SMG 2009 Board of Directors

Mike Schulman, Esq
_President

Michael D. Schulman grew up in Southern California and graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Business Administration. Thereafter, he attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles where he earned his Juris Doctorate. Michael has been a licensed and practicing attorney in the State of California for over 20 years. Originally, he worked for a large national law firm in its' California office. Michael left the large law firm 13 years ago and started his own law practice. Currently, he practices Business and Commercial Litigation throughout California. Michael lives in Southern California with his wife and three children. Michael became aware of Selective Mutism when his middle child was diagnosed, at the age of 6½. Since the diagnosis, Michael and his family have been dedicated to educating themselves and others about Selective Mutism. Michael joined the Board of Directors of SMG with the hope that he can continue to participate in a more meaningful way to educate the general public about Selective Mutism and to expand the resources available to families and educators touched by this anxiety disorder.

Kristen Eastman, Psy.D.
_Secretary

Dr. Eastman is a clinical psychologist practicing at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. She is on the medical staff of the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health, providing psychotherapy to children and their parents, as well as teaching social skills training programs to children with anxiety, depression, developmental disorders, autism, and ADHD. She lives in Cleveland with her husband and two daughters, her eldest of which has struggled with selective mutism. Dr. Eastman became motivated to learn more about SM and treatment options available, becoming familiar with SMG in that process. As both a parent and treating professional, she became involved in the organization in 2006 and was elected to the Board of Directors that same year. Through her involvement in Board activity, she hopes to increase the visibility of the organization and increase awareness of SM among parents, school personnel and treating professionals alike. Dr. Eastman serves as SMG's Professional Relations Co-Chairperson and recently organized SMG's first nationwide fundraising effort, a Bowl-a-thon that took place in Fall, 2007.

View Treating Professional Profile.

Amy Brownrigg, CPA
_Treasurer

Amy is a Massachusetts licensed certified public accountant who was elected to SMG's board of directors in January 2008. After graduating from Babson College in 1996 with a BS degree in accounting, Amy joined one of the big four public accounting firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”). While at PwC, Amy earned her CPA license and worked in the audit practice serving a client base of mainly public technology companies. After eight years at PwC, Amy left public accounting and joined Avid Technology as the corporate finance manager. At Avid Technology Amy is responsible for external financial reporting and corporate accounting and she is also a member of the corporate giving committee. Amy lives in Haverhill, MA with her husband and two young daughters. As a member of the SMG board, Amy plans to devote most of her time to providing financial and internal controls guidance in the areas of budgeting, reporting, fundraising and event planning.

Doug Eastman, Ph.D.
_Director

Dr. Eastman is an Organizational Development executive with over 17 years of experience managing large-scale change, technology adoption, strategic planning, process redesign, and program development initiatives. He is currently managing the nationwide electronic medical record adoption process for Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Eastman lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife and two children, one of which has SM. He became involved in SMG's Board of Directors in 2007 bringing a new strategic direction, workflow design and marketing vision to the organization. Dr. Eastman was elected Board President (2007-2009), leading the organization through a period of tremendous growth and change. He is currently leading the website redesign effort, responsible for the technological and strategic branding/marketing capabilities that this new website will bring to SMG.

Joleen Fernald, MS CCC-SLP, Doctoral Student
_Director

Joleen is a New Hampshire licensed, ASHA and Hanen certified speech-language pathologist. She is the NH, SM Connections Co-Coordinator and was elected to SMG's Board of Directors in 2007. After ten years working within the special education system, Joleen began a private speech and language practice where she focuses her skills on working with children who have autism spectrum disorders and other communication disorders. Joleen enjoys public speaking and has frequently presented on the topics of childhood apraxia of speech and selective mutism. Her interest in selective mutism started when her oldest daughter was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and selective mutism. Disappointed by the lack of resources and information, Joleen independently researched a variety of assessment and treatment materials. She now focuses her "free time" on increasing SLP's awareness of SM and is determined to help parents navigate through the maze of finding appropriate services for their children within the educational system.

View Treating Professional Profile.

Estie Hess, Ph.D.
_Director

Dr. Esther Hess is a developmental psychologist specializing in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of children with regulatory disturbances. Her method of intervention is DIR/Floor Time, a developmental relational approach created by Dr. Stanley Greenspan. Dr. Hess is certified in DIR/Floor Time and serves as Dr. Greenspan's Senior Clinician on the west coast. Dr. Hess is also the founder and executive director of Center for the Developing Mind, a multidisciplinary treatment facility for children and adolescents with regulatory disturbances in West Los Angeles, California.

Vera Joffe, Ph.D. P.A.
_Director

Vera Joffe was born in Sao Paula, Brazil. She obtained her Bachelor's Degree and her License in Psychology in Brazil at the University of Sao Paulo. Coming to study in the U.S., Dr. Joffe received her Master's Degree at the University of California at Berkeley, and she completed her Ph.D. at Iowa State University. Dr. Joffe completed her Internship at the Child and Adolescent Guidance Center in Des Moines, Iowa. She also finished her Post-Doctoral Residency at Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa.

Dr. Joffe has been working in South Florida for over 20 years in private practice. Her specialty is in the area of neurodevelopment disorders, including ADHD, Toilette's Syndrome, Asperser Syndrome and Selective Mutism, among others. Dr. Joffe works cooperatively with parents, schools, physicians and other health providers. She has been working in promoting preventive measures and strategies to decrease the impact of mental health disorders in young children.

Dr. Joffe is a member of the National Register of Health Providers of Psychology, a member of the American Psychological Association, Florida Psychological Association, and a Professional Board Member of the South Florida Chapter of CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), a professional member of the Selective Mutism Organization, a member of the Association for Behavior and Cognitive Therapies, and a member of the Associacao Brasileira de Deficit de Atencao (Brazil).

Dr. Joffe is licensed as a psychologist in Florida, New York, and in Iowa.

Dr. Joffe has presented and published on the topic of Selective Mutism at National meetings (AACAP and APA), and in Israel and in Brazil.

Dr. Joffe published a book on Adult ADHA I Portuguese, English, and Spanish; Joffe, V. & Iachan, M. (2006). A Day in the Life of an Adult with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Dr. Joffe also published a book about Selective Mutism: Joffe, V. (2007). Sophie's Story: A Guide to Selective Mutism. She just published a book on Asperger Syndrome from the point of view of a child who is 8 years old called: Hi, My Name is Matt: I Have Asperger Syndrome.

Dr. Joffe is honored to be part of the national Board of the Selective Mutism Organization. She would like to help in developing strategies to educate parents, physicians, educators, and guidance counselors about Selective Mutism (as well as other conditions of childhood) in early childhood.

Dr. Joffe's website is: www.verajoffe.com.

Aimee Kotrba, Ph.D.
_Director

Dr. Aimee Kotrba is a licensed clinical psychologist in Plymouth, Michigan offering expert consultation, diagnosis, and psychological treatment of Selective Mutism, OCD, anxiety, and disruptive behavior disorders. She earned her doctorate degree from Wayne State University, and obtained post-doctoral training in the effective, research-based treatment of childhood anxiety disorders at William Beaumont Hospital and Children's Hospital of Michigan. She currently lives in Brighton, Michigan with her husband and daughter. During her post-doctoral training, Dr. Kotrba began working with a child diagnosed with severe Selective Mutism, and became interested in gaining more training, experience, and knowledge in the treatment of SM. She currently conducts regular workshops on the identification and treatment of Selective Mutism for parents, educators, and professionals. In therapy, Dr. Kotrba integrates behavioral techniques with cognitive strategies, parent coaching, and school interventions to provide a well-rounded and complete treatment plan. Through her involvement with the SMG board, Dr. Kotrba hopes to promote early detection and effective treatment of Selective Mutism.

Lisa Kovac
_Director

Lisa Kovac is a school psychologist and certified associate behavior analyst. She practiced as a school psychologist working with children of all ages with learning disabilities, ADHD, other behavioral disorders in the public school system. She completed psycho-educational evaluations and functional assessments, and worked in conjunction with parents and teachers to develop individualized evidence-based interventions to help students become more successful. In addition, she facilitated support groups, performed crisis intervention and trained teachers in behavioral management. After practicing a number of years, she elected to say home with her three young children. Lisa got involved with the selective mutism population after one of her daughters was diagnosed with selective mutism in 2007. Frustrated with the lack of resources, knowledge and awareness of selective mutism in the local area, Lisa began researching the disorder and provided successful treatment to her own daughter. Since, she has become passionate about helping other families cope with selective mutism. In addition, she is dedicated to increasing early diagnosis and subsequent evidenced-based intervention. She has since treated several families of children with selective mutism, has been a Florida State Coordinator since 2009, and is newly elected to the SMG-CAN Board of Directors. Lisa lives in Orlando, FL with her husband and three young daughters.

Steve Kurtz, Ph.D., ABPP
_Director

Dr. Kurtz is a New York licensed clinical child and adolescent psychologist currently in his 23rd year of practice. He is an Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry on the faculty of the New York University School of Medicine where he mentors externs, interns, Post-Doctoral Fellows, and Residents - the next generation of child psychologists and psychiatrists. He is currently the Co-Director of the NYU Child Study Center Selective Mutism Program, which aside from treating families living with SM, is actively engaged in advancing the evidence base of empirically supported assessments and treatments specific to selective mutism. Dr. Kurtz also is the inaugural Clinical Director of the NYU Child Study Center 's Institute for ADHD & Disruptive Behavior Disorders, now in its 10th year. Dr. Kurtz received his Doctorate from Washington University and holds a Diplomate in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Kurtz is very active in national professional psychology societies where his volunteer activities include being a Diplomate Examiner for ABPP, an Ambassador for the Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (ABCT), and an ad hoc journal reviewer for professional publications. Steve routinely presents at national scientific meetings on selective mutism, as well as in his other specialties of ADHD, comorbid disorders, treatment engagement and training issues, and does many inservice workshops and trainings for school and community organizations. He is the Director as well of NYU's Parent-Child Interaction Therapy program and consultants with agencies statewide to train their staff members in this highly-regarded parent training program. He has appeared as an expert on numerous television shows, including a PBS special on SM and participated in many newspaper and magazine pieces on SM and other child issues, aside from his professional publications. Dr. Kurtz has also received the Teacher of the Year award from the NYU Child Study Center and was nominated for the NYU School of Medicine Distinguished Faculty Award. Steve has two adult daughters, both of whom work with children, and Bonnie, his wife of 30 years, is a certified elementary and art teacher. He is an avid skier and cyclist and an addicted lover of bluegrass music. He shares his music passions as well with the children of the Junior Choir at his congregation.

View Treating Professional Profile.

Rich Seggerman
_Director

Rich grew up in Iowa, graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a B.S. degree in Accounting, obtained his CPA license and worked as an auditor for Deloitte for 5 years. He moved back to Iowa and worked in internal audit for an insurance company for 3 years and later became the Controller Wartburg College, a small liberal arts college. Rich currently is the Chief Business Officers & Treasurer at Wartburg College and lives in Waverly, Iowa with his wife Ann. They have a 6 years old daughter and two grown children from Ann's first marriage. Rich became aware of Selective Mutism when his then 5 year old daughter was diagnosed at the beginning of kindergarten. Since the diagnosis, Rich and his wife have attempted to learn more about Selective Mutism and became familiar with SMG. Rich recently joined the Board of Directors of SMG to contribute in any manner that will help to provide even more education to parents and school personnel (including pre-school personnel), with the hope of earlier diagnosis of Selective Mutism, which will lead to families receiving help earlier in the process. Rich enjoys spending time with family and friends, camping, biking, down-hill snow skiing, and watching the Minnesota Vikings.