staff and dedicated volunteersJean M. Baruch PhD, RN
Executive Director and Founder, Beads of Courage, Inc.
Jean has her PhD in Nursing from the University of Arizona, College of Nursing. Her past experiences include: Staff Nurse at University Medical Center; Research Senior Nurse at the University of Arizona, College of Nursing; and Camp Nurse at the Barretstown Gang Camp (Hole in the Wall Gang Camp; County Kildare, Ireland). Her research interests include development and implementation of narrative medicine interventions that work to alleviate the experience of suffering; strengthen resilience; and transform the science of caring for children coping with serious illness.
Elizabeth McPeak MPH
Program Manager, Creative Courage Journal Program
Liz is a graduate from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She has held positions in various areas of the health field from managing clinical trials in cancer to overseeing a governmental Women, Infants, and Children's center. She has extensive medical knowledge and experience in many aspects of working in the medical non-profit sector from grant writing to management.
Christy Puetz BFA
Arts-in-Medicine Program Director and Artist-in-Residence
Christy loves beads and the stories they tell. She has exhibited her beaded sculptural artwork around the country since 1990. Education: University of North Dakota, Bachelor of Fine Arts with Fiber Art focus. She is the past Museum Educator for the Bead Museum. Christy is driven to create programming that will encourage, honor, and help the healing process for kids and families coping with serious illness.
Robert B. Simmons PhD
Bead Donations Director
Research scientist and artist. Twenty eight years with the Biology Department at Georgia State University, currently Program Director for Biological Imaging. Education: B.Sc.(Hons) Biology, University of Ulster, 1979; M.S. Biological Sciences, Georgia State University, 1988; Ph.D. Biological Sciences (Environmental Microbiology), GSU, 1996. On the arts side Robert is a musician, woodworker and glass artist. He's been working with glass beads since 2002 and has taken an interest in sharing the technical aspects of glass working in an effort to make the art safer for the artists.
Colin Smith RN CPON
Program Director
Registered Nurse, formerly worked at the AFLAC Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Roles included Assistant Nursing Manager with concentration on professional development and program implementation. Colin is a member of the Pediatric Oncology Hematology Nursing Association (APHON) and a founding member of the local APHON of Georgia Chapter. Colin was honored to receive the CPON of the Year award in 2008. Proud wife and mother of two beautiful boys, Tyler and Chase and lives in Pittsburgh, PA.
Ashley Ethridge
Communications Director
Ashley is a graduate of the University of Tennessee. She has a background in Logistics and Distribution Management. She has held management positions with Caterpillar Inc. and McMaster-Carr Supply. Ashley lives in Paducah, KY with her husband and two wonderful boys.
Jacob Carter
Director of Community Outreach jcarter@beadsofcourage.orgJacob has been involved with numerous non-profits including Greenpeace, PETA, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the American Cancer Society, and AmeriCorps. He studied at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas (UNLV) with emphasis on Business and English. He is the creator and primary administrator for the largest fundraising Cause Page (in dollars) on Facebook - with over $1,300,000 raised for the Aflac Cancer Center & Blood Disorders Service of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. He is also the current Arizona Aflac Ambassador for CHOA. His 11+ year experience in the Health Care Industry runs the gamut from claims administration, to patient admitting, to medical insurance. Jacob is excited to help further the Mission of Beads of Courage by involving the community, both local and world-wide, via projects, events, and the enCOURAGEment program.
Ashley Lapointe
Program Manager
Ashley is a graduate of Biola University. She worked as Registered Nurse at City of Hope on the inpatient Pediatric Oncology/Hematology/BMT unit for four years were she loved to preceptor new grads. She was also the Beads of Courage Site Coordinator at COH and developed a heart for touching lives through the BOC program. Ashley is a wife and the busy mother of two children, Audrey and Elliott.
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