Honorary Chairpersons

Please join the VBF in welcoming professional baseball player Frank Catalanotto and his wife Barbara as Honorary Chairpersons. We know that by having their enthusiasm and support, VBF can make a real difference in this world.

Frank Catalanotto was one of the top hitters in the Major Leagues in 2001, finishing with a batting average of .330 and challenging for the American League batting title.

While Frank is a professional baseball player with an impressive record, he is also a spouse and parent just like you and I. And when he and Barbara had their daughter in 1999, they were perplexed by a strange mark on her face that was soon diagnosed as a type of vascular birthmark called a "hemangioma."

Honorary Medical Co-Chairs

Co-Chairs of the Research and Scientific Advisory Committees
Dr. Martin Mihm and Dr. Stuart Nelson

       

Martin Mihm, Jr., MD, Director
Dr. Mihm is one of the founding members of VBF. He also founded the Albany Medical Center Vascular Anomalies Program and the Massachusetts General Hospital Vascular Anomalies Program. He is the Director at both clinics. Dr. Mihm is responsible for having the World Health Organization Rare Tumor Institute classify a hemangioma as a “rare tumor.” He is Professor, Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, Massachusetts and is the leading Pathologist in the country studying vascular anomalies. He is also Co-Director of the WHO melanoma pathology and is the Director of the Vascular Tumors Research Team and the Scientific Advisory Committee.

J. Stuart Nelson, M.D. Ph.D.
Dr. J. Stuart Nelson is Associate Director of the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, and Professor of Surgery, Dermatology and Biomedical Engineering, University of California-Irvine.

The principal goal of Dr. Nelson’s research has been to address the problems associated with light propagation and dosimetry in human skin with the end goal of improved clinical efficacy. Dr. Nelson developed a novel and efficient method of cooling (“Dynamic” or cryogen spray cooling) human skin in conjunction with laser dermatologic surgery. Clinical studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of this approach during laser treatment of pediatric port wine stain birthmarks and other hypervascular skin lesions, removal of unwanted human hair, wrinkle reduction, scar improvement and management of acne.

Worldwide, this methodology developed by Dr. Nelson has now been incorporated into several thousand laser devices. Dr. Nelson has published more than 270 scientific articles and 13 book chapters. Dr. Nelson served as President of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) 2001-2002 and was the Program Chairman of the Joint International Laser Conference (co-sponsored by the ASLMS, British Medical Laser Association and European Laser Association) held in Edinburgh, Scotland in September 2003. He was the Program Chairman for last year’s Annual ASLMS meeting. He assumed the position of Editor-in-Chief of the ASLMS journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine in April 2005.

Board of Directors and Volunteers

President and Founder -
Linda Rozell-Shannon, PhD
Linda and her daughter, Christine, reside in upstate New York. Linda founded VBF after her daughter was born with a hemangioma on her lower lip and she was unable to find information on treatment options. Dr. Waner surgically removed Christine's hemangioma in 1995. Linda and Dr. Waner wrote the only book for parents on the subject of birthmarks called "Birthmarks: A Guide to Hemangiomas and Vascular Malformations." Linda is also a chapter author in the Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America textbook on "Vascular Birthmarks of the Head and Neck" (published in 2001), which was guest edited by Dr. Marcelo Hochman.

Dr. Linda Rozell-Shannon completed her PhD in 2008 at Walden University. Her dissertation topic: Assessing the Impact of Hemangiomas on Maternal Stress was written to support insurance appeals for families denied coverage.

VBF Executive Assistant
Insurance Appeals Specialist
Barbara (Basia) Joyce
Basia lives in Niskayuna, New York, with her husband Jim, her son Jimmy and her daughter Anna. She works for the NYS Department of Health.

Anna had a large hemangioma removed from her forehead in 2007 when she was 10 months old. Basia and her husband struggled to get insurance coverage for this surgery and had to pay out of pocket but won the appeal through an external appeals process and were reimbursed by the insurance company for all surgery expenses. She worked with Dr. Linda Rozell-Shannon to produce the VBF Insurance Guide. Basia first volunteered as the Ask the VBF Insurance Appeal Expert and joined the VBF Board of Directors in 2007.

In 2008, Basia became the Executive Assistant for VBF. Basia continues to assist families with appeals while performing other duties in her role as Executive Assistant.

VP and Director of Advocacy Alliance
Brian Bolinger
Brian A. Bolinger has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation since 2006.

A native of Elkhart, Indiana, Mr. Bolinger is currently the President and Chief Executive officer of Apollo Power & Light, LLC, a retail electric provider based in Dallas, Texas. Prior to starting Apollo, Mr. Bolinger was Vice President of Legal Affairs and Operations for dPi Teleconnect and dPi Energy. Mr. Bolinger has also served as Corporate Counsel and Director of Human Resources for Smock Fansler Corporation, a large commercial construction company based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Brian earned his bachelor’s degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, his master’s degree from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas and his doctorate of jurisprudence from Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Brian and his wife Natalie, who is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation, become involved with the foundation after their daughter Nicole “Coco” was born with a compound cheek hemangioma in 2003. Through the foundation, the Bolingers were networked to a physician who, through a series of six surgeries, completely removed both of Nicole’s hemangiomas.

Brian and Natalie started the Angel’s Kiss Gala in 2003 to raise awareness and funds for the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation. Since 2005, the Gala has been the highest grossing annual fundraiser for the VBF.

Brian and Natalie reside in Corinth, Texas and have two children.

Secretary and Parent Rep
Tiffany Ethington
Tiffany lives in Kentucky and has worked behind the scenes for years, helping with projects and supporting efforts concerning Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS). Her son, Glen, was born with the rare disease. Tiffany, along with others affected by SWS, helped to found the Sturge-Weber Syndrome Community (SWSC). Tiffany and Glen have been advocates for SWS and vascular birthmarks, and have spearheaded fundraising campaigns and awareness projects. She also serves as the Patient Advocate and Welcome Volunteer for the SWSC.

Office Manager
Lauren Palmateer
Lauren is a wife, mother and High School History Teacher at a school in Upstate New York. She has an interest in medical issues and a love for children. She devotes her spare time to maintaining the finances for The Foundation.

VBF Director of Family Services
Corinne Barinaga
Corinne has a B.A. in Communications and Advertising. She lives in the Seattle, Washington area with her husband and their four boys. Their son, Nicholas, had a large segmental hemangioma. Corinne's quest to learn about her son's condition resulted in her becoming the manager of the MSN Vascular Birthmarks Support Group. She is a staunch advocate for parents. Her mission is to educate the public and physicians about the latest information concerning the diagnosis and management of vascular birthmarks. She is available to answer your questions and direct you to the appropriate physician and resources. Corinne is dedicated to working with families on an individual basis to address their specific needs.

Director of International Chapters
SWSC Director
Glenda Ethington
Glenda Ethington is cofounder of the Sturge-Weber Syndrome Community, a worldwide organization for individuals and families living with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS.) Her grandson, Glen, has SWS and she was inspired by his courage to form an Internet support group for SWS, which eventually led to the SWSC chapter membership into the VBF. She has a background in print journalism, and currently resides in Kentucky.

Student Representative
Saige Cavayero
At only 2 weeks old, Saige developed an extensive hemangioma on her lower lip and both sides of her face. She has undergone 11 reconstruction surgeries and 7 laser procedures. She has been involved in the VBF since 2003, as she began moderating the teen discussion forum on the website. In 2005, Saige designed the original turquoise-silicone bracelets and sold them nationwide (she raised awareness and $5,000 to put towards research). In October 2006, Saige was elected the youngest board member in our foundation's history. Saige is currently studying graphics design in college and has been creating all of VBFs marketing and graphics designs.

Parent Representatives

Natalie Bolinger
Natalie, her husband Brian, and their two children Brock and Nicole live in the Dallas suburb of Corinth, Texas. Nicole was born with a compound hemangioma on her right check at the corner of her eye and nose. The VBF networked the family with Dr. Waner who, through a series of surgeries, completely removed the hemangioma. Brian is a corporate attorney and in 2003 he and Natalie began the North Texas Vascular Birthmarks Foundation Benefit which has become the largest annual fundraiser for the VBF.

Danielle Vlahos

Leslie M.W. Graff
Psychosocial/Developmental Expert
Leslie has a Bachelors in Elementary Education and Masters in Marriage, Family, and Human Development from Brigham Young University. She completed her child life training at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and is a certified child life specialist, trained to address the psychosocial/emotional needs of children and adolescents in relation to their medical conditions by providing psychological preparation, and therapeutic support activities. She worked as a child life specialist at University of California San Francisco Medical Center and was on the faculty at Ohlone College. She has worked with thousands of children in countries around the world as a child life specialist for Operation Smile medical missions She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and 3 sons. One of her sons has a port wine stain.

Lianne Chase
Lianne and her husband, Kevin, and two sons, Casey and Cody live in Albany NY. Lianne joined the the VBF as a Parent Representative to assist other parents and children find the right path to meeting their birthmark needs. The VBF was instrumental in her son Cody having his lymphatic malformation removed from his right hand in 2005 by Dr. Joseph Upton at Boston Children's Hospital. Lianne is aan Electric Design Representative for National Grid Electric Company.

Marvin Kalafer, M.D. and Dinah Gonzalez, M.D.
Marvin and Dinah live with their daughter Marisa in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. Marisa developed a large upper eyelid hemangioma that was removed by Dr. Waner when she was 5 months old. Both Marvin and Dinah practice Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Greg Antonelle
Greg Antonelle lives in New Jersey with his wife Elyssa and their three sons, Ryan (born in 1998), Tyler (born in 2000), and Nicholas (born in 2004). Greg is Founder and Managing Director of AimHire Associates, LLC (www.AimHire.com), a full-service staffing firm and regional leader in the recruitment field. His son, Nicholas was born in February of 2004 with a lymphatic malformation, leading to his volunteer efforts with VBF.

Karen Lipman
Parent Rep
Karen is a registered nurse with many years of experience in pediatrics, dialysis and cardiology. Her adult son, Mark was diagnosed with lymphangiomatosis as a child. Karen spent most of her nursing career caring for her son around the clock. She is willing to share her experiences with patients and providers , advocate for patients, and help them negotiate the healthcare system in their journey toward healing.

Peg Nelson
California Rep

Erin Miller
VBF California Chapter Treasurer

Jennie Legary
Coordinator, VBF Musicians for Birthmarks
Jennie, an opera trained singer, is the Coordinator for VBF Musicians with Birthmarks. She lives in NYC and has a port wine stain on her arm.

Elysa Baron
Elysa and her family live in Saratoga Springs, New York. Elysa's daughter was born with an extensive facial hemangioma which included the lower lip and both sides of her face. Her daughter received alpha-interferon treatments at an early age and has had reconstructive surgery with both Dr. John Mulliken and Dr. Milton Waner. Elysa is a Doctor of Chiropractic.

Discussion Forum Volunteers
Stephanie Smith---Twins with Birthmarks
Jinny Wiley - CMTC
Jan - Kassabach Merritt Syndome