NEC Society
The NEC Society’s Board of Directors governs the organization and is dedicated to advancing our vision of a world without NEC. Our Board members include patient families, clinicians, researchers, advocates, and diverse stakeholders who share a commitment to improving outcomes for infants and their families. The Board collaborates with staff to accelerate NEC research, education, and advocacy. Our Board Members oversee the organization’s budget, provide strategic guidance, raise awareness and philanthropic support through their networks, and make personal contributions to support the NEC Society’s mission.
We are grateful to the NEC Society’s Board of Directors:
Martin Blakely, MD, MS
Martin is an Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt. He is currently the lead PI of two federally funded national pediatric surgical randomized trials. His main research interest involves multicenter comparative effectiveness trials, especially those focusing on patient safety. He also founded and currently leads the Pediatric Surgery Research Collaborative.
Samir K. Gadepalli, MD, MBA
Samir is a pediatric surgeon at the University of Michigan. His clinical practice encompasses all aspects of pediatric surgery, including minimally invasive surgery, non-cardiac thoracic surgery, neonatal surgery, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, surgical oncology, abdominal, colorectal and genitourinary abnormalities, trauma and critical care. On a personal note, he has 4 children, from elementary to high school, who keep him well grounded and up-to-date on all the newest trends.
Kari Gregerson, MBA
Kari has had a long-standing career in Human Resources with senior leadership roles at companies including Microsoft, Washington Mutual, and StanCorp. She currently acts as an independent HR Consultant, advising organizations on the design and implementation of their people programs. Kari has an MBA from DePaul University, a BS in Business Management, and a secondary major in psychology from the University of Oregon. Kari lives on a farm in Sherwood, Oregon with her husband of 25 years and their two young sons. In 2013, after a lengthy battle with infertility, Kari’s daughter, Hope was born at 30 weeks gestation. Tragically, Hope died from NEC and she has inspired Kari to help build a world without this devastating disease.
Jolene Jacobs, MBA
Jolene is the General Manager of Caliper Commercial Ingredients, a division of Caliper Foods. Prior to joining Caliper, Jolene had established a presence for herself as an award-winning medical marketing, sales, and operations professional known for leading with a passionate, entrepreneurial spirit and a keen focus on infant health & nutrition. Jolene was responsible for helping to start Evolve BioSystems, a spin-off from the Foods for Health Institute (FFHI) at the University of California, Davis, and launch their infant probiotic Evivo. She brings over 25 years of experience from leading retail, consumer packaged goods, and ingredient companies. A long-time supporter of the NEC Society, Jolene is thrilled to contribute to a world without NEC.
Adam Masin, Esq.
Adam is Senior Counsel at the law firm Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP and has a national practice representing physicians, medical institutions, and pharmaceutical/medical device companies in negligence and product liability litigation. Adam represents Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale University, and he was the lead lawyer in the case involving a contaminated probiotic in a baby with NEC who tragically died.
Rebecca Meuninck, Ph.D.
Rebecca is the Deputy Director for the Ecology Center, a Michigan-based non-profit working to protect human health and the environment. She has worked on environmental health and environmental justice issues for more than 17 years. Rebecca coordinates the environmental health work for the Ecology Center and the Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health and serves on the steering committees of several state and national environmental health coalitions. In the wake of the Flint Water Crisis, Rebecca was appointed by Governor Snyder to the state’s Child Lead Exposure Elimination Commission. Rebecca’s work centers around her passion for protecting children’s health. Rebecca holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology, with a graduate specialization in Gender, Justice, and Environmental Change from Michigan State University, and a BS from the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan.
Lindsay M. Pollak, MBA
Lindsay is the head of global programs and analytics for McKinsey & Company’s Diversity and Inclusion function; she is part of a global team focused on developing strategy and implementing key initiatives to ensure that McKinsey develops, advances, and retains the best talent. She has extensive consulting experience focusing on organizational transformation and design. Lindsay has an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in international relations and a secondary major in economics from Stanford University. She lives in California with her family.
Jenny Quinn, PhD, NNP-BC
Jenny is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner at NorthBay Healthcare and serves on the Perinatal Quality Improvement Panel for the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative. Dr. Quinn has practiced neonatal nursing for 20 years and has cared for dozens of infants and their families who have been affected by NEC.
Simone Rosito, MA
Tom and Dani’s auntie, Simone holds a degree in Management and International Relations by the University of Aberdeen, a Masters in Middle East Politics, from the University of Durham and is currently specializing in Social Projects. With a long international career in Latin American Equities desks, Simone has lived in the UK and Australia and is a keen traveler with a taste for exotic locations. Her trips to places such as Syria, Bhutan and Algeria resulted in the book “Oh My Buddha” soon to be available in English and proceeds to be donated to Instituto PGG.
Noelle Sechrest, RDN
Noelle is a Regional Director for Cognoa, a pediatric behavioral health company. She is also a Registered Dietitian with over 20 years of experience that includes healthcare leadership and new business development in the infant nutrition and microbiome industry. Her passion for making a lasting impact on all infants and children is what keeps her motivated. Noelle is delighted to be supporting NEC Society’s mission, a world without NEC.