NR2F1 Foundation is excited to announce that we have voted in five new members to our board of directors! This will increase the number of board members from six up to twelve. Eleven members have voting privileges and all five new members have joined as a result of being inspired after attending our Family & Scientific Conference in Orlando in April.
Our current board members are Carlie Monnier, President, Stephanie Fountain, Vice-President, Jeff Thelen, Treasurer, Jennifer Higgins, Secretary, Melissa Thelen, Honorary Director, and Erin Camper, Director. Joining them will be Katia Roda, Ashlee Manjon-Stierstorfer, Stacy Nelson-O’Connell, Brigette Hinger, and Linda Beck.
New Board Members
Katia Roda
Katia Roda is a registered nurse, anesthetist and BBSOAS mom. She lives in Miami, FL, with her husband Sergei, and their two children, Nicholas who is 7, and Aria, 5. Katia has been a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist for 12 years and an ICU nurse for 20 years. As a BBSOAS mom she is very passionate about creating and maintaining a sense of community for BBSOAS families.
Ashlee Manjon-Stierstorfer
Ashlee Manjon-Stierstorfer owns a shirt and sticker shop in Phoenix, AZ and is a BBSOAS mom to Emma, age 4. Along with owning a shop and being a full-time mom, she is also a Prior Authorization Specialist at a cancer center. After Emma was diagnosed with BBSOAS in September 2019, Ashlee and her wife searched for all the information they could find to be able to understand BBSOAS better. In 2021 she started managing social media platforms for the NR2F1 Foundation and will continue in that role.
Stacy Nelson-O’Connell
Stacy Nelson-O’Connell is a Certified Oola Life Coach, a small business accounting specialist, and a BBSOAS mom. Currently living in central Minnesota, she is mom to 15-year-old Rainah and enjoys spending time with family and friends, a good cup of coffee, and finding new adventures to explore. Stacy is looking forward to making a difference in the BBSOAS community.
Brigette Hinger
Brigette Hinger lives in Pagosa Springs, CO, with her two daughters, Brooke, age 10, and Brielle, age 11. She is a newsletter contributor, the NR2F1 Foundation Store Manager, and a BBSOAS mom. She homeschools her daughters and is also a Special Olympic coach. After receiving Brielle’s BBSOAS diagnosis, Brigette has worked to raise awareness and be a support for BBSOAS families. She is honored to be able to continue doing that and help the foundation by being on the board.
Linda Beck
Linda Beck lives in Colorado Springs and is a photographer, a personal assistant, a CNA for her daughter Penelope, and a BBSOAS mom. Linda and her husband William currently have five children – Garrett, 16, Landon, 12, Penelope, 6, Evelyn, 3, and Camilla, 3. They are expecting their sixth child at the end of June, 2022. She enjoys watching Hallmark movies, cooking, baking, and making vanilla extract. After Penelope was diagnosed with BBSOAS Linda wanted to join the board to help other parents navigate the sibling relationships that are often overlooked when caring for a special needs child.
The NR2F1 Foundation welcomes our newest board members and we look forward to their unique contributions and support of our BBSOAS family and community.
Carlie is the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the NR2F1 Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to those living with rare mutations on the Nr2f1 gene.
With a B.S. in Special Education and a M.S. in Counseling, Carlie has worked at EPU Children’s Center as a Resource Specialist serving parents of children living with disabilities and then directed a parent leadership group for disability advocacy through storytelling and public speaking.
Carlie lives with her husband Jeff and their two daughters, one of whom has the rare Nr2f1 gene mutation, in Royal Oak, Michigan. She wants all Nr2f1 families whose lives have changed dramatically to know they are not alone.
