Staff

Chris Nowinski, PhD Co-Founder & CEO, Concussion & CTE Foundation Chris Nowinski, PhD, is co-founder and CEO of the Concussion & CTE Foundation, a non-profit organization leading the fight against concussions and CTE and dedicated to… Read Bio Robert Cantu, MD Co-Founder & Medical Director, Concussion & CTE Foundation Currently Dr. Cantu’s professional responsibilities include those of Medical Director and Director of Clinical Research, Dr. Robert C. Cantu Concussion Center at Emerson Hospital in Concord… Read Bio Lisa McHale Director of Legacy Family Relations Lisa McHale graduated from Cornell University, where she met her husband, Tom McHale, an All-American Defensive End for the Big Red. They married in 1990 and… Read Bio Julia Manning Chief Strategy & Operations Officer Julia Manning joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in 2018, bringing a strong background in broadcast journalism to the organization. At the Foundation, Julia is head… Read Bio Symone Gerren, LCSW, MPA Clinical Director, Patient and Family Services Symone Gerren joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in September 2026 as Clinical Director, Patient and Family Services, bringing more than a decade of experience in… Read Bio Tia Sneath Director of Development Tia Sneath joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in 2024 as the Director of Development. With a background in philanthropy, Tia has held key positions across… Read Bio Giuseppe Orsini Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives Joe Orsini joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in August 2026 after spending nearly four years with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he served in multiple… Read Bio Clark Rachuig Senior Development Manager Clark joined the Concussion & CTE in May 2026 as Senior Development Manager. For more than a decade, Clark has been a servant-leader focused on mission-driven… Read Bio Niki Collazo Operations Manager Niki Collazo joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation as the Finance & Administration Coordinator in July 2022, and has served as Operations Manager since 2024. Her… Read Bio Mason Cox Development Manager Mason joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in June 2026 as Development Manager. He brings experience in nonprofit development, most recently working in healthcare philanthropy, where… Read Bio Sagar Dave Digital Technology Manager Sagar joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in August 2022 after working in technology and programming for a decade. In his previous role of programming services… Read Bio Nicholas Paik Digital Content Manager Nick Paik joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in April 2021. He comes from a marketing & communications background, and has had experience working at non-profits… Read Bio Tricia Ruiz HelpLine Manager Tricia Ruiz joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation as the HelpLine Coordinator in September 2022. She was born in central California and raised in eastern Montana… Read Bio Katelyn Walker Social Media Manager Katelyn joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in May of 2023 as the Social Media Coordinator. She graduated from Longwood University with a B.A. in Biology… Read Bio Cory Walton Marketing Manager Cory joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in November 2023 after working in the veteran-serving community for nearly four years at the nonprofit organization Stop Soldier… Read Bio Courtney Welch Patient and Clinician Resource Manager Courtney Welch, ATC joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in April 2023 as a Patient Services Coordinator. Courtney is a Certified Athletic Trainer and has previously… Read Bio Kristina Hjertkvist Development and Event Specialist Kristina Hjertkvist joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in 2025 as a Development and Event Specialist. She was born in Södertälje, Sweden but grew up in… Read Bio Samantha Pyle Buono Legacy Family Community Coordinator Samantha joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in August of 2022. She first became acquainted with the organization in 2015 when her father passed away after… Read Bio Madigan Paradis HelpLine Coordinator Madigan first joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in June 2022 as an intern in the Patient Services department. After two summers of interning, she transitioned… Read Bio Tyler Ambrose Support Group Facilitator Tyler joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in March 2023. Tyler’s passion for education, human development, and mental health care sparked early in high school while… Read Bio Will Renken Community and Volunteer Engagement Specialist Will joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in July 2026, bringing a background that spans neuroscience research and nonprofit development. He supports volunteer engagement across the… Read Bio Averie Scarmardo Social Media Coordinator Averie Scarmardo joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation in July 2026 as Social Media Coordinator, bringing a background in communication and sports media to the organization's… Read Bio