Bay Area Lyme Foundation Expands Its Team

SILICON VALLEY, Calif., March 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Bay Area Lyme Foundation, www.BayAreaLyme.org, a national organization dedicated to accelerating medical breakthroughs for Lyme disease and making prevention common knowledge, announced today the addition of four new Advisory Board members and two new staff members.  The additions come as the organization grows in order to drive new research and bring new talent to bear on this pernicious and spreading disease.

Silicon Valley investor Gib Myers and his wife Susan Myers, Boston-based Sirios Capital Management co-founder John Brennan, and biosciences expert Lia Gaertner are the new Advisory Board members.  New staff members are Lisa Arone, Marketing and Communications Director, and Linda Giampa, Development Director. 

"The time is now to make Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure," said Ana Thompson, Executive Director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation. "Too many people suffer from its debilitating effects and even more are unaware of its risk where they live, especially in the West. The professional experience of these new leaders fueled by their personal connection to Lyme, move us closer to putting an end to Lyme disease."

New Advisory Board Members

John Brennan, Advisory Board Member, cofounded Sirios Capital Management, LP and serves as its managing director.  Prior to Sirios, he held key positions at MFS Investment Management and served on their Advisory Board, and is also involved in several charitable organizations.  Mr. Brennan holds an MBA from Stanford and a BS from the University of Rhode Island, College of Engineering.

Lia Gaertner, Advisory Board Member, is a principal at Halteres Associates, a bioscience consulting company.  Prior to Halteres, Ms. Gaertner held key positions at several science and medical companies.  Ms. Gaertner holds a BS in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley and an MS in Ethnobotany from Cornell University. 

Gib Myers, Advisory Board Member, was a general partner at Mayfield Fund, a venture capital partnership, from 1970 until his retirement in 1998.  Mr. Myers is the founder of the Entrepreneurs Foundation and Vice-Chairman, American Prairie Reserve.  Mr. Myers previously held board positions at Stanford Graduate School of Business, from which he holds an MBA, and Dartmouth College, from which he holds an AB in Engineering Science. 

Susan Myers, Advisory Board Member, currently serves on the board American Prairie Reserve, whose mission is to establish a 3 million acre wildlife reserve on Montana's high plains.  Ms. Myers is also a member of Impact Partners, a fund that invests in documentary films that aim to have a social impact.  

New Staff Members

Lisa Arone, Marketing and Communications Director, is the founder and principal of LAB Consulting, an independent management and marketing consulting practice serving clients in retail, nonprofit, and education. She has more than 15 years of corporate marketing experience at organizations such as Banana Republic, Diageo, and the Boston Consulting Group, and is an active volunteer in the community.  Prior to her marketing positions, she held roles in investment and corporate banking.  She holds a BA from Trinity College at the University of Toronto and an MA from UCLA.

Linda Giampa, Development Director, brings expertise in running sales, marketing and business development organizations.  Ms. Giampa most recently ran her own executive team of business consultants, helping entrepreneurs develop their strategy and business plans to bring emerging technologies to market. Prior to that she was CEO of Transparency Software, Vice President Worldwide Operations at Versata and held key sales positions at Oracle Corporation. She is currently a board member of Stanford Mens Gymnastics and Storefront Pictures.  Ms. Giampa holds a BS from the University of North Carolina, College of Arts & Sciences.

About Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Bay Area Lyme Foundation is committed to making Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure.  A national 501c3 non-profit organization, the Foundation collaborates with world class scientists and institutions to accelerate medical breakthroughs for Lyme disease. It is also dedicated to providing reliable, fact-based information so that prevention and the importance of early treatment is common knowledge.   For more information on Lyme disease or to get involved, visit www.BayAreaLyme.org or call us, 650-530-2439.

SOURCE Bay Area Lyme Foundation