efforts related to multiple sclerosis with the launch of the drug AVONEX ® and later by marketing TYSABRI®. Various positions in Marketing, International Marketing, Market Development and Marketing Planning and Strategy have allowed Caren to specialize in the treatment of MS through the promotion of pharmaceutical products to health care professionals. Extensive experience working with physicians and nurses, and designing Patient Compliance and Persistency programs allows Caren to add her unique talents to the critical role of governance for Can Do Multiple Sclerosis.

When Caren is not directing strategic marketing activities for biopharmaceuticals or volunteering for Can Do MS, she enjoys life with her family in Lexington, MA. Caren’s personal interests include cycling, hiking and fly-fishing. Caren is deeply involved in the Pan Mass Challenge, an annual bike-a-thon which raises money for life-saving cancer research and treatment. She is also an Overseer on the MacJannet Foundation Board of Directors, a non-profit organization that supports international exchange and education.

Bob Gardner has been a member of Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’s Board since 2000, serving as Chairman from 2003 to 2006. Bob currently serves on the Compliance Committee and The Jimmie Heuga Center Endowment Board. Bob’s focus on building the strength of Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’s Board of Directors by incorporating talented individuals from around the country has proven an excellent strategic decision and is key in positioning the organization for future growth.

Bob is the Director for Corporate Development of Citrix Systems, Inc., a developer of on-demand computer access infrastructure. Citrix products include remote PC access, web conferencing, security applications, and networking. He is a graduate of the University of Utah.

Bob’s connection to Jimmie Heuga goes back to his early skiing days. He grew up in Colorado, skiing with Ski Club Vail, where Jimmie was a frequent visitor. Bob also has a close MS connection: a dear childhood friend who was diagnosed with MS in her early 20s and passed away by age 40, never having had a chance to attend a CAN DO program.

Bob is a past Board Member of the Eagle Valley Land Trust. He is a native Coloradoan and lives to ski, golf, windsurf, climb, and travel. Bob, his wife, Beth, and their Golden Retriever, Bo, divide their time between the Vail area and Connecticut.

George joined Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’s Board of Directors in 2004. He has been a member of the organizations program staff since 1985 and is a long-term member of the Program Committee focused on creating pioneering education and wellness products to help those living with the chronic disease of MS.

Dr. Garmany is with Associated Neurologists of Boulder, PC. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Virginia. He served as an Intern in the Department of Medicine at Emory University and came west for his Neurology Residency at the University of Colorado. He has been in the private practice of Neurology in Boulder since 1977. During that time he has held a number of positions on the Boulder Community Hospital Medical Staff, including Chair of the Department of Medicine and President of the United Medical Staff. He has also served as President of the Colorado Society of Clinical Neurologists, and he is a Clinical Professor of Neurology at the University of Colorado Health Science Center.

Dr. Garmany is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. He has served in several roles with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, including Chair of the Editorial Board of their national magazine, Inside MS. Locally, George has served as Scoutmaster for his sons’ Scout Troop, and he is currently a District Chairman for the Longs Peak Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Within his home community, George is a member of the Boulder Rotary Club and a former Governor of the Colorado Society of Mayflower Descendants.

Richard (Dick) Kelly is retired chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Xcel Energy. From June to mid-December 2005 he served as president and chief executive officer, and previous to that he served as chief financial officer.

He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Regis University and is a member of the Board of Canadian Pacific Railway ..

Kelly earned both a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Regis University. He attended the University of Colorado’s Executive Education Conference and The University of Michigan’s Public Utility Executive Program.

Dick was elected to the Can Do Multiple Sclerosis Board of Directors in July 2009.

Robin Kelly is a wife, mother and community volunteer. She serves as an Elder on her church’s Session and is a weekly volunteer at a local food bank She serves on the CanDo MS Board of Directors Impact Committee, Programs Committee and Executive Committee.

Robin earned a master’s degree in business administration from Regis University and a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Denver. Her work experience includes professional positions in the gas and electric industry.

Robin also enjoys golf, jazzercise, reading and travel. She was diagnosed with MS in 2006 and attended the Heuga Center’s Can Do program with her husband in 2007.

Bernice (Bernie) became involved with the Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, formerly The Heuga Center for MS in 2004 as part of fundraising Team WOOP WOOP. An avid skier, Bernie got introduced to the organization through a friend that was an event director of a Snow Express for MS at Copper Mountain, Colorado (now Vertical Express for MS). In 2007 she took over as Event Director of the Vertical Express for MS at Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She continues as both a team and Event Director. She joined the board in 2008 and serves on the Compliance Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee.

Professionally, Bernice is currently an independent consultant in the Pharmaceutical/Biotech industry providing clinical operations and clinical project management expertise leveraging her 20 years in the industry. Her experience includes managing projects, teams and vendors for all phases of clinical studies (Phases I-IV) including multi-national trials. Previously she has been an employee of Oscient Pharmaceuticals, Sepracor, PRAECIS and Genetics Institute. She has a B.A. in Biology from University at Buffalo (SUNYAB), a M.S. in Applied Anatomy and Physiology from Boston University and a Graduate Certificate in Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard University Extension School.

In addition to giving her time to Can Do MS Bernie is a member of the volunteer management committee for the Appalachian Mountain Club Property of Knubble Bay and Beals Island in Maine. Bernie lives in Natick, Massachusetts.

Through the Tyler Hamilton Foundation‘s cycling events designed to benefit people with Multiple Sclerosis, Michelle became acquainted with Jimmie Heuga and began her involvement with Can Do Multiple Sclerosis. Her passion for fundraising and volunteering at various events and her contributions while serving on the Development Committee led to an invitation to join the board in 2007. Michelle is a member of the Executive Committee and has provided input on messaging and sponsorships. Michelle is a tireless advocate and has spent years working as a consultant with biotech and pharmaceutical companies who specialize in MS treatment and care.

Michelle studied Political Science at Stanford University and continued her education at the University of San Diego School of Law, obtaining her law degree in 1993. Early employment as an Attorney with the State of New Mexico and later as an Assistant US Attorney allowed Michelle to utilize her education and helped define her career passion for work later in life. In 2002 Michelle began consulting in the biotech industry, eventually becoming an advocate and speaker supporting MS pharmaceutical sales for Serono, Inc, and Pfizer. Michelle expanded her court room skills to include public speaking through various events designed to educate physicians, nurses and patients regarding the benefits of prescription drugs available to treat the disease. She currently works in the area of community relations and special events at Title Nine Sports, a multi-channel retailer of women’s sports and fitness apparel in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Michelle is an active supporter of Can Do MS’s benefit events. She learned alpine skiing as a means to satisfy her desire to raise donations and enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle. Michelle’s commitment to our mission is evidenced by her passion for athletic challenges, including triathlons and cycling. Michelle is constantly working to further the cause of Can Do MS, and demonstrates the CAN DO attitude in all she does.

David has been involved with Can Do Multiple Sclerosis for a number of years as a fundraiser and volunteer. Since 2001 David has participated in Squaw Valley Vertical Express for MS where his team has been one of the top fundraisers. He also organized two Climbing Mountains for MS fundraising trips for his son’s middle school. He has been a volunteer at Alpen Winefest at Squaw Valley and at Winter Wine and Ski Expo in Reno, and he has attended numerous New York Benefits. David previously served on the Finance Committee.

On the professional side, David has more than twenty years of experience in corporate finance. Through his consulting firm, Roubaix Consulting, David provides financial leadership to life science and clean tech organizations. He is currently the CFO of a vaccines research company and of a start-up exploring novel respiratory therapies. David’s experience with MS reaches into his professional life, as he has mentored a start-up company doing research on a MS treatment.

When he is not working, David enjoys his many athletic pursuits, including skiing, running, hiking, backpacking, climbing, and martial arts training. He also enjoys watching sports, traveling, wine tasting, cooking and reading.

David has a BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Washington.

Sheila Marmion joined Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’s Board of Directors in April of 2006. She is a communications consultant whose clients include Teva Neuroscience and Pfizer, Inc. Sheila currently serves on the Impact Committee.

Sheila is the former Executive Vice President and Deputy General Manager of Edelman Public Relations, New York. During her more than seven years with Edelman, Sheila worked on a range of domestic and global health care programs for pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including issues management, direct-to-consumer promotions, health professional education, product approvals and launches, and event marketing. Prior to Edelman, Sheila worked in the health care practice of Cohn & Wolfe. In addition, she taught health care marketing at City University of New York’s Baruch College for seven years, and served as an advisory board member for the college’s marketing and development.

Shelia is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, CT and received her master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University. In the fall of 2006 Sheila began pursuing a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy.

Sheila enjoys spending time hiking and swimming with her husband and three children in Fairfield, CT. She first became involved in the multiple sclerosis (MS) community through her public relations work for Betaseron on behalf of Berlex Laboratories. She also worked closely with the Betaseron Champions of Courage, a grant-giving program that recognizes the extraordinary achievements of people with MS and provides financial grants to support their inspirational work in their respective communities. Sheila’s new career as an occupational therapist will add one more credential to her expertise in supporting the MS community through involvement with Can Do Multiple Sclerosis.

Jeff has been involved with Can Do Multiple Sclerosis for many years as a Vertical Express for MS skier celebrity, and became a Board Member in 2005. Jeff currently serves on the Impact Committee and The Jimmie Heuga Center Endowment Board.

Jeff spent 10 years on the US Ski Team. He is a two-time Olympian, three-time national downhill champion, and a Pan Am gold medalist in giant slalom. Upon retiring from professional athletics in 1994, Jeff served as an executive for the private Wall Street investment firm Lord Abbett & Co. He then became the national sales and marketing director for the private money manager. During the technology boom, Jeff led the institutional sales division for Techfi, an internet start-up company. Techfi was successfully sold to its public competitor. In 2000, he co-founded Well Nourished Worldwide, a company that is transforming the nutritional standard of care in medicine, health, and wellness. Well Nourished Worldwide is a closely held, global company that distributes the most clinically researched, peer-reviewed, published and widely consumed, encapsulated, nutritional product in the world.

In addition to his volunteer service with Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, Jeff is founder of the Metro Denver Health & Wellness Commission (precursor to LiveWell Colorado). He is a Board Member of the Turn the Tide Foundation and serves on the Denver 2022 Commission whose mission is to bid on, win and host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Jeff received his BS in Business Finance in 1996 from the University of Utah. He lives with his wife, Toni, and their three daughters near Denver, Colorado.

Ms. Ong joined Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’s Board of Directors in 2003, after participating for many years in the Snow Express/Vertical Express events at Squaw Valley USA. Holly is the past chair person of Can Do MS and currently serves on the Executive and Nominating Committees. Holly was named Board Member of the Year in 2004.

Holly is a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry and has a depth of experience in pharmaceutical marketing, market analysis of drug development candidates and new product planning for Fortune 500 companies as well as start-ups.

Holly has been a guest speaker and participated in a number of expert panels on topics ranging from patient communication and “e-pharma” to strategic marketing of novel biotech products..

Ms. Ong received her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from University of the Pacific in 1977 and a Masters in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from San Diego State University in 1982

In her spare time, Holly is an avid recreational skier and enjoys an assortment of outdoor activities, including white water rafting, sailing, biking, diving, and spending time with friends. Her long-term goal is to travel more than work, and continue involvement with non-profit organizations such as Can Do Multiple Sclerosis.

Josh Richter is a Director of Public Equity at Stanford Management Company, the asset management division of Stanford University. In this role, he is responsible for oversight of a portfolio of global investment managers, with particular emphasis on international markets. Previously, Josh was Director of Stanford’s Charitable Trust Program, where he responded to the needs of donors, donor’s advisors, and beneficiaries of the University. He oversaw all aspects of client advisory services, investment management and trust administration.

Josh first became involved with the Can Do MS Center in 1999, after being diagnosed with MS the previous year. Searching for answers to a multitude of questions, Josh found an insightful and supportive community in the Center. Moreover, the Center’s proactive approach to managing MS, with an emphasis on wellness and exercise, was one he wholeheartedly believed in. His involvement initially began by forming teams of friends to raise money and participate in the Mountain Bike Express in Marin County, followed by six years of participation in Vertical Express events. In 2006 he took on a greater role, serving as co-event director of the Squaw Valley event through 2009.

Raised in a small town in the Catskills, in upstate New York, Josh now lives in San Francisco with his wife Rachel Levin, and daughter Hazel. Josh graduated from Cornell University in 1994 and later earned his MBA from Dartmouth College.

Catherine is Director of Corporate Communications at ICF International, a professional services firm that offers advisory and implementation services in energy, environment, transportation and health, education, and social programs markets. Catherine is responsible for developing and implementing contemporary, best-practice-based internal communications strategies. She puts particular emphasis on developing repeatable processes by which executive leadership can effectively connect with and inspire 3,700+ employees worldwide. She also serves as lead architect for corporate cultural communications style, tone, and approach. She is an active member of the International Association of Business Communicators.
Catherine joined the board of Can Do MS in 2011. Although new to the board, Catherine is not new to Can Do MS. She co-directed the Vertical Express for MS at Squaw Valley for 5 years with Josh Richter (and initially Catherine’s sister Lisa Hanson), and she currently assists the Squaw VEMS event directors with regular outreach newsletters. Together with her extensive family, Catherine has participated in the VEMS for past 14 years, and in the Mountain Bike express before that and various other Can Do events. As support partner to her brother, who has had MS since the 1980s, Catherine attended a Can Do program in Vail in 2010.
Currently, Catherine divides her time between her homes in San Francisco and Davis, California, and ICF headquarters in Virginia. She is an avid skier, hiker, and traveler and enjoys time with the family. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and Philosopher from the University of California, Davis, and a master’s degree in Spanish translation and interpretation from Sampere Escuela Internacional de Idiomas in Madrid, Spain.

Randall (Randy) T. Schapiro, M.D. has had a passion for medicine and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for most of his life. Early on he made a commitment to helping those living with MS make the most of their lives. He has been a part of Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, formerly The Heuga Center since 1985. He is a past and current Board member in addition to being a member of Can Do MS’s medical program staff .

Dr. Schapiro was born and raised in Minnesota. After graduating from Occidental College (Los Angeles, CA) in Biology, he graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He trained in internal medicine at the Wadsworth VA Medical Center (UCLA) in Los Angeles and then in neurology under A. B. Baker, M.D. at the University of Minnesota. Following a short stint as a faculty member and director of the MS Clinic at the University of Minnesota he founded the first comprehensive MS Center in a private practice in 1977, The Fairview MS Center, was later renamed, The Schapiro Center for Multiple Sclerosis.

In 2008 Dr. Schapiro was honored with Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, formerly The Heuga Center’s CAN DO Award. The purpose of the CAN DO Award is to honor an individual, corporation or organization that has advanced Can Do MS’s mission by empowering people and families with MS to transform and improve their quality of life.

Dr. Schapiro has lectured and written extensively on all topics associated with MS Management nationally and internationally. He has written extensively, participated in numerous research studies and been honored with countless honors and achievements throughout his career. List below are just a few of his career highlights and achievements.

~ Program staff member of The Heuga Center since 1985
~ Clinical professor of neurology at the University of Minnesota
~ Former director of the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic at the University of Minnesota
Founder of the Fairview and Schapiro Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Minneapolis, MN
~ Board member of Can Do Multiple Sclerosis
~ Board member of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society National Board
~ Founding member and first elected president of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis
~ Recipient of numerous prestigious awards including:
The Heuga Center’s CAN DO Award
National MS Society Hope Award
Champions of Courage National Award
Consortium of MS Centers Lifetime Achievement Award
AB Baker Lecturer, University of Minnesota

In 2008 Dr. Schapiro retired from clinical practice to lecture and educate about MS on a national basis. He continues to support Can Do MS’s mission, programs, and helping those living with MS.

Mark joined Can Do Multiple Sclerosis as a board member in May 2008 after serving on the Nominations Committee. Mark continues to chair the Nominations Committee. Mark became involved with the Can Do MS through his wife Mary Lenling, who has been a Staff Member Occupational Therapist for the Can Do MS for the past 25 years.

Mark has volunteered for a number of local Vertical Express for MS events while living in Minnesota. Mark, Mary and their son Carl currently live in Tower Lakes, Illinois.
Mark has his Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Wisconsin Madison in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling.

Mark’s career started as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor which led to disability case management at a large division of FMC Corporation. He has served in top Human Resource leadership positions for both international and medical institutions. Currently, Mark is the Corporate Director of Human Resources for Golden County Foods Holdings Inc., a premier food manufacturing company located in Chicago, IL.

As an active community volunteer, Mark has been a Board member and Past President of the Tower Lakes Improvement Association. He is frequently a guest speaker at the Career Place, nonprofit assisting unemployed individuals in the Barrington area. He has been a volunteer with the U.S. Park’s Department archeological team at Cinnamon Bay, St. Johns USVI, Habitat for Humanity, and the Building Team at Willow Creek Community Church.

Mary Mark and Carl have hosted 4 exchange student from Germany, Switzerland, Chile and Brazil as well as acting as transitional “parent’s” for a number of AFS and Rotary exchange students. .

Mark is an avid bicyclist. He continues to be active in Carl’s sports and school activities. He also loves gardening with his wife, cross country and downhill skiing, snorkeling in the Virgin Islands and family travel.

Brenda Snow launched her marketing career in Silicon Valley during the high-tech boom of the 1980s. By the early 1990s, she was enjoying life as a young mother with a promising future—until she began experiencing strange medical symptoms. When she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she refused to let the disease threaten her independence. Instead, she used her experience and entrepreneurial spirit to lead a mission that has transformed the shape of direct-to-patient communications.

As she learned to live with her MS, Brenda created one of the first live Internet programs about living with a chronic medical condition, “MS Chat with Brenda Snow” on HealthTalk. And in 2001, Brenda founded The Snow Companies and developed the proprietary Patient Ambassador™ model of direct-to-patient communications. Through this model, Snow was the first in the industry to bring strategic, regulatory-compliant, real-life patient stories to direct-to-patient initiatives.

As the CEO of The Snow Companies, Brenda divides her time between overseeing the exponential growth of the model she pioneered and sharing her insights with current and future industry leaders. She has written about the important role of patients’ stories in publications such as Pharmaceutical Marketing Europe and DTC Perspectives. She speaks extensively to corporate and MBA audiences about her experiences and how to effectively communicate with patient audiences.

In 2010, Inc. magazine ranked The Snow Companies No. 46 in the health industry and No. 627 overall on its fourth annual Inc. 5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Brenda herself was twice named one of the 100 Most Inspiring People in the pharmaceutical industry by PharmaVOICE magazine in 2007 and 2010. PharmaVOICE cited both Brenda’s entrepreneurship and her unique perspective on patient communications and the conviction with which she helps transform pharmaceutical company patient communications. In 2009, Brenda was honored as the recipient of the Can Do MS Center’s (formerly The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis) Can Do Award in recognition of her work on behalf of people living with MS.

Kate Togneri joined Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’s Board of Directors in April of 2010.

Kate was born and raised in Oakland, California. Growing up she was active in theater, ultimately earning a degree from San Francisco State University in Theater Arts, specifically in technical lighting and sound design. Professionally, Kate has worked on a variety of projects as a technician and a project manager, building and operating submersibles and underwater robots. Many of these research projects brought unique travel opportunities and experiences, including two trips to Antarctica where she managed outpost communications sites for the National Science Foundation.

Adventurous outdoor activity and travel remain important passions for Kate. Since being diagnosed with MS at the age of 18, Kate has strived to maintain an active lifestyle, despite the challenges MS presents. Since 2008, Kate has participated in fundraisers and charity events for Can Do MS, formerly the Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis. Kate has also been involved with the National MS Society by participating in walks, bike rides, and serving on various outreach panels.

When not traveling, Kate enjoys walking the Bay Trail in Jack London Square and hiking the mountains of Northern California with her family.