Board of Directors

Richard Behrman, MD, JD (Honorary Founding Member)

Dr. Behrman was the Chief Editor on the 2002 Institute of Medicine Report “When Children Die.” It was upon this groundbreaking document that Children’s Hospice & Palliative Care Coalition was founded. Dr. Behrman is clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco and George Washington University, Washington, D.C., Former Executive Chair, Federation of Pediatric Organizations (FOPO) Pediatric Education Steering Committee; Founder, Non-Profit Healthcare and Educational Consultants to Medical Institutions.

Committees: Public Policy, Professional Advisory

Marilyn Calciano, MBA

Marilyn Calciano is a Community Volunteer with a passion for helping children and others in need. Previously, Marilyn was a Vice President of Morgan Stanley and Company in New York, New York, where she worked in Firm Management and in the Foreign Exchange, Commodities and Morgan Stanley Services Division. She also worked as a Management Consultant at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in New York.

Marilyn served on the Board of Directors of Hospice of Santa Cruz for several years in many capacities including President and is currently on the Board of the Cabrillo College Foundation’s Women’s Educational Success Committee. Marilyn is very involved in her children’s activities, including serving on the Development Committee of the Board of Directors of the Santa Cruz Montessori School, and as Treasurer for the Capitola Soquel Little League. She previously was Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Santa Cruz Medical Auxiliary. She is also the founder of the Family Giving Circle Fund of the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County.

Committees: Development (Chair), Finance

Angela Chesnut, (President) Former Department of Justice Federal Law Enforcement and Director of Fraud Investigations, eBay

Angela Chesnut has devoted much of her career to advocacy for children who were faced with challenging circumstances. Angela spent seven years in Washington, DC where she was a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Department of Justice. She investigated criminal cases where the victims were often minors or women who were exploited as prostitutes, indentured servants or migrant workers. Angela served as the Victim/Witness Coordinator during her tour in federal law enforcement. In this capacity, she worked with numerous state funded and nonprofit organizations in order to accommodate those who were in need of housing, employment opportunities and immediate medical attention and psychiatric care. After moving to California, Angela developed and directed the Internet Fraud Investigations and Compliance Department at eBay.

Angela served as the Assistant Director for Bethlehem House, a transitional group home for developmentally disabled children in Wash, DC. Angela also spent two months working in remote areas of the Dominican Republic, helping villagers cope with widespread malnutrition and educating women about prenatal care and personal hygiene. Angela recently served as Co-chair of the San Jose Junior League’s Wonder Cabinet at the Children’s Discovery Museum. Angela is fluent in Spanish and Italian.

Committees: Development (Chair), Governance, Executive

Cassandra Cotton, CHPN

Cassandra Cotton has devoted more than 16 years to Nathan Adelson Hospice first serving first as a Nursing Assistant and then as the Hospice’s Community Relations and Outreach Coordinator, a position through which she has united her love for hospice and her care and concern for traditionally underserved communities. Cassandra dedicates her time and efforts in the reduction of health disparities in hospice and end-of-life care. focusing her attention on underserved communities of color (African American, Latino, Asian, Native American, etc.) She served as Moderator, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness and Information Day, a forum supported by the community partnership between HIV Intervention & Prevention Program, Clark County Health District Office of Aids, FACT (Fighting Aids in our Community Together), NAH, Sista to Sista and the Second Baptist Church.

Cassandra is the founder, Nevada Black End-of-Life Care Coalition, bringing community stakeholders to the table to address the underserved and to bring communities together to discuss end-of-life care and issues. Cassandra is the 2006 recipient of KLAS TV 8 Portraits of Pride (Black History Month). Cassandra has served on many boards and committees dedicated to improving healthcare for all including: National Advisory Committee for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Caring Connections Program, 2005 Section Leader, National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals, American Heart Association’s African American Task Force and as liaison for Nathan Adelson Hospice to its sister hospice, Lady Brand Hospice, in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Committees: Development, Professional Advisory

Lorry Frankel, MD, MBA, Chief Intensive Care Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford

Lorry Frankel is the Chief of the Intensive Care Unit at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. He is well-respected in the field of Pediatric Palliative Care as well as Critical Care. Lorry received the 2005 Humanitarian Recognition Award by the Chest Foundation from his work as an Executive Committee member of the Board of Directors for the Painted Turtle – a summer camp in Southern California dedicated to enriching the lives of children with chronic an d life-threatening conditions.

Committees: Professional Advisory

Sarah Friebert, MD, FAAP

Sarah Friebert, MD, FAAP is employed by Akron Children’s Hospital, where she is responsible for creating and directing the Haslinger Family Pediatric Palliative Care Division, as well as practicing pediatric hematology/oncology. The Haslinger Center serves over 600 patients and families with life-threatening illness by providing transdisciplinary team care from diagnosis through bereavement. Dr. Friebert received her medical training at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine. She completed her residency in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and her fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Friebert is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric hematology/oncology, and hospice and palliative medicine. While pursuing her career in pediatric hematology/oncology, Dr. Friebert served as Pediatric Medical Director for the Pediatric Palliative Care and Hospice Program for Hospice of the Western Reserve. While there, she supervised a large team of pediatric-trained professionals caring for children with life-limiting illness in their homes as well as in hospitals, nursing facilities and inpatient hospice centers. She and a colleague also co-founded and co-chaired the Palliative Care Subcommittee for the Children’s Oncology Group. She is the founder and Chair of the Ohio Pediatric Palliative and End-of-life Network (OPPEN), a statewide coalition representing pediatric hospice and palliative care providers. OPPEN sponsored a national pediatric palliative care conference in the fall of 2007 and is working actively on statewide legislative change in pediatric palliative care funding.

Committees: Professional Advisory

Melissa Gilbert (Sustaining Chair)

Accomplished Actor and Former President, Screen Actors Guild, Melissa Gilbert, a recognized leader in entertainment, is giving voice to the needs of seriously ill children and their families in her role as spokesperson and President of the Board of Directors. As a mother of four and friend to many of the children she represents, Gilbert’s compassion and affability have brought national attention to the issue, while her business acumen, honed during her two term tenure as president of the Screen Actors Guild, has positioned Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition as a respected leader in the growing national movement to improve care for children with life-threatening conditions and their families.

As President of the Board of Directors, Gilbert serves on all committees.

Dianne Gray, Bereaved Parent, Marketing Specialist

Dianne Gray has spent the past twenty years as an entrepreneur and international business consultant. During that time, she co-founded a successful business venture in Southwest Florida and created four ongoing nonprofit entities which provide services for hundreds of terminally ill or handicapped children. Her international projects include work and extensive travel experience in Latin America and Europe. Dianne graduated from Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N.C., with a degree in Sports Management/Sports Medicine. Currently, she is a Marketing Specialist with Quality of Life Publications in Florida. She is also the Grief and Bereavement Director for NBIA Disorders Association. She is also writing a book about medical ethical decision making and her life experience, which is expected to be published in Fall, 2008.

(photo) Christina, Austin and Dianne Gray of Naples, Florida. At the time of the photo, Austin was ten years old and had lost the ability to verbally communicate, eat solid food, and could not walk, even though he had lived a “normal life” until the age of five. He adapted to the challenges of living a life NBIA with grace, humor, and tenacity as evidenced by his determination to communicate through blinking, sighing or smiling. Austin passed away February 25, 2005 at the age of 14.

Committees: Family Advisory, Development

Gregory Harrison, JD (Treasurer)

Gregory Harrison joined Merriman Curhan Ford & Co. as Vice President of Private Placements and Structured Finance in May of 2007. Prior to working at Merriman, Mr. Harrison was Managing Director of GVC Financial Services, LLC, where he specialized in leveraged buyouts and alternative debt financings. Prior to joining GVC Financial, Mr. Harrison co-founded Vista Partners, LLC, an independent equity research firm based in Los Angeles. Mr. Harrison holds a JD from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. While in law school, Mr. Harrison clerked for the Honorable Lawrence Mira, interned for the Administrative Office of the United Sates Courts in Washington, D.C. and was a member of the Entertainment Law Review. Mr. Harrison received a B.A from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he was an Order of Omega Honor’s Society member. Mr. Harrison lives in Sausalito, California, and is a member of the California Bar.

Committees: Development, Finance, Family Advisory

Terri Warren, MSW – CEO, Trinity Care Hospice (Vice President)

Terri Warren (shown here on the left along with Board President, Melissa Gilbert, Gay Walker, RN and Glen Komatsu, MD) has been with Trinity Care Hospice for over seven years in many roles including Director of the AIDS Case Management Program, Staff Development Coordinator, and most recently as Vice President of Operations. Due to Terri’s unique set of skills, she brings a long term vision and commitment to Trinity Care Hospice. Receiving a Masters in Social Work from Boston College and a Bachelors Degree from College of the Holy Cross, Terri is committed to a vision in providing comfort care for all tiers of society.

Terri Warren is pictured here on the left with Board President, Melissa Gilbert and Gay Walker, RN and Glen Komatsu, MD from Trinity Kids Care Hospice.

Committees: Governance, Finance, Executive, Public Policy, Professional Advisory

Joe and Janis Wuelfing, Bereaved Parents, Founders of the Markie Foundation

Janis and Joe Wuelfing are co-founders of The Markie Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps to make a difference in the lives of terminally ill children and their families by supporting children’s hospice programs. It was established in July 1999 to honor their first son, Mark Warren Wuelfing, who died at four months from an undiagnosed neurological disorder. Janis, a former elementary and high school teacher, and Joe, a marketing professional, share a passion for assisting other families in need. The couple devotes significant time to increasing awareness of children’s hospice and palliative care services, while helping to raise thousands of dollars towards this worthwhile cause. Along with their six other children, Joe and Janis reside in Rocklin, California (just east of Sacramento), where they are involved with a number of other community, school, and church activities.

Lori Butterworth
Co-Founder

Lori Butterworth has founded two award-winning, nationally recognized non-profit organizations, which have dramatically improved care for thousands of children with life-threatening conditions and their families. As the founder and former Executive Director of Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Association, Lori designed, implemented and secured sustainable funding for innovative programs for families of children with cancer, more than doubling projected revenue for the organization for three consecutive years. She led the campaign in 1999 that officially established September as Children’s Cancer Awareness Month in the State of California by executive order. Her many awards for leadership at Jacob’s Heart include the Soroptimist “Woman of Distinction Award for Health” and Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network “Use Your Life Award” which included a $100,000 grant to the organization (2000).

In 2001, Lori co-founded the Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition (CHPCC), and currently serves as Executive Director along with Devon Dabbs. Together Lori and Devon have spearheaded healthcare policy initiatives including the enactment of the Nick Snow Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Act of 2006. This landmark legislation, which was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger, creates an entirely new hospice and palliative care benefit for children in California. In 2007, Lori and Devon formed an alliance with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization to develop “Partnering for Children,” a national public engagement campaign which includes resources and tools to raise national awareness about the unique needs of children with life-threatening conditions.

Under the leadership of Lori and Devon, CHPCC has been the recipient of numerous awards including California Association of Non profits “Achievement in Innovation” for development of creative, successful program strategies (2007), the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium Palliative Care Award for “outstanding leadership, commitment, and advocacy in improving end-of-life and palliative care for children and their families” (2007), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation “Award of Excellence” for the Western United States for an organization that has best “identified community needs for better care near the end of life, advocated for health system changes to bring about better care and developed and effectively implemented specific projects to do so” (2004). In 2007, Lori and Devon were named Santa Cruz County Women of the Year.

As a bilingual educator, Lori has developed curriculum and taught Spanish Language Arts and Literature, Social Studies and Government in the Los Angeles and Oakland inner-city schools for more than a decade. She was instrumental in establishing a public high school for girls in rural Guatemala. Her linguistic skills and appreciation of cultural diversity have enabled her to bring about dramatic change and unity in diversely populated communities throughout the world.

Lori currently volunteers as an advisor and expert on various committees and boards specializing in non-profit organizational management, fund development, Latino outreach and pediatric hospice and palliative care, including the National Advisory Committee for Caring Connections for National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and the Mensajeros de Confianza of Hospice of Santa Cruz, designed to open access to quality end of life care for Latinos.

Devon Dabbs
Co-Founder and Executive Director

Devon Dabbs is the Co-Founder of the Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition (CHPCC) and currently serves as Executive Director along with Lori Butterworth. Devon, along with Lori, has spearheaded policy initiatives and created programs, which are dramatically improving care for children with life-threatening conditions in California, including the enactment of the Nick Snow Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Act of 2006. This landmark legislation, which was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger, creates an entirely new hospice and palliative care benefit for children in California. In 2007, Devon and Lori formed an alliance with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization to develop “Partnering for Children,” a national public engagement campaign which includes resources and tools to raise national awareness about the unique needs of children with life-threatening conditions.

CHPCC has been the recipient of numerous awards including California Association of Non profits “Achievement in Innovation” for development of creative, successful program strategies (2007), the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium Palliative Care Award for “outstanding leadership, commitment, and advocacy in improving end-of-life and palliative care for children and their families” (2007), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation “Award of Excellence” for the Western United States for an organization that has best “identified community needs for better care near the end of life, advocated for health system changes to bring about better care and developed and effectively implemented specific projects to do so” (2004). In 2007, Devon and Lori were named Santa Cruz County Women of the Year.

An award-winning documentarian and television media and marketing executive, Devon has been a long-time advocate on behalf of children in crisis. Her film credits include Walter Cronkite’s four-part series “Victory over Violence,” and the Peabody Award-winning CBS documentary “Break the Silence: Kids Against Child Abuse,” where in her role as segment producer she initiated a national educational campaign distributing resource materials and videos to more than 90,000 schools across the country.

Devon has coordinated and launched numerous national and international communication campaigns for both network and syndicated programming, including the 50th and 51st annual Emmy Awards. She has also spearheaded media campaigns on behalf of the American Red Cross and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, among others. She was instrumental in the launch of the Hilton Foundation’s 1st Annual International Humanitarian Conference in conjunction with the $1.5 million Hilton Humanitarian Prize, awarded annually to an organization making extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering anywhere in the world. It was in this capacity she has coordinated campaigns on behalf of St. Christopher’s Hospice, Doctors without Borders, International Rescue Committee, and Heifer International, among others.

Devon currently serves on the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association and California Hospice Foundation boards and the Hospice of the Valley advisory council.

Devon Dabbs and Lori Butterworth accept the AWARD OF EXCELLENCE in Program Design from the California Association of Non Profits. CHPCC was nominated by Gay Walker, RN, pictured here.