As we move into a season of gratitude, I am thankful for so much: for the researchers who’ve dedicated their brilliant minds to Angelman syndrome, for the pharmaceutical companies who see so much promise in the science, for the surrounding communities of people living with or working to change the course of rare disease, and for the parents and caregivers who made all of this progress possible in the first place.
I’d like to talk about two of those people specifically.
John Schlueter trusted me enough to give me the reins at FAST, encouraging me to build the staff and operations we need to push us into a new era. He will always be the chair who started my FAST journey and, John, I am and will always be so grateful to you for it.
Starting January 1, 2024, John will move into an emeritus role on our board, and Ryan Jacob will become chair. In his career, Ryan has been focused on investing in and helping to grow private companies and then conveying that wisdom to non-profit organizations. As someone who’s worked in nonprofits for decades, I can’t understate how valuable this will be for us—at FAST, and the entire world of AS—as we enter an era of ambition and growth. Please join me in welcoming him to this new role. (You can read about it more here.)
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy start to the holiday season.
Xo, Alana