Meet Our Board Members:
Libby Woolford
President and Board Member
Libby Woolford is the WSS Foundation President, Board Member and Chairs the Community Board Committee focused on conference, regional ambassadors and other activities to unite our global WSS community.
Libby, her husband, and two children reside in Sacramento, CA. Her daughter was diagnosed with WSS in March of 2014 at the age of 20 months via whole exome sequencing. Since that time, she and her family have been committed to learning more about WSS, supporting those affected by WSS and rare diseases, and navigating processes and resources to encourage research of WSS to ultimately benefit the lives of those affected by WSS.
She graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Liberal Arts and a multiple subject teaching credential. Formerly an elementary and middle school teacher, Libby has been a realtor in Sacramento since 2006. She also holds a Governor appointed seat on California’s Interagency Coordinating Council on Early Intervention.
Christina O'Keeffe
Board Member
Christina O’Keeffe is a WSS Foundation Board member, past Treasurer, Chair of the Research Board Committee, and supports the Scientific Advisory Board to plan and implement the research investments and activities of the WSS Foundation.
Christina lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and three children. Her youngest son is diagnosed with WSS and inspires her advocacy work for children with special needs and those with disabilities to achieve their full potential. Professionally, she has more than 20 years of leadership experience in government, non-profit and grassroots organizations. Christina currently serves as Executive Director of a statewide government agency in the State of Ohio that focuses on financing of sustainability projects.
Christina holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University. She holds various professional certifications and is an active member of her community with positions on advisory councils for Columbus Early Learning Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Kim Lagravinese
Secretary and Board Member
Kim Lagravinese is a WSS Foundation Board Member. She lives in New York with her husband and three children. Her son was diagnosed with WSS in April 2017 when he was 19 months old. After this initial diagnosis, the WSS Foundation provided Kim and her family with a wealth of information and resources that they had been searching for. She is committed to giving back by promoting WSS research and helping other families navigate their way through WSS diagnoses.
Kim is a Patent and Corporate Attorney, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Management, Masters of Business Administration (MBA), and Juris Doctor (JD).
Krystal Thurman
Board Member
Krystal Thurman is a WSS Foundation Board Member. She lives in Madison, Mississippi with her family. Her son was diagnosed with WSS in 2018 at the age of eight. He had previously been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and Klippel-Fiel Syndrome. Receiving the WSS was the missing piece in the puzzle. Upon learning of the diagnosis, Krystal turned to the WSS Foundation for information and connection to other families impacted by WSS. She is passionate about developing awareness of WSS and is committed to supporting all efforts to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families.
Krystal works in training and development and has more than a decade of experience working in higher education abroad. She is a gubernatorial appointee to the Mississippi Autism Board, has served as chair person for the Mississippi Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP) and for the Mississippi Autism Advisory Committee, and participates in numerous community service projects through her membership with the Junior League of Jackson. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, Master of Business Administration, and Specialist in Community College Teaching and Administration, all from Arkansas State University. She received her Doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Mississippi.
Diego Mahecha
Co-Treasurer and Board Member
Diego Mahecha is the WSS Foundation Treasurer and Board Member. He lives in New York with his wife and 2 sons, ages 9 and 7 years old. Diego’s youngest son was recently diagnosed with WSS and this has encouraged him to look for ways to expand research and resources for those impacted by WSS. Diego has more than 25 years experience in finance as an investment banker in London and New York. In addition, he was the CFO of a telecom infrastructure company in Colombia, Peru and Chile. He is currently a Managing Director and Head of Telecom and Media Investment Banking for the Americas at Nomura Securities and has previously worked at Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Lehman Brothers/Barclays. Diego received a B.A. in Economics from the City University of New York at Queens College, and an M.B.A. from the Darden Business School at University of Virginia.
Thor Misko
Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Board Member
Thor Misko is the WSS Foundation Vice-President, Board Member, and Chair of the Education Board Committee focuses on the design and implementation of educational events and activities for the organization.
He lives in Greendale, Wisconsin with his wife, Lisa, and their three children. His middle child, Ryker, was diagnosed with WSS in June of 2017, when he was 17 months old, via whole exome sequencing. Thor and Lisa are passionate advocates for their son, trying their best to provide him with the love and support he needs to reach his full potential. They were blessed to find their WSS family, literally moments after diagnosis, and are excited to be part of foundation’s strong community and its promising research.
Thor is the vice president and minority owner of Selzer-Ornst Construction Company. Previously, he was a program director with the Kern Family Foundation helping universities transform their engineering programs and the vice president of development for PLTW – the nation’s largest K-12 STEM education program. Thor earned his bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from MSOE. He is also a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional, a MSOE Corporation Board Member, and a Greendale School District Board Member.
Annabel Corbett
Board Member
Annabel Corbett is a WSS Foundation Board Member. She lives in London, England, with her husband and two children. Her son was diagnosed with WSS in 2015 when he was 8 years old after many years of tests, investigations and huge uncertainty over his future. Annabel is determined to spread awareness of WSS to ensure other families receive an early diagnosis and have access to the support and knowledge of the growing WSS community.
In her “other” life, Annabel has a BA in Law from the University of London, then qualified as a Barrister specialising in criminal law for some 15 years before her current appointment as a District Judge (Magistrates’ Court).
Drew Schaefer
Co-Treasurer and Board Member
Drew lives outside of Louisville, KY with his wife, Kristin, and three children. His youngest daughter was diagnosed with WSS in 2017 at only 10 months old and the WSS Foundation was one of main sources he leveraged that diagnosis day. Drew and Kristin aim to become better advocates for all present and future families affected by the syndrome and Drew appreciates the opportunity to represent the WSS Foundation as another avenue of advocacy.
Drew received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and MBA from the University of Dayton and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 2006. He has worked in various public and private accounting roles over the past 16 years. Currently, Drew is a partner at SCJ Fiduciary Services, which provides Trustee support services for Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP). Additionally, he serves as CFO for Spark Dental, which provides leadership and organizational support for emerging dental groups.
Alexandra Gillett
Board Member
Alexandra Gillett is a WSS Foundation Board Member, assisting on the Research and Development Committee. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and their son. Her son was diagnosed with WSS in September 2021 at 18 months via whole exome sequencing. Along with the genetics report and a long list of new specialists to see, the genetics team recommended the WSS Foundation as a starting place to look for a family community and further information. Immediately finding people who were so dedicatedly working to help the WSS community in so many ways was very reassuring. After spending the next months interacting and eventually volunteering with the Foundation, Alexandra joined the Board. She is excited to use her experience in the biological sciences to assist on the Research Committee.
Alexandra is a research scientist at the New Jersey Dept. of Agriculture. She received her BS in Entomology and Plant Protection at the Univ. of Delaware and subsequently earned a Doctorate in Entomology from Rutgers Univ.