Board Contact Information ·
Family Voices, Inc.
3701 San Mateo Blvd NE, Suite 103
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Toll-Free: (888) 835-5669
Fax: (505) 872-4780
Interested in joining the Board of Directors? Read more and apply here.
2012 - 2013 Board Officers ·
Molly Cole – President
Marcia O'Malley – Vice-President
Renee Turchi, MD – Secretary
Grace Pushparany Williams – Treasurer
2013 - 2014 Family Voices Board of Directors Calendar Meetings ·
June 20, 2013
August 15, 2013
October 17, 2013
December 19, 2013
February 20, 2014
Molly Cole · President
Molly Cole is Director of Connecticut's Council on Developmental Disabilities. She was previously the Associate Director of the A.J. Pappanikou Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at UConn Health Center. She has over 30 years of experience in the field of developmental disabilities, with a focus on family support and advocacy. She is a founding member of Family Voices and recently served as a National Field Co-coordinator for the organization. She holds a number of appointments to councils and boards, including Chair of the State Advisory Council to the CT Department of Children and Families, and co-chair of the Medical Home Advisory Council to the CT Department of Public Health. Mrs. Cole has received numerous state and national awards. She has published articles on family leadership and family support, and written and directed numerous grant funded projects. She served as a Program Manager for the CT Birth to Three System, is the former Executive Director of FAVOR Inc., a statewide family advocacy organization, and she directed the Family Center at CT Children's Medical Center for nine years. She is the parent of three children and grandparent of two, and she has had personal experience with an array of disability and health services and programs in the state. Her middle child, Mariyama had significant disabilities complex medical needs, and passed away at the age of 18.
Marcia O'Malley · Vice-President
Marcia O’Malley is a professional multimedia specialist with over twenty years of experience working with and for nonprofit organizations. Prior to assuming the role of Executive Director of Family TIES of Nevada in 2003, Marcia served as the organization's Outreach Specialist and coordinated the development of Nevada’s Family Voices. She also served as the state coordinator and co-regional coordinator for National Family Voices' Region 9 representing consumers in discussions regarding health care.
The parent of a teenage son who has Down syndrome, Marcia has combined her personal and professional experience, resulting in major accomplishments.Such accomplishments include establishing the Nevada Family-to-Family Health Information and Education Center, co-chairing the Statewide Covering Kids and Families Coalition which promoted the Nevada Check Up and Medicaid health insurance programs for children, serving on the governor-appointed Nevada 2-1-1 Partnership, and on the Title IV-B Committee. Marcia also worked closely with the state’s Title V Children with Special Health Care Needs Program on a number of initiatives including facilitating a parent-focused committee that addressed the underutilization of the Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program.
During her tenure on the Family Voices Board, Marcia hopes to apply her nonprofit and multimedia experience to enhance Family Voices’ visibility, stability, and impact.
Renee Turchi, MD · Secretary
Renee Turchi is a practicing MD whose research and clinical work focus on children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Renee is a member of the faculty at Drexel University School of Public Health and Drexel University College of Medicine. In addition, she is the Director of the Pennsylvania Medical Home Program (EPIC IC), a statewide quality improvement program for pediatric practices across Pennsylvania funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Maternal Child Health Bureau (www.pamedicalhome.org). Renee is Medical Director of Special Programs at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, where she oversees grants and program development and practices. Her research and clinical work around care coordination and CYSHCN have been presented and published in multiple national forums.
Renee's passion centers around caring for CYSHCN. As such, she supports and advocates that all children should have a medical home which includes family centered care. Research and policies supporting medical home, care coordination and family centered care are at the core of her passions.
Renee is current Secretary of the Family Voices Board of Directors. During her tenure on the Board of Directors, Renee wants to contribute to bringing the value of family centered care and Family Voices to the medical provider community. Her hope is that the medical community supports and assists in promoting F2Fs and Family Voices. She would like to help get the Finance Audit Committee up and running and assist in fund raising. In addition, Renee is interested in supporting and disseminating work with the Family Voices tools.
Grace Pushparany Williams · Treasurer
Grace Pushparany Williams most recently worked for the Association of the Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) as the Program Manager for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN), for the Parents Place of Maryland as a Health Care Coordinator as well as for the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health as a Cultural Competency Outreach Coordinator. Grace is also involved in the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council where she serves on the Children and Family Issues Committee and works with the Maryland State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) on issues related to infants and toddlers as well outreach related to cultural and linguistic affairs. Additionally her work involves partnering with groups and agencies such as the Maryland University Center of Excellence (UCEDD), the Maryland Medicaid Advisory Commission, the Maryland Dental Action Coalition, the Prince George's County Commission on Disabilities and The Arc of Prince George's County.
Grace strongly believes in the Family Voices mission and vision and is grateful and proud of Family Voices for being the only organization representing the broad spectrum of children and youth with special health care needs. Her areas of interest and passion are family-centered care, cultural competency, family involvement, policy and legislative affairs.
Grace has been part of the Family Voices organization for about 10 years as a network member, Regional Coordinator, Executive Director Search Committee member and Infrastructure Committee member. She hopes to use this experience and the knowledge she has gained to promote the Family Voices mission and vision, especially in the areas of partnership with other like-minded organizations and federal and state agencies as well as to promote and implement cultural competency and influence policy and legislative affairs.
Board Members
Ruth Walden
Ruth Walden recently retired from her position as a Family Specialist for the New York State Department of Health in the Children with Special Health Care Needs Program. Among her duties and responsibilities, Ruth referred families and young adults to services, resources and funding opportunities to help their families. She also conducted trainings and offered facilitation for focus groups of families and youth/young adults with special health care needs. Additionally, Ruth worked with local counties to acquaint them with transition needs so that they are better prepared to work with youth and young adults within their community.
Since having her son, Ruth has been very interested in helping others make lemonade from the lemons they have in their lives. Ruth's son is her inspiration that gives her the passion and drive to work in the field as well as to offer her free time to assist families of CSHCN. Her motto has always been "If I can help just one person, I can achieve my goals." To see smiles on the children's faces, lights up Ruth's life. She can't imagine life without some attachment to CSHCN. Ruth is the current President of the Family Voices Board of Directors.
Ruth is enthusiastic about contributing her time and talents to Family Voices. While serving in this capacity the key organizational goals Ruth is focused on include diversifying Family Voices' funding for the future, increasing the list of Family Voices contributors and supporters and assisting Family Voices in becoming a true 21st century organization. She applauds Family Voices for taking the first steps in this process by completing the reorganization of the Family Voices infrastructure. Now Ruth affirms- "we must move to the next level!"
Carolyn Richardson
Carolyn Richardson is a Leadership Training Coordinator at the Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico. In this role Carolyn mentors doctoral fellows, post-doctoral students and junior faculty in leadership areas. In particular, she works with fellows in the development of health policy briefs. In addition, she works part-time for the New Mexico Pediatric Pulmonary Center as their graduate student Training Director. In both of these positions, Carolyn is primarily focused on proposal development and leadership teaching. Lastly, Carolyn in involved in a lot of leadership trainings for New Mexico tribes.
Proposal development is Carolyn's first professional passion. Second among her professional interests would be translating grants into leadership programs that target minority and students who face educational challenges at all levels. In her spare time Carolyn likes to participate in cultural celebrations in her community, read and TRY to paint.
During her tenure on the Family Voices Board of Directors Carolyn would like to contribute to the organization by participating in proposal development when possible and looking at some good research questions that can help national and state chapters. She would also like to share her expertise in program evaluation to assist Family Voices at both national and local levels.
Josie Woll
Along with Polly Arango and Julie Beckett, Josie founded Family Voices. Josie Woll is the parent of three children, including a wonderful daughter Cassilly who has a few developmental disabilities and even more significant successes like those in so many other families who are Family Voices members. Josie served as the Director of the Sultan Easter Seal School an Early Intervention Program that was recognized for its excellence in providing family centered, culturally appropriate and coordinated services to families and their infants and toddlers with special health care needs or at risk for them.Josie has also been a contractor with the Federal Children with Special Health Needs Division, Bureau of Maternal and Child Health and is, at times, a contractor with the University of Hawaii’s Center for Disability Studies.Josie has received numerous awards and honors that she shares with the many partners she has collaborated with over the years.Her most treasured recognitions were those that acknowledged her contributions to the betterment of families and their children with special needs in Hawaii.
During this tenure on the Family Voices Board of Directors (Josie has served previous terms in the 90s and early 2000s), Josie would like to preserve the gains that have been achieved by the tireless efforts of so many Family Voices members and build on them to ensure the voices of children and their families are not only heard but result in the system changes which acknowledge that fiscal prudence and quality services can coexist.Josie would also like to support and ensure Family Voices mentors new family leaders who will personify our grassroots organization that speaks for the many in their communities, states and at the national level.
Julianne Beckett
Julianne Beckett currently serves as the co-chair of the Parent Advisory Group with the Section on Home Care under the American Academy of Pediatrics. Julianne is the mother of Katie Beckett who was the first Medicaid Home and Community-based Waiver child. The waiver was granted in 1981 and has become a vehicle for many persons with disabilities to receive care at home or in their communities. Katie passed away May 18, 2012. Julie and Katie testified numerous times before Congress and worked on many projects in an advisory capacity for the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, at the Department of Health and Human Services. Julie helped co-found Family Voices, an organization dedicated to serving children and youth with special health care needs and served as its policy coordinator for 10 years. Julie has written several publications including “Health Care Financing: A Guide for Families”.
Jennifer Bolden Pitre, Esq*
Jennifer Bolden Pitre is the Senior Program Manager, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs at the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP). Jennifer is charged with overseeing the work of State Public Health Autism Resource (SPHAC), Learn the Signs, Act Early Activities in collaboration with HRSA, AUCD and the CDC and overall programming for CYSHCN at AMCHP. It has always been her life journey to enrich the lives of CYSHCN and those less fortunate due to circumstances beyond their control, disability or illness. She strives to make a legible mark in policy and contribute to society at large. Jennier would like to work alongside some of the most gifted and talented Family Leaders today in advocacy, and contribute some of her time, energy and vision as we make strides towards achieving Family-Centered Care for all children, particularly those with special health care needs. Jennifer is a; Mother of two children, attorney, sister and daughter. Well versed in practice, policy and theory with issues that affect CYSHCN.
Lynda Honberg
Lynda Honberg has over 35 years experience in the private and public health sectors and is recognized as an expert in improving access to care and financing of services for underserved populations including children with special health care needs, people with HIV/AIDS, and homeless individuals and families. Prior to retiring as a Captain in the US Public Health Service in February 2013, Ms Honberg worked at the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and administered a $6.5 million discretionary budget to improve the system of services for children and youth with special health care needs. In that position, she developed a continuous quality improvement initiative utilizing learning collaboratives and oversaw the development of a toolkit for maternal and child health leaders. She also provided leadership and input into health insurance and financing issues, especially related to health care reform.
Lynda’s other positions within the Public Health Service have included the HIV/AIDS Bureau and the Bureau of Primary Health Care, where she developed training and technical assistance programs to build the capacity of community health centers, health care for the homeless programs and Ryan White C.A.R.E. Act funded community based programs to participate in managed care. For several years, she worked in the Office of Health Maintenance Organizations managing grants to develop and finance health plans.
In the private sector, Ms. Honberg worked for eight years as the Director of Operations and Planning for the George Washington University Health Plan of Washington, D.C. where she was responsible for strategic planning, provider relations and health center operations.
She is a parent of a young adult with special health care needs and has been an advocate for family involvement for years.
Andrea Roundfield
Andrea Lee Roundfield, MS, MA, LSCI &TCI certification, is a Special Education instructor and IEP and Related Services coordinator in New York City’s District 75, the only school district of its kind. She has also taught in Mercy College’s Graduate Teaching Fellows Program.
Ms. Lee Roundfield has led inquiry studies and action research in teaching students with varying disabilities. She is pursuing her Doctor of Education in Education Leadership at Walden University.