Our Team
Working Together Toward a Cure
Our Foundation brings together a dedicated team of staff, Board members, and medical professionals. Select a tab below, then roll over each individual to learn more!
Brandy Brockus
Board President
Brandy Brockus is a dedicated leader with a passion for process and technology innovation, and a strong commitment to people. With a professional background in project management and human resource development, Brandy values authentic leadership and relationship-building. As Board President, Brandy aims to inspire and empower others to reach their full potential. A lifelong learner committed to growth, Brandy actively volunteers and mentors within her industry, driven by a desire to set a positive example for her daughter. Guided by her values of growth, connection, and impact, she strives to make a meaningful difference both professionally and in her community.
Roy Taylor, CPA, CGMA
Board Treasurer
Roy Taylor Jr. is a partner at Taylor and Willis CPAs and Advisors, based in New Orleans. He has been married to Heather for over 25 years, and they have two children: Kaelin, who is studying at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, and Roy III, who attends Brother Martin High School. Roy graduated from the University of New Orleans and holds both an active CPA license and the CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant) certification. His professional focus includes financial analysis, tax planning, outsourced CFO services, and compliance support for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. Before transitioning to public accounting, Roy served as Controller and CFO for closely held companies. Outside of his professional life, Roy enjoys cooking, hunting, fishing, and boating with his family. He is also actively involved in the community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Henry Aucoin Foundation, which supports families of pediatric heart patients, and as a member of the supervisory committee for the New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union.
Rochelle Colburn
Rochelle Colburn has volunteered with the United MSD Foundation and advocated for the rare disease community for over 6 years. She was introduced to the organization through its founder, Amber Olsen, and has since made several trips to Ocean Springs, MS to participate in fundraising events and to meet families impacted by MSD. She is also the Chief Operating Officer at the Future Caucus, a nonpartisan nonprofit that works directly with millennial and GenZ state and federal lawmakers to bridge the partisan divide and lead a new era of collaborative governance. At Future Caucus, she advises on strategy across Future Caucus’ teams and programs, implements systems and technologies, and manages the organization’s staff, budget, and daily operations. She lives between Western New York and Washington, DC with her husband, Casey, and their 8-year-old daughter, Cecily.
Michelle Fox, MS, CGC
For over 30 years, Michelle coordinated the UCLA Genetics Clinic, providing genetic counseling services to both pediatric and adult populations, including the UCLA Predictive Huntington Disease Testing Program, early onset Alzheimer and genetic neurodegenerative disorders. She is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, American Society of Human Genetics and Society of Inherited Metabolic Disorder. She taught in the UCLA School of Medicine and in the Fiat Lux series for UCLA undergraduates and is currently an invited guest lecturer in the University of California, Irvine Genetic Counseling Program, Mt. Sinai Genetic Counseling Program, Pierce College and a faculty member of the UCLA Genetic Counseling Program.
Michelle served on the Secretary’s Advisory Committee for Heritable Disorders of Newborns and Children Follow-up and Treatment sub-committee and on the National Society of Genetic Counselors Public Policy Newborn Screening Task Force in 2014. She was a member of the Western States Regional Genetics Network from 2010-2013. Michelle served on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Hearing Loss Guidelines Committee (2013), the American Board of Genetic Counseling Engagement Task Force (2016) and the National Society of Genetic Counselors Conflict of Interest Task Force (2017-2018). She currently serves on the Mt. Sinai Medical Center Genetic Counseling Program Advisory Board, UCLA Genetic Counseling Program Advisory Board and was a member at large of the National Society of Genetic Counselors board of directors (2019-2020). In 2022, Michelle was awarded the NSGC Natalie Weissberger Paul lifetime achievement award.
Michelle provides consultation services to organizations, laboratories and businesses including Invitae. She is Past-President of the Southern California Genetic Counselors, a non-profit organization.
Sophia Grise
Sophia Grise is the parent of Jaxon Chavez, an MSD angel (3-7-2020-5-5-2024). Sophia is passionate about research for a cure for MSD. Driven by love and loss, she champions research and supports other families facing this rare disease. She actively contributes her insights and expertise to shape the future of this field, ensuring that the voices of those impacted by MSD are heard and considered in all endeavors. She is a Science and PE teacher at Santa Susana High School. She lives with her husband, Craig Chavez, and their son, Maxwell, in California.
Sue Rokaw, Esq.
A graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law, Sue Rokaw is a California licensed attorney and has enjoyed a legal career in private practice focusing on varied civil legal matters and litigation and as a law school professor. She currently works as in-house counsel managing litigation for a California-based company. A former small business owner, high school teacher, and school library media specialist, Sue graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Rochester in New York with a B.A. in Classics and with honors from Southern Connecticut State University with a Master of Library Science. A longtime member of Rotary International where she has served in various volunteer leadership roles, Sue’s current charitable service includes an overseas Rotary literacy project in South Africa and as a member of several local boards including the Rotary Club of Ocean Springs, MS Gulf Coast Symphony, and Gulf Coast Sailing Foundation.
Julie A. Rosner-Lengele
Julie A. Rosner-Lengele is the University Controller at Arcadia University. She has worked at Arcadia for twenty-six years as the Controller for both Arcadia’s international and domestic programs. As Controller, Julie manages all treasury functions, all university audits, all tax preparation and compliance, all university debt, and all university investments. Julie is part of the Strategic Leadership team at the University and also serves on several University Committees. To help other universities, Julie has served as both an accreditation team chair, and peer evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Prior to joining Arcadia, Julie served as the Accounting Manager at Avitech Diagnostics, Inc., a small start-up biotech company. Early in her career, Julie served as a Staff Accountant at the world renowned Fox Chase Cancer Center. Julie currently serves on the board of Manna on Main Street as its Treasurer and is a member of the board of Pandas International. In the past, Julie served on the board of the North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants. Julie earned a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from Thomas Jefferson University and Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from La Salle University.
Rich Schega, CFP
As the CEO for Magnolia Wealth Strategies, a MassMutual firm, Rich’s goals are to continue shaping and fulfilling the company’s strategic vision by attracting, developing, and empowering top talent and providing elite support and service to the Magnolia Wealth Strategies team and clients. As one of the oldest firms in the southeast, Magnolia Wealth Strategies has over 100 financial professionals providing customized financial solutions to clients across LA, MS, AL, & the FL panhandle. Rich is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry and Life Sciences with a concentration in Nuclear Engineering. In 2012, he earned his MBA in Finance from The University of Texas at San Antonio.
Angela Wolfe, AAMS
With 38 years of experience in the investment industry, Angela Wolfe joined Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. in 2016 as a financial advisor and facilitated the opening of our Gulfport, MS office. Outside of work, Angela enjoys spending time with her daughter, Briana Dubaz Pfarrer. Living on the Mississippi coast, She likes to boat, fish, and spend time on the water. In addition, she enjoys cooking, exercising, gardening, and watching sports. Angela is passionate about helping with the United MSD Foundation as she has known sweet Willow since she was born.
Sarah Cortell Vandersypen, MA, CFRE
Executive Director
Sarah Cortell Vandersypen joined the United MSD Foundation as its Executive Director in February 2023. Sarah brings more than a decade of nonprofit, fundraising, and consulting experience to the Foundation. She is no stranger to the rare disease space. Most recently, she served as the Vice President of Development for HelpCureHD, a national nonprofit founded by a celebrity couple to cure Huntington’s disease one family at a time through in vitro fertilization.
In 2016, Sarah founded a consulting firm, Philanthropic Partners, to help nonprofit organizations build their philanthropic capacity. Her services focused on fund development, board development, strategic planning, and training and coaching. She enjoys building the confidence and skill of nonprofit leaders, and connecting donors with their philanthropic passions.
Sarah received her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation in 2016. She holds a M.A. in Arts Policy and Administration from The Ohio State University and a B.A. in Art History from Boston University. She earned a Certificate of Nonprofit Board Consulting from BoardSource in 2019. Sarah is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as a former global board member and certified facilitator. She lives outside of Baton Rouge with her husband, daughter, and cat.
Brenna Bentley, MS, CGC
Patient & Family Advocate
Brenna Bentley is a certified genetic counselor working as the Patient & Family Advocate for the United MSD Foundation. She graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Psychology. After completing a Fulbright Fellowship to Estonia, where she worked at the Estonian Biobank, she returned to UAB and completed her Master of Science in the Genetic Counseling Training Program in 2020. She currently lives in Huntsville, Alabama, with her husband, their twin daughters, and their two kitties.
Devon Byrd
Patient Research Coordinator
Devon Byrd is a clinical research professional working as the Patient Research Coordinator for the United MSD Foundation. She earned her Master of Science in Biomimicry from Arizona State University in 2024, having completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry, at Howard University in Washington D.C. She has 4+ years of experience in clinical research, having coordinated and managed studies related to chronic disease, heart failure, vascular disease, and general studies to support underrepresented persons in medicine at institutions such as NYU School of Medicine and University of Arizona College of Medicine.
She has volunteered as a public health educator for HIV/AIDs and has been a health advocate for organizations such as the American Red Cross and Save the Children. She is passionate about the power of clinical research and data science to improve medical care as well as sustainability. She lives in Arizona, where she enjoys the warm weather and beauty of the desert.
Ellery Crews
Development & Operations Specialist
Ellery began her career in fundraising and development in 2016 as an intern with the Division of Development and Alumni at Mississippi State University, where she played a role in launching the university’s first billion-dollar capital campaign. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations from MSU in 2017.
Following graduation, she joined Canopy Children’s Solutions in Jackson, MS, contributing to the organization’s inaugural capital campaign to establish its Autism Clinic. It was during this time that her passion for nonprofit advancement truly took root. In 2022, she earned her Master of Science in Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion from Mississippi State University—a degree that reflects her commitment to both community engagement, advocacy, and public health.
After marrying an active-duty Air Force pilot, she relocated to California, where she continued her service through volunteer work with the 22nd Airlift Squadron at Travis AFB and the Fisher House. In January 2024, she joined the United MSD Foundation, bringing her skills and experience to the organization in a remote capacity. She now lives in Southern Texas with her husband, daughter, and pet gecko.
Margaret Fish
Bookkeeper
Margaret Fish joined the United MSD Foundation in July 2020. Margaret comes from a non-profit background having worked for the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence for 9 years. She is also a Board member for the Jenna Robinson Charities, is a member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and is currently the Coastal Plains District Director for the Mississippi NSDAR chapter. Margaret is also a member of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Biloxi. Born and raised in Biloxi, Mississippi, Margaret and her husband have raised 6 children and are now enjoying 9 grandchildren. She loves to start her day walking her dog on the beach.
Felicity Nesham-West, MA
Marketing & Communications Specialist
Felicity is a storyteller at heart with a passion for purpose-driven work. With a Master’s in Journalism-Public Relations from Kent State and 15+ years of experience, she’s helped nonprofits amplify their impact, strengthen relationships, and build engaged communities through powerful content and strategy. Before joining the United MSD Foundation, Felicity championed corporate philanthropy and community engagement at Crane Group—where she partnered with nonprofits to elevate their stories, deepen their impact, and secure critical grant funding. That work deepened her belief in the power of storytelling to drive meaningful change.
At the United MSD Foundation, Felicity leads marketing and communications efforts to share the voices of MSD families, scientists, and clinicians—raising awareness and rallying support to help cure Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency. When she’s not crafting campaigns or connecting with the community, you’ll find her writing poetry, digging in the garden, or hiking Ohio trails with her husband, two boys, and their rescue pups. She also volunteers with several local causes, including serving on United Way of Central Ohio’s Leaders United Steering Committee.