Our Team

After graduating from University of Colorado with a BA in Accounting, Lynne joined her family real estate development and management firm in 1980. Her original involvement was with the single family home building division of the business, building upwards of 200 homes per year. She later became president of 'Classic Management' – the company's property management division, and grew its portfolio of apartments from 800 to 1,200 units, while also overseeing the commercial and office building portfolio. She retired from the firm in 2000.

Lynne continues to be involved in real estate investing and served on the board of CT Realty, a California real estate investment company. She served as Co-Chair of the ALS Division of the Muscular Dystrophy Association from 2006 until "Augie's Quest" left the ranks of MDA and became part of ALS Therapy Development Institute in 2014.

Lynne is the Chair of Augie's Quest to Cure ALS. Along with her husband, Augie, she played a pivotal role in its success through her vision, leadership and focus on the bottom line where her accounting background has been key.

Lynne has been a dedicated member of the ALS TDI board since 2014, during which she served under the leadership of her late husband, Augie Nieto, who passed away from ALS in February 2023. In May 2023, Lynne Nieto was unanimously elected as Chair of the ALS TDI Board of Directors.

Lynne lives in Corona del Mar, California and has four adult, married children and eight grand children.

Dr. Steven Perrin joined the ALS Therapy Development in 2007 as part of historical collaboration between the Institute, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Augie's Quest with the goal of developing a center of excellence for ALS drug development and translational research for neurodegenerative diseases. Steven is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer. He earned his Ph.D. at Boston University Medical Center in the Department of Biochemistry. Steven moved into the pharmaceutical industry in 1997 holding positions at the Hoechst-Ariad, Genomics Center, Aventis Pharmaceuticals and more recently as Director of Molecular Profiling at Biogen Idec. Since joining the Institute, Steven has spearheaded the architectural design and execution of the world's largest Precision Medicine Program. This innovative program has bridged the gap between early preclinical target discovery and the advancement of biomarkers and quantitative outcome measures for clinical development in ALS and other neurological disease indications. Under his leadership ALS TDI has assembled a world class scientific team that in the last seven years has brought two potential treatments into clinical development for ALS. He has accomplished these objectives by creating innovative business models bridging philanthropic investments in early stages of drug development with for virtual for profit biotechnology companies to manage clinical translation. Steven is a frequent invited participant and speaker in international conferences on computational biology, genomics, drug development, and neurodegeneration.

Dr. Appel is The Peggy and Gary Edwards Distinguished Endowed Chair for the Treatment and Research of ALS, Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, The Methodist Hospital as well as a Professor of Neurology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Physiology at Baylor College of Medicine. He was previously Chair of the Department of Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine as well as Chief of Neurology and the James B. Duke Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Appel is a native of Massachusetts and received his Bachelor Degree at Harvard University and his Medical Degree from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is the Director of the MDA/ALS Research and Clinical Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute, and past Director of the National Institute of Aging Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. He has received a number of awards for his accomplishments in Neurology and Biochemistry, including the Gold Medal Award in 1997 from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons; the Sheila Essey Award in 2003 from the American Academy of Neurology, has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2003, was awarded the Baylor College of Medicine Alumni Association's "Distinguished Faculty Award" in 2004, the MDA's Wings Over Wall Street Diamond Award in 2004, the Texas Neurological Society Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and the Forbes Norris Award for "compassion and love for humanity in research and treatment in patients with ALS" from the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations in 2005.

Kent's interest in ALS dates from the time of his brother-in-law, Augie Nieto's diagnosis. Kent received his Bachelor's degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and his medical degree from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his specialty training in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and USC's Norris Cancer Center in Los Angeles. Kent practiced clinical subspecialty medicine for nearly 30 years, and continues seeing patients pro-bono at the local free clinic. He served for over a decade on the board of directors of Physicians for Social Responsibility. In addition to his work on PSR's executive committee, he was national president in 2006. He currently lives on the Monterey Peninsula on California's central coast.

The Chairman and CEO of Cappello Global, LLC, a boutique global investment bank whose principals have conducted over $160 billion in transactions in over 50 countries, spanning across 50 years. Mr. Cappello has led several public and private companies and is or has been the lead independent Director of Virco Manufacturing Corporation VIRC (NASDAQ); The Cheesecake Factory CAKE (NASDAQ); Caldera Medical; lead independent director of the Agnew Company; the Nordic Group of Companies; Numedico Technologies (Australia); Open4Sale Technology; SureCount Surgical; and additionally is Chairman of the Board of Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. NAVB (NYSE).

Formerly the only two-term Chairman of the International Board of YPO – Young President’s Organization; Trustee of the University of Southern California (USC); Trustee and Chair of the Investment Committee of City of Hope; Chairman of: Intelligent Energy, PLC (London Stock Exchange), a global technology leader in hydrogen fuel cells; Inter-Tel (NASDAQ); and Geothermal Resources Intl. (AMEX), as well as a former Director of: Cytrx (NASDAQ); Genius Products (NASDAQ); Koo Koo Roo, Inc. (NASDAQ); Arcus Data Security (NASDAQ); California Republic Bank (OTC); IrisGuard (London); and Nano Bank (OTC).

Additionally, Mr. Cappello is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) (Washington D.C., New York), as well as on the boards of RAND Corporation's Center for Middle East Public Policy (CMEPP), the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and the ALS-TDI Foundation.

Mr. Cappello received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Marshall School of Business at USC in 1977 with honors, including recognition as an "Order of the Palm" scholar. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Goodwin University in Stamford, Connecticut and has been inducted in the Order of Honorary Fellows at Marymount College in Palos Verdes, California.

Jennifer Gore Dwyer is the owner of St. George Marine. The family-run company was established in 1986 by Jenny and her husband Pat. After her beloved husband passed away from ALS in June 2013, Jenny became sole owner and president of St. George Marine, working with her children Sean and Brenna to continue to run and grow the family business. The company owns two vessels. The F/V Jennifer A fishes crab in Alaska's Bering Sea, and in summer works with its sister ship, the F/V Brenna A, purchasing salmon on behalf of seafood processors in various parts of Alaska.

Jenny and Pat built their company from the ground up, working together on Alaska's fishing grounds and becoming involved in fisheries politics. Together, they lobbied state and federal officials on issues related to the Alaska seafood industry. In 2005, when Pat was diagnosed with ALS, the partnership built to lobby government on fish issues became a partnership working to live with ALS.

Through that partnership, Jenny became a committed advocate for the ALS cause. She started out with her local ALS chapter, raising over $100,000 to benefit PALS in the Pacific Northwest area. Jenny's involvement expanded to the national level. She and her family worked extensively behind the scenes in Washington, D.C. to ensure passage of the ALS Registry, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2008. At the same time, recognizing the need for innovative research funding and federal funding, Jenny became a vocal supporter of ALS TDI. She established the first National YFALS Corntoss Tournament in Seattle. Jenny solicited sponsors, donors and participants from the family's significant network in the region. In 2013 the Seattle Corntoss event raised $55,000 for ALS drug development programs at ALS TDI.

On a national level, Jenny has made several trips to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on behalf of ALS TDI. Jenny and ALS TDI met with ranking members of both the U.S. House and Senate to bring attention to the need for increased federal support for ALS translational drug research. Jenny reached out on the national level for all families living with ALS, including those of the military, who are diagnosed with ALS at a rate twice that of other individuals. In February of 2013, Jenny's advocacy went to the White House. She wrote directly to President Obama outlining the dismal statistics and the lack of research funding for this insidious disease. Her letter was so compelling that it made its way to President Obama's desk, and the President sent a hand written note to her and Pat. The president said he would look for ways to support "ALS specifically." Jenny is determined to continue reaching out to Washington, D.C. and the White House on behalf of ALS TDI, to ensure there is recognition and continued translational research funding for ALS, before more families are confronted with the life decisions that face all people with ALS.

Tom Engellenner is the managing director of Engellenner Law LLC. His Boston-based law practice includes patents, licensing, trademarks, copyrights, and litigation. He has more than 40 years of experience in writing and prosecuting patents and advising clients generally on intellectual property strategies. Over the course of his career, he has helped clients obtained nearly 1000 patents and has particular experience in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. Tom received his Bachelor’s degree in engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his law degree from Boston University. He is a member of the bar in Massachusetts and New York, and a former President of the Boston Patent Law Association. Tom was written extensively on intellectual property. His articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The National Law Journal and Law360. He has been quoted on various patent-related topics by Associate Press, The Financial Times, Inside Counsel, Managing Intellectual Property, Boston Business Journal, Law360 and Mass High Tech, among others.

Faced with his 29 year old brother Stephen's diagnosis of ALS in 1998, Jamie founded ALS TDI, the world's first nonprofit biotechnology company, and applied his engineering and management skills to dramatically accelerate ALS research. ALS TDI broke new ground on many fronts and has become widely recognized as one of the most promising and innovative research organizations. Under Jamie's leadership, ALS TDI implemented an industrialized therapeutic validation process and built one of the world's leading ALS drug discovery programs. ALS TDI was the first organization to run an open research program, posting in real time the results of its studies for patients, doctors, and the research community. It also pioneered a new model for engaging patients and families in fundraising and actively involving them in ALS research. Over 100 families have joined with Jamie, Stephen and the Heywood's to fund these innovative efforts. ALS TDI has raised tens of millions of dollars through its philanthropic, corporate, and government programs, culminating in the historic discovery partnership in 2007 with Augie's Quest and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Jamie is the Chairman and co-founder of PatientsLikeMe the worlds leading patient information website with in depth information on treatments, symptoms, and real world information on managing life changing diseases. An MIT Engineer, he is an active investor and advisor to startups, companies and non profits working improve the way in which biomedical research is conducted. Jamie's work has been profiled in the New Yorker, 60 Minutes, Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Wiener's book, His Brothers Keeper, and in the Sundance award winning documentary So Much So Fast.

John is the Sun Jae Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Sloan Automotive Lab at MIT. He has made major contributions to the fields of transportation, energy and air pollution, and consults to both industry and the government on technical and policy issues. His book, Internal Engine Fundamentals, is regarded as the definitive work in the field. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1998, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Professor Heywood has an honorary Doctor of Technology degree from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from City University in London.

Spiros Jamas was the President and CEO and co-founder of Tempero Pharmaceuticals, a GSK-funded company focusing on T-cell mediated diseases. Prior to joining Tempero, Dr. Jamas was the Global Healthcare Analyst for State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), a global institutional asset management firm. Dr. Jamas has over 20 years senior management experience in the biopharmaceutical industry serving as CEO and/or founder of several biotech companies (Tempero, Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc.). In these capacities he was responsible for raising over $280M in funding through venture capital, public and debt offerings and led R&D programs from discovery research to advanced clinical development. Dr. Jamas obtained a Doctor of Science in Biotechnology from M.I.T. in 1987, a M.Sc. also from M.I.T. in 1983 and a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from UMIST, England.

Andrew Niblock is the Director of Schoolwide Initiatives and the former Head of Lower School at the Greenwich Country Day School, Greenwich, CT. Prior to his current position he was the Director of Lower School at Hamden Hall Country Day School and spent eleven years as a teacher, coach and administrator at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans.

In July 2016 Andrew was diagnosed with ALS. In the time since, Andrew and his family have become more hopeful, not less. Andrew's life's work is education, and this is the lens through which he views ALS.

There has never been a more exciting time in ALS science. The creativity that comes with looking at problems from different angles, collaboratively, and with unprecedented advances in technology, gives justified cause for hope.The avalanche of ideas in the scientific world of this fight calls for commensurate creativity in the world of support.

ALS TDI's first contact with Ted and his wife, Wendy, was at a San Francisco ALS 101 in October 2007. Ted and Wendy attended the seminar because their 21-year-old son, Corey, who was a senior at Middlebury College at the time, had recently been diagnosed with ALS. Ted has been a CPA for the past 30+ years in the Bay Area. He formerly worked for Arthur Anderson, and has held his own firm for 20+ years. Ted's expertise is sought in many areas, including tax, generational planning, and business succession matters for families, and he is very well connected in many California industries. At the end of 2007, Wendy and Corey visited ALS TDI's lab in Cambridge. Since then, the Reich family has been dedicated to fundraising solely for ALS TDI. In 2008, the Reich family generated over $400K through their first fundraising event, which is now an annual event called Corey's Crusade. Ted joined the new ALS TDI Advisory Council in January 2009 and the Board of Directors in April 2009. In 2009, Corey joined together with several other young people with ALS to create the "Young Faces of ALS" campaign. In 2011, the Reich family and their network helped launch the Young Faces of ALS campaign's first fundraising initiative, the National Corntoss Challenge. The Reich family continues to host the Bay Area Corntoss Challenge each summer in Piedmont, CA. In addition to his dedication to fundraising, Ted has provided support via pro bono legal services through one of his many contacts, Darin DeAngeli. Over the years, the Reich's family and friends have hosted or participated in countless fundraising events in honor of Corey's Crusade. The Corey Reich Fund has raised over $12 million for research at ALS TDI.

Rob Rodin is Vice Chairman, General Partner, and Managing Director of the Los Angeles based private equity firm, Riordan, Lewis and Haden (RLH); www.RLHequity.com. Additionally, he serves as Vice Chairman, Executive Director and Chairman of the Investment Committee of CommerceNet which researches and funds open platform, interoperable business services to advance commerce. Mr. Rodin served for over 10 years as CEO and President of Marshall Industries (NYSE: MI) a global, industrial, electronics distributor and supply chain management company with over $2 billion in sales. Information Week Magazine highlighted Marshall Industries as the "World's Number One Company in the Use of Technology", and CIO Magazine recognized Mr. Rodin as one of the "Top 100 Leaders for the New Millennium". UCLA presented Mr. Rodin with the "Information Systems Award for System Leadership" and the University of Connecticut presented him with the "Distinguished Alumni Award" and elected him to the "University Hall of Fame". Mr. Rodin's best selling book, "Free, Perfect and Now: Connecting to the Three Insatiable Customer Demands", chronicles the radical transformation of Marshall Industries. The changes he led have been taught as case studies at Harvard Business School, Columbia University, USC, MIT, and Stanford University. Mr. Rodin's Board activities include: the Board of Directors of Napster (NAPS)(formally Roxio) as Chairman of the Compensation Committee and a Member of the Audit Committee, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of CommerceNet, Board Member / Director of supplyFX, Board Member /Director and Member of the Governance and Nominating Committee of SM&A (NASDQ: WINS), Director of Inter-tel (NASDAQ: INTL), Advisory Board of LASEC (Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission) Advisory Board of Electronics Supply & Manufacturing Magazine (CMP Publications), on the planning committee for Harvard and Stanford Presidents Seminars (YPO) and on University of Connecticut's School of Business Board of Advisors (Executive Council and Strategic Development Committee) as well as several private company advisory boards. Mr. Rodin formerly served on the Advisory Board of Distribution at USC, the Board of Directors of RosettaNet, as a Trustee of the W. Edwards Deming Institute, and President of NEDA's (National Electronic Distribution Association) Education Foundation. Rob is the Chair of the Executive Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors at ALS TDI.

Paul Sallaberry is a software industry veteran with a career encompassing the build and operational management of Enterprise-class worldwide sales, marketing, technology and consultative services organizations.

As Executive Vice President of Worldwide Field Operations for VERITAS Software, Paul was responsible for defining strategy, managing operational activity driving revenue in excess of $1.65 billion, and achieving profit goals for the corporation's global multi-tier sales distribution and professional services operations. Paul propelled the organization's transition from that of an emerging start-up to its unprecedented position as the world's leading provider of enterprise storage management solutions, and industry-recognized sales distribution powerhouse. Paul concluded his tenure with VERITAS in December of 2003 in the capacity of Executive Vice President of Sales Strategy, having successfully positioned the organization's International growth territories for the next phase of sales expansion.

Paul joined VERITAS in the role of Senior Vice President of Worldwide Field Operations, in April 1997, from OpenVision Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of client/server systems software for automated operations, application availability, backup, and network security. In this capacity, Paul successfully led the integration of OpenVision's customer-facing functions with those of VERITAS, and laid the field operations foundation which subsequently enabled VERITAS' future worldwide distribution expansion. In 1999, Paul led the seamless worldwide integration of VERITAS' acquisition of Seagate, growing VERITAS' worldwide quota-carry sales capacity from an employee base of 200 at acquisition, to its ultimate capacity of 2600+. Through this evolution, Paul successfully charted the course for VERITAS' high-growth in sales productivity through a channel expansion strategy leveraging direct account management, channel partnerships, e-business readiness, mergers and acquisitions, and value-add services including consulting and end-user education.

While at OpenVision, Paul served in the capacity of Senior Vice President of Sales, where he led the organization's product and professional services revenue growth through IPO, and its subsequent acquisition. Prior to OpenVision, Paul held a series of positions at Oracle Corporation from 1989 through 1992, including Vice President of Oracle's Vertical Sales Division, a capacity in which Paul defined Oracle's vertical sales strategy, and evolved the organization from an emerging market opportunity to that of a major component of Oracle's mainstream revenue.

He serves on the Board of Directors for Acquia, Calypso Technologies, Moovweb, Quorum Labs, Dataguise, Livemagic, and is Chairman of the Board of Seal Software. He also advises several young Silicon Valley companies. He is a member of the U.C. Davis Foundation Board of Trustees; serves on the Deans Advisory Council for the Graduate School of Management., and Is a member of the Sacred Heart Schools Board of Trustees Additionally, he is a frequent speaker at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Paul holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Davis.

Robert Sepucha is CEO of Interwell Health, a comprehensive kidney care provider with a personalized, evidence-based approach to managing chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Bobby’s diverse background includes everything from practicing law in Silicon Valley to serving as Chief of Staff to a dynamic member of Congress. He has launched a billion-dollar state agency to support life sciences, and worked as a senior executive for Frensenius Medical Care, one of the world's largest healthcare companies.

Michael M. Smith is president of B.T. Loftus Ranches, Inc., a family-owned farming and orchard operation in Washington's Yakima Valley. He is also founder, director and former president of Yakima Chief, Inc., an international hops sales organization. Smith and his wife, Cheryl Hanses Smith, have been supporters of ALS-focused organizations for many years, funding both patient services and research efforts. The Hanses family has the inherited form of ALS, and there are three family members currently battling the disease. Recently, they worked with ALS TDI to develop the "Ales for ALS" program, a unique craft brewery-based fundraising initiative created to fund drug development at ALS TDI.

Julie Swan spent almost her entire 34-year professional career in the foodservice industry, retiring from Sysco Corporation, as a corporate vice president of finance in June 2012. She worked in various financial roles, both in the operating divisions as well as at the corporate office in Houston, Texas. Asked to help establish Sysco's Strategic Management department in 2012, she relocated from Miami to Houston. While there she worked extensively with Sysco's non-traditional foodservice divisions, including produce and meat companies as well as its international acquisitions.

As she approached retirement, her son Kevin was diagnosed with ALS in February of 2012. Within six weeks of diagnosis, Kevin created A Life Story Foundation to raise awareness and create action to find treatments and ultimately, a cure for ALS. Julie assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer at A Life Story Foundation, a position she still holds currently. Since it's inception, A Life Story Foundation has raised over $500,000 and has partnered with ALS TDI as its research partner.

Julie has been involved with not for profit organizations throughout her career. She has served on the corporate boards of the United Way, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs of Manatee County and Broward County, as well as being Treasurer of the Women's Foodservice Forum.

Julie has a BS degree from Georgetown University and MBA from Nova University. She is married and has two sons and lives in Bradenton, Florida.

Fernando G. Vieira, M.D. is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer at the ALS Therapy Development Institute where he leads a multidisciplinary team of scientists and researchers in their efforts to discover treatments and biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He has been working in ALS research since 2001. Dr. Vieira studied biological engineering at the University of Florida and medicine at Harvard Medical School. He has been awarded numerous patents for the invention of potential therapeutics for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. His research findings, spanning preclinical, basic, clinical, and translational ALS research, have been published in dozens of peer-reviewed journals including Nature Genetics and Science Translational Medicine. His publications have been cited more than 1000 times. Fernando is a proud father and enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and running with his son. "The essential thing 'in heaven and earth' is, apparently, that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living." –Friedrich Nietzche

Augie Nieto is the co-founder of Life Fitness, a leading fitness company specializing in cardiovascular and strength training equipment. He was a visionary – an icon in the fitness industry and one of its original pioneers.

Augie was Chairman of the Board of the ALS Therapy Development Institute in Watertown, MA, the world’s largest ALS dedicated drug development organization. He was also the Co-Founder and Chairman of Augie's Quest to Cure ALS, which raised over $95 million for ALS research under his leadership. He also, along with his wife Lynne, served as Chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s ALS division.

Nieto was an operating advisor for North Castle Partners, Chairman of Octane Fitness, and served on the boards of Curves International, Jenny Craig, Hydromasage, Quest Software and DynaVox. Nieto received countless awards including the Lifetime Achievement award from Club Industry, the Legacy Award from the Young President’s Organization, the Entrepreneur of the Year from Ernst & Young, and the President’s Award by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

He was the subject of a documentary by James Keach called, “Augie, had a song written about him by John Ondrasik from Five for Fighting called “Augie Nieto,” from his album Slice, and published two books: Reciprocity, and Augie’s Quest: One Man’s Journey from Success to Significance.

In February 2023, Augie passed from complications due to ALS. He leaves behind his wife Lynne, their four adult, married children and eight grandkids.

In Augie’s own words: “Please keep me in your hearts…please help continue the progress of Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS. Please help Lynne to carry on the mission – the second finest achievement of my life. Because I will be in your heart, I will get to experience the joy when we discover a cure.”

Steve was diagnosed with ALS in 1997. An accomplished musician and composer, he was, at the time of his diagnosis, orchestrating and playing music for major motion pictures including The Lion King, A League of Their Own, Face Off, The Mask, and many others. He has served as musical director for the Grammy winning Brian Setzer Orchestra, published two ballets, many jazz tunes, a book of flute music, and his original poetry. Within months of his diagnosis with ALS, Steve became unable to play the flute and saxophone, but has started his third solo CD in collaboration with his younger brother, Ed. Without the ability for musical expression, Steve has redirected his creative energies toward studying and theorizing around the etiology of ALS. Steve has been a key activist and powerful advocate for patients becoming involved in the research and development of concrete therapies to treat ALS.