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Our Team

 We help people with Movement Disorders live better lives through collaborative partnerships with those who offer patient-focused education, conduct innovative research or provide unique care services.
 

Our Strategy

To meet our mission, Movement Disorders Foundation (MDF) proposes, over the next five years, to focus on the following areas:

Expanding PD SELF – Having first been successfully tested in a small clinical trial in 2013, the PD Self Efficacy Learning Forum (PD SELF) for Parkinson’s patients diagnosed within three years is proving to be a highly successful face-to-face program:
  • Results:
    • PD SELF has been provided to over 1500 PWPs and their care partners in some 13 metropolitan areas across the United States.
    • Both year-to-year and longitudinal assessments consistently report improved quality life for graduates, PWPs and their care partners alike despite continued physical decline for many of the former.
  • Focus over next five years:
    • Expand current program to another 20 to 40 metropolitan areas
    • Support development of local “PD SELF Alumni Councils,” which will help provide local support to ongoing PD SELF programs
    • Develop a virtual program for mid-stage PD patients (those in cohorts diagnosed from three to seven years), likely involving an online approach with a data-driven artificial intelligence, virtual reality component, and a phone-based application
    • Testing the application of the core concepts within PD SELF (based on scientifically-based principles of self-efficacy) to other movement disorder categories, particularly Huntington’s Disease and Essential Tremor
Grant Funding - Once resources are secured, funding each year from 6 to 10 research grants, ranging in size from $25,000 to $50,000 each, for projects that have a clear possibility of working at scale, but for which grant funding is otherwise difficult to obtain to move said projects from conception/one-off testing to more reliable proof of concept. Preference will be given to researchers residing in the state of Colorado.

Expand Huntington's Disease Clinic - As one of the first designated Huntington’s Disease Society of America Centers of Excellence, continuing to support and expand the Huntington Disease Clinic in Denver, and explore possibilities of extending its reach to the region’s HD Community.

Continue to be a Focus of Huntington’s Disease Research – With some of the largest research enrollment globally the foundation will continue to expand both HD observational and drug trials.

Future Symposia - Continue to support and expand symposia on movement disorder categories (initially on Parkinson’s and Huntington's Disease) across the front range of Colorado

Board of Directors 

Rajeev Kumar, MD

Founding Member of the Board of Directors

Movement Disorders Foundation was founded by Dr. Rajeev Kumar, one of the world’s foremost experts on movement disorders. As Medical Director of the Rocky Mountain Movement Disorders Center, Dr. Kumar is one of the world’s foremost experts on movement disorders, with unparalleled experience and expertise treating and researching Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, dystonia, and many other debilitating movement disorders. 

Trained at the renowned Mayo Clinic, Dr. Kumar has two decades of experience working in the fields of neurology and movement disorders and has solidified his status as one of the most trusted and respected professionals in the field. He has been designated a Dystonia Doctor of Excellence by the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation. Dr. Kumar  and his team serve individuals with movement disorders from early adulthood through advanced age.

Betty  Ross

Chairperson of the Board of Directors

Betty Ross brings more than 40 years of local and national nonprofit experience in development and special events to the Movement Disorders Foundation. A native of Southern California, Betty began her fundraising career with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society where she managed the Society’s signature events. In 1995, Betty relocated to Denver to join the Society’s national development staff eventually becoming Vice President of Campaign Development. 

Betty says one of the highlights of her career was training and mentoring staff and volunteers throughout the US and Canada. After retiring from the National MS Society in 2016, Betty became a development consultant for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation until 2020.

Betty has a strong personal interest in movement disorders. Diagnosed with focal hand dystonia in 2010, Betty says that deep brain stimulation in 2013 provided excellent symptom management. Betty’s family has been deeply affected by Parkinson’s Disease including her mother, brother and more recently her sister’s son. Betty strongly believes that research holds the key to ending the cycle of PD in her family while helping countless others affected by movement disorders. 

Betty stays busy in her new active adult community in Northeast Douglas County where she lives with her husband of 42 years, Richard

Peter McKown

Treasurer

Peter McKown is a director at Prince Street Capital Management, an emerging markets investment firm. Prior to the founding of Prince Street Capital in 2001, he worked for eleven years at Credit Suisse First Boston in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Hong Kong, where he held a number of positions in compliance, operations and financial control. Peter is also a Director of The Prince Street Foundation (a non-profit affiliate of Prince Street Capital), is the president of his condominium Homeowner’s Association board and is on the leadership council of Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS.

Peter brings a working knowledge of operational, finance, legal and compliance functions in both larger corporations and smaller entrepreneurial firms, as well as experience with a variety of health-related non-profit organizations. Currently living in Colorado, Peter enjoys regular travels throughout the country and around the world. He is a member of the LGBT community and is an avid participant in Broadway theatrical endeavors.


Morris Susman, MD

Secretary

Dr. Morris Susman, a Denver native and a graduate of East High School, attended Harvard College and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. His surgical residency was at the University of Michigan Hospital followed by the Harvard orthopedic residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children's' Hospital. He was in private practice in Denver for 35 years. His special interests were hip and knee replacement and foot and ankle surgery. 

Dr. Susman met his wife, Ellen, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Together they have enjoyed travel and contemporary art collection. Both Dr. Susman and his wife have actively supported the Denver Art Museum, the Clyfford Still Museum and Colorado Public Radio. Dr. Susman spends as much time as he can with his four young grandchildren.

Sara Minott, MHA, NEA-BC

Board member

As Vice President of Neurosciences  at Swedish Medical Center, Sara Minott develops strategic plans, optimizes associated operations and oversees Swedish’s world-renowned stroke, neurovascular, spine and neurotrauma programs, as well as functional neurosurgery.

Sara brings to Movement Disorders Foundation more than 20 years of healthcare experience spanning clinical care, hospital operations, service-line strategy and business development. Sara earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and her Bachelor of Science in nursing, both from the University of Southern Maine. She began her career in nursing, working in cardiac and neuroscience intensive care units. 

Sara went on to earn a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Colorado State University and has spent the last decade assessing care gaps in the community and working to fill them with clinically excellent programs that produce strong quality metrics and optimal patient outcomes. When she is not working, Sara loves enjoying the wonderful Colorado outdoors and spending time with her wife, daughter and stepsons. 

Gene Sobczak

Executive director

Executive director Gene Sobczak is a recognized change agent with over 30 years’ experience in performance improvement, staff development and business restructuring in nonprofit, commercial and public sectors. His executive appointments include Chief Executive Officer of the Alzheimer's Association of Colorado, the Colorado Symphony, Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, and High Plains Community Health Center.


As the chief executive officer and founder of PROTEA Success Navigation for Nonprofits - a consulting firm providing small- and medium-sized nonprofit organizations with startup, turnaround and implementation-management services - his assignments include interim, fractional and transition executive management, program, fund and board development, audit preparation and marketing.

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