Board of Directors

Bobby Jenkins

President

Erin Bowen, MD

Vice President

Julia Burgess

Secretary

Laura Dozier

Board Member

Lorri Caffrey

Founding Member

Steve Myers

Board Member

Carson McLean

Board Member

Scientific Advisory Board

The SUDC Foundation Scientific Advisory Board was created to influence the priorities of SUDC resources to address the Foundation’s mission, the accurate dissemination of information regarding SUDC and provide scientific expertise to benefit the SUDC cause. The board is made up of researchers, clinicians and medicolegal death investigative professionals. These professionals offer advice and provide expertise in areas related to achieving the mission of the Foundation and helping to serve the needs of the SUDC community. 

Dominic Abrams, MD, MRCP
Michael J. Ackerman, MD
Thomas A. Andrew, MD, FCAP, FAAP
Andrew M. Baker, MD
Orrin Devinsky, MD
James Claude Upshaw Downs, MD
Thomas Keens, MD
Joanne Kuntz, MD
Kelly C. Lear, MD
Peter Lin, MD
Deborah A. Robinson
Roger Byard, MD
Ross Reichard, MD
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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.

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.

Julia Burgess

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.

Laura Dozier

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.

Lorri Caffrey

Born and raised in New Jersey, Lorri is a graduate of Katherine Gibbs's business school and has vast administrative knowledge. After a 10-year career as a legal assistant and paralegal, she experienced the tragic loss of her firstborn daughter in 2003. Jenna Morgan Caffrey was a thriving, healthy and happy child. She passed away while taking a nap at her daycare on January 10, 2003, at the age of 16 months, and subsequently died on life support the following day. No explanation could be found as to why Jenna died.

Shortly after her loss, Lorri joined the SUDC Program. Connecting with other families affected by the loss of a child brought Lorri great comfort. It was then that she realized that she found a "new calling" and direction for her life. She began volunteering for the SUDC Program in 2003 and, in 2004, she took on a larger role in an administrative position within the organization, helping to further its mission through the years.

Lorri is a Cofounder of the SUDC Foundation. She is committed to making a difference for SUDC families everywhere and is passionate about helping others. Presently, Lorri is the Executive Director of the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter. She also holds leadership positions with the Girl Scouts USA, serves as a Catechist at her Church, and is a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs where she has served as a Board Member, and achieved several major awards recognizing her commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.

Lorri currently lives in NJ, with her husband of 17 years, and teenage daughter.

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.

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.