COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS COMMITTEE
The Community Connections Committee (CCC) helps ensure that CHADD’s education, peer support, and advocacy efforts reach people across the ADHD community, particularly those who face challenges accessing evidence-based information, diagnosis, care, participation, or support. Within CHADD's existing framework, the committee works with staff to propose and help to create programs, content, and peer support groups that respond to the varied needs and experiences of people affected by ADHD. It also helps CHADD’s leadership, staff, and volunteers better understand the communities CHADD serves and apply that understanding to the organization’s programs, communications, and priorities. The committee’s overarching objectives are to improve access to evidence-based ADHD information and support, with the goal of improving health outcomes for individuals with ADHD.
Nicole B. Smith, EdD, MBA, Co-Chair
Nicole B. Smith, EdD, MBA, is an accomplished educational leader with experience spanning kindergarten through higher education. Throughout her career, she has taught students of diverse abilities and backgrounds, demonstrating a deep commitment to academic excellence, equity, and student success. She most recently served as chief executive officer of a charter school for two years, advancing strategic initiatives and supporting student achievement. She has also served on numerous educational panels, and her work has been recognized in academic publications and professional journals. She earned a doctorate in higher education and a master of business administration with a concentration in organizational development from Rockhurst University. Additionally, she holds a master of arts in education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor of science in journalism with an emphasis in public relations from the University of Florida. She also maintains multiple teaching certifications in business and journalism-related disciplines. A passionate advocate for educational opportunity and leadership development, Dr. Smith is dedicated to helping students, educators, and organizations reach their full potential. Outside her professional endeavors, she enjoys traveling, exploring new restaurants, staying active, and spending time with her three adult sons and daughter-in-law, who are the center of her world.
James Douglas Jr., MHC, MFT, CHWC, Co-Chair
James Douglas Jr., MHC, MFT, CHWC, is a clinical mental health counselor, marriage and family therapist, certified health and wellness coach, and ADHD performance coach based in Wellington, Florida. Douglas supports youth, teens, adults, families, and organizations through coaching, psychoeducation, and wellness-focused interventions centered on ADHD, executive functioning, emotional regulation, resilience, and sustainable wellbeing. Diagnosed with ADHD at the age of seven, he brings both professional expertise and lived experience to his work supporting neurodivergent individuals and families. He earned his master’s degree from Barry University and brings an integrated background in mental health, coaching, and organizational wellness. Grounded in a neurodiversity-affirming and strengths-based approach, he has worked across clinical, coaching, and corporate wellness settings with organizations including Google, YouTube, Cerebral, AbleTo, Ezra, and Shimmer. His work focuses on helping individuals better understand and navigate ADHD-related challenges while supporting professionals and organizations in improving employee wellness, building resilience, strengthening communication, preventing burnout, and creating sustainable mental health support systems within the workplace. Through coaching, advocacy, and community engagement, Douglas remains committed to empowering neurodivergent individuals, families, and organizations with education, support, and meaningful connection.
Stephen Chen
Stephen Chen is a board-tested operational leader and CFO who connects people and initiatives that can improve business and societal outcomes at the intersection of technology and business transformation. Chen was educated at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, New York University, and Brown University. He is a public and private board member of several companies, including Phunware, Kent Moore Capital, BioIntegrate, and formerly Anchor Fundings. He was previously the chief investment officer for a UHNW commodities-based family office and started an alternative asset fund that was collateralized by assets in excess of $2B. Chen brings twenty years of executive experience in financial services and technology, where he has built up particular expertise in sales, capital markets, strategic partnerships and investments, as well as growing and scaling business operations in the United States and Asia. He is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce in New York City, the Urban Land Institute, New York Investment Network, and Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. His philanthropic work has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Fox News, ABC, and NBC. He has spoken at Yale, Brown, NYU, and Columbia University and is the recipient of the Orphans International Global Citizenship Award, the Dragon 100 Fellowship, and the C.V. Starr Fellowship. He has been profiled in two books, Luck Does Not Exist by Mario Calabresi and Inspired! by Vik Venkatraman.
Chris Foster, EdD
Chris Foster, EdD, has been a public school teacher for over twenty-five years. Certified in multiple subject areas, she is currently teaching culinary arts in high school (mainly baking and pastry, because who doesn't like to bake?). Writing her dissertation on teacher turnover, with an emphasis on neurodivergent teachers, led Foster to build on this research with further studies on neurodiverse educators and neurodiversity in education and the workplace. She is an adjunct professor at Wichita State University and teaches concurrent credit through WSUTech. Her son and stepson both graduated from college in May 2022; she also has a “bonus daughter” (stepdaughter) with ADHD in high school and two four-legged children. Foster has an insatiable appetite for travel, photography, and learning. She enjoys the outdoors and spending time working with others. Her personal ADHD journey began at age forty-six. Learning more about her "superpower" has made her even more passionate about helping students, teachers, families, and communities to understand the neurodiverse and learning differences.
Larry Jones, MD, MBA, AACC
A retired pediatrician, Larry A. Jones, MD, MBA, AACC, received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He completed his pediatric residency, genetics fellowship, and MBA in executive healthcare management at Washington University in St. Louis. He opened a general pediatrics office in St. Louis in 1981, with a specialty in learning disabilities. Dr. Jones became more involved in treating children with ADHD after he and his three sons were diagnosed, and ever since he has been proactive in bringing awareness about ADHD to public health officials, hospital administrators, and physicians. He served as the chief administrator for childhood lead poisoning and all other child and maternal health activities for the city of St. Louis. For ten years he served as a physician advisor for hospitals in St. Louis, and he subsequently served in that capacity in Charlotte, North Carolina, prior to his retirement. A member of WIE Champions, a group of Charlotte men promoting open discussions on race and culture, he also serves on the board of directors for NAMI Charlotte and several ministries at Friendship, MBC, including social justice. With his wife, Audrey, he coauthored Falling Through the Ceiling: Our ADHD Family Memoir. After training as an ADHD and life coach, he founded TASTE of Success Coaching, with “turning ADHD from stigma to stability” as his mission. Most recently, Dr. Jones and his wife founded the nonprofit Enable Tables Media to support individuals, families, and educators addressing learning challenges. He received CHADD’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.
Liseth Lopez
Liseth Lopez serves as the health information specialist at CHADD. Trained to deliver accurate and dependable information, she assists individuals in making informed decisions regarding ADHD. Additionally, she offers support to the Latino community, catering to Spanish-speaking callers. Prior to her role at CHADD, Lopez worked as a medical assistant in pediatric and adolescent care for two decades. Possessing an associate degree in healthcare administration, she remains enthusiastic about advancing her career and maintaining a positive outlook while making a difference within the ADHD community, particularly among underserved populations.
Gabriela Navarro
Gabriela Navarro is the bilingual health information specialist at CHADD. She is dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within the public health space. With a background as a certified clinical medical assistant, especially in pediatrics, she has a deep understanding of ADHD and its impact on individuals and families. Growing up in a culturally diverse background, Navarro experienced firsthand the stigma surrounding mental health within her own family and community. Despite these challenges, she advocates for increased awareness and support for individuals facing similar struggles. She is committed to being a voice for those who may have been silenced or overlooked.
Navarro holds a bachelor of science in public health sciences from the University of Maryland and is passionate about continuing her education to further her impact in community outreach efforts. She believes in addressing health disparities at both the individual and systemic levels, with a focus on creating inclusive spaces where everyone can be seen and heard. Through her work at CHADD, she strives to provide culturally competent and comprehensive support for individuals with ADHD, their loved ones, and professionals, ensuring that language is not a barrier to accessing crucial evidence-based health information and resources.
Max Wiznitzer, MD
Max Wiznitzer, MD, is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics and developmental disorders at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and in pediatric neurology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He then did a National Institutes of Health funded fellowship in disorders of higher cortical functioning in children at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York. Since 1986, he has been a pediatric neurologist at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. He is an associate professor of pediatrics, neurology, and international health at Case Western Reserve University. He has a longstanding interest in neurodevelopmental disabilities, especially ADHD and autism, and has been involved in local, state, and national committees and initiatives, including autism treatment research, Ohio autism service guidelines, autism screening, and early identification of developmental disabilities. He is on the editorial board of Lancet Neurology and the Journal of Child Neurology and lectures nationally and internationally about various neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Rachel James, MSLIS, Staff Liaison
