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Associate Board

Our Role

Founded in 2007 to increase community awareness of childhood diseases, the Associate Board develops new programs and initiatives to educate the public and get more people involved. It does so by focusing specifically on children’s brain disease and disorders.

The Associate Board is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of children with brain disorders and their families by helping to fund cutting-edge neuroscience research, public education programs, and professional education. Its goal is to ease the enormous challenges that children with brain disorders face—from loss of function and lengthy hospital stays to difficulty making friends and differential health coverage.

Board Members

Brant Ahrens

Brant Ahrens
Mr. Ahrens is the Chief Operating Officer of The PrivateBank. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Bankers Association and is active with the Ronald Knox Montessori School. Mr. Ahrens’ particular interests lie in the fields of autism and peripheral neuropathy.

Vanessa Bachtell

Vanessa Bachtell
Ms. Bachtell is a principal in Goldberg Kohn’s Corporate, Securities & Tax Group. With a focus on research in areas affecting children, she seeks to broaden the impact of the Brain Research Foundation’s efforts to further the field of neuroscience.

Sarah Burke

Sarah Burke
Ms. Burke’s interests focus on the needs of children, especially those who are the most vulnerable due to neurological and developmental disorders. She believes that issues surrounding children’s development and health are critical to our families, our communities, and ultimately, our world. Ms. Burke is currently an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney.

Matthew Claeys

Matthew Claeys
Mr. Claeys is an Associate with Inland Institutional Capital Partners, Inc. He has been involved in fundraising, recruiting, and event planning for the Boys and Girls Club of America since 2002. He is also an active volunteer with the St. Martin de Porres High School Corporate Internship Volunteer Program, for Corporate Internship Opportunities, and participating in the Mentor for Successes program.

Mr. Claeys’ specific neuroscience interests include autism and attention deficit disorder. He came to be involved with the Associate Board through Dr. Leventhal’s work in the area of attention deficit disorder, which is near and dear to his family and many of his close friends

Lua Clark

Lua Clark
Ms. Clark is an event planner at Harris Bank and is particularly interested in psychiatric disorders as they affect children. She became involved with the Associate Board after attending an event supporting The Red Kite Project, a theater experience designed specifically for children with autism.

Elizabeth Daley

Elizabeth Daley
Ms. Daley is currently a PhD student of clinical psychology at DePaul University. She is particularly interested in helping to further research being conducted in developmental disabilities such as autism. Ms. Daley is also a member of the Best Buddies Advisory Board and AAction Autism.

Jennifer Falconer

Jennifer Falconer
Ms. Falconer is a Director of Global Markets Business Continuity & Information Protection at Bank of America. She is particularly interested in brain disorders that affect children, specifically depression and aggressive behavior. She has found the statistics around the number of children affected by a brain disorder by the age of 16—approximately 20%—to be compelling. It was eye opening to Ms. Falconer to understand how little research is done in this field that affects so many. Having family and friends who have been touched by a brain disorder in some way and having seen the impact it has had on their lives, she wanted to get involved with an organization that helped educate and inform others on brain disorders and highlight the great work that is being done.

Peter Glick

Peter Glick
Mr. Glick is currently the Public Finance Department Supervisor of Wells Fargo Brokerage Services. He serves on the Membership Committee of the Associate Board. Mr. Glick is also a member of the Civic Federation of Chicago, Council of Development Finance.

Michele Haynes

Adam Johnson

Adam Johnson
Mr. Johnson serves as the co-chair of the Associate Board's Technology Committee, using his experience with developing technology companies to help the foundation use technology to achieve its goals. Seeing his brother suffer 3 unexplained seizures spurred Mr. Johnson to make a contribution to the study of neuroscience—particularly in the areas of epilepsy, seizures, brain trauma recovery, and psychological disorders and their underlying physical causes.

Michael Kasdin - Secretary

Michael Kasdin
Mr. Kasdin is currently serving as the Secretary of the Associate Board. He is also an attorney with DLA Piper LLP (US) representing juveniles in the criminal court system on a pro bono basis. He has noticed that many of the juveniles have serious brain disorders ranging from ADD and ODD to mental retardation and autism. He feels that understanding these disorders may go a long way toward keeping children out of the courts. He has a special interest in childhood development and the science behind ADD and ADHD. Mr. Kasdin also serves as the chairman of the pro bono committee for the Legal Aid Bureau Board of Directors.

Bernie Lacayo - Treasurer

Bernie Lacayo
Mr. Lacayo is a Managing Director at The PrivateBank. He was recently elected Treasurer of the Associate Board. Mr. Lacayo is interested in promoting understanding and awareness of children’s brain disorders.

Matthew Leventhal - Ex-Officio

John Nicholson - Chairman

John Nicholson
Mr. Nicholson is the Chairman of the Associate Board. He is also Deputy Managing Director of PVS Chemicals subsidiary Siam PVS. Mr. Nicholson has a particular interest in neurological diseases as they relate to depression and anxiety and hopes to see his efforts help pave the way for quick diagnoses and, ultimately, cures for such diseases. In addition to his work for the foundation, Mr. Nicholson sits on the DePaul University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Advisory Board.

Patrick Peterman - Vice Chairman

Patrick Peterman
Mr. Peterman is Director, Power Retailing at General Growth Properties, Inc. He is currently serving as the Vice Chairman of the Associate Board. The experience of having a family member with developmental disabilities was a driving factor for Patrick’s involvement with the Associate Board of the Brain Research Foundation. His goal is to help the foundation make an impact on the lives of children and adolescents with developmental disabilities.

Katie Pisel

Bill Rao

Nick Rotondo

Julie Schultz

Julie Schultz
Ms. Schultz is a school counselor and case manager at Robert Healy Elementary School. She is interested in brain disorders as they affect children and adolescents. On a daily basis, she works closely with families and children affected by various types of brain disorders. Her membership and involvement with the Associate Board allows her to bring ideas back to those directly affected. She is honored to be part of an organization that is making great strides and positively affecting the lives of others.