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.
Jocelyn Krebs, PhD
Jocelyn Krebs, PhD, is the former president of the Board of Trustees for the Williams Syndrome Association and a researcher who studied a gene in the Williams syndrome deletion before having a child with Williams syndrome. She is passionate about supporting high-impact research and about helping make complex science understandable. Dr. Krebs is currently a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the WWAMI School of Medicine at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
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.
Mary Van Haneghan, EdD
Dr. Mary Van Haneghan is the Executive Director of the Williams Syndrome Association. Prior to serving in this position, she was the Chief Executive Officer for chapters of The Arc in both Alaska and Texas. Prior to these roles, she worked for one of Western New York’s largest nonprofit health and human service agencies and assisted in creating systematic change across the state. Dr. Van Haneghan earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Buffalo, a master’s degree in adult education and literacy from Buffalo State College, and a doctorate in education from Walden University. Her academic research has focused on individuals who experience intellectual or developmental disabilities and ranges from historical institutional models to the benefits of post-secondary education. Dr. Van Haneghan serves as a steering committee co-chair to the National Partnership for Pediatric to Adult Care Transition (NPPACT) coalition and was appointed to Think College's National Coordinating Center Project Advisory Committee (NCC PAC).