EXECUTIVE BOARD

Lorraine Chammah, TAMR President

• BA Biology, BS. MS Nursing
• Science teacher, nurse and community activist
• Former President Capitol Area Parkinson’s Society

“I lost my husband to Parkinson’s disease after a 14 year struggle.  Dementia and loss of speech kept him from being the father he had looked forward to being.  His son was a sophomore in college when he died.  Our son never knew his father as a well man.  Surgery and medications helped my husband but stem cell research holds the keys to the next generation of cures and treatments.  As a widow, mother, nurse and science teacher, I am committed to TAMR‘s mission to educate and advocate for stem cell research in the state of Texas. Tomorrow’s cures will come from good science, not partisan politics.”

Veronica De La Garza, TAMR-ED President

• Advocacy Director, South Central Region, American Diabetes Association

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Joe A. Brown

• Past president Texans for Advancement of Medical Research
• Texas Coordinator, Parkinson’s Action Network
• Board of Directors, Houston Area Parkinson’s Society

Nina Brown, Communication Committee

• Texas Coordinator, Parkinson’s Action Network
• Vice President, Board of Directors, Houston Area Parkinson’s Society
• Secretary, The Alliance for Medical Research

Ralph Dittman, MD, MPH, MCSE, Finance Committee

• Surgeon, Author and Playwright

Judith L. Haley

• Past president, Texans for Advancement of Medical Research
• Vice President, Outreach Chair, Executive Board, JDRF Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter
• Vice Chair, Texas Diabetes Council

Rick Hayley

• Three-time Governor Appointee to the Texas Diabetes Council.
• Federal Legislative Ambassador of the American Cancer Society.
• Experimental islet cell and stem cell recipient patient with type 1 diabetes.
• Former Board Member of the Coastal Bend Chapter of the American Diabetes Association.

Bettie Sue Masters, Ph.D., D.Sc., M.D. (Hon.), Co-chair – Science Committee

• The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
• President, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-2002-2004
• Elected Member, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies-1996–
• Member, Advisory Committee to the Director of the National Institutes of Health-2000-2004
• The Robert A. Welch Foundation Distinguished Professor in Chemistry, The Univ. of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio-1990–
• Women’s Leadership Council of San Antonio-2001-
• Member, Advisory Council to the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health-2004-2008

Rebecca K. McCleery

• Past president of Texans for Advancement of Medical Research
• Legislative Chair and Board of Directors, Austin Chapter, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)
• Fellow, Austin Project

Stephen L. McCleery, Legislative Committee

• Attorney; Board Member and Fellow, Austin Project
• First Assistant District Attorney, Travis County (Retired)
• Fellow and Board Member, Austin Project
• Volunteer, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)

The members of the TAMR and TAMR-ED boards serve as individuals. Their credentials are listed only to demonstrate the members’ areas of expertise.