who we are

Pat Watson – President, Board of Directors
Pat comes to CADF with a background as a Regional VP in the consumer-packaged goods industry. She has 40 years’ experience in strategic planning, leadership, executive training, and the design of sales and marketing programs. After retiring, Pat used her business background to transition into education as an adjunct college professor where she designs and teaches strategy, leadership, management, and other business courses and works on a team to develop additional bachelor’s programs for the Business College.  

Pat earned her MBA, with a concentration in leadership and management, at Kennesaw State University in Georgia and was a member of the Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi. She holds certificates in Coaching, Quality Matters, Critical Thinking, and several online learning platforms.  

Pat enjoys her four grandchildren, and her interests include travelling with the grandchildren, genetic genealogy, history, archeology, and others.  

Cori Forster – Vice President, Board of Directors
Cori is a Corporate Services Professional, for one of the largest ferry operators in the world that is an essential transportation link that connects coastal communities and facilitates the movement of people, goods and services. In this position her experience encompasses multiple business disciplines and has a broad range of responsibilities.

Her personal life, like her professional one, has given her many opportunities from volunteering to previous board experience for non-profits. An owner-operator of two small businesses and what she believes is her most notable role; A CAD patient advocate dedicated to bringing the awareness for care to this rare disease and a small group of individuals and care partner to her husband who has CAD.  

Todd Chambley – Treasurer, Board of Directors
Todd is a Senior Vice President at Aon in Atlanta.  He has been in the executive benefits and insurance industry for over 28 years.  Todd runs Aon’s Executive Benefits Practice, including responsibility for executive benefit consulting operations, sales and marketing, legal and compliance, and client servicing. Since joining Aon, he has held positions such as consultant, IT project management/DBA, controller, and COO.   He is currently a member of Aon’s North American Health Solutions leadership team.   

Todd has an accounting degree from Lee University and has earned the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Fellow Life Management Institute (FLMI) designations. He also holds Series 6 and 63 securities licenses and life and health insurance licenses.   

Todd is married to Joy, who is a motivational speaker, trainer, and President of Moms with Swords. They have three children. Todd serves as a Board member for Engaging Leaders and volunteers as a coach and treasurer for the Atlanta Vipers Fastpitch Organization.   He lives in the Atlanta Metro area.   

Cold Agglutinin Disease Foundation Staff: 

Bohdan Jarisz - Social Media/Web-designer/Graphic Artist

Bohdan is a marketing professional with 10 years of experience in web and traditional advertising, promotions, social media, and ad design concepts.

Colleagues know him as a highly creative marketer who can always be trusted to come up with a new approach. He knows that the client’s business comes first, and Bohdan never tries to impose his ideas on others. Instead, he spends a lot of time understanding the business and the audience before suggesting ideas. He can (and often does) work well alone, but he is at his best collaborating with others. 

Mary Liebl Gajewski - Bookkeeper
Mary brings over 30 years of bookkeeping experience to the CAD Foundation. She has worked in the finance, accounting, manufacturing, and non-profit industries. After retiring, Mary set up her own freelance company to do bookkeeping and has clients in real estate, service organizations, manufacturing, and others. Mary’s education is in accounting.

She has two grown children and is especially proud of her two grandsons who are serving in the military.  Mary is a dog lover and boards dogs for several clients. She lives in Wisconsin.   

She was diagnosed with CAD in 2018 and is a primary cold agglutinin disease patient.  

Bridgid and Catherine Connolly - Media/Communication/Writers  
Bridgid and Catherine are sisters and medical doctors from Australia.

Bridgid is a Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Consultant, and Catherine is specialising in Pathology and Stem Cell Research.

The sisters became patient advocates for Cold Agglutinin Disease after a family member was diagnosed with the condition. In their spare time, Bridgid and Catherine enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, running, tennis and cycling.
 

Kathy Cary – Facebook Content Compliance Manager 

Kathy is a Certified Gemologist Appraiser. She has worked in this industry for 45 years and is currently employed by Skie’s Jewelry as a Diamond and Gemstone buyer. She is a graduate Gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America.

In her spare time, Kathy is the Administration Manager for Facebook groups. At present, she reviews for content compliance, not only CAD Foundation’s Facebook Group, CADdy CHATTER, and also manages two art groups. She enjoys painting with watercolors and does calligraphy. Kathy has two sons and is a dog lover. She has three dogs, named Grace, Suze, and Sally Popper, daughter of Susan Popper. She lives in Eugene, OR.

In 2003, Kathy was diagnosed with primary CAD.  

Dawn B. Diaz – Patient Advocate for the Newly Diagnosed

Dawn Diaz grew up in Albany, NY and graduated with a BA in accounting from Siena College. She then became a CPA for Coopers & Lybrand straight out of college until becoming Controller for a local builder. Dawn, subsequently, became Director of Internal Audit of Cablevision Industries and eventually, Assistant Direct of Internal Audit at Time Warner, Inc. in New York City and finished her career as a Director of Internal Audit at Ernst & Young,  and began volunteering her time soon after marrying Armando Diaz doing pro bono accounting work for local organizations. She lives in Englewood, NJ with her husband and two sons. 

Dawn was diagnosed with CAD in 2017 and is happy to share her experience having CAD with other patients and looks forward to helping them to be an advocate for themselves to get the best possible care throughout their disease process.

Medical Advisors:

The Cold Agglutinin Disease Foundation (CADF) has obtained  the invaluable endorsement of two distinguished physicians who specifically support and encourage our establishing this dedicated non-profit foundation for advancing education and  
research about CAD.

Sigbjørn  Berentsen, MD, PhD Hematologist and Researcher Dept.  
Research and Innovation
Haugesund Hospital, Norway    

Richard R. Furman, MD Hematology/Oncology
Weill Cornell Medicine
New York Presbyterian Hospital
Tel:  646-962-2064    

Both are notable and recognized in the field of CAD treatment and research.