Board of Directors

At the age of 19, Augie bought the marketing rights to the Lifecycle exercise bike. Then in 1980, he co-founded Lifecycle, Inc., and over the next 20 years, the company, now called Life Fitness, Inc., repeatedly multiplied in size under his leadership and grew to be the largest commercial manufacturer of fitness equipment in the world. Augie also serves as chairman of Octane Fitness, and as an operating advisor to North Castle Partners. He is on the boards of several companies, including Grand Expeditions and Quest Software. The Orange County, California, native earned a degree in economics with an emphasis in financial accounting from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. In March 2005, Augie was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Drawing strength from his family, friends and a flood of supportive e-mails, Augie maintains a positive attitude and continues to lead an active life.

Dr. Steven Perrin is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) in Cambridge, MA. He earned his Ph.D. at Boston University Medical Center studying the transcriptional regulation of genes during adipocyte and myocyte differentiation. Steven moved into the pharmaceutical industry in 1997 holding positions at the Hoechst-Ariad Genomics Center, Aventis Pharmaceuticals and more recently as Director of Molecular Profiling at Biogen Idec. Steven joined ALS TDI in 2007 as part of historical collaboration between the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Augie's Quest and ALS TDI to develop effective therapeutics for ALS patients. Since joining ALS TDI Steven has spearheaded the development of computational biology capabilities and information management systems to more clearly understand the molecular mechanisms associated with disease onset and progression in neurodegenerative diseases. He has expanded ALS TDI's drug screening program to include expertise in the generation and assessment of gene therapy vectors and protein biologics in preclinical models of neurodegeneration. He has developed a business plan to facilitate pharmaceutical partnerships for rapid clinical development and commercialization of promising targets for ALS patients. Steven is a frequent participant in international conferences in computational biology, genomics, drug development, and neurodegeneration.

Dr. Appel is The Peggy and Gary Edwards Distinguished Endowed Chair for the Treatment and Research of ALS, Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, The Methodist Hospital as well as a Professor of Neurology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Physiology at Baylor College of Medicine. He was previously Chair of the Department of Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine as well as Chief of Neurology and the James B. Duke Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Appel is a native of Massachusetts and received his Bachelor Degree at Harvard University and his Medical Degree from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is the Director of the MDA/ALS Research and Clinical Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute, and past Director of the National Institute of Aging Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. He has received a number of awards for his accomplishments in Neurology and Biochemistry, including the Gold Medal Award in 1997 from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons; the Sheila Essey Award in 2003 from the American Academy of Neurology, has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2003, was awarded the Baylor College of Medicine Alumni Association's "Distinguished Faculty Award" in 2004, the MDA's Wings Over Wall Street Diamond Award in 2004, the Texas Neurological Society Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and the Forbes Norris Award for "compassion and love for humanity in research and treatment in patients with ALS" from the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations in 2005.

The Chairman and CEO of the Cappello Group, Inc., a boutique merchant banking company. He has over twenty years experience in all aspects of corporate finance, investment banking, merchant banking and venture capital both in the U.S. and overseas. He has acquired control of and been the financial advisor to numerous public and private companies in transactions ranging from $10 million to $20 billion. Mr. Cappello is currently, or was previously, a member of the numerous boards of directors ranging from large corporations to academic and research institutes. The following is only a partial list of Mr. Cappello's board membership; YPO International, USC Board of Trustees, RAND Corporation, Inter-Tel (NASDAQ), Geothermal Resources International (AMEX; Chairman), CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ), Advanced Biotherapy, Inc. (OTC; Chairman), Australian Cancer Technology Limited (ASX – Sydney Australia), Catholic Big Brothers of Los Angeles (Chairman, 2002), Getty Institute and The Joffrey Foundation. Cappello received a Bachelor of Science degree, with honors, from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California in 1977, including recognition as an "Order of the Palm" scholar. He was later awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Goodwin College in Stanford, Connecticut. Mr. Cappello has been a guest lecturer at the USC, UCLA and Harvard Business Schools as well as numerous YPO, WPO, YEO and CEO International Universities. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, FORBES, Dow Jones, the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. He is also a contributing author to the recently published book, The New Investor Relations (Bloomberg PRESS). A California-native, Mr. Cappello has lived in Bakersfield, Los Angeles, New York, London and Geneva, Switzerland.

Steve was diagnosed with ALS in 1997. An accomplished musician and composer, he was, at the time of his diagnosis, orchestrating and playing music for major motion pictures including The Lion King, A League of Their Own, Face Off, The Mask, and many others. He has served as musical director for the Grammy winning Brian Setzer Orchestra, published two ballets, many jazz tunes, a book of flute music, and his original poetry. Within months of his diagnosis with ALS, Steve became unable to play the flute and saxophone, but has started his third solo CD in collaboration with his younger brother, Ed. Without the ability for musical expression, Steve has redirected his creative energies toward studying and theorizing around the etiology of ALS. Steve has been a key activist and powerful advocate for patients becoming involved in the research and development of concrete therapies to treat ALS.

Faced with his 29 year old brother Stephen's diagnosis of ALS in 1998, Jamie founded ALS TDI, the world's first nonprofit biotechnology company, and applied his engineering and management skills to dramatically accelerate ALS research. ALS TDI broke new ground on many fronts and has become widely recognized as one of the most promising and innovative research organizations. Under Jamie's leadership, ALS TDI implemented an industrialized therapeutic validation process and built one of the world's leading ALS drug discovery programs. ALS TDI was the first organization to run an open research program, posting in real time the results of its studies for patients, doctors, and the research community. It also pioneered a new model for engaging patients and families in fundraising and actively involving them in ALS research. Over 100 families have joined with Jamie, Stephen and the Heywood's to fund these innovative efforts. ALS TDI has raised tens of millions of dollars through its philanthropic, corporate, and government programs, culminating in the historic discovery partnership in 2007 with Augie's Quest and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Jamie is the Chairman and co-founder of PatientsLikeMe the worlds leading patient information website with in depth information on treatments, symptoms, and real world information on managing life changing diseases. An MIT Engineer, he is an active investor and advisor to startups, companies and non profits working improve the way in which biomedical research is conducted. Jamie's work has been profiled in the New Yorker, 60 Minutes, Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Wiener's book, His Brothers Keeper, and in the Sundance award winning documentary So Much So Fast.

John is the Sun Jae Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Sloan Automotive Lab at MIT. He has made major contributions to the fields of transportation, energy and air pollution, and consults to both industry and the government on technical and policy issues. His book, Internal Engine Fundamentals, is regarded as the definitive work in the field. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1998, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Professor Heywood has an honorary Doctor of Technology degree from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from City University in London.

Spiros is the former President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that utilizes proprietary chemistry to transform existing drugs, natural products and peptides to small molecule drugs. He received both his Doctor of Science Degree in Biotechnology in 1987 and a Master of Science in Food Science and Technology in 1983 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Chemical Engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Manchester, England in 1981. Dr. Jamas serves on the Boards of Directors of a few private biotechnology companies and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.

Keith is a Director at Credit Suisse, Private Banking USA. Prior to that Mr. Melanson was a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan where he managed fixed income portfolios for banks and insurance companies and covered corporate cash portfolios for several fortune 500 companies. He has been involved in over $3 billion in mortgage and agency transactions in the past five years. Previously, Keith worked at Griffin, Kubik, Stephens & Thompson Investment Bank. He began his career at Monarch Capital Corporation as a Marketing Director of Variable Annuity and Life products, after working as a Corporate cash management analyst. Keith graduated with a BS in Finance and Investments from Babson College. Keith is the Chair of the Governance & Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors at ALS TDI.

Leslie brings strong leadership and more than 20 years of healthcare experience. Mr. Michelson has served as a founder, CEO, investor, advisor and/or director for a portfolio of entrepreneurial healthcare, technology and real estate companies. After practicing law in Washington, D.C., Leslie served as Special Assistant to the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Carter Administration. He then joined a private equity investment firm focused on healthcare and real estate investments. In 1988, he founded and became Chairman and CEO of Value Health Services, one of the first and most profitable disease management companies. He was the co-founder and Chairman, and co-CEO of Protocare, a provider of clinical trial site and disease management services to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. In 1999, Mr. Michelson co-founded and served as CEO of Acurian, which recruits patients and physicians for clinical trials. Mr. Michelson serves on the Board of Directors, and is the Audit Committee Chair, of Catellus, a $3 billion NYSE industrial REIT and is a member of the Board of Directors for Nastech, a NASDAQ-traded biotechnology company focused on innovative drug discovery technology. Mr. Michelson received a B.A. from the John Hopkins University and a J.D. from Yale Law School. He and his wife, Beth, have two daughters and reside in Los Angeles. Leslie is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and serves as Chair of the Audit Committee at ALS TDI.

ALS TDI's first contact with Ted and his wife, Wendy, was at a San Francisco ALS 101 in October of 2007. The Reich's attended the seminar because their 22 year old son, Corey, who was enrolled at Middlebury College, had recently been diagnosed with ALS. Ted has been a CPA for the past 25+ years in the Bay Area. He formerly worked for Arthur Anderson, and has held his own firm for the past twenty years. Ted is very well connected in many California industries such as logging, farming, grocery chains, and dozens of other industries that his firm supports. In the last three months of 2007 ALS TDI received $43K via the Reich network. In April of 2008 Wendy and Corey visited the lab in Cambridge. In August 2008, with Mike Shannon's coaching, the Reich family generated almost $400K through their first fundraising event (Corey's Crusade). In November of 2008 Corey and Wendy attend the 2008 ALS TDI Leadership Summit. Ted, Wendy, and Jacque Portewig (Wendy's Sister) are ALS TDI Ambassadors. In January of 2009 Ted joined the new ALS TDI Advisory Council. Corey himself is now interested in taking a more active role as a patient-advocate and may be willing to do some public speaking to benefit ALS TDI's outreach. In fact, Corey has joined together with several other young people living with ALS to create the ''Young Faces of ALS'' campaign in 2010 and attended several MLB games to raise awareness of ALS and dollars for research. This year, the Young Faces of ALS campaign launched its first national fundraising initiative, a National Cornhole Challenge Day, which took place on June 18, 2011 and raised $150,000. In addition to fundraising, Ted has provided support via pro bono legal services through one of his many contacts, Darin DeAngeli with Ahrens & DeAngeli in Seattle and Boise. In total, the Reich network has generated just over $1.6 million for research at ALS TDI!

Rob is the Chairman and CEO of RDN Group; strategic advisors focused on corporate transitions, customer interface, sales and marketing, distribution and supply chain management. (Customers include: GM, GE, US Navy, Avnet, Siemens, Simon and Schuster). Additionally, he serves as Vice Chairman, Executive Director and Chairman of the Investment Committee of CommerceNet which researches and funds open platform, interoperable business services to advance commerce. Mr. Rodin served for over 10 years as CEO and President of Marshall Industries (NYSE: MI) a global, industrial, electronics distributor and supply chain management company with over $2 billion in sales. Information Week Magazine highlighted Marshall Industries as the "World's Number One Company in the Use of Technology", and CIO Magazine recognized Mr. Rodin as one of the "Top 100 Leaders for the New Millennium". UCLA presented Mr. Rodin with the "Information Systems Award for System Leadership" and the University of Connecticut presented him with the "Distinguished Alumni Award" and elected him to the "University Hall of Fame". Mr. Rodin's best selling book, "Free, Perfect and Now: Connecting to the Three Insatiable Customer Demands", chronicles the radical transformation of Marshall Industries. The changes he led have been taught as case studies at Harvard Business School, Columbia University, USC, MIT, and Stanford University. Mr. Rodin's Board activities include: the Board of Directors of Napster (NAPS)(formally Roxio) as Chairman of the Compensation Committee and a Member of the Audit Committee, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of CommerceNet, Board Member / Director of supplyFX, Board Member /Director and Member of the Governance and Nominating Committee of SM&A (NASDQ: WINS), Director of Inter-tel (NASDAQ: INTL), Advisory Board of LASEC (Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission) Advisory Board of Electronics Supply & Manufacturing Magazine (CMP Publications), on the planning committee for Harvard and Stanford Presidents Seminars (YPO) and on University of Connecticut's School of Business Board of Advisors (Executive Council and Strategic Development Committee) as well as several private company advisory boards. Mr. Rodin formerly served on the Advisory Board of Distribution at USC, the Board of Directors of RosettaNet, as a Trustee of the W. Edwards Deming Institute, and President of NEDA's (National Electronic Distribution Association) Education Foundation. Rob is the Chair of the Executive Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors at ALS TDI.

John Sutherland, born and raised in the Boston area, is a nationally recognized leader in the marketing and broadcast management field. For over 20 years he has overseen large-market radio station operations for multi-format clusters in the Boston and San Francisco metropolitan markets. In his role as Vice President with Clear Channel Worldwide, the largest out of home media company in the world, he was responsible for the integration of radio, internet and concert assets for Northern California. Sutherland's experience includes many mergers and acquisitions, combining cultures and working with venture capital where he has delivered extraordinary stakeholder returns. His work has also included sports marketing, building the flagship property for the NHL's San Jose Sharks radio network. He currently serves as Chief Visual Officer of Sutherland Marketing Assoc., in Boston. The firm specializes in advanced integrated marketing, design and print production and has serviced the needs of top law firms, radio stations, telecom and biotech firms, as well as corporate and retail clients in the U.S. and around the world. Sutherland has devoted major resources to the fight against ALS and has a deep commitment to philanthropy. While earning his undergraduate degree in Communications at Ithaca College, Sutherland also attended Cornell University where he did graduate level study in marketing and held a senior management position at the university's commercial radio station. He lives in Sudbury, Massachusetts, with his two young children Jennifer and Jack. He lost his wife Ellen who courageously battled ALS for nearly six years.