Philosophy
Our Leadership
Diane McSwain
A wife, mother, grandmother, and educator, Diane McSwain worked for 20 years as a teacher’s aide for special needs children in the towns of Crystal Lake and Barrington, Illinois. In early 2015, Diane’s life changed when her first granddaughter Isabel was diagnosed with TSC shortly after birth. She left her work in education to help care for Isabel, becoming active in advocacy and fundraising efforts to support TSC research. Diane participated in the TSC Alliance’s March on Washington in support of federal funding for research and met with a number of representatives to ask for their support. It was during one of these meetings that Diane met to Julie Scroggins and learned of Bcureful.
Diane was immediately attracted to Bcureful’s unique mission of providing access to top TSC specialists for those who need it most, and for whom access might be out of reach. Inspired by her experiences as a volunteer, her desire to join Bcureful’s leadership team is driven by a passion for finding the best way to help Isabel and others who share her diagnosis.
Diane has been married to her husband Chris for 37 years and has two daughters, Brook and Kelly, and one granddaughter, Isabel. Her hobbies include cooking, gardening, swimming, and reading.
Elizabeth Grant
Elizabeth first learned about TSC when her best friend’s granddaughter, Zoe, was diagnosed. After attending a Bcureful fundraiser and learning more about the disorder, Elizabeth was hooked and wanted to be involved.
She and her husband, Greg, live in Bellingham, WA, and spend winters in Palm Springs, CA. Besides being an avid hiker, singer and bell ringer, Elizabeth enjoys volunteering in the reading and homework room at Boys and Girls Club of Cathedral City, where she serves on the Board of Directors.
A graduate of Louisiana State University, Elizabeth enjoyed a career in the title insurance and escrow services industry. She received the Magnificent Manager Award from Stewart Title Company, and the Business Person of the Year Award from Business Pulse Magazine. She retired in 2011, and is busier than ever. Besides Bcureful, she has served on several non-profit boards including Boys and Girls Club of Whatcom County; Childcare Worldwide; and Compass to Campus, a division of Western Washington University.
Jody DeVere
Jody DeVere is CEO of AskPatty.com, which provides automotive education to women consumers and an interactive online certification training program for automotive retailers on how to attract, sell, retain, and market to female consumers. Women who seek the very best experience in buying a car and getting service visit AskPatty.com for a Certified Female Friendly® automotive retail location across North America.
Jody is an internationally recognized speaker, trainer, often-quoted industry pundit, and spokesperson for women in the automotive industry. She has been featured by the New York Times, NPR, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fox Business, Forbes Women, Oprah Magazine, and Parenting Magazine to name a few. As a marketing-to-women expert, automotive journalist, car care expert, and safety spokesperson, Jody’s goal is to educate female car buyers, owners, and the automotive industry at large how to promote, mentor, and support careers for women in the industry.
Jody is a mother and grandmother. She is familiar with the struggles of disorders: autoimmune neurological diseases have impacted her family California. Because of her first-hand experience, her mission is to support Bcureful in its plight to build awareness and fund research for TSC, as this research can help other related diseases.
Silvia Rodriguez-Nieto
Silvia Rodriguez-Nieto was a Bcureful volunteer before invited to become a Board Member. She has worked in a professional capacity with Bcureful founder, Julie Scroggins, since October 2000. She learned more about the disorder and those affected by watching Julie’s daughter Mary Ann grow up and cope with TSC. Deeply moved, she knew she had to be involved.
Silvia’s professional background is in human resources and accounting. She’s known for her organizational skills and love of numbers. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola University Chicago and has studied French and Literature, as she also has a love of foreign languages and reading.
Silvia is a first-time mom to Abby, a wonderful little girl. She is now healthy and thriving after overcoming complications with breathing when she was born. As a mom, anything that impacts the health of children is close to her heart. Silvia enjoys spending time with her family, which also includes the family dogs Lola and Enzo.
Erica Chilla
Erica Chilla was Miss Alaska USA 2014. She used her title to promote awareness for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex for children like her son Ace, who she calls her TSC Warrior! She is an evangelist for TSC. Erica hopes that one day she will actually say the words “Tuberous Sclerosis Complex” to a person with the knowledge and skills to find a cure. Until then, Erica, her husband Shawn, her two other sons Easton and Steyr, and family and friends in her supportive Alaska community will continue to fill each day they are blessed with Ace with as much joy and happiness as possible.
Erica became involved with Bcureful when the founder reached out to her after learning how she was using her crown and title as a megaphone to build awareness for TSC. Erica and her mother came to the fundraiser that year and Ace was the star of the event. As Erica says: “It is impossible to be around Ace and his never-ending smile and not be filled with hope for the future of those living with TSC. If that sweet boy can share it with us, I will do my very best to share it with everyone else.”
Laurie Marshall
Laurie Marshall is a trademark attorney with nearly 20 years of experience based in New York City. Her firm, Marshall Law Group, PLLC, Trademarks The Spot, currently represents hundreds of small businesses and entrepreneurs in a variety of industries, assisting them with the legal aspects of branding their company. Laurie previously handled the trademarks for Major League Baseball for ten years and continues to represent many MLB clubs and the National Basketball Association. She speaks regularly on the Legal Aspects of Branding a Small Business at events and conferences across the country.
She is also a mom to two amazing children, Halle and Zach. Halle was diagnosed with TSC at birth, prompting the discovery that Laurie, too, has TSC. Laurie strives to help find a cure for TSC being on the board of Bcureful and on the steering committee for FACES (Finding A Cure for Epilepsy). She is also very active at both her children’s schools through annual fundraising and participating as a class parent.
Anne Arnholt
Anne Arnholt is the mother of a nine-year-old daughter who was diagnosed with TSC when she was about one year old. Anne has a BS in Chemistry with a Minor in Biology from Northern Illinois University, and a Master’s Certificate in Regulatory and Quality Compliance from Purdue University. She worked at Abbott Laboratories in various roles, including as a Quality Engineer in Pharmaceutical Product Development Area (2 yrs), Formulation Chemist in Pharmaceutical Product Development Area (1 yr), and International Regulatory Affairs (7 ½ yrs). In International Regulatory Affairs, Anne managed the submissions of products like Kaletra, Norvir, and Humira in Latin American and Asian Pacific countries.
Anne is currently at Baxter Healthcare, where she continues to work in Regulatory Affairs, but has branched out in work with the US FDA and managing the sustaining products submissions in the US. This includes labeling submissions and chemistry, manufacturing, and controls-type submissions. Currently, she reviews and approves Advertising and Promotional Materials to align with American package inserts and Canadian monographs.
Anne has experience in reading and understanding FDA regulations and clinical studies. She was so excited when she heard about Julie Scroggins through her friend, Bridget Tuley, and reached out to Julie via Facebook to set up a time to meet for coffee. She says: “It was a pleasure meeting Julie; she not only understands what I am going through, but also her passion is contagious in finding a cure for TSC.” Anne is honored to be a part of the Bcureful organization to help support the fight in finding a cure and also sponsorship for further research.
Corey Lallo
Corey is a sales and marketing executive in the Greater Chicago and Milwaukee areas, servicing top B2B and B2C Fortune brands. He grew up in western Michigan and currently resides in Kenosha, WI. With a background in technology and marketing, Corey sees digital and social innovation merging personal and professional relationships to allow broad connections, access to information, and globalization of philanthropic causes.
He gladly spends the majority of his free time with his wife, Jen, and their four children, but he enjoys the outdoors, reading, podcasts, craft beer, and 80s/90s rap when left to his own devices. Learning about Mary Ann, her diagnosis, and its impact on the family (especially having kids of his own) evoked a desire to help. He is Mary Ann’s biggest fan and is incredibly honored to be a part of the Bcureful organization to help support the fight in finding a cure and in finding sponsorship for further research.
Julie Scroggins
Julie Scroggins founded Bcureful in 2012 after her oldest daughter was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). After the diagnosis, she realized how crucial it was to raise awareness of TSC in the medical community and general population, for new information and progress in research could have far-reaching implications with other disorders, such as epilepsy and autism. Her goal was to impact both awareness and research to find a cure for TSC, raising as much money as possible on a grassroots level. The Bcureful Board consists of distinguished volunteers from across the United States who share Julie’s passion and have brought their years of experience and talents to the mission of building heightened awareness and support of a cure for TSC.
Julie is employed full-time as Vice President and CFO for Waukegan Tire. She is married to David, and together they have three children: Mary Ann, Christopher, and Mabel. Julie has held positions on numerous boards, the longest of which as Police Commissioner for the City of Park City since 2001. She has served as a volunteer for the Government Action Team of the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance for the past four years. She is the Illinois Representative for the IgA Nephropathy Foundation of America, a disease that has also touched her family. In her spare time, Julie enjoys spending time with family and friends, the treasures of her life.
Mary Ann Scroggins
Mary Ann Scroggins graduated from Illinois State University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology. Rocks and the well-being of our world are her passion! She is currently working as an Environmental Scientist in Chicago. Following an automobile accident in 2009, Mary Ann had an emergency room exam that confirmed she, fortunately, had no injuries from the crash. However, it was through those same tests that she received her Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) diagnosis, involving the brain, kidneys, eyes, and skin. Mary Ann views her diagnosis as an opportunity to help others that are more severely impacted by this disorder and hopes to see a cure in her lifetime. She is not only the inspiration behind Bcureful, but with her buoyant personality and care for others, her ready smile, and her intellectual curiosity and eagerness to embrace all that life has to offer, Mary Ann is an inspiration to all who know her.
Brook Panaranto
Scott Brown
