Leadership
The Institute is comprised of several boards and committees that drive the institute forward.
Leadership Team
Tracey B. Kirsch, Board Chair
Daniel L. Kirsch, PhD, FAIS President
William C. Heckman, MS, DAIS, Executive Director
Angela Fertitta, Marketing and Donor Relations
Donnalyn Brown, EMT, DAIS, General Manager
COL Kathy T. Platoni, PsyD, FAIS, Editor, Combat Stress magazine
Stephanie Ross, PhD, MHD, FAIS, Editor, Contentment magazine
Kathy Schoop, Managing Editor of AIS Magazines and Accounting Manager
Michael McMahon, Creative Director, AIS magazines
Board of Directors
Tracey B. Kirsch, Board Chair
Daniel L. Kirsch PhD, President
Holger Wrede, Esq
Robert Bisaccia
Science and Education Board
Chair: Lewis S. Coleman, MD, FACA, FAIS, Anesthesiologist and author of the seminal book 50 Years Lost in Medical Advance, the discovery of Hans Selye’s stress mechanism.
David C. Mason, DO, MBA, CPPS, FACOFP, FAIS, Assistant Dean of Osteopathic Clinical Education, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, UNTHSC, Ft Worth, Texas
John Kuhn, EdD, FAIS, Superintendent of Schools, Mineral Wells, Texas ISD
Jeff Jernigan, PhD, BCPPC, LPC, FAIS; Life Science and Healthcare Practice Leader, Stanton Chase International; CEO and Medical Programs Director, Hidden Value Group
Louise Gaston, PhD, FAIS, Director, TRAUMATYS, Previous Associate Professor, Psychiatry, McGill University, Quebec
Daniel L. Kirsch, PhD, DAAPM, FAIS, Pain and Stress Specialist, President, The American Institute of Stress
Combat Stress Board
Chair: Kathy Platoni, PsyD, DAIPM, FAIS, COL (Ret), US Army, COL, Ohio Military Reserve/State Defense Forces, Dayton SWAT, Editor, Combat Stress magazine
Stephen Barchet, MD, FACOG, CPE, FACPE, FAIS, Rear Admiral, Medical Corps US Navy, Retired
Richard S. Biehl, MA, FAIS, Police Chief, Dayton, Ohio
Brian S. Earthman MD, FAIS, Psychiatrist, MAJ (Ret), US Army Reserves, Medical Director, EPI, Inc.
Dave Fair, PhD, D Min. CMC, FAIS, Certified Master Chaplain, President ChaplainUSA, Senior Chaplain, Brown County, Office of Emergency Management
Charlie Bass, MD, PhD, FAIS, LTC., U.S. Army, (Ret)
Christiane O’Hara, PhD FAIS, Advisor, Women Veteran Social Justice Network
Daniel L. Kirsch, PhD, DAAPM, FAIS, Pain and Stress Specialist, US Navy Contractor (Ret), President, The American Institute of Stress
Daily Life and Workplace Stress Board
Chair: Cynthia Ackrill, MD, PCC, FAIS, Applied Neuropsychology Practitioner, Editor of Contentment Magazine, Certified Stress Mastery Educator, Faculty, College of Executive Coaching and Healthcare Coaching Institute
Heidi Hanna, PhD, FAIS, Brain Fitness Researcher, Instructor, Harvard Extension
Andrew Pleener, MD, FAIS, Psychiatrist, Founder of the #SameHere STARR & Psych Alliances
Sharon Montes, MD, FAIS, Founder, Living Well Whole Health, Former Medical Director for the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine
Josh Briley, PhD, FAIS, Science and Education Director, EPI, Inc., Former Clinical Psychologist, VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Brownwood, Texas
Wendy Garvin Mayo, APRN, ANP-BC, DAIS, Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Stress Solution Strategist
William C. Heckman, MS, NBCT, DAIS, Board Certified Educator, Executive Director, The American Institute of Stress
The Founding Board of Trustees of The American Institute of Stress
Robert Ader, PhD, Rochester, NY (1932-2011) • Herbert Benson, MD, Boston MA • Paul A. Brown, MD, Upper Saddle River, NJ • Dennis L. Colacino, PhD, Purchase, NY (1941-2007) • Cary L. Cooper, PhD, Manchester, U.K . (1940-2018) • Norman Cousins, Los Angeles, CA (1912-1990) • Micheal E. DeBakey, MD, Houston, TX (1908-2008) • Theodore M. Dembroski, PhD, St. Petersburg, FL • Edward C. Donovan, Mattapan, MA • Joel Elkes, MD, Louisville, KY (1913-2015) • Carlton Fredericks, PhD New York, NY (1910-1987) • James Goddard, MD, Stamford, CT (1923-2010) • Senator Barry M. Goldwater, Washington D.C. (1909-1998) • Kenneth Greenspan, MD, New York, NY (1931-2019) • James Goddard, MD, Stamford, CT (1923-2010) • Senator S.I. Hayakawa, Mill Valley, CA (1906-1992) • Thomas H. Holmes, MD, Seattle, WA (1918-1989) • Bob Hope, Palm Springs, CA (1903-2003) • John Laragh, MD, New York, NY (1924-2015) • James L. Lynch, PhD, Baltimore, MD • James S.J. Manuso, PhD New York, NY • Lorenz K.Y. Ng, MD, Washington D.C. • Peter Nixon, FRCP, London, UK • Kenneth R. Pelletier, PhD, Berkeley, CA • Paul J. Rosch, MD, Yonkers, NY (1927-2020) • Ray H. Rosenman, MD, Menio Park, CA (1920-2013) • Henry Russek, MD, Boca Raton, FL (1943-2021) • Hans Selye, MD, PhD, Montreal, Canada (1907-1982) • Sidney Scherlis, MD, Twson, MD • Marcy J.T. Smith, MS, RN, Barnstable, MA • Robert H. Spencer, New York, NY (1931-2020) • Marvin Stein, MD, New York, NY (1924-2009) • Charles F. Stroebel, PhD, MD, Hartford, CT (1936-1998) • Charles Swencionis, PhD, New York, NY • Alvin Toffler, New York, NY (1927-2019)