2013 NAMI Greater Orlando Board of Directors

Rosemary Steinbach, President

Rosemary was introduced to NAMI by a co-worker who encouraged her to attend a Family-to-Family class as a way of learning about her stepdaughter’s mental illness.  “I learned so much from the program that I wanted to give back in thanks for all that NAMI has given me."

In addition to volunteering her time as President of the Board of Directors, Rosemary is a certified Family-to-Family teacher and she is joined in the classroom by her husband, Ali.  Rosemary is the Director of Inventory Services for Starwood Vacation Ownership, one of the premier developers and operators of high-quality vacation ownership resorts.

Muriel Jones, Vice President

Muriel is originally from New Jersey and is now a resident of Orange County.  She brings a wealth of knowledge in the areas of special education and mental illness.  As a parent of a young adult with mental health challenges, she knows how to effectively navigate through the mental health system to ensure that her son receives the appropriate support services.  As a professional, she has served as a Special Education Self-Assessment Consultant and Special Education Advocate. Muriel is committed to serving serve as a Family Advocate/Partner assisting families with emotional, behavioral or mental health challenges.  

With a career spanning  more than 20 years, Jan possesses a wealth of knowledge in the mental health field.  She is Assistant Administrator for  La Amistad Behavioral Health Services and formerly served for 6 years on the Board of Directors for the Mental Health Association of Central Florida.   Jan has been involved with NAMI since 1993 through client referrals and community involvement, and she has served on NAMI Greater Orlando's Board of Directors since February 2010.  Jan and her husband, John, have also been actively involved with the Shriners for the past 12 years, supporting efforts to provide orthopedic and burn treatment to children at no cost.

Paul Gregg, Treasurer

Paul Gregg is a finance faculty instructor at the University of Central Florida.  Mr. Gregg has a background in both corporate finance and public accounting, and holds a B.S.B.S degree and an M.S. in Accounting from UCF. Mr Gregg is a 2004 inductee into the UCF College of Business Administration Hall of Fame.  He serves on the investment committee for the UCF Foundation.  The student Financial Management Association at UCF named Mr. Gregg Finance Professor of the Year for 2006/2007. 

Mr. Gregg has taught Family-to-Family for ten years and is a family member.

When her two adult sons were diagnosed with bipolar disorder in their teens, Wanda found hope and support in the Family-to-Family education course.  Her continued involvement with NAMI expresses her desire to educate and assist others to more easily navigate the road to evaluation and treatment.  Former President of the NAMI Greater Orlando Board of Directors and a board member since January 2008, Wanda also contributes to NAMI's efforts by serving as a NAMI Basics teacher and co-chairing our NAMIWalks fundraiser from 2011-2013.

Carla Bresnahan

When Carla's son was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder six years ago, she found comfort and support through NAMI Greater Orlando's education programs.  "NAMI was the only place I found that understood my distress," she said.  A licensed mental health therapist in private practice, Carla is a strong supporter of NAMI's mission and a dedicated Family-to-Family teacher.  In 2011, Carla became one of the first trained educators for the NAMI Provider Education program, a 10-session course for mental health workers and professionals.

 Lt. Sue Brown

A new 2012 Board Member, Lieutenant Sue Brown has been employed with the Orlando Police Department for over 16 years and is the Commander of OPD's 52 member Crisis Intervention Team (CIT).  Born in Washington D.C.,  she graduated from Rollins College with B.A. in History and from Syracuse University with an M.A. in Journalism & Communications.  Lt. Brown was a deputy sheriff with the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office in Syracuse, New York before joining the Orlando Police Department.   

"My mom suffered from Alzheimer's disease and passed away in 1999, so my family is very familiar with how devastating mental illnesses can be.  I am very active in charities serving the mentally ill and animal rescue groups.  I have 3 rescued dogs and 4 rescued cats."

Deputy Armando Harwood

Armando Harwood has been in law enforcement for ten years.  He is a Senior CIT Deputy for the Orange County Sheriff's Office and has experience with both Baker and Marchman Acts.  Deputy Harwood makes a point to call on family members and clients after an incident/call in order to provide information and assistance on available mental health services.

He has worked for the Department of Corrections in the Mental Health Hospital and with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.  In 2006, he took 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Training. 

Deputy Harwood is a family member who seeks to raise awareness and eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness.

Donna Helsel

Donna found NAMI when her daughter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teen.  After taking the Family-to-Family class with her husband, she was determined to "pay it forward."  Donna became a Family-to-Family teacher and state trainer, a Family support group facilitator, a CIT presenter, and a participant on the Provider Education teaching team.  After 20 years as a business owner in Central Florida, Donna Helsel now works part-time as an office administrator, which allows her time to volunteer in the community.  She dedicates her time to promoting mental health awareness through her role as Education Director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Orlando.  

Eddie Imbriani

Mental illness has touched the lives of several members of Eddie’s family.  After his aunt in Californiatold him and his sister about NAMI and the Family-to-Family course, Eddie visited one of our local support group meetings and found strength and understanding among other family members.  Born and raised in Orlando, Eddie has a special love for and connection with our community.  He has worked for Universal Orlando for 20 years and is a General Manager for Food Operations.  As a new 2010 NAMI board member, Eddie looks forward to contributing positively to our mission and helping carry forth a message of hope to all those affected by mental illness.

Paula Kegelman

Paula works as an Executive Assistant for CFO Strategic Partners, a financial consulting firm.  In 2006, a year after her son was struck with mental illness, she enrolled in the NAMI Family-to-Family course.  Since that time, she has been passionately involved with NAMI serving as a Family-to-Family teacher and co-chairing our NAMIWalks fundraiser from 2011-2013.

Michael J. Mangan

Michael has been involved in earning understanding and support for nonprofit organizations for more than three decades.   He is currently employed by the Orlando Health Foundation as Foundation Vice President for MD Anderson Cancer Center.  His wife, Bernie, introduced him to NAMI after she became involved with one of our support groups as a result of mental illness in their family.   “I want to join NAMIGO in fostering a spirit of hope, dignity and self-determination in helping individuals with mental illness achieve their highest quality of life."

Christina Mollick

Christina is Chair of the Consumer Council, a facilitator for the consumer support group, NAMI Connection, and a Peer-to-Peer mentor.  Christina runs the consumer Craft Group and is a Master Gardener.

Ron Wilensky

A dedicated mental health advocate, Ron co-sponsors Dave’s House by The Brain Foundation of Florida, Inc. with his wife, Lin. Named in honor of his brother-in-law, Dave Jeffreys, Dave’s House offers permanent, affordable supportive housing to people living with chronic and persistent mental illness. See a 6 minute DVD summary at: www.brainfoundationofflorida.org.   Ron also serves on the Board of Directors for Pathways Homes of Northern Virginia, a provider of housing and counseling services to adults living with mental illness.  Ron’s career has been in the field of Human Resources with a focus on helping people with career planning, job search and leadership coaching. He is a currently Senior Vice-President and Executive Coach at Navigator Executive Advisors.

Linda has been a faithful NAMI volunteer for several years.  She is Second Vice-Chair of the Consumer Council, a facilitator for the consumer support group, NAMI Connection, and a Peer-to-Peer facilitator.  In 2011, she and fellow board member Carla Bresnahan became our first NAMI Provider Training educators.