Leadership committed to helping all of us make an impact.
Board of Trustees
Sherman L. Cohn, J.D., LL.M.
Chairperson
Professor Cohn is Professor of Law at Georgetown University and a past national President of the American Inns of Court. He received his B.S.F.S. Degree and his J.D., L.L.M. Degree from Georgetown University, respectively. He has served as Chair of the Board of Tai Hsuan Foundation College of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has served as a member of the Board of the National Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Alliance. He is currently president of the National Acupuncture Foundation. He is a member of the National Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, the Council of Court Excellence, and the American Law Institute, all of which are elected positions. He has also been President of the Jewish Law Association, an international organization. He is an author and lecturer in the field of ethics of the legal profession. He served many years as Chairman of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He has been a guide for the development of this Institute since 1975 and now serves as Chair of its Board of Trustees.
Adele Wilzack, M.S., R.N.
Vice Chairperson
Ms. Wilzack received her nursing degree from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, and her MS degree from the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She started her career in public health as the Assistant Director of the Bureau of Special Home Services and was later promoted to Assistant Commissioner for Health Services for the Aging in Baltimore City. Ms. Wilzack was then appointed Assistant Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) and administered the Maryland Medicaid program. Later she was appointed by then-Governor William Donald Schaefer to the position of Secretary of DHMH, the only woman and nurse to ever serve in this capacity. Ms. Wilzack is currently the President of the Health Facilities Association of Maryland, Maryland’s leading long-term care trade association, representing over 150 provider members. Ms. Wilzack is Chairman of the Board of the Delmarva Foundation, a member of the Lipitz Center Advisory Board, and a board member of the Maryland Gerontological Association.
Dianne M. Connelly, Ph.D., M.Ac.(U.K.), M.A., Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM)
Dr. Connelly is a co-founder of the Institute and has been a practitioner of traditional acupuncture since 1973. She received her Master’s qualification from the College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (U.K.) in 1979. She obtained a Ph.D. in cross-cultural medicine from Union Graduate School in 1975, an M.A. from New York University of Education in 1968, and her B.A. from LeMoyne College in 1967. Dr. Connelly has served as a Commissioner of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She conducts workshops nationwide and lectures annually in Germany and Italy. Dr. Connelly is the author of Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements (1975), All Sickness is Homesickness (1986), Medicine Words: Language of Love for the Treatment Room of Life (2009), and with Katharine Hancock Porter, Alive and Awake: Wisdom for Kids (2003). She is the mother of Blaize, Jade, and Caeli, as well as grandmother to Tamar, Lennox, Rianna, Roman, and Maxim.
Robert M. Duggan, M.A., M.Ac.(UK), Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM)
Robert (Bob) Duggan, president and co-founder of Tai Sophia Institute, has practiced traditional acupuncture since 1972. He holds a master’s degree in human relations and community studies from New York University, as well as a master’s in moral theology from St. Joseph’s Seminary, and received his master’s certification in acupuncture from the College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (UK). A national leader in the development of the acupuncture profession and the emerging healing arts community, he has served as a commissioner of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, on the board of trustees of the Horizon Foundation (a community wellness foundation in Howard County, Maryland, which, in 2008, honored him with its annual Leadership Award), and a panelist at meetings sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In February 2009, Duggan testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and in November 2009, he was among 20 leading thinkers, innovators, artists, philosophers, and entertainers selected to present at the first TEDx MidAtlantic Conference. Bob lectures throughout the United States and abroad, and is author of Common Sense for the Healing Arts (2003).
Hamed Faridi, Ph.D.
Hamed Faridi, Ph.D., is Vice President of Research & Development, and a corporate officer of McCormick & Company, Inc. in Hunt Valley, MD. He is responsible for providing overall research, product development and technical services leadership, and developing an enterprise-wide technical strategy that supports McCormick’s business plans worldwide. He is also responsible for the McCormick Science Institute (MSI), which was created to advance the knowledge on health benefits of culinary spices and herbs. Prior to joining McCormick & Company in 1997, he served on the faculty of Washington State University and held R&D executive positions at Nabisco (now a unit of Kraft). Dr. Faridi is a renowned food scientist and has edited and authored six books and more than 70 articles in food science and technology. He has given invited lectures in conferences, and research institutions in 21 countries.
Dr. Faridi has served on several boards of professional and trade associations in the U.S. and Europe and has acted in an advisory capacity to food science departments of Texas A&M, University of Illinois, Rutgers University and Louisiana State University. He is the past president of AACC International, and the Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) and currently serves on the Board of Governors. Faridi is a member of the Board of Directors of St. Joseph Medical Center. He obtained his master of science and doctorate degrees in food chemistry from Kansas State University and MBA in management and marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Joanne Frederick, B.S.
Ms. Frederick is an experienced public sector market development executive with more than 18 years of experience in various government contracting activities. As President and CEO, Ms. Frederick has developed Market Strategies into a full-service consulting firm serving the public sector health care industry. Providing a comprehensive solution from planning and development through execution, Market Strategies has helped its clients procure over $25 billion in government contracts. Ms. Frederick has developed operational, marketing and product strategies; performed organizational analysis; developed organizational structures; and designed complex implementation plans. She designed and developed project management techniques to better manage workflow and introduced state-of-the-art document management tools to the process. As an experienced leader, she has proven her ability to motivate large, diverse project teams. Ms. Frederick has played an integral role in hundreds of government procurement projects in the Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, behavioral health and long-term care programs. Ms. Frederick is a born and raised Marylander who resides in Fulton, Maryland, and she is currently enrolled in Tai Sophia’s Master of Arts in Applied Healing Arts program. Her son, Nick, is attending Santa Barbara City College in California, giving her opportunity to dote on her two Black Labradors and find interesting projects to move the Universe.
André J. Gingles, J.D.
André J. Gingles, Esquire, is the owner of Gingles LLC, founded in 2003, where his practice represents a small cadre of clients on large mixed-use real estate development projects and government relations. Currently, Mr. Gingles serves as Chairman of The Foundation Schools, an independent, non-profit school for special education with locations in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties and whose purpose is to meet the educational, social, and psychological needs of students with emotional disturbance who have been unsuccessful in other educational settings. He also works with a variety of civic and community associations and has provided pro bono counsel to the Laurel Boys and Girls Clubs. Mr. Gingles formerly served in the Prince George’s County government in multiple capacities, and also has worked on DBE and MBE outreach activities as a part of public and private procurement or contracting. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce; the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation; the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association; and the Executive Committee of the Washington Area District of the Urban Land Institute. André Gingles is a 1981 graduate of Howard University and obtained his law degree in 1984 from the Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1985. Mr. Gingles, an avid golfer, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and has resided for over twenty years in Laurel, Maryland, with his wife and their two children.
Barbara K. Lawson, M.A.
Barbara K. Lawson has a varied career in the nonprofit and government human services sector as well as experience in disaster relief, financial and business consulting. Ms. Lawson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Columbia Foundation after working with the American Red Cross, including overseas assignments and with the Department of Health and Human Services as a refugee camp director. She serves on the Howard Bank Board of Directors. Ms. Lawson is an active community volunteer, serving on the boards of the Leadership Howard County, United Way Community Partnerships, Howard County Police Foundation and Healthy Families. She was one of the founders of the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County and the Little Patuxent Review. Ms. Lawson’s leadership has been recognized through numerous awards including induction into the Howard County Women’s Hall of Fame and recognition as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women.
Donald Manekin, B.A.
Mr. Manekin has a B.A. Degree in Early Childhood Development from Towson State University, Baltimore, Maryland. He is Senior Vice President, Seawall Development Company; consultant to Manekin Corporation; Board Chair, Teach for America; Open Society Institute board member; Adjunct Faculty, Johns Hopkins University; Howard Bank Board Member.
Simon Mills, M.A.
Simon Mills is currently a Director of Plant Medicine CIC, a new international social enterprise corporation, registered in England, that is becoming a major educational and information resource for healthcare professionals and the general public. He was the founder of Tai Sophia Institute’s Masters of Science in Herbal Medicine program and served as the program’s first Director from 2000 to 2006. Mr. Mills graduated in medical sciences from Cambridge University, completed the 4-year professional training program at the 140-year-old National Institute of Medical Herbalists, and has practiced as a medical herbalist since 1977. In 1987, he co-founded the Centre for Complementary Health Studies at the University of Exeter. Since January 1997, he has served as secretary of the European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP). He is President of the British Herbal Medicine Association. For eight years, he was President of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, and later was named President of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy. He has published widely in the scientific literature, including controlled clinical trials and other primary research, and lectures around the world. He has written many books, including two standard texts with Kerry Bone: The Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy (2000) and The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety (2005).
Cornelis H. Wortel, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Cornelis H. Wortel founded Clinquest Inc. in 1997 and has more than twenty years experience in the development of (bio)pharmaceuticals and innovative medical technologies in international academic and industrial (bio)pharmaceutical research. Dr. Wortel and Clinquest have supported many companies to successfully build the minimal infrastructure needed for pre-clinical and clinical product development activities. Strategic developmental expertise provided covers comprehensive product development planning (research, medical, clinical, regulatory, financial), manufacturing support, toxicology support, assay development support, fund raising support, and internal client systems support such as standard operating procedures, central medical files, insurance needs, etc. Subsequent to founding Clinquest, Dr. Wortel has served as acting Chief Medical Officer for multiple client companies. Dr. Wortel previously served as senior executive for medical research at various (bio)pharmaceutical companies such as Centocor Inc., Repligen Inc., Procept Inc., Alkermes, Inc. During his tenure at Centocor, Dr. Wortel was responsible for the development of Remicade ® and while at Alkermes, he was responsible for the development (in collaboration with Genentech) of Nutropin Depot™. Dr. Wortel’s experience in trial design and implementation of international multi-center Phase I through IV clinical research trials covers a wide variety of disease categories, such as neurological, infectious, pulmonary diseases, and autoimmune diseases; local/systemic inflammation; transplantation; wound healing and periodontal diseases, oncology; endocrine; rare diseases; and human volunteer studies. As a Buddhist, Dr. Wortel is interested in how Buddhist philosophy can educate and inform the way people live. He became fascinated by the country Bhutan in 2003. Struck by the rapid modernization that Bhutan was experiencing under the guidance of a benevolent and enigmatic young King, Dr. Wortel had the idea to produce a documentary about the profound changes affecting one of the most remote places on earth. His vision and commitment to cultural education is the guiding force behind the Sandokai Productions project (www.sandokaiproductions.com).
Board of Overseers
Anne Bartley
Anne Bartley, the stepdaughter of Winthrop Rockefeller, former Governor of Arkansas, has been involved in civic engagement at all levels and in many different arenas, all aimed at creating a stronger, more just American society. From a Harlem public school to the neighborhoods of Little Rock, from Arkansas’ first woman cabinet member to the Clinton White House, Ms. Bartley has followed her belief that public service is not only honorable but also essential to fulfill this vision. As a foundation board member, an individual, activist funder, and as a co-founder of several donor networks, she has also sought to maximize the potential of financial assets in support of this objective. She is currently on the boards of the Bauman Family Foundation, the Jenifer Altman Foundation, the Faith and Politics Institute, the Grassroots Policy Project, the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Some of the boards she has served on in the past include the New World Foundation, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, the Rockefeller Family Fund, and the Democracy Alliance.
George Bunting, M.B.A.
Mr. Bunting received his MBA degree in Marketing from Columbia University Graduate School of Business in 1964. In July 1991, Mr. Bunting became President and CEO of Bunting Management Group. He formerly served as Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Noxell Corporation (a Proctor & Gamble Company as of November 1989). Mr. Bunting joined Noxell in 1966 as a Product Manager. In 1968, he was elected to the Board of Directors of Noxell Corporation. In March 1970, he was elected to the position of Executive Vice-President and served as President and CEO from November 1973 until April 1986 when he became Chairman and CEO. He is Director of Crown Central Petroleum Corporation, Mercantile Bankshares Corporation, Baltimore Equitable Society, and Guilford Pharmaceuticals. He served as Chairman of Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Health System, and Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1994 – 1998, as well as Johns Hopkins Medicine from 1996 – 1998. He is currently a Trustee of the above mentioned Hopkins institutions, as well. He also serves on the Boards of many private, non-profit institutions which include the Abell Foundation; Baltimore Community Foundation; the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies; the Maryland Institute College of Art; and is a former member of the Board of United Way of Central Maryland and General Campaign Chair of United Way in1988. He served on both the Board and Executive Committee of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA), having served as Chairman of CTFA from 1990 – 1991 and also from 1979 – 1981. He served on both the Board and Executive Committee of the Nonprescription Drug Manufacturers Association from 1975 – 1985. He chaired the Governor’s Employment Training Commission under Governor Harry R. Hughes from 1984–1986.
Guy Hollyday, Ph.D., M.Ac.
Guy Hollyday is a licensed acupuncturist and certified zero balancer in Baltimore, where he works as a volunteer at the Penn North Neighborhood Center. He received his Master's Degree in Acupuncture from the Traditional Acupuncture Institute (TAI) in 1998, the year he was certified in zero balancing. He received a Ph.D. in German studies from the Johns Hopkins University in 1964 and taught German at various universities for ten years. His dissertation was published in 1979 as Anti-Americanism in the German Novel, 1841-1862. Before coming to TAI in 1994, he worked as a copy editor in a medical publishing company and as an administrator and teacher in a community college, studied photography, and self-published an oral history of his Baltimore neighborhood, Stone Hill: The People and Their Stories. As a citizen activist, he has been president of the Stone Hill Residents Association and is chairman of the Baltimore Sewer Coalition.
Wayne B. Jonas, M.D.
Dr. Jonas is the president and chief executive officer of the Samueli institute. A family physician and scientist, he formerly served as the Director of the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, the Director of the Medical Research Fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, a Director of a WHO Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine, and a member of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. He sits on numerous national and international advisory boards and scientific review groups. He is the author of over 150 publications and five books. He received his medical degree at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Fritz Frederick Smith, M.D., M.Ac.(U.K.), Dipl.Ac.(NCCA), FCCAc.
Dr. Smith received his Osteopathic degree from the Los Angeles College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, and his M.D. degree from California College of Medicine. Formerly in general medicine, Dr. Smith retired from his practice of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, Osteopathy, and Zero Balancing in 1991. He now devotes himself to the development and international teaching of Zero Balancing, a structural/energetic body balancing system he formulated in 1973. He is a past examiner for the California Acupuncture Examination Board, and is author of Inner Bridges: A Guide to Energy Movement and Body Structure (1986), and Alchemy of Touch, Moving Towards Mastery Through the Lens of Zero Balancing (2005).
John G. Sullivan, J.C.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Sullivan is Powell Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Elon University. He holds two earned degrees: a J.C.D. from Lateran University, Rome, Italy, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was named Elon’s first Distinguished University Professor in 2002. He retired in August 2006 after 36 years at Elon. Dr. Sullivan is also a long-time participant in the ongoing inquiries sponsored by Tai Sophia Institute. He was principal designer and first director of the Tai Sophia’s Master of Arts in Applied Healing Arts program (now called the Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change). He is author of: To Come to Life More Fully (1991), Living Large: Transformative Work at the Intersection of Ethics and Spirituality (2004), and The Spiral of Seasons: Welcoming the Gifts of Later Life (2009). His abiding interest is the place where philosophy, psychology, and spirituality – East, West and beyond– intersect and mutually enhance one another.