Barry Kirschner: Executive Director
After growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., Barry attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a BS in Finance in 1977. He worked for CBS for three years in finance and marketing before returning to graduate school to get his MBA from the University of Chicago in 1982. From 1982 to 1990, Barry traded fixed income securities for Merrill Lynch, specializing in derivatives and zero coupon bonds. He went on to manage the zero coupon bonds area at DLJ, UBS, and Chase until 1998.
Barry learned of The Valerie Fund in 1989 when he attended a dinner for a child being treated at The Valerie Fund Center at Overlook Hospital. He joined the Thanksgiving Ball Committee in 1991 and was asked to join the Board of Trustees in 1993. Barry served on the board until October 2003 when he joined the staff as Executive Director.

Brian D. Fuhro, Esq., Fuhro, Hanley & Beukas: Treasurer
Brian is a partner at Fuhro, Hanley & Beukas. Previously he worked at Bruinooge & Associates, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and KPMG. Brian is both a CPA and attorney. He is a member of the New Jersey State Society of CPA’s and the NJ State Bar Association, as well as the American Bar Association. In addition to his position as Treasurer of The Valerie Fund, he is also a member of the Investments and Endowment Committee. His other associations include Board Member of the Kinnelon Educational Foundation and Past President of the Passaic County NJ State Society of CPA’s. Mr. Fuhro and his family are residents of Kinnelon, NJ.

Debra Gelband, Community Volunteer
Debra has been involved in leadership roles with The Valerie Fund since 1998. She has served on the Candlelight Ball Committee, and currently co- chairs The Community Activities Committee. In 2003, Debra developed the Eric Muldberg Sports-A-Thon and co-chaired the event from its inception through 2007. She has a BA in Education from the University of Georgia and earned her MBA from Michigan State University. Debra has also served as co-chair of Hartshorn Elementary School's primary fundraiser, the Strawberry Festival. In addition, she created and co-chaired their Safety Committee for the 2003-2004 school year. Debra volunteers for the Cancercare Walk-a-thon and other projects throughout the Millburn School district. Debra and her family live in Short Hills, NJ.

Julie has been involved with The Valerie Fund since 1993. She has been a volunteer counselor at Camp Happy Times and serves on the Marketing/Communications and Allocations Committee. She is also helping to solidify a long term strategic plan for The Valerie Fund. Julie is currentlyVP of Business Development Adaptive Biotechnologies . She was a Senior Director at Pfizer, Inc. in Worldwide Commercial Development, Oncology Products. Julie previously worked at Johnson & Johnson and Collegiate Health Care. She was also a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley in the Global Health Care Group where she participated in the Morgan Stanley Rec Day Program. Julie earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and holds a dual degree BA/BSE from University of Pennsylvania and The Wharton School. She is married and the mother of three children.

Merrie Bernstein, First Transit: Chairman of the Board
Merrie is currently the Director of Business Development for First Tranist University shuttle business east region. Prior to joining First Transit, Merrie was the Director of Business Development for ARAMARK Education covering the Northeastern United States. Preceding her tenure at ARAMARK Merrie worked for GE Plastics for over 20 years. She has been involved with The Valerie Fund since 1988 and has served as a member on the Board of Trustees for more than 15 years. Merrie has chaired the Annual Fashion Show and currently chairs the annual Thanksgiving Ball Gala, The Valerie Fund's signature event. Merrie and her husband, Eric, reside in Bridgewater Township, NJ.

Abby Goldberg is currently a Freelance Assignment Editor for the Fox News Channel. Prior to Fox News, Abby was News Manager for Tribune Broadcasting, Assignment Editor at Mizzlou Sports Network, and New Jersey Bureau Chief at WPIX TV. Abby has been actively involved in The Valerie Fund since 1999 working on The Valerie Fund Fashion Show, Livingston Sports-a-thon and since 2007 has been the Chair of The Valerie Fund Walk & JAG Physical Therapy 5K. Abby currently lives in Livingston NJ with her husband Joel and two sons.

David Novak, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
Dave first became involved with The Valerie Fund in 1992 as a leader of the team that began Morgan Stanley Rec Day. He is a partner of private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in London, England. Previously, Dave worked in the private equity and investment banking divisions of Morgan Stanley. Dave is a member of the Board of Directors of HD Supply, Rexel, and Italtel, and also serves on the Board of the NSPCC, a leading UK children's charity. He is a member of the European Private Equity Leadership Network, and Amherst College's Executive Committee of the Alumni Council. He graduated from Amherst College and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. Dave and his wife, Jane, have two boys, Ethan and Jonathan.

Debbie is a graduate of The University of Arizona. She was formerly president of DSI Interiors, a design firm based in Chicago and New York. Debbie has been actively involved with The Valerie Fund since 2003. She helped establish a fund to provide transportation for Valerie Fund patients and families to be able get to the centers for treatment. Debbie and her daughter, Nicole, also co-founded an endowment fund to ensure the continuation of the Saint Barnabas Valerie Fund Center holiday party. She currently resides in Short Hills NJ with her husband Howard and her three daughters.

Diane Young, M.D., Novartis
Diane is currently the Vice President of Clinical Development at Novartis Oncology. In this position, she leads a global group of clinical research personnel and oversees the development of a diverse pipeline of oncology and hematology products, including targeted therapies, cytotoxic chemotherapy, and iron chelation therapy. She has pursued her career in research in the pharmaceutical industry for eighteen years, with positions of increasing responsibility at Hoffman-La Roche, Sandoz, and Johnson and Johnson, prior to joining Novartis. Diane lives in Summit, NJ, and has two children, Shannon and Ryan.

Glenn Schiffman is currently a partner at The Raine Group. Glenn has 20 plus years of investment banking and investing experience having started at Lehman Brothers in 1991.In 2002 he became co-head of the U.S. Media Group and in 2004 co-head of the Global Media Group. In 2007 Glenn and his family relocated to Hong Kong to head Investment Banking Asia ex- Japan and in 2008 Glenn was given responsibility for Japan Investment Banking for Lehman Brothers. From 2009 until April 2011 Glenn was at Nomura Securities from which he retired as CEO of Nomura Securities North America, LLC in April 2011. Glenn graduated from Duke University with a degree in economics and history. Glenn has been active within The Valerie Fund for many years and is also Founder and Chairman of The Valerie Fund Endowment.

Judy Abrams, Community Volunteer
Beginning in 1982 as a volunteer in The Valerie Fund Playroom Program, Judy has been an active member of the Board for more than 15 years. Her current Valerie Fund initiatives include The Major Gifts Committee, The Nominating Committee, and serving as chair of the Holiday Parties. Judy founded the Camp Store at Camp Happy Times and staffed it for over 20 years. Her other affiliations include Morristown Memorial Foundation, Temple Sharey Tefilo Israel, and Metro West Federation. Previously, Judy was a preschool teacher in Maplewood. She has two sons and two grandchildren.

Tara Favors recently rejoined Morgan Stanley as a Human Resources, Executive Director, in New York City. Prior to her current role, Tara held senior positions in human resources at Deutsche Bank, Revlon, and Merrill Lynch. Tara received her MS in Human Resources from the New School University and BA in Psychology from Syracuse University. Tara is a founding member of The Valerie Fund Sickle Cell Leadership Council through which she has worked to raise awareness of the effects of Sickle Cell in the African American community. She and her husband are also a proud parent to two boys; the youngest, a patient of the Valerie Fund Center at Saint Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, NJ.

Tim Hartnett, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Tim is a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, specializing in providing merger and acquisitions services to the private equity industry. Tim was introduced to The Valerie Fund through Camp Happy Times where he first served as a counselor and in subsequent years developed and co-led the Counselor in Training program. He earned his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his MBA from Columbia Business School. Tim and his family are residents of New Canaan, CT.

Harriet Greenholtz, Community Volunteer
Harriet has been involved with The Valerie Fund since it was founded. In addition to being a past Chairperson of the Board, Harriet has served on the Roast Committee and worked on numerous Holiday Parties, Fashion Shows, and Thanksgiving Balls ( which was founded while she was Chair). Currently, Harriet serves on the Major Gifts Committee. A certified teacher, she taught grammar school. Harriet currently runs her own company called Tagsale Unlimited. She is a long time Short Hills, NJ resident, and is very active in the community.

Howard is a partner at Weiner Lesniak where he is Co-Manager of the Litigation Department. He is a past chair of the board of trustees of The Valerie Fund. Howard is currently a member of the Operations Committee. Howard has served as pro bono legal counsel for many years, and is currently Co-Chair of the Committee for Legal and Business Affairs.

Janet Keating, Community Volunteer
Janet Keating has a degree in Cytotechnology (Microscopic Cancer Diagnosis) from Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT. Her professional experience includes employment in large NJ diagnostic laboratories as well as NJ hospitals. Prior to Janet's transition from career to motherhood, she was Cytology Lab Supervisor and Teaching Supervisor at Muhlenberg Hospital, Plainfield, NJ. Along with Janet's commitment to The Valerie Fund Board of Trustees since 1990 (Chairperson 2003-2006), her volunteerism includes The Junior League of Summit, Trinity-Pawling School Board of Trustees (Pawling, NY), and the Covenant House New York Corporate Board. A New Jersey native, Janet resides in Morristown, NJ. She is the mother of three adult children, Brian, Eric (childhood cancer survivor and former patient of The Valerie Fund), and Alison.

Joe Uva serves as President & Chief Executive Officer of Univision Communications Inc., the premier Spanish-language media company in the United States.

Since he joined the Company in April 2007, Univision has achieved consistent growth through the successes of its three television networks – Univision, TeleFutura and Galavisión – and its radio and online operations. Under Mr. Uva’s leadership, the Univision Network has consistently outdelivered at least one of the other major networks in primetime among adults and Univision.com has seen double-digit traffic growth and maintained its position as the #1 Internet destination within the U.S. among Spanish-dominant and bilingual Hispanics.

Prior to Univision, Mr. Uva served as President and CEO of OMD Worldwide, an Omnicom Group Company, from January 2002 until March 2007. He oversaw all of OMD’s global operations. During his tenure, OMD was twice recognized as Global Media Agency of the Year by industry leading publications and was consistently ranked as the most awarded media agency in the world by The Gunn Report.

Before OMD, Mr. Uva was President of Turner Entertainment Group Sales and Marketing for Turner Broadcasting Sales, Inc. (TBSI). He handled all domestic sales and marketing for TBS Superstation, TNT, Cartoon Network, Turner South and Turner Sports. Additionally, he worked with corporate marketers in the area of licensing and promotion in the development of integrated marketing programs and oversaw the company’s barter/trade operations.

Mr. Uva joined TBSI in 1984 as an advertising sales account executive with CNN, later serving as Executive Vice President for CNN Sales worldwide.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of TiVo, Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO). Mr. Uva also serves on several non-profit boards including the Ad Council and the International Radio & Television Society Foundation and is a member of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.

He has been honored by Young Audiences New York and The Valerie Fund for his commitment to children, and has received numerous awards from the media and advertising industries for his professional achievements. He was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in October 2007.

Mr. Uva holds a bachelor’s degree in Rhetoric & Communications from the State University of New York at Albany.

Joe has had a long career in media sales and marketing. He was President of Sales and Marketing at Canwest Mediaworks. He has also worked as Senior Vice President at Time Warner where he was responsible for all multi-platform integrated sales and marketing relationships across the US. Prior to that, Mr. Mangione was Senior Vice President, Global Client Solutions, at Turner Broadcasting. Previous positions included Publisher, Integrated Marketing at Better Homes and Gardens where his activities spanned print and TV properties. Mr. Mangione and his family are long time residents of Cedar Grove, NJ.

Ron Festa, New Heights Consulting
Ron holds a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational psychology and has over 20 years of experience developing and implementing practical, business-driven solutions to complex organizational issues. Ron's training in psychology, coupled with his many years of corporate experience, have provided a strong foundation for addressing a wide range of challenges related to the development of individuals and organizations. As an executive coach, Ron has had significant success helping executives achieve breakthrough performance. He has provided high quality consulting to a wide range of Fortune 500 clients that include AT&T, Binney & Smith, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Colgate-Palmolive, Wachovia, Johnson & Johnson and various J&J companies, Kraft/Nabisco, Lucent Technologies, Morgan Stanley, Pharmacia, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Roche, SONY, and The Prudential. Ron is also a former chair of The Valerie Fund Board and father of Justin, a former Valerie Fund patient.

Jim has been an active supporter of The Valerie Fund since joining Morgan Stanley as an Investment Banking analyst in 2010. After co-leading the Morgan Stanley Campaign in the Spring of 2012, Jim joined The Valerie Fund Junior Board as a Co-Chair in the Fall of 2012. After visiting Camp Happy Times for the first time in the Summer of 2012, Jim was blown away by the true impact that The Valerie Fund has on the children in the medical centers and at camp, and knew that he wanted to be even more involved with the organization going forward. Jim graduated from Yale University in 2010 with a B.A. in History.

Erika has been involved with The Valerie Fund since joining Morgan Stanley’s Global Capital Markets division as an analyst in 2009. She co-chaired the analyst campaign for The Valerie Fund in 2011, helping the team surpass a 19-year fundraising record. The following summer, Erika visited Camp Happy Times and solidified her love for the fantastic organization and the children it supports. She was thrilled to become the Co-Chair of The Valerie Fund Junior Board in the fall of 2012. Erika currently works in company management at Morgan Stanley. She graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a B.A. in International Relations.

Adam Nowak got involved with the Valerie Fund in 2010 through the Analyst run fundraising effort at Morgan Stanley. Adam was raised in California and is an avid skier, runner and biker. He graduated from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California in 2008 where he studied International Business and Finance. Adam moved to New York following graduation as an Analyst at Capital IQ and is currently an Associate in Corporate Strategy and Business Management at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Adam can be reached at adam.r.nowak@gmail.com.

Andrea became involved with The Valerie Fund when a loved one was diagnosed with cancer. She spent time in high school and college volunteering at various events and spreading awareness of the organization to my family and friends. Her love for children is what makes giving back to the Valerie Fund so easy. Following her graduation from Fairfield University in 2007, Andrea was selected to be a counselor at Camp Happy Times. Since then she has organized a fundraiser with her sister and fellow counselor called "Cheers To The Valerie Fund" and was the captain of "Team Kickin It For The Kids" at the Walkathon in 2009. Currently, Andrea is working as a preschool teacher for children with developmental disabilities and counting the days until her third summer at Camp Happy Times.

Brian Lasky is excited to reunite with The Valerie Fund following his exposure to the organization at Morgan Stanley. He looks forward to the opportunity to spread awareness about The Valerie Fund and support its critical mission. He hopes to encourage other individuals, especially young professionals, to join the cause regardless of commitment level. Currently, Brian is an Associate at Morgan Stanley in the Research Department covering Exploration & Production companies. Previously, he was an Investment Banking Analyst at Morgan Stanley in the Global Power & Utilities Group. Brian graduated from The University of Notre Dame in 2007 with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Finance/Economics. He can be reached at brian.j.lasky@gmail.com.

Cara grew up in Cranford, NJ. She attended West Virginia University and graduated in 1999. She is a member of AOII sorority. Cara started working in Advertising in NYC when she graduated at The Media Edge as an assistant buyer on Glaxo Wellcome Pharmaceuticals. In 10 months she was promoted to buyer. After a year and a half, Cara changed agencies and went to work for TN Media. She was at TN media/Initiative (was bought in 2001) for 7 1/2 years, where she was promoted internally. Cara left Initative in August of 07 for another agency called MPG, where she was again promoted to VP, Account Director on the Sears account. She has been married for almost 7 years to her college boyfriend, and lives in Clifton, NJ. Cara is a 4 year breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed on Jan 9, 2006 and she is officially going on year 5!

Carolyn Arntsen is excited to join the Valerie Fund Junior Board and contribute to its worthwhile cause; she has volunteered with several national cancer nonprofits in that past, and looks forward to getting more deeply involved with the Valerie Fund. Carolyn currently works as a Program Associate for a foundation that supports education reform, medical research, and environmental conservation. Previously, Carolyn served as a Manzi Fellow at Julie's Family Learning Program in Boston, MA where she assisted program staff end the cycle of poverty for single women and their at-risk children. Carolyn graduated from Colgate University in May 2012, having received a BA in cellular neuroscience.

Cassie, a former patient of the Valerie Center, is thrilled to be a member of the junior board. Cassie graduated from the University of Delaware in 2012 with a late decision to enter the medical field. As an aspiring medical student, she has been inspired by the amazing care she received as a child at the Valerie Center and her studies in South Africa working in public healthcare facilities and orphanages. She hopes to raise awareness for rare blood disorders and the prevalence of childhood illnesses in need of research and funding.

Chelsea has been involved with the Valerie Fund Young Associate Program since its inception in early 2010 and currently serves as one of the Young Associate Coordinators. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in 2008 and is currently a RN at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She works in the inpatient Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant unit with the adult population. She is very excited to continue her work with cancer patients and their families outside of work through the Valerie Fund. She can be contacted at clmintz@gmail.com

David has been an active supporter of The Valerie Fund since joining Morgan Stanley as a Leveraged Finance analyst in 2006. Some of David's fondest memories are from attending camp as a kid and he immediately connected with the Camp Happy Times effort. He attended Brown University where he was a member of both the Sigma Chi Fraternity and the Varsity Squash team, graduating in 2006. David currently works in a corporate strategy effort for Morgan Stanley. David is excited to be a member of the Valerie Fund's Junior Board and he looks forward to working towards its continued success.

Eli looks forward to working with the Junior Board on furthering The Valerie Fund's mission to support health care for children with cancer and blood disorders. After graduating from Seton Hall University with an Accounting Degree in 2011, Eli became an Associate at Bederson & Company. Currently a CPA candidate, Eli's primary responsibilities at Bederson include tax and auditing engagements.

Emily has served on the Junior Board since 2012. She first became involved with the Valerie Fund in 2010 while working as an analyst at Morgan Stanley in the Global Capital Markets Division, and was co-chair of the Morgan Stanley campaign for the The Valerie Fund in 2011. Emily is thrilled to have the opportunity to continue supporting the Valerie Fund’s healthcare initiatives to help children with cancer and blood disorders. Emily received a B.S. in Human and Organizational Development, with an emphasis in Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness, and minored in Corporate Strategy and Child Development. She currently works as the analyst for the Chief Investment Strategist of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

Eric Klein is excited to be working with the Valerie Fund Junior Board to support its meaningful mission. Eric currently works as an Associate at Vestar Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm. Previously, he was an Associate at Eos Partners and before that was an Analyst with JPMorgan’s Diversified Industries Investment Banking Group. Eric graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2007, having received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School and a Bachelor of Arts from The College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at eric.w.klein@gmail.com

A former Valerie Fund patient and current cancer survivor, JC has been involved with the Valerie Fund for over 10 years in various capacities, including as a member of the Thanksgiving Gala Committee and as a counselor at Camp Happy Times. JC is currently completing his MBA at NYU Stern and will be working in investment banking following graduation. Prior to NYU, he worked as an Account Executive in advertising sales at CNN for six years. JC can speak firsthand to the incredible services the Valerie Fund provides to children and is thrilled to be a part of this new venture for the organization. He can be reached at jcucnn@gmail.com

Joshua graduated from the University of Michigan in 1998 with a B.A in History. After graduating from Michigan, he began a successful career on Wall Street. Over his 13 year career he has traded equity derivatives for Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and most recently MF Global. At MF Global, Joshua manages the single stock US Derivatives team under CEO Jon Corzine. In 2006, he was voted by his peers one of the top 30 traders under 30 years old. He is also an active member of NY Cares and Children's International. Joshua looks forward to working with the motivated and talented Junior Board members in an effort to raise funds and bring awareness to the Valerie Fund.

Julia Abelkop is thrilled to be a part of the Valerie Fund Junior Board and contribute to this meaningful cause. Julia graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. She has worked in real estate finance since 2007 as an analyst at Lehman Brothers and currently as an associate at Capmark Finance Inc. She can be reached at jabelkop@gmail.com.

Justin hails from Ewing, NJ but currently lives in New York City. He graduated from Yale University in 2010 with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science. While on campus, Justin was very involved in campus life, social events, cultural groups, and student organizations. Currently, he works as a Business Development Manager for Harvey Nash, a London based global IT professional services provider. Outside of the office, Justin remains active in various alumni organizations, as well as social groups and sports clubs. He also enjoys traveling, skiing, and exploring the wide array of activities that NYC has to offer.

Kerri Ford has been a member of the Valerie Fund Junior Board since 2011. She is a graduate of the Educational Theatre Program at NYU and works to support the arts in education. She is the co-founder of a teaching artist company called Dance.Laugh.Learn., which brings music, movement, and drama into the classroom.

Mark has been a Junior Board member and Young Associate of The Valerie Fund since 2010, and an active supporter of the organization and its incredible mission since 2008.

Mark has served on the Junior Board since 2012. He first became involved with the Valerie Fund in 2010 while working as an analyst at Morgan Stanley in the Investment Banking Division, and was co-chair of the Morgan Stanley campaign for the The Valerie Fund in 2011. Mark is thrilled to have the opportunity to continue supporting the Valerie Fund’s healthcare initiatives to help children with cancer and blood disorders. Mark received a B.S. in Foreign Service, with a concentration in International Economics and proficiency in Chinese from Georgetown University. He currently works as an associate at Avista Capital Partners.

Matt has been a proud and active supporter of The Valerie Fund since 2012. Matt gerw up in Summit, NJ, and was extra motivated to join The Valerie Fund cause because so many of The Valerie Fund centers are located around his home town. He works at Energy Capital Partners in Short HIlls, NJ, and graduated from Amherst College in 2009 with a B.A. in Economics.

Phoebe graduated from Brown University in 2007 with a B.A. in Urban Studies. Until August 2009, she worked as an assistant manager in global marketing at L'Oreal, first at Kiehl's Since 1851, and later at Ralph Lauren Fragrances, where she managed new product development for the women's category. In November of 2008, during a bout of professional apathy and creative frustration, Phoebe started a food and recipe site for twenty-something cooks looking for user-friendly, affordable ways to navigate their kitchens. Her first cookbook, In the Small Kitchen was published by Harper Collins in May 2011. Phoebe currently works as a caterer, private chef, and culinary instructor. Her healthy recipes and snapshots of her professional cooking world can be found on her blog, Feed Me Phoebe. Passionate about caring for kids, Phoebe is extremely excited to join the VFJB and support this fantastic organization.

Will has been an active supporter of The Valerie Fund since his time as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley, where he began his career following his graduation from Penn in 2007. He conceived of and served as a founding Co-Chair of The Valerie Fund's Junior Board from early 2010 until his recent move back to Philadelphia, where he is pursuing an MBA at Wharton. He is looking forward to the inevitably awesome year that the VFJB will have under Phoebe and David's leadership, and he is incredibly enthusiastic about the VFJB in general. Will would love to hear from you if you or someone you know is interested in getting involved. He can be reached at wamorel@gmail.com