Board of Directors

Bobby Jenkins

Bobby Jenkins is owner of ABC Home & Commercial Services with offices in Austin, San Antonio, College Station and Corpus Christi. ABC employs over 650 people and offers a wide variety of services including pest and termite control, lawn care and mowing, landscaping and irrigation, tree trimming, air conditioning and heating, plumbing and electrical, pool cleaning and repair, handyman services, appliance repair, and security system installation and monitoring.

Bobby is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in business management. Bobby is a past chair of the Austin Chamber of Commerce and current vice-chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He is a past president of both the Texas and National Pest Management Associations and a past chair and current board member of the Better Business Bureau, Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse and the Alzheimer’s Association. Bobby currently serves on the Agricultural Development Council and Mays Business School Development Council at Texas A&M University. He is a past chair for Caritas of Austin and has served as a trichair for the bond oversight committee with AISD. He has served as the co-chair for the Heart Walk for the American Heart Association and is the current Board Chair of the AHA. Bobby is a past co-chair for the United Way Annual Campaign and current United Way board member. He is the co-founder and board chairman of Recognize Good and past chair and board member of Austin Gives.

Bobby has been married to his wife Jan for 32 years and they have three children; Jessica Pieratt 29, Chelsea 26, and Bo 23. In 2014, Bobby's grandson Moss passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 14 months.

Julia Burgess, CPA

Julia Burgess, a former CPA (inactive), spent over 20 years in accounting and finance within the banking industry. She received her undergraduate degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Julia is also a SUDC mom. Her beautiful daughter Vivienne died 3 days after her 3rd birthday. Since that tragic loss, Julia has been an active member of the SUDC community and is now focused on raising awareness of SUDC and supporting other bereaved parents. Julia is the Founder and Executive Director of Vivienne’s Joy Foundation and lives in MN with her husband and Vivienne’s older sister.

Erin Bowen, MD

Erin graduated from medical school at University College Cork in Cork, Ireland and received her bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College. She is currently a pediatrician at Children’s Medical Associates in Ansonia, CT and has over 10 years of experience in the medical field.

Erin lost her son Conor in 2016 when he was just 17 months old. She is an active member of the SUDC community through her work with “Kisses for Conor” to spread kindness in Conor’s memory and raise awareness of SUDC. Erin is also a constant source of support for other SUDC families through the Foundation’s Family Support Facebook page as well as personal outreach. Erin presented on SUDC at Yale School of Medicine’s Pediatric Grand Rounds Lecture Series.

Erin is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) where she is a member of the Section on Child Death Review and Prevention and previously served as an Assistant District Coordinator for medical students, residents and fellowship trainees. She was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical society in recognition of teaching medical students.

In addition to being an advocate on behalf of the SUDC community, Erin has dedicated herself to helping to improve the investigations of sudden unexpected deaths in infants and young children through the “Sudden Death in Pediatrics: Consensus for Investigation, Certification, Research Direction and Family Needs” project. This project, funded through a grant from the SUDC Foundation to the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) to work collaboratively with the AAP, is working to establish national practice guidelines for investigations, research needs and the sensitive care of families affected by SUDC and sudden, unexpected deaths of infants and young children.

Erin is the proud mom of Conor, as well as two daughters.

Laura Dozier, CNA

Laura Dozier, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, has provided anesthesia care in the greater Charleston area for the last 9 years. She received her Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia from the Medical University of South Carolina. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Laura is an SUDC mother. Her son, Slade, died in his sleep at 18 months of age leaving behind his twin sister. Laura, along with her husband Tom, co-founded the Slade Dozier Foundation in 2016. The Foundation’s mission is to raise awareness of and to facilitate research toward understanding and preventing SUDC.

In addition to working on a per diem basis, Laura serves on the Parent Advisory Committee for Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Learning Center and also serves as a deacon at the church. When not fulfilling these duties you are most likely to find her on a boat or traveling. She resides in Mount Pleasant, SC with her husband, two girls, two dogs and three chickens.

Deepa Suresh Roongta, MBA

Deepa Roongta is Vice President of Finance at Ameriprise Financial and has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Deepa received her undergraduate degree from Cornell College and has an MBA in Finance from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Throughout her career, Deepa has demonstrated her expertise in developing and executing effective strategies that drive business growth and operational excellence. Her ability to translate strategic visions into actionable plans has consistently delivered exceptional results, making her a sought-after leader in the industry. In addition to her financial expertise, Deepa is known for her communication skills and her ability to build strong partnerships. She has been able to influence executives and senior leaders across organizations to align efforts and deliver on critical business objectives. With her collaborative leadership style, strategic mindset, and financial acumen, Deepa is poised to play a vital role in advancing the SUDC Foundation's mission.

Beyond her professional achievements, Deepa is actively involved in serving as a board member and volunteer affiliations and is passionate about giving back to the community through leadership roles with mission-driven organizations that foster diversity and inclusion. She also serves on The Origins Program board and provides consultation to Vivienne’s Joy Foundation.

Deepa was born in London to first generation immigrants from India and currently lives in Minneapolis, MN with her partner.

Brian P. Ehret, F-ABMDI

Brian is the Chief Forensic Investigator at the Center for Forensic Sciences in Syracuse, New York. He has over 32 years of experience in forensic science and medicolegal death investigation. In addition to this role, Brian is an adjunct professor at the Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute at Syracuse University, as well as the Immediate Past President of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI), where he is still an officer and member of the Board of Directors and Advisory Council. Brian is a member of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) where he serves on the Medicolegal Death Investigation Subcommittee. He also serves as the Subcommittee Chair on the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) Working Group on Data Exchange in Medicolegal Death Investigation. He is also an affiliate member of the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) where he serves on the medicolegal death investigation committee. Brian is a member of the teaching faculty of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IACME), as well as the Coroner 101 Program for the New York State Association of County Coroners and Medical Examiners. In 2023, Brian was honored by the IACME as “Investigator of the Year.” Brian lectures on state, national, and international levels regarding the importance of legally defensible death scene investigation and the need for standardized scene procedures.

Karla Elmberg, Esq.

Karla understands deeply the challenges that SUDC families face after Tove (pronounced Tova) passed away at 16 and a half months while napping at daycare on 2/2/2022. Currently serving as the Head of Business Operations at Boston Scientific in Arden Hills, Minnesota, she excels in developing strategic solutions to operational challenges faced by the Legal and Compliance Department. Her leadership in complex projects has significantly improved the scope and quality of support provided. With previous managerial roles at KPMG and CPA Global Support Services, Karla has a proven track record of strategic thinking, operational excellence, and client-focused solutions. Karla's knowledge and insights will be instrumental in driving our mission forward.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Karla is an active member of her community and deeply committed to making a positive impact on the lives of others, dedicating her time to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Feed My Starving Children, and People Serving People. Her volunteer work reflects her compassionate nature and commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others. Karla's dedication to service aligns with The SUDC Foundation's values of empathy, support, and advocacy.

Karla resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her partner, Peder, and her 4 year old son, Tor-Ole. Karla is so grateful to the SUDC Foundation for the connections that she has made and looks forward to providing help and support to everyone in the SUDC Community.

Stephanie Gandomi, MS, MBA, LCGC

Stephanie Gandomi is a board certified, licensed genetic counselor. She is currently a professor and the lead Program Director for the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program at Southern California University of Health Sciences. Stephanie earned her Master of Science in genetic counseling at Brandeis University in 2006 and her MBA from Boise State University in 2019. In 2006, she co-founded the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) clinic at Stanford Perinatal Diagnostic Center in Salinas, and in 2013, joined Ambry genetics as a variant classification genetic counselor for microarray and whole exome sequencing.

In 2013, she became the product manager for Ambry’s clinical genomics (WES). In 2015, Stephanie joined Invitae laboratory supporting the rare disease commercial segment of Medical Affairs with a focus on clinical whole exome sequencing. In 2016, Stephanie was hired as the first genetic counselor in the Blue Cross Blue Shield System of payers as the Principal Program Manager for precision medicine at Blue Shield of California and was also the co-founder of the Boise State University Genetic Counseling Master of Science program. Stephanie became the Director of Genetics at UnitedHealthcare in 2016, supporting prior authorization and medical policy creation for genetics, and served as a Director for Market Access at genetic testing laboratories including Ambry and GeneDx. Stephanie is an AAPC Certified Professional Coder for insurance billing and reimbursement and an AAPC Certified Professional Compliance Officer for insurance-related regulatory (CMS, OIG, HIPAA, etc.). She frequently lectures on insurance-related topics and has collaborated with insurance Special Investigations Units nationwide as a healthcare fraud subject matter expert. Stephanie has also been formally trained in pre-and-perinatal psychology, somatic-based therapy, marriage and family therapy, and trauma-based counseling.

For more information, please visit: Faculty Directory | SCU

Carson McLean

Carson McLean originally hails from SE Michigan, near Ann Arbor, and currently resides with his wife, Ellen, and surviving children, Davy (5) and Lewis (2), in Charlotte, NC. The McLean’s son, Frank, died from sudden and unexplained causes at 23 months old. He and his family founded Frank McLean Forever in 2019, a 501(c)(3) non profit dedicated to advancing SUDC research, awareness, and supporting families in grief.

Carson has over a decade of experience in financial services and a passion for industry practices that better serve end investors. He currently works at Dimensional Fund Advisors as a Regional Director assisting independent financial planning fiduciaries evaluate their investment models, client education programs, and practice management efficiencies.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Loyola University Chicago, a MBA from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, and is currently pursuing the Certified Financial Planner (CFP)® designation through Wake Forest.

Steve Myers

Steve has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey and holds the Series 7, 63 and 65 licenses. Currently, the Regional Vice President of Sales for Jemstep by Invesco, Steve has more than 20 years’ experience working in the financial services industry.

Steve is an SUDC Father. His son, Jacob, died in 2012 at the age of 26 months. Steve has been an active member of the SUDC Foundation community, including, but not limited to: political advocacy related to the SUDDEAA in 2014, bereavement support to other SUDC parents through the email support groups and locally in CA, hosting Jakey's Cup, an annual golf outing and participating in the Understanding SUDC Conference in May 2017 in NYC.

Steve is active in the San Francisco community, where he, his wife and their two children donate their time and resources to several worthy and important causes including SUDC, the Compass Family Shelter, the San Francisco Department of Animal Care and Control and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.