Meet Our Board Members:

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.

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.