{ Helpusadopt.org }

Rebecca Snyder Fawcett, Co-Founder, Executive Director, Chair Events Committee, Co-Chair Fundraising and Development
Prior to the creation of Helpusadopt.org, Becky was a successful luxury lifestyle public relations and marketing specialist who owned her own New York based firm, The Fawcett Group. Before she started her own business in 1999 she was director of marketing for Philadelphia magazine. She holds a B.A. Degree from Franklin & Marshall College, 1992. Prior to the launch of Helpusadopt.org Fawcett sat on the boards of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, The Main Line Art Center and also the Young Executive Board of Children's Crisis Treatment Center and The Pennsylvania Ballet's Cornerstone Society.

In response to their own adoption experience, Becky and her husband Kipp founded Helpusadopt.org (2007) in order to help couples/individuals overcome the financial hurdles they meet along the way to completing their own adoptions. In May, Becky was named one of CNN's 2011 Heroes and in September 2011 she was named a "Hero Among Us" by PEOPLE Magazine. Becky serves as executive director on a pro bono basis, writes her own blog (www.aninfertileblonde.com), which was recently recognized as one of the top 20 adoption blogs in the country by Adoptive Families Magazine. She dreams of writing a book and lives in NYC with her husband, two children and a somewhat disrespectful dog who likes to sleep on the dining room table when no one is looking.

Kipp Fawcett, Co-Founder, Board Chair
Kipp Fawcett is an Executive Director in the Investment Banking Department of Nomura Securities. Kipp earned his B.A. degree in finance from Franklin & Marshall College in 1993, his MBA from Villanova University in 1996 and completed his CFA degree in 1999. The decision to launch Helpusadopt.org was almost immediate once he realized what the average adoption costs are, how many couples struggle financially and how others go childless.

Glenn Hill
Glenn Hill is the proud father of three adopted children. He is also a Managing Director with J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s Global Fund Structuring Team where he focuses on structuring and funds management for private equity funds, real estate funds and hedge funds. Mr. Hill serves as President of J.P. Morgan Private Investments Inc., an SEC registered investment adviser that manages private client assets in J.P. Morgan multi-manager portfolios and feeder funds. Prior to joining the Private Bank in 2003, he worked for J.P. Morgan Partners and the J.P. Morgan Investment Bank, where he managed institutional private equity fundraisings for both internal and third-party fund managers. Mr. Hill received his M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and B.S. in Advertising from Florida State University.

Lisa Glassner Kovacs
Lisa Glassner Kovacs has an extensive and successful background in the world of non-profit boards. In addition to her expertise in fundraising and special events, Lisa brings a unique perspective on the world of infertility and the journey to parenthood, as she has been married to one of Philadelphia's top Fertility Doctors for over 20 years. In addition to her board position for Helpusadopt.org, Lisa also serves on the boards of The Pennsylvania Ballet, The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and is a Founding Board Member of GlobalisLoca. Lisa has also served on the board for The Baldwin School, in Bryn Mawr, PA, and was President of the school's parents' Association. Lisa is a proud mother of four and resides outside of Philadelphia with her husband and children.

Heidi Gluck
Heidi Gluck is an associate in the Capital Markets practice group in the New York office of Latham & Watkins LLP. Heidi has substantial experience representing investment banks and issuers in public and private debt and equity offerings and acquisition financings in a broad range of industries. She received her BA in Political Science from Northwestern and her J.D. from University of Chicago Law School. In addition to her pro bono work with Helpsuadopt.org, Heidi is a volunteer with the Everybody Wins! Power Lunch program.

Anthony Klarman, Board Vice Chair, Chair Governance Committee
Anthony Klarman is a Managing Director and Global Head of High Yield Research for Deutsche Bank Securities, also covering the telecom, cable and satellite sectors for the firm in US High Yield. Anthony has been ranked by Institutional Investor as one of the top analysts in his field for the past several years and has been with the firm for over 16 years. In addition, Anthony is part of the firm's Global Research Management Committee as well as the Leveraged Credit Executive Committee in the US. Mr. Klarman is a holder of the following FINRA/NASD licenses: Series 7,24,63,86,87.

Mr. Klarman received his BS in Finance from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. Aside from Helpusadopt.org, Anthony has extensive experience in the non-profit arena as he currently serves on two other non-profit boards and has been the Board Chair of one non-profit for over 7 years. Mr. Klarman has a very personal involvement with adoption as he and his wife have built their family through this process. Anthony resides in New York City with his wife Laura and children Lucas and Estella.

Laura Klarman, Chair of the Grant Selection Committee
Laura Fechter Klarman, Psy.D. received a B.A. in Psychology with Honors from the University of Michigan in 1991. She then completed a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Yeshiva University in New York City. Dr. Fechter Klarman has maintained a private practice in Manhattan for nearly nine years and ultimately resigned from administrative work in order to dedicate herself exclusively to her practice. Her clinical work with adults and couples focuses on a wide range of presenting problems including affective disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, and relationship issues. More recently she has expanded her clinical focus to include work on infertility and adoption related issues. She has done volunteer for RESOLVE, a national infertility organization for the past three and a half years and currently serves as the Volunteer Coordinator for the NYC area. Her interest in adoption is personal in addition to professional, as she has built her family through adoption.

Keith Lavitt
Keith Lavitt is President of Super Enterprises, the regional wholesale distributor for the Marvin family of window and door products in lower NY, NJ, DE, eastern PA, GA and southern NC. Keith received his BS from Cornell University and his MBA from New York University.

Keith is an active member of Vistage, an international CEO membership organization, and the Executive Council on Construction Supply. Keith resides in Long Island, NY with his wife Lisa and their two children, one of whom is adopted.

Norman Olson
Norman is currently CEO of MedSentry, Inc, in Westborough, MA. Prior to moving to Philadelphia from San Francisco he owned several companies in the electronics business and was active in many not for profit organizations. He served as President of Jewish Family and Children's Service, was a board member of the Jewish Community Federation, Scott Street Senior Housing LLC, and the Home for the Aged. Norman currently sits on the boards of The Woodmere Art Museum, Jewish Family and Children's Services, and the Perkiomen School in Philadelphia. He holds a BA in Chemistry from Western Reserve University and lives outside Philadelphia. Norman and his wife, Anne Titterton, are adoptive parents with a 10 year old daughter, Ava.

Liad Pernock
Liad is proud to serve on the board of Helpusadopt.org because of the organization's extraordinary achievements in helping deserving people afford to become loving parents to children from around the world. In addition to Helpusadopt.org, Liad has worked with several other organizations dedicated to children, including literacy, mentoring and crisis programs. After earning an MBA in 2001 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Liad joined the global pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline and led marketing and public relations efforts for several of the company's biggest businesses. Since 2009 Liad has devoted her time to her family and Helpusadopt.org. They live outside of Philadelphia, PA.

Anna Vitelli, Board Secretary, Co-Chair Fundraising and Development
As Senior Vice President and Team Director, Anna Vitelli oversees the client's team of wealth management professionals, striving to achieve the highest levels of client satisfaction. Anna joined PNC Wealth Management in May 2007. Anna began her career in the Private Client Services Group with the Philadelphia office of Arthur Andersen. Thereafter she joined the Philadelphia law firm of Fox Rothschild where she worked in the Trust and Estates Department before moving her practice to the law firm of Cozen O'Connor. Anna then joined the Private Family Office (a subsidiary of Bryn Mawr TrustCompany) where she created the wealth planning department which serviced high-net-worthfamilies.

Anna is an attorney licensed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.Anna holds an LLM in taxation from Temple University School of Law. Anna received her Juris Doctor degree, cum laude from Temple University School of Law. Annaearned her Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting, magna cum laude,from Loyal College in Maryland.

Anna built her family through adoption and lives with herhusband, Greg Myers, son Max, and Winnie the miniature dachshund outside of Philadelphia.

Mow Wong, Board Treasurer, Chair Finance Committee
Mow Wong has 15 years of investment banking and private equity experience, covering the financial services and industrial industries. He earned hi BBA in Finance from the University of Michigan. Mow’s family has been touched by adoption in a number of different ways. His involvement in Helpusaodpt.org has been an important way for him to support and encourage the cause, especially because of Helpusadopt.org’s broad definition of family and its financial commitment to helping complete the adoption process.

Johnny Cooper
Johnny has been working as a volunteer and as a nonprofit development professional for more than six years most recently serving as the Annual Giving Director for The Trevor Project. His corporate development experience is complimented by his time spent in the private sector in product development, design and sourcing for J.C.Penney prior moving professionally into not-for-profit work. Johnny's non profit work also includes his service, first as a board member and chair of development, then as full-time Director of Development & Administration at Youth First Texas, North Texas' LGBT youth resource center from 2007 to 2010. In addition to his experience in individual giving and corporate development, Johnny has also managed direct mail, planned giving, private grants as well as government funded grants. He is a creative force that values relationship building and integrity above all things in development and brings critical thinking, strategy, passion, open-mindedness and commitment to his work every day.

Laurie Beller
Laurie currently works with students and their families on college and grade school admissions applications. She also has experience running programs in the non-profit sector, including serving as the College Program Director at The Opportunity Network, where she developed and led a college application mentoring program. Additionally, Laurie managed summer internship programs at The Opportunity Network and Prep for Prep. Prior to entering the non-profit sector, Laurie worked at Accenture in the Strategy Consulting Group.

Laurie graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband, Lawrence, and their two children in Manhattan.

Amy Eads
After receiving her Master's Degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, Amy taught for one year in the Philadelphia School District. Subsequently, she was a middle School teacher, coach and community service leader for six years at Friends' Central School in Wynnewood, PA. Since 2001, Amy has worked for her alma mater, The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, PA, as an Admissions Director and also sits on the school's Marketing Committee of the Board of Trustees. She is also currently serving on the Alumni Board of Dickinson College. Amy is the mother to Alex and Katie.

Scott Rehl
Scott A. Rehl is the founder and manager of a variety of companies, including a strategic consulting firm, a luxury concierge company, and an investment development business. With a background in financial services, management consulting, and e-business startups, Scott looks for new challenges in growth businesses and emerging market opportunities in a variety of industries and geographic locations. His personal interests range from motorcycles and motorsports to tennis, travel and emerging technologies.

Scott received his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania - Wharton School and a BBA cum laude from Temple University, both in Philadelphia, PA.

Scott and his wife Suzanne are active in social and philanthropic activities and events, working with organizations that focus on youth development and families in need. Scott is the Treasurer for the Schoch Foundation, based in Bryn Mawr, PA. Scott and Suzanne enjoy spending many active hours with their daughters, Avery and Reese, and their dogs at their homes in Haverford, PA and Palm Beach, FL.

Dr. Jen Canter M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P.
“Dr. Jen,” is a double board certified pediatrician, professor, nationally recognized expert in child safety, and, last but not least, a mom of two sets of twins (one set of girls and one set of boys!) and a toy inventor/entrepreneur with a robust social media parenting platform. 

Dr. Canter earned her undergraduate and public health degrees from The Johns Hopkins University and her medical doctorate at The State University of New York at Buffalo. She received additional training in Pediatrics at Montefiore Medical Center and completed a fellowship in Child Abuse Pediatrics. Board certified in both Pediatrics and Child Abuse Pediatrics, she is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and an active member of several Child Abuse Pediatrics-related organizations.  Dr. Canter is director of one of a select few accredited Child Abuse Pediatrics fellowships nation-wide and is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at New York Medical College. Dr. Canter is engaged in several innovative and prevention-oriented research projects, including being Co-Principal Investigator of the New York State Shaken Baby Prevention Initiative. She is published in the area of child abuse and child protection, including a book chapter (“The Pediatric Patient”) in the textbook, Emergency Care of the Abused Patient (Cambridge Press). Dr. Canter has been directing the clinical and academic programs related to Child Abuse Pediatrics in Westchester County, NY since 2002.

In addition to fully supporting the open, inclusive, and inspiring mission of Helpusadopt.org, Dr. Canter’s  passion to work with Helpusadopt.org stems from what she considers the greatest gift in her life – two sets of twins from two rounds of IVF. 

Fran Hauser
Fran Hauser is President of Digital for Time Inc.’s Style and Entertainment Group. In her role, she oversees PEOPLE.com, the most visited site in the publishing industry, as well as EW.com, InStyle.com and others. These sites reach over 38 million unique visitors each month and generate more than one billion page views. Hauser is also responsible for the mobile and tablet strategy for these brands including the launch of over 20 consumer products, reaching more than 4 million users, available on the mobile web or as applications.

Hauser has been in the digital media space for 14 years and played an integral role in the $400 million sale of Moviefone to AOL. Earlier in her career, she held positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young and Coca-Cola Enterprises.

In 2011, Hauser was named to the FOLIO: 40, a list of the most distinguished magazine and media professionals from every corner of the industry. Two years earlier, she was named one of Ad Age’s “Women to Watch”, a list of the “30 marketers, media sellers and agency executives to keep your eye on today.” She was also inducted into Media Industry Newsletter’s (MIN) Digital Hall of Fame in May 2008.

Hauser is an active philanthropist, serving on the Board of Directors of GlobalGiving and ZenCare and on the Advisory Board of Helpusadopt. She is also a co-founder of GlobalGiving’s New York Leadership Council and funder of projects relating to global women’s issues including Half the Sky (the documentary and multi-platform initiative).

Hauser is also an angel investor in technology and fashion startups and serves on their advisory boards. She resides in Manhattan with her husband and two sons.

Kerstin Lindquist
QVC Program Host
Kerstin Lindquist joined QVC as a program host in 2011. A native of Southern California, she's used to being on the move. After graduating Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Kerstin spent nine years working in broadcast journalism, including positions in Las Vegas and San Diego, before returning to the Keystone State as a QVC program host in West Chester. Along the way, Kerstin won four local Emmy® awards and was seen on NBC's hit drama The West Wing.

Kerstin and her husband, Dan, are kept very busy by their two beautiful daughters Georgia and Grace—who are just five months apart in age. (Yes, you read that right!) An active mom, Kerstin juggles family and work responsibilities along with her passionate commitment to spreading the word about infertility and adoption issues. She loves exercise and fitness, especially anything that gets her outside. Her idea of a perfect day is heading out to the beach—or even better, a boat—with Dan and her girls for some fun in the sun!

Find Kerstin on Facebook here and click "like" to get frequent updates on life at the Q. You can also follow her on Twitter and check out her blog or email her at k_lindquist@qvc.com .

Nia Vardalos
Academy Award® nominee Nia Vardalos wrote and starred in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” the number one romantic comedy of all time. The film garnered multiple nominations and awards that distinguished Vardalos as a writer and an actress, including Writers Guild, Screen Actors Guild, Broadcast Film Critic, Golden Globe nominations and an Independent Spirit Award win. Vardalos was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay and went on to write, star and produce “Connie and Carla”, star in “My Life in Ruins” and reunite on-screen with her “Greek” co-star John Corbett in the indie, “I Hate Valentine's Day,” which she also directed. She has guest-starred on numerous television shows, including "Cougar Town," “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Drop Dead Diva,” and has hosted “Saturday Night Live”.

Most recently, Vardalos co-wrote the film “Larry Crowne" with Tom Hanks; who directed, produced and starred in it along with Julia Roberts. Vardalos will next be seen in Spring 2012, in "American Girl," playing her first role as a mom. Next up is “Happy Mother’s Day,” for Walden Media -- a comedy that centers on four harried moms who escape the humdrum of the suburbs by setting off on a road trip on Mother’s Day. The film, which Vardalos wrote and will star in, is set for a 2012 release.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, Vardalos attended Toronto's Ryerson Theater School. She worked in the box office of The Second City, and stayed to watch the show every night. When an actress fell ill fifteen minutes before curtain, Vardalos convinced producers she knew the show and to let her on. She was hired the next day. She became a performer/writer in twelve revues for Second City in Toronto and Chicago.

Nia Vardalos and her husband, actor Ian Gomez of ABC's "Cougar Town," were matched via American Foster Care, with their daughter when she was three years old. Nia is a spokesperson for National Adoption Day and an advocate for children and adoption. Recently, she was honored with the 2011 Angels In Adoption award. 

Sidney Jackson
An advocate at heart, Sidney is a non-profit professional who has worked for arts, human rights and international youth organizations.
As a fundraiser, he has worked and helped build capacity for Planned Parenthood Federation of American, Harlem School of the Arts and the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village. A classically trained singer, Sidney holds a Music Performance/Business degree and MBA from Stetson University. In the major gifts officer role, Sidney looks forward to bringing his passion and experience to helpusadopt.org so he can help raise essential funds to ensure the organization can continue to meet the needs of the couples and individuals we seek to serve.

Joseph Poppa - Web Design & Analytics
Joseph Poppa is a Graphic Designer & 3D Illustrator out of the Pittsburgh area. He's been a lead artist/designer within several large companies including Fisher Scientific and McKesson, and has been designing for over 15 years. Joseph has been published in several books and magazines and has won several technical design awards. He provides design, updates, analytics and technical direction for Helpusadopt.org's site growth. Joseph has been working with Helpusadopt.org since the beginning and has seen the brand recognition, press coverage, and ability of Helpusadopt.org grow in amazing ways each year. He currently works for USA Today's HighSchoolSports.net.

Thomas Sabin
While attending New York University, Thomas worked as a peer educator at Outspoken, a student organized group devoted to outreach and advocacy specifically in the LGBTQ community on campus. During his time there, he took part in the creation of ‘The Gender Project’ and helped to include the transgendered student body to the existing anti-discrimination policy at NYU. He graduated with his Bachelor in Fine Arts in Drama with a focus in Musical Theatre from Tisch School of the Arts. Since graduation he has worked on many projects including co-writing and performing in his own cabaret entitled, "I Don't Know What It Is." He is thrilled to join the Helpusadopt.org team to help build families.

Kate Sessions - Program Manager
Kate comes from an activist background in non-profits focusing on theatre, children, LGBT rights and the environment. She graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the William Esper Studio for acting in New York City. Kate was the Head of the Drama Department at Eagle's Nest Foundation and a Senior Fundraiser at Manhattan Theatre Club. Development experience also includes organizing events for ECOfest (the city's largest environmental festival) and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, where she was a two-time committee chair for their annual Media Awards. As an actor, she has been a regular on two Discovery Channel series and can be seen onstage around the city. A natural fit for Program Manager of Helpusadopt.org; she hopes to advocate for all parents, children, and learn as much as she can from the tremendous team.

Helpusadopt.org is represented by Matthew F. Gorra, an attorney at DLA PIPER US LLP in Baltimore, MD.

Mr. Gorra is a corporate transactional attorney with extensive experience advising clients on merger and acquisition, venture capital and securities transactions, as well as general corporate matters. He is also experienced in forming and managing the growth of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entities. Mr. Gorra holds a B.A. from Middlebury College (1994) and received his J.D. from Cornell Law School (1999).