Meet Our New NODCC Board Members – Jyothish, Kim, and Dennis

One of the best elements of the NODCC is its commitment to growth and its welcoming of fresh voices to bring positive vision and continued relevance to our organization.  This year, we welcomed several new board members into our fold, and we’re thrilled to introduce you to three of them today!

Jyothish Daniel strongly believes the NODCC is a fabulous organization serving the needs of many families, and he’s right about that! Jyothish became acquainted with the NODCC circa 2003-2004. His daughter, who is now 26, has full Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, and Jyothish was inspired to join the board because his family has been supporters of NODCC for many years. Gratefully, his professional schedule now allows for it. While Jyothish is just getting started on the board, he looks forward to helping the organization fulfill its goals and mission, especially because it serves the needs of so many. He wishes more people knew how many resources this organization can help people access. He hopes to assist in increasing membership and fundraising which will enable NODCC to do even more good for others in the coming years. We welcome you to our board family, Jyothish!

Kim Manning is actually on her second round of board service, and this is because she has been a part of the NODCC dating back to 1999 when the very first email list was put out! She is a fixture in our NODCC community, and like Jyothish, her child is 26 years old! Kim’s son, Will, has hypoplasia of the Corpus Callosum. Her most treasured part of being the on the board thus far has been watching the organization grow and meeting other families. When asked what upcoming initiatives she’s excited about, Kim shares, “The new website and helping other families through these changing times.” We love Kim’s practical outlook when asked about the benefits of investing your time and energy into the NODCC. She shares, “The ability to have community in this journey far outweighs the minimal investment of time that may be asked of you.” We couldn’t agree more. Our community is unmatched! Kim would love for everyone to know about the research we invest into NODCC’s research avenues, and not only the community-related elements so many are familiar with. Kim’s future goals for the organization are making sure we can offer tools to navigate the various systems and programs intended to help. Kim’s once-upon-a-time attendance at a conference “need for volunteers” breakfast sparked her activism in our organization, and now the rest is history! We’re so grateful to welcome Kim back to our board. We’re lucky to have her!

Our third new board member is Dennis Koenigs, who shared, “Having a son with ACC, my wife and I have difficulty explaining the condition. Most people, even family, don’t “get it”.  When we’re with people from the NODCC, they “get it”.  It’s a family that is always there for you.” Dennis is now part of the board, because helping others find a community that “gets it” is important to him. Dennis became most involved with the NODCC around 2020 when his family needed contacts to assist them. His family needed to gain understanding about their son, Donovan, and his journey in ACC as he transitioned into adulthood.  Dennis found the contacts he made through the NODCC to be indispensable. His family attended the Frisco and Chicago conferences, and Dennis soon realized the NODCC was an organization he would like to assist in its mission. As Dennis approaches retirement, I felt a need to “give back” to those that have helped his family, and the NODCC is one of those organizations. As a board member, he is excited to see increased membership and help to grow the group’s ability to contribute to research. To anyone considering getting involved with the NODCC, Dennis offers, “Don’t hesitate. The adage ‘many hands make for a light load’ comes to mind.  We all have gifts to share and contributions to make.” When not busy being a board member, Dennis spends time with his four children and five grandchildren. He also enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time outdoors, and working on projects around the house.

We’d like to offer an enthusiastic NODCC welcome to these three new contributors to our board, and we can’t wait to see the waves they make as they step into their roles. We will keep you posted on their inspirational journeys!