The NCCNA Board
Bev Anderson, President
Bev Anderson received a Diploma in Bible and Theology from Central Bible College (Springfield, Missouri), a Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees in Education from California State University at Fresno, and completed course work for a Ph.D. in the history of the philosophies and psychologies of education at the University of California at Berkeley. She taught for 34 years in public elementary schools in Selma and Concord, California. Bev was married to Herbert “Andy” Anderson who was much her senior and who died of heart failure in 1986. Currently, she is the step-great-great grandmother of five.
Although her neuropathy is hereditary and she says she could have been diagnosed by age six, she was not actually diagnosed until 1994, after she retired and moved to Colfax, California. She and Grant Whitney held the first meeting of what became the Auburn Evening Peripheral Neuropathy Support Group in November 1998. Other groups have formed from or as a result of this to the point where today, there are 33 support groups throughout Northern California. Most of these were started with Bev’s assistance.
Laura Niznik, Vice-President
Laura is the Manager, Government and Community Relations (GCR) for UC Davis Health System. She oversees the GCR department which includes academic preparation, collaborative partnerships, community development, government relations, and health promotion/community outreach. She previously served as the Director of Communications and Member Services for the California Elected Women's Association (CEWAER) for six years. She has an extensive background in nonprofit association management, public relations, marketing and magazine publishing. Laura served as editor-in-chief for Practical Pain Management magazine and editorial director for six other healthcare related magazines.
Laura volunteers her time as Chair of the Antelope Community Advisory Planning Council, a position appointed by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. In addition, she serves on the board for Linkage to Education and as a volunteer photographer for The Sacramento Heart Gallery.
LLaura does not have neuropathy herself. She came to the NCCNA due to her interest in bringing her skills to a volunteer position for a health organization.
Penni L. Smith, Treasurer-Secretary/Technology Director
Penni has worked for almost two decades as a software developer and database administrator, most recently developing dynamic web applications, including one for the NCCNA. She just happened to get into computers, however, as she received a Bachelor of Arts degree with an English major from the University of La Verne, California. She lives in Foresthill, California, with a family of three dogs and two cats, all rescued. Previous residents have included rabbits, snakes, rats, and a potbelly pig. Penni is an avid reader who also enjoys photography, computer games, and all manner of toys.
Penni developed neuropathy symptoms in 1997. Although she had heard about the NCCNA, she never pursued contact. She met Bev Anderson at church and Bev mentioned in passing an NCCNA event she was attending. Penni responded, "We have to talk." Penni was soon recruited for the board.
Amy Beth Considine, Administrative Director
Amy Considers herself a jack-of-all-trades. She attended Truckee Meadows Community Collage in Reno, Nevada, where she studied basic computer and accounting. Most of her life, she worked as a bookkeeper. She has had many odd side jobs such as truck driver, limo driver, and insurance sales. After only one year as an insurance sales person, she was promoted to sales manager and four months later promoted to branch manager. Her biggest claim to fame, however, is that she ran for Washoe County Recorder in 1990. She ran against a 16 year incumbent and won 38% of the vote. Currently, in her spare time she has been assisting her mother teaching classes or selling jewelry on cruise ships.
Amy has been a resident of California since 1998. Previously, she resided in Reno, Nevada, but was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After moving to California, she was reacquainted with her high school friend whom she then married in September of 2005. She is a mother of two, a grandmother of seven, and a mother of 3 fur kids (her rescue cats). In February of 2003 after a minor mishap driving a limo, she developed back problems and has been off on disability since. Her neuroupathy was diagnosed in late 2007 and has spread quickly. It is still classified as idiopathic stage. She found the NCCNA after extensive research on the internet which then led her to the Folsom meeting. After attending her first meeting, she was introduced to Bev and Penni who appointed her leader of the Folsom group, and soon after was appointed to the board. She claims that nothing ever happens slowly in her life.
Michael Green, Director
Michael Green is a Certified Public Accountant who has been serving the Monterey Peninsula for thirty eight years. A Seattle native, Mike is a 1968 graduate of the University of Washington where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an accounting emphasis. He subsequently completed numerous graduate courses and received a Certificate in Advanced Financial Planning from the California and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Mike Green has been on the Monterey Peninsula since 1970 when he came to study Russian at the Defense Language Institute. An active member of the community, Mike Green has held offices on several boards including those of the SPCA, Mariposa Hall, the American Lung Association, Robinson Jeffers Tor House and the Visiting Nurse Association.
Mike was the founder and senior partner of Michael Green and Associates, a Monterey certified public accounting firm with expertise in the areas of income tax, estate and financial planning and general accounting. He merged his practice with Hayashi & Wayland, accounting & consulting, LLP in 2008. He continues to serve as Trustee and primary financial advisor for many clients.
Wayne Hewlett, Director
Wayne has worked as a computer engineer for Hewlett-Packard Company for the past 23 years. He has worked in Research and Development, Manufacturing and Process Engineering. He has a Masters of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and a Masters of Science in Finance from Golden Gate University.
Retiring early from Hewlett Packard in 2007, he took the opportunity to travel in Europe, Asia and South America and returned to California in 2009. He was originally diagnosed with glaucoma 10 years ago and is currently being tested for a hereditary optical neuropathy at UC Davis Medical Center.
Most recently Wayne was involved in fundraising effort for Harvard Optical Neuropathy Organization to Restore Sight (HONORs), and personally raised more than $5300 in pledges by running the Boston Marathon in April 2009. The HONORS program is a medical research collaboration intended to understand the mechanisms involved in optic nerve injury through basic science research in order to develop and test novel treatment strategies that will preserve and restore vision following optic nerve injury.
He resides in Roseville with his wife and his interests include running, hiking, yoga and traveling.
Karen Polastri, Director
Karen currently serves as the Executive Director of the Occupational Therapy Association of California. She has over 20 years experience in senior-level association management, with seven of those in health care related associations. She also has two years of marketing and public relations experience in a large health care system.
Cas Sammanasu, Director
Cas Sammanasu has worked in various training positions with a number of well-known high-tech companies., most recently as a Program Manager with Cisco Systems in San Jose until July 2008. After earning a BS in Chemistry and a BA in Education from University of Madras in India, Cas started his career as a high-school science teacher in India. Cas came to the United States in 1974 and completed his diploma in Electronics Technology from DeVry Institute of Technology. Later, Cas received his MS degree in Computer Science from DePaul University in Chicago and an MBA degree in Business Administration from the University of Dallas. To enhance his program management skills, Cas received the Stanford Advanced Project Management Certification and also a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from The George Washington University.
Cas and his wife Lou Sammanasu have been residents of California since 1990 and moved to Lincoln in 2007. Cas and Lou have two daughters and three grand-children. Cas has been a diabetic for more than 20 years, but has not been diagnosed with neuropathy. Because of his diabetes, Cas has been interested in learning more about neuropathy and decided to join NCCNA for some volunteer work
Sandra Vinson, Director Emeritus
Sandra earned a degree in Business Administration and worked for 30 years in California state civil service. Her last position prior to her retirement in 2001 was as Deputy Director of Programs, Community Services and Development. Sandra and her husband Don have a daughter, Shannon. Sandra finds great joy in cooking, family, gardening, helping others and reading. She practices Yoga on a daily basis and has found it provides significant neuropathic pain relief.
Sandra was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy 7 years ago. She was told the cause is idiopathic. Sandra is on the West Sacramento group leadership team and served on the board several years. She has now retired from the board, but remains available to provide her great knowledge and resourcefulness to provide guidance and help with specific projects.
Conley R. (Dick) Ward, Director Emeritus
Dick received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Louisville. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Science degree in Physical Oceanography from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
Dick’s work experience included 28 years in the United States Navy, culminating as Commander of the Naval Weather Service and Assistant Oceanographer of the Navy. Following his Navy career he joined Global Weather Dynamics, Inc. where as Vice President of the Monterey Office he managed the modernization of the Saudi Arabian National Meteorological Center in Jeddah and installation of computer systems in over 20 different aviation weather centers around the world. Retiring from Global Weather Dynamics in 1997, Dick and two colleagues formed a small consulting group dedicated to the provision of technical and management assistance to small start-up companies.
Dick and Mary Lou Kennedy were married in Louisville, Kentucky in 1951. They have four children, ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Although Dick and Mary Lou are originally from the Midwest, they have resided much of their adult life in California and retired to Roseville in 1999. Mary Lou was diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy more than ten years ago. She is leader of the Roseville PN support group and nominated her care giver, Dick, as a candidate for the NCCNA Board of Directors. Dick served the board until June 2009.