Leadership Team

Melissa Ludwig is a highly engaged senior business leader, board member and trusted, sought-out executive advisor helping position companies for sustained growth, organizational health and competitive strength, while mitigating risk. She is currently the Board Chair and acting CEO of the National Association of Corporate Directors Philadelphia. As a senior leader at Macy’s, managing a workforce of 3,000 and 19 facilities in the Mid-Atlantic and early on leading Macy’s Herald Square New York, she led a well-balanced strategic, operational, financial and expense management with consistent results. Melissa has a talent for assessing areas for remediation, innovation and growth to help position companies for long-term success.

Melissa has been recognized as a collaborator, connector, and diversity, equity, and inclusion champion with a deep human capital management background and cross-industry network, including among early-stage companies and angel investors. With deep experience and leadership in non-profit including a Co-Founder of several organizations, she delivers results in organizational governance, fundraising and development.

Candace is a Traumatic Brain Injury survivor and Founder of Mind Your Brain Foundation (MYBF), Co-Director of MYB at Penn Medicine conferences and the Co-Chair of the Brain Injury Coalition of Pennsylvania. She was voted as a Finalist for Philadelphia Magazine’s Be Well Philly Health Hero in 2017, Main Line Today Health Care Heroes 2020, and she was featured in Wounded Brains by Sandra Markle and Second Wind: The Resilience of Women by Beth Brykman.

Candace served as the Corporate Director of Reservations Operations WorldWide with the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company where she opened two international Reservations Centers and seven hotels.

Eileen Maloney-Wilensky is a critical care nurse with more than 33 years of experience in the field. Eileen holds certification as a critical care nurse, and neuroscience nurse and is board certified as an acute care nurse practitioner. Among her many accomplishments, she has also been responsible for establishing collaborative research efforts between the University of Pennsylvania, the NIH, DOD  and with industry, leading to the development of promising new neurosurgical critical care technology ,  ICU protocols and clinical trials supporting the Brain Tumor Center and Center for Restorative Neurosurgery. With the NCRD team Eileen oversees all clinical trials in the department that include patients with brain tumors, aneurysms, subarachnoid hemorrhages, traumatic brain injuries, movement disorders, and spine syndromes. The Neurosurgery Clinical Research Division (NCRD) was established in December 2001 under her direction.

She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Thomas Jefferson University and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. As the Mind Your Brain Foundation Program Director, Eileen will be dedicated to ensuring every Mind Your Brain Foundation conference maximizes its impact on survivors and caregivers!

Bob is a CPA and a financial professional and has worked primarily in healthcare and local government over the last 25 years. His experience includes both for profit and not-for-profit organizations with a passion for transparency and accountability in financial reporting.

He works for the Township of Radnor where he has been employed for the last ten years and currently serves as their Director of Finance. Bob is a graduate of Drexel University with a BS in Business Administration and a double major in Accounting and Human Resources. Outside of Radnor, he keeps his CPA license active, providing tax and consulting services.

Dr. Zarina Ali is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and Orthopedic Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and is the Chief of Neurosurgery at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, the Penn Health System’s level 1 trauma center. She serves as the department’s Vice Chair of Clinical Operations and Quality Improvement and is also the Co-Director of the multidisciplinary Penn Nerve Center.

Dr. Ali underwent residency training in neurosurgery and subspecialty fellowship training in peripheral nerve surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and then joined the Penn faculty as the first female neurosurgeon at Pennsylvania Hospital, where she developed a robust surgical practice specializing in spine and peripheral nerve disease.

Her research focus includes studies of opioid stewardship following surgery, as well as work tissue-engineering strategies to promote peripheral nerve regeneration in collaboration with Penn’s Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration & Restoration. Among her many accomplishments, she established one of the nation’s first neurosurgical Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs, a value-based care approach to spine and peripheral nerve surgery designed to optimize perioperative care and to promote expeditious recovery. In 2020 Dr. Ali was highlighted by Philadelphia Magazine as one of eight “trailblazing women leading Philly medicine.”

General Bolduc served thirty-three ½ years of military active-duty service to his country. He received two awards for valor, five Bronze Star medals, two Purple Hearts, led ten deployments to Afghanistan, and survived a bomb blast, numerous fire fights, and a helicopter crash.

General Bolduc, the former Division-Level Commander, Special Operations Command Africa, has hung up his fatigues to take on his most important and challenging mission of advocating for veterans and their families, the treatment and shedding the stigma of PTS, TBI, pain management, sleep disorders, and neurotoxicity both from within the US military as well as the general public. Since retiring, Bolduc served as an Associate Professor and ran for the United States Senate as the 2022 Republican Party Nominee.

He lost the general election to the democratic incumbent. Bolduc is currently a full-time police officer in Pittsfield, NH. General Bolduc is a licensed Christian Minister and Justice of the Peace. Bolduc is the recipient of a Medical Service Dog from Guardian Angels Medical Dog Service Inc. based in Williston, FL. Northrop Grumman sponsored the care and training of “Victor.” Bolduc paired in February 2018 with Victor and is now enjoying the benefits of a medical service dog.

Toni is currently a nonprofit professional and previously a devoted scientist and researcher in the field of neuroscience. Toni earned her Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from the Goodwin College of Professional Studies at Drexel University, to complement her professional mission of service.

Alongside the expertise from her BA in Biological Basis of Behavior (Neuroscience) degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Toni has both a clinical and public health research background. At the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, she assisted on research projects that focused on youth with neurological disorders and diseases. At the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Toni focused on improving lifelong outcomes for autistic youth through social network research and developing a web app.

She has also provided community services for autistic children and young adults as well as assisting in the facilitation of workshops for neurotypical siblings of autistic youth. As a sister to an autistic brother and a mild TBI survivor herself, Toni is committed to neurodiversity advocacy. Today, Toni serves as a Donor Support Administrator at The Penn Fund, the University of Pennsylvania’s undergraduate annual giving program.

Ms. Cooper has focused much of her career in health system operations, strategic planning and clinical program development and growth. She has extensive experience in developing and managing organizational practices and driving and sustaining large-scale change at both large academic and community, not-for-profit health systems. Ms. Cooper drives transformation by developing collaborative relationships and partnering with internal stakeholders, community leaders and business organizations.

She currently leads GSPP, a non-profit rehabilitation joint venture owned by the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, that offers inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation in the Philadelphia region and New Jersey.

Before joining GSPP, Ms. Cooper served as the inaugural Chief Administrative Officer for the newly-launched Neuroscience Service Line at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Prior to joining Penn, she developed and led the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute at LifeBridge Health in Baltimore, Maryland. She earned her master’s degree in Health Science Administration from Towson University.

In addition to the MYBF, she serves on the LyricFest Board of Trustees in Philadelphia and served as Treasurer for The Brain Injury Association of Maryland Board.

Dr. Gillian Murray started her work with survivors of brain injuries in 2005, and has experience throughout the continuum of care, including residential, outpatient, and inpatient rehabilitation. Dr. Murray currently works on the inpatient acute rehabilitation unit of the Drucker Brain Injury Center; she has been with MossRehab since 2011.

Dr. Murray is an advocate for persons with brain injuries. Dr. Murray developed a grant-funded program in Philadelphia to raise awareness about the prevalence of TBI in underserved and marginalized populations, and to connect those individuals to brain injury rehabilitation. Dr. Murray was also a consultant as a TBI specialist for the City of Philadelphia’s Juvenile Arrest Reform Project.

Dr. Murray lectures at Rutgers University in the School of Social Work and is an active researcher, specializing in mixed methods and qualitative research. Dr. Murray was part of the team that developed the Mind Your Brain Foundation Virtual Reality Mindfulness Modules (VRMM) and conducted a pilot study on the feasibility and effectiveness of VRMM. Dr. Murray’s publications include research on compassion fatigue in brain injury rehabilitation professionals and the impact of COVID-19 on social work students.

Dr. Murray is a Licensed Social Worker and a Certified Brain Injury Specialist. She obtained a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Masters in Social Work from Rutgers University.

Mr. Richter serves as Managing Partner at Compliance Architects (CA), a boutique consultancy specializing in quality and regulatory matters for companies regulated by the US FDA and other similar global regulatory authorities. He has spent his entire 25+ year career in the healthcare industry.

Prior to CA, Mr. Richter spent five years on the Executive Team at ReMed, a leading provider of post-acute brain injury rehab services, where he oversaw the revenue side of that business during a 5-year period of sustained growth. Previously, Jamie has served in a variety of senior executive roles with high-growth health care companies, ranging from early-stage start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. These included Johnson & Johnson’s Diabetes Care Franchise; CardioNet, a leader in wireless medicine; CorSolutions, a pioneering disease management company; and Oxford Health Plans. Jamie began his career as a medical products management consultant at The Wilkerson Group.

Mr. Richter earned an MBA. with a major in Health Care Management from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Psychology with Honors from Brown University.

Dr. Anil Sawant, PhD, has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in Quality & Compliance, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Business Ethics and Compliance, Research Integrity, Auditing and R&D functions.

Anil has research publications in the areas of antimicrobials, infectious diseases of the eye, glycoproteins, and clinical microbiology. He has worked on various dosage forms from injectables to topical, and various product types including small molecules, antibody-drug conjugates, vaccines, medical devices, and consumer products. Currently, Anil is Senior Vice President, Global Quality Compliance, Merck & Co.

Prior to joining Merck, Anil served in executive positions at Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Anil currently serves on the Board of Directors, Parenteral Drug Association, and Chairs the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Task Force, and the Data Integrity Task Force. Anil received the Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater Georgia State University in 2012 and has served on the Board of Directors, Georgia State University Alumni Association.

Douglas H. Smith, M.D. is the Robert A. Groff Endowed Professor Neurosurgery and Director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, Prof. Smith is the Scientific Director of the Big 10/ Ivy league Collaboration on Concussion and he also serves as a member on the Scientific Advisory Boards of the US National Football League (NFL), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-DOD consortium on concussion and the International Concussion Society.

Furthermore, Prof. Smith has been a member of Mind Your Brain Foundation since its inception in 2013 and he currently serves as a trustee. Notably, the U.S. State Department asked Prof. Smith to lead an investigation into neurological deficits induced in members of the embassy in Cuba, which led to a newly discovered disorder, “Havana Syndrome.” Prof. Smith’s group has established that damage to brain networks and specifically, diffuse axonal injury (DAI), represents key pathological processes underlying concussion symptoms and that the extent of acute axonal pathology is predictive of cognitive outcome.

In addition, his group has discovered mechanisms of concussion and more severe TBI that lead to progressive neurodegeneration, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy. These collective efforts are represented in over 250 published scientific reports that have been extensively cited. His awards include the Dorothy Russell medal, the highest honor conveyed by the British Neuropathological Society, the William Osler Patient Oriented Research Award from the University of Pennsylvania and the Anthony B. Marmarou Memorial Neurotrauma Lecture Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

Terri Young is a non-profit board member at MYBF, the St. Patrick’s and The Tatnall School. She is a former senior Human Resources executive who empowers organizations, boards, and leaders to thrive.

With a keen awareness of the nuances of organizational dynamics, Terri has proven expertise in translating business strategies into aligned human capital solutions that increase organizational dynamics,Terri has proven expertise in translation business strategies into aligned human capital solutions that increase organizational efficiency, effectiveness, performance, and profitability.

Over her career, Terri has thrived in environments in which boards and organizations want to excel, and she has a unique ability to leverage her organizational development and talent management expertise to help boards and executives address evolving business goals in fast-paced, changing market environments.

Terri is a capable and confident leader who has been recognized throughout her career for a commitment of mentoring, growth, and professional development for peers and members of her team. She has an inspiring presence who recognizes that an engaged and motivated workforce is a competitive advantage, and Terri has displayed a knack for finding creative ways to help organizations achieve superior results.