IgAN Ambassadors

Our Ambassador Team/Find an Ambassador Near You

IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) remains poorly understood. For far too many people, the journey is marked by misinformation, years of medical uncertainty, and not knowing where to turn. It’s easy to feel alone and isolated. We are set to change this!

With the launch of our Ambassador Program in early 2023, we’ve extended the voice and geographic reach of the Foundation across the U.S. and globally. Our ambassadors harness the power of our IgAN community to support, inspire, engage, and activate patients and caregivers, near and far.

Through this program, our trained ambassadors serve as our “boots on the ground,” advancing our mission, raising critical awareness of IgAN, growing our IgAN family, pushing for better treatments, and helping reach and empower patients and caregivers earlier in their journey.

Ambassadors provide support and can help connect you with up-to-date information, disease management tools — all with the goal of making sure no one faces IgAN alone.

If you are live with IgAN or are a caregiver, please email to ambassadorinfo@igan.org if you would like to connect with an ambassador or to learn more about the Foundation. If you are not a patient or care partner and have questions about the Ambassador Program, please include details about your request/inquiry. 

Please note: Ambassadors provide peer support only and do not offer medical advice. For medical questions or treatment decisions, please consult your health care team.

Program staff

Amanda Crowe, MPH, MA

Director of Education & Outreach

Fairfield County, CT

 

amandacrowe@igan.org

Katie Strange

Manager of Education & Programs

Ashland

, OH

I love traveling, Ohio State Football, and I’m rarely caught without a book nearby.

katiestrange@igan.org

Our ambassadors are dedicated to helping make sure that no one affected by IgAN faces this journey alone. They are available to provide peer support and share their personal experiences with patients and caregivers/care partners.

If you are someone living with IgAN or a caregiver, please send an email to ambassadorinfo@igan.org if you wish to connect with one of our ambassadors or to learn more about the Foundation. If you are reaching out for any other reason—such as media inquiries, partnerships, research requests, or other requests—please send a detailed email to info@igan.org

Please note: Ambassadors provide peer support only and do not offer medical advice. For medical questions or treatment decisions, please consult your health care team.

US Ambassadors

Alejandra Flores

Charlotte

NC

I spent 4 days in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest!

Ami Gopalan

Chicago

IL

Yogi and avid hiker

Andrea Stup

MD

I own and operate a restaurant, raise two kids and show up for my community. Advocacy grew naturally from how I live

Caitlin McCormick

Queen Creek

AZ

International traveler (18 countries!), Star Trek lover, and cooking fanatic

Cathy Barba

Wichita

KS

Plant, houseplant and animal lover

Chris Scroggins

Milwaukee

WI

Enjoys climbing, surfing, and music

Cindy Ross

Oxford

MS

Music trivia enthusiast and wannabe baker

David Walter

Portland

ME

Eating disorder psychiatrist, Philly sports fan from birth

Dawn Fowler

Ormond Beach

FL

Emily Hassler

Wynnewood

PA

Crafty, rock and mineral loving stay-at-home mom

Erin Hatlestad

MN

I love to read, bake, play card games and spend time near water

Ginger Murphy

Strasburg

VA

Mortgage banker, beach enthusiast, and gigi of five.

Jeff Banks

Stuart

FL

Visited 49 out of the 50 states

Jennifer Hiskett

Fallon

NV

Loves to travel, bake, and spend time with family

Jing Danielson

Cedar Rapids

IA

Early life was shaped in a small Philippine town, loves to travel to remote places, enjoys documentary programs and doing research.

Kate Kolstelyk

Orlando

FL

Dedicated runner, horseback rider, and animal lover

Kelly Schoenborn

Seattle

WA

World traveler (I’ve lived in Japan and Italy!), architect, and dog lover

Kenika Jackson-Green

Virginia Beach

VA

Avid DIYer and Skincare curator

Leah Jenkins

Hamilton

IN

Loves learning new things, languages, travel, and water aerobics

Libbie Decker

Covina

CA

Baker, hiker, adventure enthusiast, joyful soul, and proud boy mom!

Lorelie Yost

Cape Coral

FL

Chick flick lover, spicy food eater

Lori Gregorski

Springboro

OH

After my kidney transplant, I started BEadCAUSE with my grandson Leo—we make and sell handmade beaded bracelets to donate proceeds to charities and community organizations.

Malkia White

Chesterfield

MO

Songbird, self-proclaimed UNO Champ and lover of the thesaurus

Maria Mcguire

Midlothian

IL

Avid reader, cooking/entertaining

Marko Milosevic

Chicago

IL

Maureen Sackett

Bayville

NY

Loves long walks and sunsets on the beach

Mayson Algeyer

NV

I talk to people for a living

Michelle Minkoff

CO

Computer programmer and budding plant-forward chef

Nancy Nichols

Marysville

MI

Obsessed with pickleball and microshare owner of two race horses

Nicole Rodriguez

Plainfield

IL

Been with the same company for 24 years, started out opening mail and am now a technical project manager

Paul Browne

Centennial

CO

Played rugby for England.

Phuong Do, LICSW

East Longmeadow

MA

Fluent in Vietnamese, enjoys sunsets and loves to travel

Rachel Lee

MN

Music and theater enthusiast, animal lover, traveler and gamer

Samantha Schweisthal

Phenix City

AL

Professional fire starter & nature enthusiast

Sharon Tozer

Lewisberry

PA

Proud Gigi, mom and Army Veteran

Shaun McMikle

Boulder

CO

Choir singer & ancestry buff

Skip Lennon

Wilmington

NC

Fitness and wellness enthusiast

Steven Mayo

Oxnard

CA

Photography, camping, music, traveling and hiking.

Tanya Stehler

Rittman

OH

Took 2 years of culinary arts and loves to bake

Thelma Barber

Fort Mill

SC

Inspiring lyricist, enjoys performing improv

Torey Bishop

Raytown

MO

Country girl at heart, farm upbringing, and summers at Lake of the Ozark’s

Tushar Patel

Schaumburg

IL

I enjoy cooking (air frying, really), exercising, and organizing around the house.

Victoria Bartlett

Franklin

MA

Mom to 3 adult kids and soon-to-be empty-nester

Wentai “Wayne” Wang

Woodbury

MN

Native in Mandarin, love food, nature annd outdoors. 

Whitney Simmons

Oklahoma City

OK

Grew up on a dairy

Yulanda Mayo

Oxnard

CA

Stain glass, camping, music and playing with grandkids.

Meet Our Global Ambassadors

Canada

Danielle MacDougall Ziesman

Alberta

Loves all things diet coke, real housewives and true crime podcasts.

Adrienne Tilitman

Vancouver

I love singing, concerts, dog walks, and am a zombie enthusiast.

Ana Velarde

Ontario

I love travelling and singing (member of a choir and used to sing at weddings)

Mitch Semeniuk

Alberta

High school football coach, Edmonton Oilers fan, graduate student.

Carly Leong

Calgary

Alberta

I love reading, gardening, and my three cats.

Ruchi Ambike

Mississauga

Ontario

I was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy in 2001 and did not meet anyone else with IgAN until I came across the IgA Nephropathy Foundation in 2023. The immense feeling of connection, hope, and encouragement led me to become more involved with the Foundation, and I trained to be a Canadian Ambassador. The Foundation’s missions, including raising awareness of IgAN, providing support and education to patients, and advocating for treatment access globally, aligned with my own goals. As Lead Canadian Ambassador, I work with the Foundation to advance these objectives for Canadians, and am looking forward to seeing our Canadian Membership grow in this powerful and impactful organization.

Australia

Giselle Gailbrath

I’m a Filipina who spent nine years in Singapore and has proudly called Australia home for the past 10 years. Diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy in 2011, I love scuba diving, four-wheel driving, and embracing adventure while living with IgAN. There are still roads I hope to travel — including Katherine to Exmouth, and one day, Route 66.

Narelle Adem

In May 2024, my son Joel went for routine blood tests—something we expected to be uneventful—only to discover he was already in kidney failure and was subsequently diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy. Like many families, we had never heard of IgAN before that moment, and we were suddenly navigating the shock, grief, and complexity of a diagnosis that had gone undetected until it had already progressed significantly. In those early weeks, finding the IgA Nephropathy Foundation and joining a caregiver support call connected us with people who truly understood and confirmed my decision to become more involved. Since then, Joel received a kidney transplant from a living donor in January 2026. As an Australian Ambassador, I am committed to advancing awareness, earlier diagnosis, and better support so more families are diagnosed sooner and outcomes can change.

Interested in learning more or applying to be an ambassador? Click here or email amandacrowe@igan.org or kate@igan.org

To learn more about our Ambassador Program. Click HERE, or the button below.

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