Chris Nowinski, PhD

Co-Founder & CEO, CLF

Chris Nowinski, PhD, is co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, a non-profit organization leading the fight against concussions and CTE and dedicated to improving the lives of those...

Robert Cantu, MD

Co-Founder, Medical Director

Currently Dr. Cantu’s professional responsibilities include those of Medical Director and Director of Clinical Research, Dr. Robert ...

Lisa McHale

Director of Legacy Family Relations

Lisa McHale graduated from Cornell University, where she met her husband, Tom McHale, an All-American Defensive End for the Big Red. They m...

Julia Manning

Chief of Staff & Communications

Julia Manning joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation team in September 2018 after spending six years in broadcast journalism. Most recently, Julia worked as the 10PM producer at the CBS affiliate ...

Alan Blackburn

Director of Operations

Alan joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation in March of 2023. Prior to joining CLF, Alan served as the Chief Operating Officer for Fin3 Technologies, Inc. and the Director of Operations at Profess...

Samantha Bureau, PhD

Director of International Programs

Samantha Bureau, PhD joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation team in December 2021, following nearly five years with the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada where she most recently acted as the Ass...

Meaghan Sheehan

Director of Development

Meaghan Sheehan joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation team as its Director of Development in January 2023. She brings decades of experience fundraising and event planning for healthcare, educatio...

Michael Burke

Associate Director, Patient Programs

Michael Burke joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation in January 2017. Michael manages CLF's patient services, including the CLF HelpLine, peer support programs, and co...

Emily Crouch-Ponder

Database Manager

Emily joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation in August 2022 after moving from Austin to Tacoma when her husband got stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McCord. Growing up in a football-centric household...

Sagar Dave

Digital Technology Manager

Sagar joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation in August 2022 after working in technology and programming for a decade. In his previous role of programming services manager at Reading Area Community...

Morgan Hicks

Development Manager

Morgan joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation in January of 2021. A lifelong soccer player and self-proclaimed 'fangirl' of the US Women's National Team, she first heard about CLF when Brandi Chas...

Brandt McCartney

Military Program Manager

Brandt McCartney joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation in June 2022 after transitioning from SAAS (Software as a Service) sales to pursue his passion of raising awareness for mental health in the...

Dan Molloy

Communications Manager

Dan joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation in February 2023 following a decade working in newsrooms as a sports reporter and anchor. After graduating from the University of Missouri with...

Emmy Schumacher

Donor Engagement Manager

Emmy joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation as the Donor Engagement Manager in May 2023. Driven by her unwavering passion for both athletics and public health, this new endeavor allows h...

Tyler Ambrose

Peer Support Coordinator

Tyler joined CLF in March 2023 as a peer support coordinator. Tyler’s passion for education, human development, and mental health care sparked early in high school while serving as a volunteer for ...

Samantha Pyle Buono

Legacy Family Community Coordinator

Samantha joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation in August of 2022. She first became acquainted with CLF in 2015 when her father passed away after years of struggling with cognitive and behavioral ...

Nicholas Paik

Digital Content Coordinator

Nicholas Paik joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation as Digital Content Coordinator in April 2021. He comes from a marketing & communications background, and has had experience working at non-...

Niki Popyer

Finance & Administration Coordinator

Niki Popyer joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation as the Finance & Administration Coordinator in July 2022. Her first contact with CLF was as a high school basketball player who sus...

Tricia Ruiz

Patient Services Coordinator

Tricia Ruiz joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation as a Patient Services Coordinator in September 2022. She was born in central California and raised in eastern Montana, where hunting, fishing and...

Courtney Welch

Patient Services Coordinator

Courtney Welch, ATC joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation in April 2023 as a Patient Services Coordinator. Courtney is a Certified Athletic Trainer and has previously worked in both the collegiat...

Taya Leforte

Assistant HelpLine Coordinator

Taya Leforte joined the Concussion Legacy Foundation team in July 2021. Before coming to CLF, Taya served as the Support Group Director (2019-2022) for the McGill University chapter of the Concussi...