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 Jacquie Brennan, Esq. - President
Jacquie Brennan is an attorney who focuses her practice on disability law. Her interest in disability law and advocacy started with her nine children, the youngest five of whom are adopted and have different kinds of disabilities. Advocating for her children in legal, medical, and education settings motivated her to become an attorney. Jacquie’s undergrad degree is in music from the University of Houston. She got her Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center in 1997. She is the Director of the Paralegal Certificate Program at the University of Houston. She serves as a hearing examiner for the City of Houston. She is on the Bioethics Committee of Texas Children’s Hospital, as well as the Board of Directors for Womenade of Houston. Jacquie serves as the President of the Board for both Project DOCC Houston and A Simple Thread. In addition to her nine children, she has three grandsons and four shelties.
A. Ann Alexander LCSW – Vice President
A. Ann Alexander was born in Lubbock and reared in Amarillo. She got her undergrad degree from West Texas A&M University and her Masters in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin. After receiving a United Way scholarship for part of graduate school, she moved to Houston to repay the loan with a year’s service at Sheltering Arms. She then assumed the position of social worker in the Blue Bird Clinic for Pediatric Neurology where she remained for 40 years, retiring in 2008. She was also an Instructor in Social Work, Section of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine. Ann was one of the Founders of the Texas Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care, an American Hospital Association Affiliate, in 1973, serving on the Board of Directors and was named as its ‘Social Worker Leader of the Year’ in 1999. She was a Field Instructor in Social Work at both the UT and UH Schools of Social Work. Ann is a long time member of the Professional Advisory Board, Epilepsy Association of Texas-Houston. She has served on committees of other organizations in the community, such as The Center (formerly The Center for the Retarded). She has been on the Project DOCC Board since 2003. Ann loves pipe organ concerts, exercising, reading, and sports, along with her volunteer work at the Blue Bird Circle Resale Shop, and she is enjoying her retirement.
Georgan Reitmeier - Secretary
Georgan Reitmeier has followed a lifetime of commitment to education and community service. A long-time resident of northwest Houston, Georgan presently serves as President of the Klein ISD Board of Trustees. After receiving her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Education from Oklahoma State University, Mrs. Reitmeier taught elementary school and was a reading specialist before leaving to raise her own family. Upon returning to education, she was employed as the director of Keep Pace Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program in Klein ISD and Harris County Department of Education and in retirement as Board Chairperson of the ECI Advisory Board. She has held leadership positions in numerous professional, civic, philanthropic and women’s groups including the Women’s Business Forum, Cypress-Woodlands Junior Forum, the Junior League of North Harris & South Montgomery Counties and the coordinator of Women’s Ministry at Faithbridge Church. She has been recognized by numerous groups and organizations for her many and significant contributions to her field and her communities.
Mary Bramlett Gibbs - Treasurer
Mary Gibbs is a professional fundraising consultant with Dulworth & Gibbs, a community volunteer and a mother of 3 children. She has extensive background in operations management and corporate communications in the banking industry, and began her fundraising career 8 years ago in an effort to better balance her work and family life. She is currently serving as the VP of Philanthropy with the Bayou City Chapter of the National Charity League and has served on the boards of numerous Houston-area charities. She is the mother of three children, Meryl, and twins Connor and Jason, 11 years. In her (rare) free time, she enjoys spending time at her farm in Carmine, Texas.
Lisa Charrin AIA, ACHA - Director
Lisa Charrin is a board certified healthcare architect with more than 23 years of experience, and is a recognized industry expert on the future of medical technology. She presents regularly at national healthcare design conferences, publishes articles and white papers on the subject of planning for trends in medicine and research. In addition to her professional expertise, Ms. Charrin is a parent of a child, born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, who has required many years of oxygen and feeding tube support, and continued developmental needs for supporting sensory integration, oral and motor skills, speech, nutrition and respiratory therapies. After two years as a frequent flier at Texas Children's Hospital, Ms. Charrin was asked to join TCH and develop their first Family Advisory Board, serving as Chairman from 2000-2005. Following the term, Ms. Charrin volunteered to represent families as a lay member of the Bioethics Committee at TCH and served as President of the Board of Directors for Project DOCC Houston from board inception through 2007. For more than a decade, Ms. Charrin has been committed to the principals of family centered care and has presented at conferences such as the International Conference on Family Centered Care and the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Accredited Institutions (NACHRI) on the subject of family centered care, the role of family advisory boards, and the family's role in patient safety.
Carmen Dickerson LCSW - Director
Carmen Dickerson has practiced social work for more than 30 years at The Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital with a focus on children with disabilities and their families. Social Work responsibilities include information, referral and follow up as regards community resources to meet both the child’s and family’s needs, supervision of graduate social work students, participation in the education and training of first year pediatric residents on monthly rotation as regards the medical, developmental and family life needs of children with disabilities. She is a member of the Families Can Advisory Board, Texas Department of State Health Services, the Board of Project DOCC Houston, a Baylor College of Medicine pediatric residency training program, and the Advisory Board of the Baylor Transition Clinic.
Jonathan Horowitz - Director
Jonathan Horowitz is a partner in Lasco Enterprises, LLC, the parent company for The Tasting Room Wine Cafes, MAX’s Wine Dive restaurants, and The Black Door retail wine sales concept. Jonathan is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications, and oversees all communications and media relations for the MAX’s Wine Dive restaurants in three cities, the three Tasting Room locations in Houston, and The Black Door concept at all locations. Jonathan is extremely proud of his involvement in the community, including his service on the Board of Directors for Stages Theatre, his prior service as the president of the Board of Directors for the non-profit performing arts group Project Divisi, and his direct association with and support of Texas Children’s Hospital and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. A graduate of Rice University and South Texas College of Law, Jonathan spent 6 years practicing law before following his entrepreneurial dream. His young son, Samuel, was born with Sturge-Weber Syndrome and has been battling seizures and glaucoma since he was four months old. In addition, in less than four years, Samuel received over a dozen laser treatments under anesthesia to reduce the port-wine stain on the right side of his face. Consequently, Jonathan is acutely aware of the issues parents and doctors face when dealing with chronically ill children. On the other hand, Sammy is just waiting for the time his dad opens a restaurant named after him.
Dave Mayes - Director
Dave Mayes is a Dallas native and has lived in Houston since 1999. He has spent his entire career in the restaurant and bar business. In 2007, Dave started Acclaim Development Group, a restaurant, bar and wine consulting business. In the past, Dave has also worked closely with Inwood Estates Vineyards. Dave’s wife Leeah is a professional photographer. Dave’s efforts will focus on helping Project DOCC with fundraising efforts by tapping into relationships within the restaurant industry.
Angela Mazur M.D. - Director
Angela Mazur is a general pediatrician who specializes in the care of children with complex medical needs. She completed both medical school and residency education at Baylor College of Medicine, and has experienced the Project DOCC curriculum first hand. She is now working at Texas Children’s Hospital in the Special Needs Primary Care Clinic. Every day she is humbled by the strength and resilience of her patients, and by their parents’ tireless efforts as caregivers and advocates. Her interests are focused on improving the education of medical students and residents about the needs of children with complex medical issues and their families.
Bonnie Smith RN, BSN
Bonnie Smith, RN, BSN is Director of Marketing for The Care Group/REACH Therapy Center. She has worked in the home healthcare industry since 1985 and held positions in clinical management, program development, and marketing/business development. Her experience is primarily related to program development to meet the complex care needs of chronically ill/disabled children and adults in their home. This has included educating healthcare professionals and payers on viable care options in the home setting. Bonnie has participated in event planning and educational conference planning committees such as Case Management Society of America and Association for Rehabilitation Nurses.
STAFF
Elaine Hime is the Program Director of Project DOCC, Delivery of Chronic Care, and coordinates DOCC at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and DOCC at The University of Texas Medical School Houston (UTMSH). Beginning in 2002 as Program Director, Elaine formulized Project DOCC at BCM from a volunteer project into a non-profit organization, secured funding, increased the roster of parent teachers and expanded DOCC to UTMSH in 2008. Elaine also serves as a DOCC parent teacher and enjoys training pediatric residents. In 1993, Elaine developed The Resource Guide for Parents of Children with Disabilities, Houston and Surrounding Areas and has updated, bartered for the Spanish translation and reprinted The Resource Guide for the past 18 years in partnership with Texas Children’s Hospital. Elaine has served on several state and local advisory councils concerning services for families of children with special health care needs and Medicaid Managed Care and is currently an appointed member on the Children Policy Council with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Elaine Hime and her husband Jim are the parents of three adult children including their youngest son Rutherford who has multiple disabilities and is medically fragile. A graduate of Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Zoology, Elaine enjoys caring for her dogs and has worked for the Houston Zoo in the Education Department as an Evening Specialist.
Robin Powell is our Financial/Administrative staff member. She holds a BBA in Accounting and an MBA, both from the University of Houston Central Campus. Robin also received her CPA certificate in 1997. Robin has 20 years of Corporate and Tax Accounting experience and 14 years of Non-profit Accounting experience and works with multiple charities in the Houston area. Robin is married and has three children and has lived in the Houston area for over 33 years.
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