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The Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is a group of dedicated parent volunteers, who strive to improve the lives of our FOXP1 international community. Our mission is to build a global community that empowers and supports families and individuals with FOXP1 syndrome by sharing knowledge, inspiring hope, encouraging research, and raising awareness.
ADAM GELLER
Co-Founder & Co-President
Adam has worked in the information security industry for over 20 years. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Exabeam, an information security investigation and analytics platform. Adam has a degree from Cornell University and maintains the CISSP security industry certification. In early 2020, Adam and Karl Whitney kicked off the idea of creating a formal foundation in order to better connect and create a community around FOXP1.
Adam lives in the San Francisco Bay Area along with his wife, daughter, and son. He is the proud father of an amazing daughter with FOXP1. He is excited to serve with Karl as the foundation’s first co-president.
KARL WHITNEY
Co-Founder & Co-President
Karl has a biomedical research and drug development background, which has helped him make connections with different researchers and to understand possible paths forward for researching and hopefully developing treatments for FOXP1 syndrome. Karl and Annie Whitney are parents to Jonah and Sadie. When Jonah was diagnosed at age 8 in 2013 with a FOXP1 mutation, Karl and Annie discovered and worked with RareConnect to set up a website to help families managing this rare condition find each other. Over time, the community has grown and coalesced to the point that establishing a foundation to support FOXP1 activities has become possible.
Karl and family live in Durham, North Carolina in the United States, and in his spare time enjoys photography, furniture making and wood sculpture, and hobbyist website development.
KATE MOWERY
Vice President
Kate is an attorney in Wilmington, Delaware, practicing in complex commercial litigation. She also serves on the Alumni Board of Wilmington Friends School and as Treasurer for the Richard S. Rodney Inn of Court, a non-profit association of legal professionals. She attended undergrad and law school at Washington & Lee University, and spent several years in Washington, DC before returning to Wilmington, Delaware, her hometown. Kate is married to Adam Mowery, the Treasurer of the Foundation. They have two sons, Crawford and Sidney. Their son, Crawford, was diagnosed with FOXP1 in April 2020.
Kate and Adam currently live in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and they are excited about the opportunity to serve on the Board as they explore the history, effects and future of the FOXP1 genetic disorder.
ADAM MOWERY
Treasurer
Adam is the owner of Mowery Environmental, LLC, an environmental consulting firm that works primarily with the agricultural industry in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. Adam has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from Bucknell University and a master’s degree in Resource Management from the University of Pennsylvania. Adam is married to Kate Mowery, the Vice-President of the Foundation, and together they have two sons, Crawford and Sidney. In the Spring of 2020, Crawford was diagnosed with FOXP1, which began their journey into connecting with other FOXP1 families and now serving on the foundation board.
Adam, Kate and their two boys live outside of Philadelphia. When not working or spending time with his family, Adam enjoys golfing and hunting.
CHRIS SULLIVAN
Secretary
Chris has a background in biomedical science and intellectual property law. He earned a BS degree in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire before working as a technician in the Biochemistry Department of Boston University School of Medicine. Chris went on to earn a PhD in Biochemistry from Boston University and conducted Postdoctoral studies there and at the Bedford Department of Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center where he was awarded the VISN1 Career Development Award to conduct research in the field of neurodegenerative disease.
In 2012, Chris joined the law firm of DT Ward, PC, a law firm specializing in biomedical intellectual property law. After obtaining his registration to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Chris went on to earn his law degree from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law in Concord, New Hampshire and his membership to the state bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Chris and his wife Kelly are the parents of two daughters, the oldest of which, Hailey, was diagnosed with FOXP1 syndrome in 2020 at the age of 16. After the diagnosis, they were excited to find an already growing community of parents engaging and supporting each other in raising and caring for these special individuals. Connecting with others in this community, Chris and Kelly were happy to help found the International FOXP1 Foundation, with Chris joining as the foundation Secretary.
GAIL CLARK
Member At Large
Gail has been an active member of her community for many years, volunteering with organizations such as Special Olympics Ontario, Scouts Canada, and several local groups. She retired as a Senior Information Technology Project Manager with the Department of National Defense Canada after a 34-year career. Gail led the planning and implementation of national computer systems, and gained international experience working with NATO members from multiple countries. Gail and her husband Lorne have two adult sons, Graham and Darryl. Darryl was diagnosed with the FOXP1 genetic disorder when he was 32 years old. She always enjoys outdoors adventures with her family, whether they are kayaking, bicycling, snowshoeing, or camping.
SAMIT DASGUPTA
Member At Large
Samit is a professor of mathematics at Duke University, specializing in the field of algebraic number Theory. He earned an AB degree from Harvard University and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Samit has received numerous recognitions for his academic research, including a Sloan Fellowship, a Frontiers in Science Award, and an invitation to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians in 2022.
Samit and his wife Smriti live in Chapel Hill, NC, with their three children Shayla, Sarina, and Ishaan. Ishaan was diagnosed with FOXP1 Syndrome in 2023, shortly after turning 1. Samit works on the Foundation's efforts to promote research on potential therapies for FOXP1 Syndrome. In his free time, Samit enjoys spending time with his family, playing chess, running, and watching sports.
CAROLINE DURY
Member At Large
Caroline has been a Registered Nurse since 2012. She graduated from the University of Indianapolis, where she also played basketball. Her nursing experience includes work in the pediatric transplant intensive care, the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, and in pediatric home health care. Caroline and her husband have four beautiful daughters, one of whom was diagnosed with FOXP1 in 2018 at the age of 10 months. Caroline is a proud board member of the International FOXP1 Foundation and looks forward to connecting with other FOXP1 families from all over the world.
CHERYL RICHT
Member At Large
Cheryl is a Professor of Applied Voice at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Before arriving in Kansas, Cheryl enjoyed performing in her husband Juergen’s home country of Germany. She holds the B.M and M.M. of Music from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois and a Graduate Performance Certificate from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. Cheryl has been very involved with Autism Advocacy in Kansas. She founded the Flint Hills Autism Parent Support Network and co-founded the Flint Hills Summer Fun Camp, an 8 week summer camp for children with an ASD diagnosis and their typical peers. In 2014 Cheryl was awarded the Helen Miller Autism Advocate Award for her dedication and service to the Flint Hills Autism Community.
Cheryl and Juergen are the proud parents of Elisabeth, an OT in Philadelphia, PA; Alexander, a Business Data Analyst in Leipzig, Germany; and their youngest, Christopher, who was diagnosed with a FOXP1 mutation in 2016.
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