Board of Directors

Amy L. Dunn. MD is a Professor of Pediatrics at Nationwide Children's Hospital, the Ohio State University College of Medicine where she is the Director of Pediatric Hematology and directs the Hemostasis Treatment Center. Dr Dunn received her medical degree from Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio and completed her pediatric and pediatric hematology/oncology training at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr Dunn is a member of various professional associations including the American Society of Hematology, World Federation of Hemophilia, The International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, the International Prophylaxis Study Group and the Hemophilia and Thrombosis Research Society (HTRS). She is on the boards of the World Federation of Hemophilia, USA, Casade, and the Chair of MASAC for the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation. Dr Dunn has received multiple awards, including the US News and World Report Top Doctors, and was the National Hemophilia Foundation Physician of the Year for 2020.

A lifelong Omaha, Nebraska resident, Jim Christensen was born with severe hemophilia A. Much of his childhood was spent in the hospital, as infusion was not allowed unless administered by medical staff.  Mobility was only possible if he was in a wheelchair or on crutches. But at age 18, he was the first hemophiliac in the country to undergo a total knee replacement, which was life-changing. Suddenly, he could drive a car and experience a taste of personal freedom. He hasn’t slowed down since, in fact, Jim enjoys most anything he can drive as fast as possible, including snowmobiles, cars and boats.

Jim is remarkable, because rather than view his life-threatening disease as a negative, it motivates his existence. He has been a financial advisor for 41 years and is the owner of inSOURCE Financial Advisors with offices in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. Jim loves his work and helping families plan for the unexpected as well as the inevitable. Today, inSOURCE is recognized in five complementary fields: inSOURCE Inc., inSOURCE Benefits Group, inSOURCE Financial Advisors, inSOURCE Real Estate and inSOURCERx.

Throughout life, Jim has served many organizations: National Hemophilia Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Open Door Mission and Siena Francis House (homeless shelters in Omaha), United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County, Million Dollar Roundtable Foundation, Project Inform—HIV and hepatitis C advocacy group and the O-Club at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Jim and his wife, Sarah Pappas, have three adult children, Alexis, Julian and Cole. When Jim can get away from the office, he and Sarah head to their cabin at Lake of the Ozarks, with their spunky miniature schnauzers in tow.

September 2011 marked the opening of JJH Employer Services, a brokerage firm founded by Joseph J. Helfert II that specializes in Corporate Insurance and HR Administrative Solutions. With 30 years of experience, Joe’s vision behind building his own firm was to create his own unique service platform to assist employers with the dramatic changes being implemented in both the Insurance and Financial industries.

Before branching out on his own, Joe served as Managing Director of Business Development at a top 50 nationally ranked brokerage firm. He was an integral member of the Corporate Development team, with expertise in business development, marketing, and strategic client development.

Joe began his career as an Investment Advisor in the Securities Industry immediately following his graduation from the State University of New York College at Oneonta where he obtained his Bachelors Degree in Business Economics in 1991.

Joe is very active in the Employee Benefits, Property/Casualty and Retirement Plan Industry. He has served as an Executive Member of the Counsel of Insurance Agents and Brokers (CIAB) based out of Washington DC, a Member of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) and a Registered Representative of FINRA.

Joe currently resides in Syosset, New York, with his wife Michelle, son Joseph and daughter Julia Rose.

Kelly Wornall is a seasoned professional with a career spanning over three decades. As the Director of Project Management at George King Bio-Medical, Inc., Kelly brings her wealth of experience and dedication to the forefront. Her role involves overseeing various projects aimed at advancing research, treatments, and support systems for individuals affected by bleeding disorders. Through her leadership, Kelly ensures that initiatives are efficiently executed. However, her connection to bleeding disorders is not just professional—it's personal and lifelong.

Kelly's journey is also intertwined with the legacy of George King, her grandfather, whose footsteps she proudly follows. George's involvement in bleeding disorders advocacy inspired Kelly from a young age, instilling in her a determination to carry on his work. Her passion for raising awareness and educating others about these conditions is deeply ingrained. This passion stems from a personal connection within her own immediate family.  Kelly's dedication is fueled by her journey as a mother to a son diagnosed with von Willebrand Disease (VWD).

Beyond her professional endeavors, Kelly is a dedicated wife and mother, balancing her career with her family life with grace and resilience. Her commitment to both her family and her professional pursuits serves as a testament to her character and values.

 Lucas is an analyst at FacSet Research Systems, currently calling Jackson Hole, Wyoming home with his wife, Maggie and two sons Teddy and Mac. His eldest, Teddy, has severe hemophilia A, providing Lucas with firsthand insights into navigating rural life while caring for a child with a bleeding disorder. Lucas has hosted numerous successful fundraising events and secured notable funding from individual donors. Serving on the Development Committee in 2023, Lucas contributed his fundraising experience to help push for innovative fundraising strategies. Lucas holds an MBA from Concordia University, Irvine, and an undergraduate degree in Business from Northern Arizona University, where he was also a member of the Division 1 men’s tennis team.

Hi! My name is Marissa Johns, and I am from Shepherdsville Kentucky. I am a student at the University of Louisville where I am majoring in neuroscience with a minor in Spanish. I am currently involved in summer research with my local medical school where I hope to one day attend! I was diagnosed with Von Willebrand disease at the age of 12 and have been passionate about being involved and advocating for the community ever since! I joined NYLI in the hopes of meeting others like me and bettering the community as a whole, and I can’t wait for the future!

Megan first became involved with the blood and bleeding disorders community as a camp counselor volunteer for Hemophilia of Georgia in 2019, and she has remained an active volunteer ever since. She has been impacted by the inspiring stories of campers, volunteers, and friends affected by bleeding disorders and has become an avid supporter and advocate for the community. While serving as chairwoman of Hemophilia of Georgia’s Junior Board of Directors, Megan sought ways to raise awareness of bleeding disorders and fundraise for educational and community programming. Megan is passionate about advocacy, increasing access and affordability to health care, and finding ways to give back to her community.

In 2021, Megan earned her BS degree from Georgia Tech and has been working as a medical assistant for a family practice. She is an incoming medical student at the Medical College of Georgia, where she will be pursuing an MD/MPH dual degree.

Paul Empey is President and CEO of Precision BioLogic Inc., a niche leader in hemostasis diagnostics and research, based on the east coast of Canada.

Originally hailing from Boston, Paul has more than 40 years of experience in senior and executive positions and a keen interest in leadership development. Countless organizations and individuals have benefited from Paul’s people-oriented, action-focused leadership style and his mentorship.

Paul is certified in Leadership Development, Disciplines of Execution, and Professional Coaching. He holds a BSc in Business from University of Massachusetts, an ASC in Electromechanical Engineering from Bristol Community College, and a BSc in Marine Engineering from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He resides in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Paulette Bryant, MD is a Pediatric Hematologist–Oncologist at the St. Jude Affiliate Clinic at Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, NC.  She serves as the Physician Lead of the Pediatric Hematology Division and is the Pediatric Medical Director of the Hemophilia Treatment Center.  She is the local Principal Investigator for the St. Jude Sickle Cell Clinical Research and Intervention study (SCCRIP) and the PCORI Sickle Cell Trevor Thompson Sickle Cell Grant (ST3P-UP).   Her clinical interests include bleeding and thrombotic disorders and sickle cell disease.

She attended Harvard Medical School after completing her studies at Hampton University in Hampton Virginia. She completed her pediatric training at Naval Hospital Oakland (Oakland, CA) and her pediatric hematology and oncology training at Children’s Hospital of Stanford (Palo Alto, CA) Dr. Bryant is a retired Navy Captain and served as Chair of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Virginia.

Dr. Bryant is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in pediatric hematology/oncology and general pediatrics.  She is actively working to improve the health of the Charlotte community and has served on several local boards including Project Life Movement, Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, and the Girls Scouts, Hornet’s Nest Council.  She is a recipient of the United States Navy Meritorious Service Award, the Girl Scouts Women of Distinction Award and the Charlotte Business Journal Physician of the Year Award. Throughout her years in Charlotte, she has repeatedly received the Charlotte Magazine Top Doctors recognition.

Paxton Mills is a third-year student majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Richmond. With the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation, Paxton is a National Youth Leadership Institute (NYLI) Representative on the Research Track, Bleeding Disorders Conference Planning Committee (BDCPC) Member, and General Volunteer/Speaker. Through NBDF, Paxton co-authored an abstract with the Research Department that has been accepted to the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Research Society (HTRS) and will be published in the journal Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Hemostasis (RPTH). As a young adult with a rare platelet disorder, she is excited to bring to the Board of Directors the perspective of both affected and engaged youth. Additionally, Paxton is a volunteer medical scribe at a local clinic serving both the uninsured and Medicaid recipients. She is also a researcher in a biochemistry and chemical biology lab, where she studies MEMO1 protein interactions, work which has implications in understanding the mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis. She plans on becoming a hematologist to both treat and research blood disorders.
 

Peter Kouides, MD is Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical School and Medical and Research Director at the Mary M. Gooley Hemophilia Center, New York. Dr. Kouides graduated from State University of New York at Syracuse with a medical degree, following a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Syracuse University. His clinical expertise lies in the field of hemostasis and thrombosis, where his research interests include the study of bleeding and thrombotic disorders in women. Dr. Kouides has received multiple awards throughout his career, including the Teaching Award at the University of Rochester Primary Care Program in Internal Medicine on three separate occasions. In 2009, he received the National Hemophilia Foundation Physician of the Year Award and in 2010 the Rochester General Hospital Father Norton Award (Physician of the Year). Dr. Kouides has published more than 160 articles in peer-reviewed journals, holds editorial positions for various journals, and is a member of multiple National Advisory and Health Councils and Research Review Committees including the American Society of Hematology Clinical Practice Committee and the Foundation for Women and Girls with Blood Disorders mentoring committee. He is past president of the Thrombosis Hemostasis Societies of North America. He also led two twining partnerships with Kyrgyzstan and Nepal respectively through the World Federation of Haemophilia and serves on their Twinning committee.

Dr. Metz has been active and passionately involved with the bleeding disorders since his son with Hemophilia A was born 37 years ago. He served for a total of 26 years on the Board of HFSC including 3 terms as its president. He also was committed to NHF having served from 2003 until 2007 on the NHF Board of Directors. From 2003 to 2004 he was the interim President of the Board during a very difficult transition time for NHF and with the help of an exemplary Board and cooperation with many chapters and NHF staff he was able to negotiate changes and lead the organization back on track. Dr.Metz is the recipient of both the Inspiration Award and the Loras Goedkin Award from NHF. He also just recently retired in 2024 after 45 years of practicing medicine as an internist and primary care provider. As an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA until 2023 he was actively involved in the teaching of medical students, interns, and residents. He has developed a unique ability to combine his scientific knowledge in medicine with the understanding of the needs of a father of a person with a bleeding disorder which helps him to better understand the needs of the community as a whole. Now that he is recently retired he is excited about having more time to spend to volunteer for NBDF and the bleeding disorders community. He also is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, son, and daughter as well as two very young grandchildren.

Ryan Griffith is the co-founder and owner operator of Social Pet Hotel & Daycare, Carolina Socials Catering, and Marble Slab Creamery franchises in North and South Carolina.  With more than 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, Ryan oversees business development, strategic planning, operations, project management, and creating and implementation of marketing initiatives.  Ryan holds an undergraduate degree in business management from the University of Tennessee.  He has extensive experience in fundraising and volunteering with various organizations in his local community. Ryan lives in Charlotte, NC, with his son, Kai, who has Severe Hemophilia A with an inhibitor.

Shanthi Hegde is a dedicated undergraduate third-year student at Northeastern University, where she is pursuing a major in Cell and Molecular Biology within the Honors Program. With aspirations to enter the field of medicine, Shanthi is committed to academic excellence and personal growth. As a member of the 2023 National Youth Leadership Institute (NYLI) cohort, she channels her passion for advocacy and awareness into supporting individuals with bleeding disorders, particularly focusing on raising awareness for women in this community, a cause close to her heart as someone with a bleeding disorder herself. Shanthi's ambition extends to fostering greater youth engagement in bleeding disorders nationwide, and she eagerly embraces her role as an advocate within NBDF to drive positive change in this area.

Sharon Richardson, PhD is a result-driven strategist with 28 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry as a medical affairs leader committed to creating healthier communities through scientific exchange, patient advocacy, and community engagement.

Dr. Richardson previously served as Executive Director, US Medical Affairs Operations at Astellas Pharma; US Head of Medical Affairs at Spark Therapeutics; VP, US Medical Affairs at Baxter (Baxalta, Shire), and VP, US Medical Affairs at Eisai Inc. Currently, Dr Richardson serves as an advisor to Advance-Africa Commercial Solutions Inc. in Ghana.

Dr. Richardson earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Pharmacology from Howard University in Washington DC, Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and Bachelor of Science degree in Pathobiology from the University of Connecticut.

Susan serves as Program Director at Enterprise Community Partners in Washington, DC, a national non-profit leader in community development and affordable housing. She has extensive experience in public sector consulting, community engagement, economic development and urban planning. She began her career in education in 1996, and has teaching and program management experience in secondary, post-secondary and higher education. Her husband has severe hemophilia A and is a long-time HIV survivor. Susan is a national advocate for HIV education, reproductive rights and an end to HIV stigma. She has been featured in The Washington Post, CNN, Babycenter.com, HemAware Magazine and Positively Negative: Love Pregnancy and Science's Surprising Victory Over HIV (Boerner, 2014). 

In 2015 she began volunteering with the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation Bleeding Disorders Conference Planning Committee where she helped develop and launch the conference's Spouse/Partner Track. She was a 2018 and 2019 co-chair of the NBDF Bleeding Disorders Conference. Susan earned a Masters in City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA in History and Development Studies from Smith College. She lives in Maryland with her husband and daughter.

Tamsen Bhachech currently serves as Deputy General Counsel of Regulatory Compliance for a global technology company where she's responsible for the organization's overall compliance program. With over twenty years of legal experience, including roles at both Microsoft and the Gates Foundation, she's well-versed in business strategy, operations, and corporate transactions. In addition to being a lawyer, she has a background in the field of international conflict resolution, has co-founded a non-profit, and is the author of over thirty romantic suspense novels and stories. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Santa Clara University School of Law, she now lives in a small rural town in Northern California with her husband, 200 olive trees, two co-dependent cats (on each other, not her), a sassy husky, and occasionally, her two adult sons. 

Ziva has worked with systems, organizations, communities and people for the past 15+ years to improve or transform the way that they work. Ziva believes firmly in sustainable, data-driven solutions co-designed by leadership, frontline staff, consumers and communities. Her work has focused on improving health, wellbeing and equity through improvement science, human centered design and shared, generative leadership. Ziva has worked with a safety net healthcare systems, the Mayo Clinic's KER Unit, Harvard's Center for Primary Care, nonprofits such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and communities across the US. Ziva is currently the Director of Assessment and Development at Ascent Leadership Networks, faculty at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and a founding member of the leadership team for 100 Million Healthier Lives.

Ziva holds a BA from Barnard and a MA from Harvard. She is a member of NEHA's New England Bleeding Disorders Advocacy Coalition, and lives in Massachusetts with her husband, her son and daughter, and a fridge full of clotting factor.