
boardofdirectors
EMERITUSBoard
Laura Klarman
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.
Jackie Cohen
Jackie Cohen had a successful career on Wall Street that ultimately left her unfulfilled and burnt out. At age 35, she decided to make a change and quit her job to travel the world for a year before coming home to join her family’s growing business, Timeless Fine Jewelry. By 42, Jackie knew she wanted a family of her own and embarked on a journey that led her to the adoption of her beautiful daughter, Julia. Being a single mother and propelling her business into success keeps Jackie very busy, but she devotes her spare time to helping others through her work with HelpUsAdopt.org, an organization committed to providing financial support to families who have a desire to adopt.
Sarah Marshall
Sarah Marshall is an advocate of Helpusadopt.org’s inclusive, non-discriminatory mission to support and grow loving families. Since earning her MBA at Wharton in 2000, Sarah has worked in private equity, primarily as a marketing agent and fundraiser for emerging firms in the US and Europe. A 1993 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Sarah served for five years as an acquisitions officer on the avionics program for the B-2 aircraft. She and her husband Brad live near Philadelphia. Sarah is dedicated to her three children and involved with numerous efforts to support the arts in Philadelphia.
advisoryBoard
Leslie Grossman
Leslie Grossman’s breakout role was as the spoiled rich girl “Mary Cherry” on the WB’s Popular. She followed that up with four years on the WB series What I Like About You. She also appeared in Murphy’s film Running With Scissors, as well as his series The New Normal and Nip/Tuck, and reunited for the hit FX anthology show American Horror Story: Cult as scene-stealer “Meadow Wilton.” She rejoined the AHS cast on Apocalypse as the equally entertaining “Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt.”
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Grossman always secretly wanted to be an actress, although she never really expected it to happen. Her initial foray into showbiz was as a director of one-act plays in a festival at Crossroads School, a performing arts high school in Los Angeles. She switched gears from director to actress during her senior year at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. Grossman starred in a theatre production of Cereal! which was so successful that it made a one-year run off-Broadway. Subsequently, the play made its way to Los Angeles at the Hudson Theater.
Grossman’s numerous television credits include guest appearances on Black-ish, Fuller House, Love, The Good Place, Speechless, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, 2 Broke Girls, Modern Family, Major Crimes, Whitney, CSI, Scandal, Dexter, and Grey’s Anatomy.
Grossman was drawn to Helpusadopt.org because she is not only an adoptee but also a mom by adoption. When not working, Grossman enjoys spending time with family and friends, shopping, and going to the movies.
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!
Natalie Morales
News Anchor, "Today" and "Access Hollywood"
Natalie Morales is the news anchor of NBC News’ “Today” and the co-host of the third hour, a position she has held since March 2006. Prior to her role as news anchor, Morales served as “Today” national correspondent from February 2006 to June 2011. Morales has also reported for all NBC News platforms including “NBC Nightly News,” Dateline NBC,” and MSNBC.
While working for NBC News, Morales has reported on and contributed to several major breaking news stories. As a part of TODAY’s ‘Shine a Light’ Campaign in 2014, Morales ran in and raised over $70,000 for victims of the Boston Marathon. Morales was a member of the “Rock Center with Brian Williams” team who won a Robert F. Kennedy Award for their lobster divers story in June of 2013. Twice Morales flew to London for major coverage of the Royal Family, both in 2013 and 2011, where she reported on the birth of Prince George and the Royal Wedding, respectively. In October 2010, Morales live-translated and reported on the Chilean miner rescue—coverage that was seen worldwide and recognized with a 2010 National Headliner Award. Her other notable reports include the 2009 presidential inauguration; the Southern California wildfires; the Minneapolis bridge collapse; Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy; the 2004 Tsunami; the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of Pope Francis.. In 2010, 2011, and 2012 she was awarded a Daytime Emmy award as part of “Today’s” recognition as the best morning news program. Morales was also honored with the 2013 Gracie Award for Outstanding Series for her Dateline series, My Kid Would Never.
Morales was an integral part of the network’s coverage of the 2010 and 2006 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Torino and the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Summer Games in Athens, Beijing, and London. In August 2008, Morales had the exclusive, news-making interview with the infamous “Clark Rockefeller” interviewing him from Suffolk County Jail in Boston. Morales has also landed exclusive celebrity interviews with Angelina Jolie, when she revealed she was having twins, and Kelly Preston, in her first television interview after the birth of her and John Travolta’s son, Benjamin. Additionally, “Hispanic Magazine” named her one of the “Top Hispanics to Watch” in 2005 and one of the “Top Trendsetters” of 2003.
Morales, who speaks Spanish and Portuguese, was born in Taiwan and spent much of the first 18 years of her life living overseas in Panama, Brazil and Spain as an Air Force “brat.” She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University, New Jersey, with dual majors in journalism and Latin American studies. Morales was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude. She currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and two sons.
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.
Lara Zibners
MD, FAAP
Dr. Zibners is a board certified pediatrician and pediatric emergency medicine specialist, as well as the award-winning author of If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay (Hachette, 2009). She is also the mostly-proud mother of 3 young children, two of whom are adopted.
Dr. Zibners attended the University of California, San Diego, followed by medical school at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She then completed both a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. While an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, she met her future husband, Gernot Lohr. After relocating to the United Kingdom in 2006, Dr. Zibners pursued both a writing career and also one in academic medicine. She has appeared on The Rachael Ray Show, Fox News, and multiple radio broadcasts. Her print appearances include Parenting Magazine, Men’s Health and multiple online articles and is currently a regular guest at Shot of Prevention.com. She is currently an Honorary Consultant in paediatric emergency medicine at St. Mary’s Hospital, London, as well as a nonclinical instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
After marriage, the Lohrs began pursuing parenthood. Fast-forward through multiple failed attempts at IVF and they welcomed two daughters in a span of 3 months. While one was born via surrogate, the other was a non-related adoption. Fervent supporters of adoption (and frankly any which way toward parenting a person might choose), they also recently adopted a son.
legalcouncil
Matthew Gorra
Attorney, DLA PIPER US LLP
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).