Melanie Perry, Co-founder, President
Melanie is Travis' mother. She grew up on Long Island and graduated Summa Cum Laude from SUNY Albany with a degree in Accounting. She worked for a big four accounting firm for two years in New York City and one year in Paris. Having always been drawn to animals, she decided to change careers and went to the University of Pennsylvania to earn her doctorate in veterinary medicine. She and her husband have a son working in computer engineering and a daughter in medical school. They have two dogs and two cats.
David Perry, Co-founder, Treasurer
David was born and raised in England. He majored in Physics at Kings College, London. He then joined a big-4 accounting firm and qualified to be a British Chartered Accountant. David worked in many places in the world before marrying Melanie and moving to Scottsdale, Arizona to start a family in 1997. Travis was born in 1999 and Jordan and Nicole were born in 2001. David has specialized in forensic accounting for the last 25 years and earned the highest overall score in Arizona when he took the Certified Public Accountant examination. He enjoys sports, travel and spending time with friends and family.
Mark Friedman, Vice President
Mark retired as a Vice President for one of the nation's largest, publicly traded health insurance companies. He has 25+ years of leadership responsibility in the health care insurance field, and over 35 years of progressive management experience. He has previously held board positions for non-profit organizations that include regional Boys and Girls Clubs, community associations and religious institutions. In his spare time Mark enjoys a variety of leisure sports, traveling and spending time with family. Mark currently resides in Maryland with Janet, his wife of 30 years, and treasures close relationships with his two children and three grandchildren.
Joel Friedman PhD, Secretary
Joel is a psychologist licensed in two states with over 25 years of experience working in a wide variety of settings including private practices, schools, hospitals, correctional facilities and employee assistance programs. He is a member of the Camden County (New Jersey) Partnership for Suicide Prevention. Joel is an adjunct professor, teaching in a law and justice studies department at a university. He volunteers time to a synagogue, helping to provide educational programs. He is married and has two children.
Andi Paus, Board Member
Andi and her family are friends and neighbors of the Perry family. She grew up in West Point, Nebraska before graduating from Creighton University with a BSBA in marketing and a JD from Creighton University School of Law. Andi practiced family law litigation, first in Arizona, then in Overland Park, Kansas, and back in Arizona for approximately 15 years before transitioning her practice to family law mediation, arbitration, and parenting coordination work. She is a partner at Arizona Mediation Institute in Phoenix. Andi lives in Scottsdale with her longtime significant other, Steve, children, Carter and Kennedy, and two dogs.
Marissa Lilja, Board Member
After graduating from law school, Marissa worked in the bankruptcy and creditor's rights department of a law firm for a few years before taking some time off to raise her kids. She resides in a suburb of Baltimore City with her husband, their young daughter and two sons, two cats and a dog. In addition to spending time with friends and family, Marissa enjoys traveling to new places, baking, and reading.
