Irving L. Schwartz, Founder
Irving L. Schwartz, MD was the Gustov Eichberg Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics of the University of Cincinnati's School of Medicine from 1961 to 1965. In 1965 he was recruited by the Trustees of the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City to launch the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Now Emeritus, he was the first Dean of the Mount Sinai Graduate School of Biological Sciences, the first Chairman of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, the Lamport distinguished Professor and the Founder of the Life Sciences Foundation. His interests in scientific research and biomedical education were far reaching, addressing fundamental problems of body fluid regulation, secretory phenomena and neurophysiology. His work, originally in whole animal and organ physiology, evolved over the years to the cellular organella and ultimately to the molecular level. He had a major interest in the function of neurohypophyseal and other peptides. His studies on peptides ranged from bedside observations, to biochemical mechanisms of action, to the definition of the three dimensional structure of such molecules in solution as well as in the crystalline state. The work of his group on the molecular conformation of hormones in solution-function analysis based on the tertiary (three-dimensional) structure of molecules.

Ron Bruder, Chair
In 1977, Mr. Bruder founded Brookhill as a real estate developer/owner/ manager specializing in shopping centers, office buildings and multi-family properties. Since inception, Brookhill has acquired properties in 21 states, totaling in excess of $750 million. In the 1980’s Brookhill changed its focus to concentrate on the development of distressed shopping centers.

In 1995, Mr. Bruder formed Dames & Moore/Brookhill, the first national entity to acquire, remediate and redevelop environmentally contaminated properties. In affiliation with Dames & Moore, a leading multi-billion dollar engineering company, a methodology was created to limit environmental liability, enabling the debt on these assets to be sold in the public marketplace. Dames & Moore/Brookhill acquired properties throughout the United States valued in excess of $200 million.

In 1981, Mr. Bruder created Devon Petroleum Company, a developmental drilling organization that drilled for oil and gas throughout the Appalachian Basin in the United States. This company’s operations utilized the greater precision and science that was prevalent in deeper exploratory drilling to create greater yields. Mr. Bruder sold his interest in Devon and affiliated oil entities in 2002.

Mr. Bruder is also Chairman of Brookhill Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which develops new medical products and devices. He is Chairman of Asperger Foundation International (formerly The Life Sciences Foundation, created in 1963) which funds research and provides information about Asperger Syndrome (a form of Autism). In 2003, Mr. Bruder founded the Education for Employment Foundation (www.EFEfoundation.org) and serves as its Interim CEO. The EFE creates technical and vocational schools with direct linkage to jobs in Islamic countries. He is a member of the Board of Directors of The Lighthouse International, a 100-year old foundation that aids the visually impaired. Mr. Bruder is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Roundabout Theatre Company, which produces Broadway and Off-Broadway plays and provides education and training in theater arts. Mr. Bruder is a contributing author to numerous publications, among them: The New York Times, The New York Law Journal, The American Banker and The CPA Journal. He is also a member of the University and Friars Clubs in New York City.

Mr. Bruder has attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He has been the subject of a Discovery Channel feature on redeveloping contaminated real estate, and has been profiled by Forbes Magazine. Mr. Bruder holds a B.A in Economics from Adelphi University, an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University.

Willa Bernhard
Willa Bernhard Ph.D. is a practicing psychotherapist in New York City. She has been a Lecturer in Psychology, and a fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical School. She was an Instructor, Coordinator and Supervisor in a graduate guidance program with Bank Street College and Sarah Lawrence College.

Dr. Bernhard was a staff member of the Human Sexuality Teaching program at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. She is currently completing a study of adult development in women in their 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. She is a Board Member of the S.L.E. Lupus Foundation and has served on the Board of the Life Sciences Foundation.

Lynda Geller

Lynda Geller, Ph.D., is the Clinical Director of the newly established Asperger Institute at the New York University Child Study Center. Dr. Geller is responsible for the development of the educational program within the Institute, which includes a pilot collaborative home-school classroom for academically gifted junior high school students with Asperger Syndrome who are having trouble surviving academically and psychologically in mainstream and traditional special education school placements; the clinical program, which includes the evaluation and treatment services available for children, adolescents, and adults with Asperger Syndrome and related conditions; and the community support and outreach program, which provides education and support for families, schools, and agencies.

Prior to being elected to the Board of Directors of AspFI in 2006, Dr. Geller was on staff as Executive Director since 2004. Previously, Dr. Geller had served for 22 years on the Medical School faculties of Georgetown University and Stony Brook University, where she specialized in the evaluation and treatment of children and adults with autism spectrum conditions and other related developmental disabilities, development of innovative intervention programs for these individuals, and education of physicians, psychologists, teachers, and allied health care professionals in the special needs of these populations.

Dr. Geller has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on autism at Stony Brook University and Pace University, and has provided continuing education and training for educational personnel serving students on the autism spectrum. Dr. Geller is a frequent speaker for families and educational personnel, helping translate current research results into practical intervention strategies.

Dr. Geller serves on the advisory boards of the Asperger Syndrome and Higher-Functioning Autism Association and Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Lucy Prager
Lucy Prager graduated from Princeton University and received an MBA from Columbia University in marketing. Upon completing a year of teaching businessmen in Japan through Princeton-in-Asia, she worked as a consultant assisting US firms enter the Asian marketplace. Her ten year career in pharmaceutical marketing included helping to build and managing a consumer oriented interactive website called Pfizer for Living.

She lives in New York City with her husband, Ben Weintraub, and two children Sam and Emily. Ms. Prager is currently working on completing her MSW. She volunteers for Jacob Perlow hospice and is currently a Doula for the Dying. Ms. Prager is motivated to support AspFI because she has several family members with Asperger syndrome talents and traits.

Pat Schissel
Pat Schissel, LMSW, is the President of the Asperger Syndrome and Higher-Functioning Autism Association (AHA), a support group with over 700 parent and professional members across Long Island and New York City. She facilitates two of their seven support groups, manages their Website, and is the coordinator of their two yearly conferences. She served as a Board of Education Trustee for close to twenty years. She is an adjunct associate professor at Long Island University, CW Post Campus in the School of Education teaching a course titled, "Contemporary Issues in Autism Spectrum Disorders" to graduate students who have a focus in autism. She is a frequent lecturer.

Ms. Schissel holds a BFA from Boston University and an MSW from Adelphi University. She has published an article, College Planning - What You Need to Know, for The Source, A Publication of ASPEN of America (Summer 1999) and co-authored a manual, Orienting New School Board Members, The Roslyn Public Schools, 1998. Ms. Schissel is the mother of two; one an adult on the autism spectrum who was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in his 20's.

Andrew Silverman
Andrew Silverman is a successful restaurateur with over 20 years of experience planning, launching, and managing restaurants in New York City. As president and founder of the Flatiron Restaurant Group, he currently owns over a dozen restaurants throughout Manhattan.

David Sloane
David Sloane, CPA has an accounting practice specializing in management systems, business and individual taxation, and accounting for the small business. He is an avid tennis player and amateur sports enthusiast. He is also an emergency medical technician, and has served, on a volunteer basis since 1978 in Albany, Yonkers, and Scarsdale. He has also volunteered as an emergency medical technician for the New York City Marathon, 3 Woodstock concerts and various other public events.

David Sloane graduated with honors from State University of New York at Albany with a B.S. in Accounting and minors in Computer Science, Business Administration, Economics, and Marketing. He brings an accounting perspective to the Board and is particularly interested in encouraging philanthropy in estate planning.

Michael Zukerman
Michael Zukerman is a Managing Director and Founder of Whitestone Realty Capital, LLC. Mr. Zukerman has been a practicing attorney specializing in real estate and securities since 1967. He was Managing Partner of the New York office of Baskin & Sears from 1979-1985. He is presently “of counsel” to Warshaw Burstein Cohen Schlessinger and Kuh. During the past five years, he has taught a course entitled “Mezzanine vs. Equity, Which Way to Go” for developers and investors at the Crittenden National Conference. The past two years, Mr. Zukerman also conducted a seminar with four major institutional equity investors “How to Raise Equity from Institutional Investors”. He has written many articles on real estate finance and real estate development for many trade journals, has talked at many seminars including International Council of Shopping Centers and the Urban Land Institute. He was an officer and member of the Board of Temple Beth Torah for many years, officer and member of the Board of Congregation Bnai Elohim for many years, active in the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies for many years, member of the Suffolk Jewish Communal Planning Counsel for 5 years, co chairman of the business and advertising counsel for the Town of Greenburgh, NY for three years. He is active in many facets of the real estate business as financier and developer.

Mr. Zukerman graduated from University of Florida with a BSBA, St. John’s University with a LLB, and New York University with a LLM in Corporate Law.

Asperger Foundation International
501 Madison Avenue, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-371-7755
www.aspfi.org