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Teen Programming Staff
Natalie Bellini, R.N., C.D.E., has had diabetes since she was a young child and within a year of finishing nursing school started to care for people with diabetes, first focusing on high risk pregnancy and then pediatrics and insulin-requiring adults. She has lectured extensively to clinicians, patients and their families about diabetes, the psychological effect of the disease and how to keep going on the hardest of days. Natalie has worked with children and adults of all ages and has assisted in initiating and expanding pump programs at numerous hospitals and private practices. She is currently a Territory Manager with Animas Corporation. Natalie believes in truth in education and that knowledge is power. She enjoys working with children and teens, and has a second full-time job as mom of her own teen, Erin. Natalie will be leading the Teen Program at this Friends for Life conference.
Neal Billetdeaux, from Michigan, is learning to be a diabetes advocate from kids Carolyn and Sam. His most frequent complaint to wife, Laura, is that he doesn't have enough vacation time to make it to all the CWD conferences! When not downloading meter data, changing infusion sets, or cooking dinner, Neal is a principal in a landscape architecture firm in Ann Arbor. His CWD 'claim to fame' is that - in a sleep-deprived stupor one night - he awoke to his alarm at 2 a.m. and tried to test the dog. He's a great dad with a great sense of humor!
Chris Tull is first and foremost Trevor's dad and Bernadette's husband. Since Trevor’s diagnosis in late 2002, Chris served as a Legislative Chair and Diabetes Advocate, lobbying in his local districts and on Capitol Hill for diabetes funding and awareness. After attending his first CWD conference in 2003, Chris became very involved with CWD conferences, serving as staff for the teen program and overseeing all security matters for each and every conference. His diabetes claim to fame? In his eagerness to remove the air bubbles from Trevor's syringe the first time he gave a shot, he flicked it so hard that he bent the needle, causing his son to proclaim, "Oh, Dad's going to be good at this!" Chris is a police officer in Virginia Beach, and a former Marine.
Jim Vail was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 19 while he was a sophomore at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Jim graduated with a degree in Media Communications and was a producer for CNBC Business news in Washington, D.C., for nine years all the while wrestling with the unpredictability of NPH and Regular insulin. After finally going on a pump in October of 2001 and 'getting his life back,' Jim pursued Animas Corporation, the maker of his insulin pump, for a job and a chance to reach others with diabetes. Jim made the jump from CNBC and has been with Animas Corporation as a Territory Manager since April 2002.
Tweener Programming Staff
Kim Kelly, Pharm. D., is the Director of Diabetes Programs at LifeScan, Inc., in Milpitas, California. Dr. Kelly has a lengthy and distinguished career involving both patient care and administrative roles, including President of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. His research and experience have included a number of publications, participation on editorial boards and review panels of several journals, involvement in medical curriculum development, and various committees of professional organizations. Currently, his activities center around developing diabetes health management and educational programs for various health care providers and provider organizations. Delighted to work with children and teens alike, Dr. Kelly has participated as a volunteer in the Orlando and Universal City Friends for Life conferences as well as the Focus on Fitness and Nutrition conference in Baltimore and the Focus on Pumping conference in Washington, D.C. He joined CWD as 'regular faculty' for the San Antonio Focus on Fitness and Nutrition conference, and extends his tenure as faculty to this summer's conference, focusing on the Tweener and Elementary age programming.
Melissa Ringley, R.N., C.D.E., Manager of Clinical Services at Animas Corporation, is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Nursing-Wise Virginia, and has been involved in diabetes education for over 12 years. When her daughter was diagnosed with diabetes 12 years ago, Melissa dedicated herself to learning about diabetes and giving back that learning to patients and the medical community alike. Melissa has presented to numerous groups of patients with diabetes as well as health care practitioners, and has worked with hundreds of insulin pump patients with all types of diabetes and from all walks of life. Melissa is known for her caring attitude and genuine concern for all her patients, and for her active involvement in the diabetes community. She will be taking the lead role with the Tweener track at this Friends for Life conference.
Libby Nordstrom graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Journalism so, naturally, she works as an Accountant with a small CPA firm in San Dimas, CA. Her involvement with diabetes started a little over four years ago when her niece, Saylor, was diagnosed two months short of her third birthday. Since then, Libby has joined the ranks of the carb-counters, blood-glucose-level-checkers, shot-givers and - wonder of wonders! - insulin pumpers. She attended her first CWD conference last October in San Diego, where it was discovered that she had a 'knack for the kids' (must be all the nieces and nephews!). Libby loves movies, music, puzzles, arts-and-crafts, chocolate and roller coasters, so she and Orlando are made for each other. "Incredible Hulk," you have met your match!
Elementary Programming Staff
Craig Crease has had diabetes for 37 years and is the father of Emily who is 9 years old, and has had diabetes since she was 2, and Claire who is 3 years old. Craig is currently a sales manager for Smiths Medical where he manages a team of sales representatives promoting the Deltec Cozmo pump. Craig does not believe diabetes has to stop him or Emily from doing anything in life whether is be skiing in the mountains outside his home town of Denver or taking his race car to the track for some excitement. Nancy Crease has experience living with diabetes first hand from being married to Craig for 16 years and raising Emily since she was diagnosed. Nancy currently runs the support group in Denver. The Creases attended the first CWD event in 2000 and Craig has not missed one since.
Lauren Lanning is a self-proclaimed Jersey Girl transplanted to Colorado. She has been involved in the CWD diabetes conferences since the very first gathering in Orlando in 2000, where she volunteered to make name badges. Little did she know. Making name badges evolved within an hour into leading a huge group of CWD volunteers who assist with every aspect of helping all the CWD conferences run smoothly. Lauren has two adorable daughters, Monica and Sarah, who are the inspiration in her life. A computer geek at heart, Lauren teaches computer skills at the elementary level and also has her own web design business. For fun, she is a crossing guard. For more fun, the last three years she has ridden century rides in Death Valley to raise money for diabetes research.
Pam Loebner is a California public elementary school teacher who has worked in both special education and regular education classrooms for 25 years. Since becoming a CWD mom, Pam has assisted the district nurse with education for families and teachers when newly diagnosed or newly enrolled students arrive. While always working as an advocate for student needs, Pam focuses on ensuring equal access to all school activities for children with diabetes. Pam discovered the CWD website 30 minutes after her daughter's diagnosis in June 2002 when Sarah was 9 1/2. Pam and her family haven't missed a CWD conference since. Pam's son, Keith, started volunteering at the first conference when he became friends with Sam Billetdeaux. The family quickly became volunteers and has been a buddy family for the past several years with new attendees to the Friends for Life conferences.
Stacey Nagel was was born, raised and still lives by the beach in Belle Harbor, New York. Married to Scott, they have three children: Allison, Daniel and Jesse. She is a retired special education teacher of developmentally delayed preschoolers. Jesse was diagnosed in December 2001 when he was 9 years old. While sitting in the hospital, in the wee hours of the night, Stacey discovered the CWD website. After a year of emailing her "imaginary friends," she decided in 2003 that it was time to attend a "Friends for Life" conference. Not one to just sit back and do nothing, she started volunteering at her very first conference, and put Scott to work with the teens last year. Jesse has also gotten caught up in the CWD fever by joining the "Youth Faculty."
Michelle Rago is an attorney and CWD mom. She graduated from Harvard University in 1986, magna cum laude, with a B.S. in Sociology. There she received the First Annual Ben Teel Memorial Prize for Public Service. She graduated from Columbia University School of Law in 1990, receiving a Charles Evans Hughes Fellowship. Michelle has practiced complex commercial litigation since graduation, specializing in securities and other class actions on behalf of investors. In 2000, Michelle's son Trent was diagnosed with diabetes at age 4. Due to the diagnosis, Trent's daycare would not accept him back. Since then, Michelle has worked hard to keep abreast of the changing laws with relation to diabetes and school, insurance coverage, and discrimination on account of diabetes. She is a member of the parents list on the CWD website and often assists parents with legal issues that arise in connection with diabetes.
Gayle Schurig works in Orlando as a behavior analyst, specializing in children with developmental delays, and has worked with children and families for many years. Gayle became involved with CWD after assisting her husband, Mike, with conferences. Mike is a diabetes educator and dietician, but also has type 1 diabetes. Gayle and Mike's daughter, Allyson, has also become involved by joining IDYA and loved making "friends for life."
Childcare Coordinator
Mary Babin, RN, BSN, CDE is one of the first clinical employees at Animas Corporation and the first coordinator of childcare for the little ones at the CWD conferences. Mary leads a team of certified diabetes educators providing childcare in a safe environment for kids under 5 with and without diabetes. Providing this service alleviates the concerns of many parents of kids with diabetes – allowing them to attend the sessions with peace of mind knowing that their children are cared for by skilled professionals. This supports Mary’s belief that education is the key to successful blood glucose management. As Executive Director of Clinical and Patient Services at Animas, she is responsible for overseeing pump educators and the pump support team throughout the US. Mary has devoted her career to the world of medicine. As a graduate of Eastern University and Presbyterian School of Nursing, Mary has been in intensive care nursing for over 25 years and a Certified Diabetes Educator for 10. This busy mom and devoted professional has been involved with CWD since 2001. You can spot her at the conferences-she’s the one with the trail of kids behind her!
See also the Faculty.
2006 Conference and Expo Conference Intro - Program Overview - Faculty - Youth Faculty - Special Guests Schedules: Parents & Adults - Teens - Tweeners - Elementary Kids Social Events - Focus Groups - Fun Run Pledge Sheet - FFL Award Recipients Registration & Prices - FAQs - Sponsors - Exhibitors - Map of Attendees Childcare Registration: Word - PDF Reports from 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001
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Last Updated: Wednesday December 20, 2006 13:53:10
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