Board of Directors

AASCEND Board

Left to Right:

  • Jacob Wang, Office Worker, adult on the autism spectrum
  • Michael Bernick, Attorney; Former Director of California’s Labor department, EDD;  Autism Job Club author; parent
  • Steve Medina, Product management director; parent
  • Stacey Kennedy, a performer and creative artist, singer on Smule.com (with the nickname SoundSavvyKnine), AASCEND TV commentator, adult on the autism spectrum with the co-existence OCD traits that altogether make her very talented!
  • Camilla Bixler, AASCEND Co-chair; City College of San Francisco faculty; Support for Families honoree; SF Mayor’s Office of Disability honoree; Star Academy founding board member; parent
  • Franz Wolf, AASCEND Treasurer; Insurance specialist; previously, legislative aide to Congresswoman Jackie Speier
  • Jennifer Brooks, adult on the autism spectrum
  • David Van Etten, General Manager and owner of The Network Meeting Center; parent
  • Paul Nussbaum, Handyman; writer; autism speaker; US Air Force veteran; Leader/Organizer of Expedition-Autism; adult on the autism spectrum
  • Ronald Bixler, City College of San Francisco faculty; background in financial planning; Star Academy founding board member; parent
  • Keith Halperin, Sr. Technical Recruiter; AASCEND TV Host
  • Gregory Yates, AASCEND Co-chair; handyman; zen student; brain science writer; adult on the autism spectrum;
  • Will Bernick, recent  Cal State University East Bay graduate; works in data entry; AASCEND TV Host; adult on the autism spectrum
  • Dan Simpson (emeritus), University Recruiter
  • Jennifer Schwartz (emeritus), community volunteer; previously in pharmaceutical sales with Pfizer; parent
  • Brian Jacobs, General Partner in Emergence Capital Partners, a venture capital firm focusing on technology-enabled services; parent
  • James Ullrey, IT specialist; adult on the autism spectrum, deceased

Not Shown:

  • Cassindy Bierhaus, attorney, Proxifile Inc. founder; parent
  • Suzanna Curtis, adult on the autism spectrum
  • Jack Fagan, Director of Operations at Grace Cathedral; former chair San Francisco Mayor’s Disability Council; previously, Program Director, The Arc of San Francisco
  • Lawrence Fung, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine; Director, Stanford Neurodiversity Project; parent
  • David Platzer (emeritus), Medical Anthropology PhD; previously Experience Researcher at Adobe Design
  • Adam Pollack (emeritus), Autastics founder (see Autastics.org).
  • Pamela Buttery (emeritus), Real estate developer; 20 year board member of CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates; parent