Our Board
Kathy Rainen
Honorary Board Member
Kathy, a former Employee Benefit Consultant, is a director at Rainen Companies, Inc., a former trustee of Baker University, and former board member of Junior League of Kansas City, Junior Women’s Symphony Association and March of Dimes. She is a married mother of two adult daughters, one of which is affected with BCCNS. Kathy’s passion is for continued research for BCCNS and providing support to those who have BCCNS, as well as those who are affected by it.
Kathy Rainen
Honorary Board Member
Kathy, a former Employee Benefit Consultant, is a director at Rainen Companies, Inc., a former trustee of Baker University, and former board member of Junior League of Kansas City, Junior Women’s Symphony Association and March of Dimes. She is a married mother of two adult daughters, one of which is affected with BCCNS. Kathy’s passion is for continued research for BCCNS and providing support to those who have BCCNS, as well as those who are affected by it.
Samuel Breneiser
Sam has been a healthcare executive for the past 20 years. He has been married for 24 years and spends his time cooking when not working. Sam is committed to the BCCNS Alliance because of his three affected relatives, whom he loves very much and would do anything to help along with others affected with BCCNS.
At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou
Samuel Breneiser
Sam has been a healthcare executive for the past 20 years. He has been married for 24 years and spends his time cooking when not working. Sam is committed to the BCCNS Alliance because of his three affected relatives, whom he loves very much and would do anything to help along with others affected with BCCNS.
At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou
Kevin Gullatt, Treasurer
Kevin is the Director of Risk Management for a private family in Fort Worth, TX. He is a married father of twin sons, who love baseball, soccer and anything involving the Texas Aggies or TCU Horned Frogs! Kevin’s wife and one of his sons are affected with BCCNS. Kevin wants to do whatever he can to make living with the condition better for his family and anyone else who is affected.
We know what we are but know not what we may be. -Wm. Shakespeare
Kevin Gullatt, Treasurer
Kevin is the Director of Risk Management for a private family in Fort Worth, TX. He is a married father of twin sons, who love baseball, soccer and anything involving the Texas Aggies or TCU Horned Frogs! Kevin’s wife and one of his sons are affected with BCCNS. Kevin wants to do whatever he can to make living with the condition better for his family and anyone else who is affected.
We know what we are but know not what we may be. -Wm. Shakespeare
Michael Rainen
Mike is Chairman of Rainen Companies, Inc., and a married father of two adult daughters, one of which is affected with BCCNS. Mike serves on the board to help others and to work toward ending BCCNS and basal cell carcinomas.
Michael Rainen
Mike is Chairman of Rainen Companies, Inc., and a married father of two adult daughters, one of which is affected with BCCNS. Mike serves on the board to help others and to work toward ending BCCNS and basal cell carcinomas.
Roni Rubenstein
Roni is a lawyer by training, having worked as a litigator on Wall Street and as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. For the past decade, Roni has been involved with a variety of nonprofits, specifically in grant making, strategic planning and governance. Roni is married with three adult children. She serves on the BCCNS Alliance Board because of an affected family member. Roni is committed to advancing the support and treatment of individuals with BCCNS, particularly in this moment of tremendous scientific promise.
Roni Rubenstein
Roni is a lawyer by training, having worked as a litigator on Wall Street and as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. For the past decade, Roni has been involved with a variety of nonprofits, specifically in grant making, strategic planning and governance. Roni is married with three adult children. She serves on the BCCNS Alliance Board because of an affected family member. Roni is committed to advancing the support and treatment of individuals with BCCNS, particularly in this moment of tremendous scientific promise.
Meredith Weiss, President
Meredith is an attorney in Texas and serves on numerous community boards. She is a married with three lively children who collectively love musical performances, beating each other at chess, and food adventures. Meredith’s devotion toward the BCCNS Alliance started when her daughter was diagnosed with BCCNS in 2011. She believes that love is a verb and is committed to improving the prognosis and ease of managing this disease.
Choose to be optimistic, it feels better. ―Dalai Lama XIV
Meredith Weiss, President
Meredith is an attorney in Texas and serves on numerous community boards. She is a married with three lively children who collectively love musical performances, beating each other at chess, and food adventures. Meredith’s devotion toward the BCCNS Alliance started when her daughter was diagnosed with BCCNS in 2011. She believes that love is a verb and is committed to improving the prognosis and ease of managing this disease.
Choose to be optimistic, it feels better. ―Dalai Lama XIV
Jenni Werkmeister
Jenni has worked in the healthcare industry as support staff for more than 20 years and been a member of the BCCNS group for 17 years. She is married and a “mom” to a spoiled four-legged dog. Jenni chose not to have children due to BCCNS. Jenni is a BCCNS survivor who dances with it daily. After being diagnosed with her second brain cyst in 1999, she discovered there was no support for BCCNS. Jenni is one of the pioneers who helped to create the BCCNS Alliance and loves to tell others that they are rare but not alone.
I have BCCNS, it doesn’t have me. – Jenni Werkmeister
Jenni Werkmeister
Jenni has worked in the healthcare industry as support staff for more than 20 years and been a member of the BCCNS group for 17 years. She is married and a “mom” to a spoiled four-legged dog. Jenni chose not to have children due to BCCNS. Jenni is a BCCNS survivor who dances with it daily. After being diagnosed with her second brain cyst in 1999, she discovered there was no support for BCCNS. Jenni is one of the pioneers who helped to create the BCCNS Alliance and loves to tell others that they are rare but not alone.
I have BCCNS, it doesn’t have me. – Jenni Werkmeister
John Wood
John works in property management in the historic neighborhoods of Columbus, OH for the past 12 years. Prior to that, he was a high school social studies and Spanish teacher. John married another teacher and has two teenage children, a son and daughter, who both enjoy pole vaulting. Since being diagnosed with BCCNS in middle school, John has had 1,000 plus basal cell lesions removed, as well as a handful of jaw cysts and teeth over the past 35 years. Knowing what he’s been through, a thousand plus surgeries later, and knowing that anyone who has BCCNS could just as easily be his son or daughter, John has great motivation and passion to support the cause of finding a BCCNS cure and helping those affected along the way.
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. -Matthew 12:34
John Wood
John works in property management in the historic neighborhoods of Columbus, OH for the past 12 years. Prior to that, he was a high school social studies and Spanish teacher. John married another teacher and has two teenage children, a son and daughter, who both enjoy pole vaulting. Since being diagnosed with BCCNS in middle school, John has had 1,000 plus basal cell lesions removed, as well as a handful of jaw cysts and teeth over the past 35 years. Knowing what he’s been through, a thousand plus surgeries later, and knowing that anyone who has BCCNS could just as easily be his son or daughter, John has great motivation and passion to support the cause of finding a BCCNS cure and helping those affected along the way.
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. -Matthew 12:34
Our Staff
Julie Breneiser
Executive Director
Jean Pickford
Associate Director
Madeline Miller
Program Manager
Lindsay Hartman
Program Manager
Medical & Scientific Advisory Board
Allan Bale, MD
Yale University
David Bickers, MD
Columbia University
Andrzej Dlugosz, MD
University of Michigan
Ervin Epstein, MD
CHORI
Jason Givan, MD
Ridgeview Dermatology
James Hanna, DDS
Ashtabula County Medical Center
John Hellstein, DDS
University of Iowa
Joseph Helman, DMD
University of Michigan
James Solomon, MD
Ameriderm
Jean Tang, MD
Stanford University
Andrew Walter, MD
AI Dupont Hospital