About Us

Fifty percent of individuals with a life-time diagnosis of a mental health issue will show warning signs by the age of 14. Educating students, parents, teachers and school administrators on this often avoided topic is critical. Minding Your Mind provides this much needed education by sponsoring school programs, supporting research and holding an annual public forum each May. A 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Minding Your Mind is based just outside Philadelphia, PA.

Board of Directors

Officers

Steven H. Erlbaum

Mr. Erlbaum is a Founder and Chair of Minding Your Mind's Board. He is an entrepreneur who has a highly successful track record of starting and growing organizations. He was the founder of the nationwide chain David’s Bridal and Mr. Goodbuys, a regional chain of home improvement products. He is the Principal of the Regency Group, a venture capital and commercial real estate company headquartered in Ardmore, PA. Steven mentors young people entering the business world. Through his private foundation, Tzedakah Foundation, Steven supports a wide range of causes including programs for the homeless and research projects related to auto-immune diseases, cancer, diabetes and brain disorders.

Amy B. Erlbaum

Ms. Erlbaum is a Founder and President of Minding Your Mind. She has over 20 years of experience working in the banking industry, specializing in wealth management. She served as a director for the People’s Light and Theater Company, a 501c3 theater group, as well a volunteer at A Better Chance of Lower Merion, a nonprofit organization which refers academically talented students entering grades 6 through11 to independent and public schools. She also serves as a director to the Tzedakah Foundation. Amy graduated from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Roger M. Harrison, MBA

Mr. Harrison is a Founder of Minding Your Mind. After receiving an MBA from Syracuse University, he worked for General Mills in marketing. Roger also served on the 1972 campaign for Senator Joe Biden, and subsequently as Biden’s administrative aide, managing his Washington and Wilmington offices. Returning to the private sector, he served at ARAMARK’s Contract Management of Fleet Maintenance, and as assistant to the chairman of a regional home improvement chain. Additionally, Roger became a partner in a company serving 20,000 real estate appraisers throughout the country. He returned to public service and was elected mayor for two terms and Chief Executive Officer of Woodbridge, CT. Currently, Mr. Harrison is president of RH Associates, a small consulting organization that helps manage telecommunications and electric cost centers in local government.

Eric D. Pisauro, CPA, CFA

Mr. Pisauro is the Secretary and Treasurer of Minding Your Mind. He is a Pennsylvania CPA with over 20 years of experience. Eric led operations and accounting groups at Bank of America Capital Management and PFPC Inc. Since 2006, Eric has served as the finance director for The Regency Group, a private investment company. Eric graduated with honors from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Board Members

Wade Berrettini, MD, PhD

Dr. Wade Berrettini is the Karl E. Rickels Professor of Psychiatry, at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine. He earned his MD and PhD from Thomas Jefferson University. After completing residency training in Psychiatry, he studied genetics of behavioral disorders at the National Institute of Mental Health. For the past decade, Dr. Berrettini has been the Director of the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, a group of interdisciplinary scientists studying genetic and biologic influences on brain disorders and behavior. A visiting professor at several universities as well as the author of more than 200 peer-reviewed scholarly publications, his research interests include genetics and pharmacogenetics of mood disorders, addictions, epilepsy and eating disorders. Dr. Berrettini serves on the editorial boards of Neuropsychopharmacology, Molecular Psychiatry and the American Journal of Psychiatry.  Currently Dr. Berrettini is on the Board of Trustees of the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia; the Scientific Council of National Research Association on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD), New York and has chaired numerous scientific symposia, including Breaking the Silence, Minding Your Mind’s first annual mental health forum.

Patricia Cuddy

After receiving her BA from St. Joseph University and MBA from Drexel University where she was elected a member of Alpha Iota Delta, Decisions Sciences National Honor Society, Ms. Cuddy was a sales marketing executive for Subaru of America.  Additional studies include undergraduate work in Montpellier and graduate studies in Paris.  Since leaving her job in marketing in 1999 to be a full time mother, she has volunteered countless hours to many community organizations.  Current involvement includes The Haverford School Parent’s Association, The Benchmark School Parent’s Association, and serving as Second Vice President of St. Francis Country House Women’s Auxiliary, where she has been a board member since 2000. Ms. Cuddy has been a docent at the Barnes Foundation since 2004 and currently serves on committees at the Franklin Institute and Art Goes to School.  Previously she was involved with the Academy of Music, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the French International School and has taught religious education at Our Mother of Good Counsel. 

Taliba M. Foster, MD

After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Foster did postgraduate work at Columbia University.  She went on to receive her MD from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and completed her psychiatric residency program at St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center in New York City. Additionally, Dr. Foster completed a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she served as Chief Fellow and was awarded the Elizabeth B. Weller, MD Award for Outstanding Clinical Fellow.  She also has received the Heal Thyself Award by the City of Philadelphia and received the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s Systems of Care Scholarship. Dr. Foster has several major committee assignments, including the American Medical Association’s Minority Consortium and is an active member of the National Leadership Summit on Health Disparities, Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. Dr. Foster has private practices in Ardmore, PA and New York City. Dr. Foster has a clinical faculty appointment at New York University--Bellevue Hospital. In addition to her present clinical duties, Dr. Foster has an affiliation with Doctors of the World where she is deployed to help survivors of torture receive legal status in the United States. She continues to lecture on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ethnicity, and Early Intervention. 

Jules Gardner

Jules Gardner was the founder and sole financier of PointRoller Inc., an online advertising technology company that successfully grew from an idea to a successful internet tool in just five years.  Mr. Gardner served as CEO from the company’s founding until its acquisition in 2005.  Prior to founding PointRoll, Mr. Gardner was a principal of West Coast Entertainment, which had over 500 retail video stores nationally  and eventually served as President until the company was sold and went public.  Prior to West Coast Mr. Gardner was Vice President of Marketing for Sorbee International, a manufacturer of sugar free candy.  Mr. Gardner resides in Villanova with his family.

Charles O’Brien, MD, PhD

Dr. O’Brien received his MD and PhD degrees from Tulane University, and received residency training in psychiatry, neurology, and medicine at Harvard, the University of London, Tulane and the University of Pennsylvania. He is board-certified in psychiatry, neurology and addiction psychiatry.  Dr. O’Brien has made many important discoveries and contributions that have become the standard of care in addiction treatment throughout the world. Aside from developing medications to treat alcohol, opioid, and cocaine dependence, his work has also increased the understanding of the clinical aspects of addiction and the neurobiology of relapse. Among his numerous honors, Dr. O'Brien was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 1991, and received the Nathan B. Eddy award for research from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence in 2003. He has advised our national government on drug policy for decades, and was the President of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and the Association for Research in Nervous and Mental Disease.  Dr. O'Brien is the Vice-Chair of Psychiatry at Penn, and the Director of the Center for Studies in Addiction.

Regina O'Brien Thomas, JD    

Ms. Thomas is a partner in the Business and Finance Department and a member of the Family Wealth Management Group at the Philadelphia law firm of Ballard Spahr. She has served as Chair of the Probate and Trust law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association and is on the Pennsylvania Honor Roll of Women. In addition, Ms. Thomas is recognized by Bloomberg Personal Finance as among the top four trusts and estates lawyers in Philadelphia, and has been cited in The Best Lawyers in America from 1987-2010. Ms. Thomas graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa from Connecticut College and received her J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

Steven S. Piltch, EdD

Dr. Piltch has a Bachelors degree from Williams College. He majored in psychology and earned two Masters degrees in education; one in counseling and consulting psychology and the other in educational administration, in addition to a Doctorate in Education from Harvard University.  Dr. Piltch has taught in public and independent schools and is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania.  He has coached a number of sports, most notably, the Harvard squash teams, leading them to six national championships.  Dr. Piltch has been the Head, The Shipley School since 1992.  He has served on numerous boards including the Gladwyne Montessori School, Wyndcroft School, Starfinder Foundation, ADVIS, and PAIS.  Currently he is on the boards of the Center for the Study of Boys’ and Girls’ Lives, Gesu School, Montgomery School, Girard College, among others.  He is an avid sportsman and enjoys his time spent with his family.

Diane Sampson Roskamp

Diane Sampson Roskamp has been involved in the development of senior housing for over 30 years and was a cofounder and national Marketing Director of Freedom Group, Inc.  Diane and her husband, Bob, are developers of continuing care retirement communities, assisted living centers and skilled nursing homes around the country. Through the Roskamp Foundation and Roskamp Institute, the Roskamps support research conducted by an outstanding team of international doctors focusing on Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders such as depression and bi- polar illness, cancer, isolating the Tourette’s gene, and the genetics of addiction.  Diane also co-founded Designing Women Boutique, a not for profit consignment shop in Sarasota, Florida which gives all proceeds to the Sarasota community for arts and humanities.  She has served on numerous boards including NARSAD, the Asolo Theater, the Sarasota Ballet, and the Animal Rescue Coalition.  Diane currently serves as a trustee on the Ringling College of Art and Design Board of Directors.  She recently served as the chairwoman of their capital campaign and completed her duties when they reached their goal of $75 million.  The Roskamps have been honored by the Salvation Army, the City of Sarasota and the University of South Florida for the dedication of the Roskamp chair for continuing studies in Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Benjamin R. Zuckerman

With over 40 years of experience in the packaging industry, Mr. Zuckerman is the President of Zuckerman Honickman, Inc., a leading packaging distribution company.  He also oversees its wholly owned subsidiary, Delta Industries International, Inc., the largest supplier of reusable trigger spray bottles in the United States.  He is a long standing member of the John D. Lankeau Society at Lankenau Hospital.  In addition, Mr. Zuckerman, along with his wife Meryl, established the Zuckerman Family Autoimmune Disorder Research Fund to support the revolutionary efforts of the scientists at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research and the clinicians of Lankenau Hospital.  He supports a number of Philadelphia area institutions and actively fundraises for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and for the MS Society.

Ex-Officio

Christine H. Berrettini, MSW

Ms. Berrettini has over 15 years of experience working at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, both as a researcher in the Intramural Programs of the National Institute of Mental Health and as a Grants Project Officer in the Extramural Program of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.  Additionally she has held Research Associate positions at Thomas Jefferson University’s School of Medicine and at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine.  A graduate of Catholic University, she has authored over 20 publications and has served on the boards of many non-profit organizations.  Currently she is on the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts’ Women’s Board, Co-Chair of the Benefactors’ Society, the Franklin Institute and board member of Eddie’s House.