Mission Statement
Parkinson Foundation Western Pennsylvania provides service, support and education for those living with Parkinson disease and their families and supports medical research to discover the cause and cure.
Our Values
Excellence: We strive to achieve outstanding results by listening and learning from the Parkinson’s community.
Team Work: We bring together and embrace different perspectives, skills and knowledge.
Collaboration: We partner with a diverse group of stakeholders who share our purpose and urgency.
Integrity: We are honest, accountable and transparent with each other and with the people we represent to achieve our mission.
Positivity: We lead with optimism and always work to find solutions to problems.
Dedication: We are honored to do this important work and approach each day with a renewed focus until all those affected by Parkinson’s have access to the care they need and a cure is discovered.
Responsiveness: We build relationships through trust in order to meet and support the needs of people living with Parkinson’s and their families.
Staff
Christine Haythorn
Executive Director and CEO
Casey Peluso, LPC
VP, Programs and Outreach
Lauren O’Neil
VP, Marketing and Design
Duane Hardek
VP, Operations and Development
Wesley Johnson
Director, Diversity & Minority Outreach
Beth Appanaitis
VP, Operations
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Edwin H. Beachler III, Esq., Co-Chair
Retired Attorney, Caroselli, Beachler, & Coleman, LLC
David L. Harnish, Esq., Co-Chair
Attorney, D.L. Harnish & Associates, LLC
Timothy Leichliter, MD, Vice President
Physician, Allegheny Health Network
Jennifer Rose, Esq., Vice President
Attorney, Julian Gray Associates
Josiah Hoffman, Treasurer
President, Wealth Manager, & CCO, Hoffman Capital Advisors LLC
Meghan Taggart, Secretary
Product Manager, Boston Scientific
Susan Cruz
Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch
Ambrose Murray
Consultant and former ED, Extra Mile Education Foundation
Bill Schmidt
Retired, National City/PNC
Lisa Shaner
Technical Sales Specialist, Hennecke Inc.
Amber Van Laar, MD
Researcher/Physician, Ask Bio/UPMC
MEDICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Susan M. Baser, MD
Medical Director of Spasticity and Movement Disorder, West Penn Allegheny Healthy System
Sarah Berman, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurology & Principal Investigator, University of Pittsburgh
YOUNG LEADERSHIP BOARD
Emily Bayer
Senior Account Manager, Hacker Agency
Jennifer Bittel Derby
Associate Attorney, Tucker Arensberg
Nicolina DiNardi
Senior Electrophysiology-Technical Service Specialist, Abbott
Shannon Mincemoyer
Associate Attorney, Reed Smith
Lauren O’Neil
Consultant
Laura Teschke, PT, DPT
Physical Therapist, River Therapies
Courtney Williamson
CEO and Founder, AbiliLife
