Board

We are grateful to our board members who serve as invaluable guides, watchdogs and supporters.  

Eileen Bannon, Esq.

Partner Holland & Knight

Linda DeCherrie, MD

Associate Professor, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine. Mount Sinai School of Medicine

David Ellis

President Emeritus, Museum of Science President Emeritus, Lafayette College

Eileen Neiman

Board Chair Emeritus, Rye Arts Center

Karen Young

Co-Founder & CEO, Sweet Readers

Science Advisory

We are honored to have had the following scientists share their knowledge with our Sweet Readers and Young Leaders, serving as leaders in our training process and/or interviewees for our Leadership Council’s Interview Series.  

Dr. Karen Duff

Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain Columbia University, College of Physicians & Surgeons

Dr. Howard Fillit

Founding Executive Director & Chief Science Officer Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

Dr. Samuel Gandy

Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai. Director, Center for Cognitive Health and NBFL Neurological Care at the Mt. Sinai Hospital

Dr. Gregory A. Petsko

Professor of Neuroscience, Brain and Mind Research Institute Director, Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute Weill Cornell Medical College

Dr. Alison Goate

Director, Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Dr. Patrick Hof

Professor, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Vice Chair, Fishberg Dept. of Neuroscience Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Dr. Rudolph Tanzi

Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard University Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital

Education & The Arts Advisory

Sarah Burdett

Middle School Head, Brunswick Middle School

Trude Goodman

Director of Middle School Academic Technology, The Chapin School

Amir Parsa

Director Emeritus, MoMA's Alzheimer's Project Associate Professor & Director of Academic Transdisciplinary Initiatives, Pratt School of Design

Erin Withstandley

Coordinator, Modern Language Brunswick Middle School

Liaisons & Facilitators

At the core of Sweet Readers success is the commitment, determination, patience, humor and creativity of our valued Facilitators and Liaisons.  

Nicholas J. Allan

Facilitator

Niurka Alvarez

Facilitator

Andrea Andrade

Liaison

Sarah Burdett

Facilitator

Paul Burke

Facilitator

Sue Butler

Liaison

Ashleigh Carlucci

Facilitator

Dara Cohen

Liaison

Megan Colvin

Facilitator

Natalie A. Demain

Liaison & Facilitator

Fiona Donovan

Facilitator

Sue Duffy

Liaison

Elisheva Frist

Liaison & Facilitator

Shana Fung

Liaison

Margaret George

Facilitator

Angel Gonzalez

Facilitator

Trude Goodman

Liaison and Facilitator

Loren Halsall

Facilitator

Max Kennedy

Facilitator

Kevin Landesman

Facilitator

Jackie LeBau

Liaison

Beth Liebowitz

Liaison

Nora Lidell

Facilitator

Soobin Lim

Facilitator

Damaris Maclean

Liaison and Facilitator

Jeff Leonard

Liaison

Maureen Nisch

Facilitator

Terry O'Connor

Liaison

Ana Paterina

Facilitator

Anna Pitts

Facilitator

Carol Puglia

Facilitator

Roseanne Quinn

Facilitator

Merideth Rosh

Family Liaison

Isabella Smeets

Facilitator

James Stephens

Facilitator

Christine Sweeney

Facilitator

Maria Vega

Liaison

Katia Wasilewska

Liaison

Erin Withstandley

Liaison & Facilitator

Sophie Young

Facilitator

Fanny Zhao

Liaison & Facilitator

Founding Sweet Readers

In March, 2011, seven fifth graders, Sophie’s classmates and the American Folk Art Museum took a chance on Sweet Readers.  The founding Sweet Readers went through rigorous (and fun) Playshop!®  training with help from poets, a drama teacher and a board game developer, together with adults from Sophie’s Grandma’s adult day program, started Sweet Readers with a pilot at the American Folk Art Museum!  

Sophie A., Hanna, Bates, Sophie Y., Isabel, Willa, Kai and Summer

Founding Young Leaders

Annabel, Emma, Benji, Izzy, Ava, Miles, Sophie 

Young Leaders

We are so very proud of our Young Leaders, a select group of high school Sweet Readers Alumni. 

Justine, Britton, Andy, Samantha, Mabel, Anna, Mark, Isabella, Charlotte & Sophie