Our Board

Supporting the BIAC staff is our Board of Directors — a diverse group whose individual strengths and collective hand guide all that we do.

The most recent changes to our Board include the election of Paul Slager, an attorney with Silver, Golub & Teitell (www.sgtlaw.com/bio/PaulSlager.asp), as Board president and the addition of Jim Healey from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (www.kbw.com) and Diane Orozco from Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder (www.koskoff.com) as new members. You can read about each below.

The 2008 BIAC Board of Directors

Paul A. Slager, Esq., President

A partner in the Stamford-based law firm of Silver Golub & Teitell (www.sgtlaw.com/bio/PaulSlager.asp), Mr. Slager brings considerable legal expertise to his role on the Board, as well as a wealth of resources and information to our Community Advocates. He has served on the Board for the past two years, and was previously one of our two Vice Presidents.

John Stanwood, Ph.D., Vice President

Dr. Stanwood is chief of Psychology at the Hospital for Special Care (www.hfsc.org), where he provides neuropsychological assessment and treatment for persons with brain injury. Here at BIAC, Dr. Stanwood uses his considerable expertise to train ABI Waiver providers and BIAC staff on all aspects of brain injury.

David Bush, Esq., Treasurer

Mr. Bush has served on the Board for nine years, including terms as President and Treasurer. As he has been elected by the Board to serve as treasurer, he was nominated fro a special two-year term to serve in that position. He is a partner in the law firm of Brignole, Bush and Lewis (www.brignole.com) with offices located in Hartford and Granby. Mr. Bush has served as chair of the Golf committee for ten years.

Mark Powers, Secretary

Mr. Powers serves as a physician’s assistant at Gaylord Hospital (www.gaylord.org), where he has provided primary care to the Hospital’s patients for over 14 years. In addition to his role on the BIAC Board, Mr. Powers uses his expertise to instruct BIAC staff in the area of psychopharmacology and train ABI Waiver providers.

Michelle Brisman

Dr. Brisman is a clinical neurologist at Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital and PATH Outpatient Services, which is a division of St. Francis Care (http://www.saintfranciscare.com/body_rehabilitation.cfm?id=150). She has 12 years of experience working in the field of brain injury, including working at Easter Seals of Greater Hartford.

James Healey

Mr. Healey, who is Senior Vice President of the Institutional Brokerage Division at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (www.kbw.com), has just joined the BIAC Board. Jim adds his service as one of our valued Directors to his other Board-related efforts on behalf of the St. Francis Foundation, the Connecticut State Golf Association, and the Security Traders Association of Connecticut.

Vicki Konover

Ms. Konover is a licensed clinical social worker who served as Director of Older Adults Services for Jewish Family Services for almost 25 years and previously served on the Board of the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Foundation. In addition to serving on BIAC's Board, she serves as a Director for the Larrabee Fund.

Lillian Kosberg

Ms. Kosberg is the mother of a traumatic brain injury survivor and, as such, has been active in the disability rights community for many years. She is a long-time advocate and supporter of BIAC.

Thomas Miller

Dr. Miller is a Physiatrist and Director of the Brain Injury Program at Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital, which is a division of St. Francis Care (http://www.saintfranciscare.com/body_rehabilitation.cfm?id=150). He has been a presenter at BIAC's workshop series and a Certified Brain Injury Specialist by the American Academy of Brain Injury Specialists.

Philip Nemphos

Mr. Nemphos is a Certified Public Accountant with the firm of Montovani, Murray, Nemphos & Tierinni, LLC (www.mmnt-cpa.com). Mr. Nemphos' skills and knowledge will be a welcome addition to the Board's Finance and Audit Committee.

Diana Orozco

Ms. Orozco, a paralegal at the law firm of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder (www.koskoff.com) has also joined our Board quite recently. Diana’s skills and enthusiasm and will be a tremendous asset to our organization, and the fact that she is based in Fairfield County is also a plus, since that is an area of the state in which we are trying to increase our presence.

Michelle Peters

Ms. Peters, who Director of Sales and Marketing for the PGA Tour at TPC Highlands, first became interested in TBI when a close friend sustained a brain injury. She was previously Director of Development for the AIDS Project Hartford, has served on the Board of the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective, and has also worked for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Sharon Pope, Esq.

Sharon Pope is founding partner of her own firm, the Law Offices of Sharon Pope (www.specialneedsplanners.com/wsb-sliced/display_7.asp?FirmID=5644), which specializes in elder and disability law and special needs estate planning. She is also a professor at the University of Hartford, and serves on several other non-profit Boards. Ms. Pope’s expertise in the areas of elder and disability law makes her an extremely valuable advisor to the BIAC staff, who often consult with her about legal issues of particular concern to brain injury survivors and their families.

Richard Shechtman, Esq.

As president of Giftcorp, Inc. (www.giftcorp.com) and a former partner in the law firm of Robinson & Cole, Mr. Shechtman brings valuable business and legal expertise to our Board. His experience on numerous non-profit boards further enhances those capabilities, while his experience as the family member of a brain injury survivor further enhances his understanding of our mission.

Amy Sills

Ms. Sills, another recent addition to the Board, currently serves as the Secretary for the Board of Trustees at the Renbrook School and is the Assistant Treasurer for the Larrabee Fund Association of Greater Hartford. She also has volunteered since 1988 at Friends of the Family, a research and referral organization for teen parents. Ms. Sills is a Corporator at Hartford Hospital.

Gerald Wilson

Mr. Wilson is a brain injury survivor who has retired from his work as an executive director for a national non-profit agency in Washington, DC. Previously active in brain injury support groups in Maryland, he brought his experience to Connecticut, where he volunteers for BIAC in many capacities, including assisting in our fundraising efforts.

Julie Peters (Ex Officio)
Executive Director, BIAC