Advisory Board
Daniel J. Rader, MD
Daniel J. Rader, MD, is chief of the Division of Human Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics at CHOP, Chief of the Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics in the Department of Medicine at Penn Medicine, and chair of the Department of Genetics at the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn. Dr. Rader is a physician-scientist who has focused his career on research in human genetics and linking these discoveries to translational therapeutics. He has extensive experience in building large multidisciplinary programs spanning clinical care and translational research. He serves as Associate Director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at Penn and CHOP, and founded and co-directs the Penn Medicine Biobank. Dr. Rader currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board.
Michael R. Armellino
Michael Armellino, W'61, made a gift to establish the Armellino Center of Excellence for Williams Syndrome in 2022. Mr. Armellino, a longtime resident of New Jersey who is retired after a long career at Goldman Sachs, has three sons and seven grandchildren. His partner, Beverly Karch, has a granddaughter, Maelyn, who is living with Williams syndrome. Mike was inspired to give to create a bright future for individuals living with Williams syndrome and to establish a home for those touched by the condition. Mike earned an MBA from New York University. Currently, he serves as a Trustee of the Armellino Family Foundation.
Nicholas C. Armellino
Nicholas C. Armellino, DO, is an Emergency Medicine Physician at Exeter Hospital, in New Hampshire. He went to medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete his internship and residency at Maine Medical Center.
Samuel Kim
Samuel Kim, C’85, W’85, serves as the Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Lotte Retail HQ, a large division of the South Korean multinational conglomerate Lotte Corporation. Sam has extensive experience in corporate and board-level leadership for both large and emerging businesses and geographies. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science as well as a concurrent Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of Business. Sam and his wife, Jin, have been steadfast supporters of Williams syndrome research and care at Penn Medicine, and have a son who is living with Williams syndrome.
Jennifer "Jenny" Rae Knox
Jennifer “Jenny” Rae Knox is an active local volunteer for the Williams Syndrome Association. Her son, Jackson, was diagnosed with Williams syndrome shortly after birth. Jenny co-founded, and continues to help support, the event known as the Philadelphia Walk for Williams Syndrome on behalf of the Williams Syndrome Association, one of the largest and most successful of its kind. Jenny completed advocacy training through Temple’s C2P2 Partner and Policy Making program and through COPAA’s SEAT program. Currently, she serves on the board of the Committee for Special Education in Lower Merion School District and co-founded the PA Inclusion Collective. Her passion is inclusion and belonging and supporting families on the special needs journey.
Melissa Murphy
Melissa Murphy is a career federal government attorney, handling a range of appellate, regulatory, and policy matters regarding labor issues. A graduate of Temple Institute on Disabilities’ Partners in Policymaking program, Melissa is active in the disability community. She served on the workgroup for the PA Early Learning Program Partnership Standards, as Parent Co-Chair of the Montgomery County Interagency Coordinating Council, on the planning team for the PA Family Engagement Summit, and on the governor-appointed Developmental Disabilities Committee. Melissa co-founded what is known as the Philadelphia Walk for Williams, and served on the Board of Trustees for the WSA for seven years, including as Board President and Vice-President. She lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and four young children, including a daughter living with WS.
Marty Levinson, MD
Dr. Marty Levinson is a pediatrician in suburban Detroit. His son, Josh, with WS, oldest of 4 sons, forced him to develop expertise in medical care of WS patients. Dr. Levinson has been actively involved with the WSA since its inception, is a regular presenter at the WS conferences and at professional conferences around the country. Dr. Marty typically sees a WS patient every week in his practice of medicine