Mike Conrad – Executive Director

Email: mconrad@jdrf.org
Phone: (336) 455-7901

Mike has served as Executive Director of the Piedmont Triad Chapter for 11 years; before that, he served for four years on the chapter’s Board of Directors. Mike has two brothers who are diabetic, and—after his father tragically passed away from complications of type 1 when Mike was only 16—he knew he wanted to get involved with finding a cure for this disease. Mike is extremely passionate about being a part of the cutting-edge research JDRF is funding with the hope of finding a cure.

Mike  is positive that with the continued support of dedicated volunteers like those in the Piedmont Triad, the cure will be found in the near future. In fact, Mike is hopeful that with all the research and funding going on, he’ll work himself out of a job! Mike lives in Greensboro, and in his spare time he loves to spend time outdoors and in his garden.

In recognition of his amazing leadership skills and the excellence of the Piedmont Triad Chapter, Mike was recently named the JDRF Staff Member of the Year! Click here for more details.

Mitzi Ellis – Development Director

Email: mellis@jdrf.org
Phone: (336) 455-7905

Mitzi focuses on building strong relationships in the smaller cities in the Piedmont Triad, including High Point and Burlington. She came to JDRF from Our State magazine, where she was the Director of Visibility. She and her husband Steve have lived in Greensboro for over 30 years. They have two daughters, Alex and Brooke, who have graduated from college and are embarking on their adults lives.

Mitzi has a strong philanthropic background, and is very active in Rotary, for which she continues to lead the Triad Flight of Honor program for World War II veterans. She has a personal connection with JDRF, as her mother-in-law had type 1 diabetes, and she has experienced first-hand the challenges that are associated with this disease.

Marlee Foster – Special Events Director

Email: mfoster@jdrf.org
Phone: (336) 455-7902

Marlee has been a member of the Piedmont Triad Chapter team since November of 2008. In her former job, Marlee participated in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, which sparked her interest in working with JDRF. She has always considered JDRF a wonderful organization, and when Mike Conrad approached her about a position, it was a great fit! Marlee also shares a personal connection to type 1: her uncle has dealt with the disease since childhood and has recently experienced serious complications, so her commitment to raising awareness and funding for research is very important to her and her family. Marlee has several goals for diabetes research. Her primary hope is to see a cure within the next 10 years.

She also hopes that people will better understand that funding research is not just about funding the possibility for a cure for diabetes, but for many other diseases as well. Marlee is originally from Lynchburg, Virginia, and graduated from Appalachian State University in 2004. Marlee, who is an avid movie buff, has many pastimes and hobbies. She lives with her husband, Matthew, and their black Lab, Abby.

Anna Marie Carr – Development Manager

Email: Email: acarr@jdrf.org
Phone: (336) 455-7903

Anna Marie joined JDRF immediately following her graduation from Wake Forest University. She grew up in Winston-Salem, where her father is a physician and her mother is the Executive Director of a local nonprofit. Anna Marie has been committed to working in the nonprofit sector since high school, when she began leading volunteer organizations and interning at local nonprofits. At Wake Forest, she studied French and African Studies, and continued working in the nonprofit sector, serving in leadership roles with several organizations, as well as in Ghana and Vietnam through service learning opportunities.

For JDRF, Anna Marie will spearhead development in the Winston-Salem market, including the Winston-Salem walk, and will contribute in many other ways for our chapter.  She’s thrilled to be a part of the passionate, committed community that is JDRF, and believes that together, we will Cure, Treat, and Prevent Type 1 Diabetes and improve countless lives.

Anna Marie lives in Winston-Salem, and enjoys spending time with family, teaching dance, and playing with her adorable dog, Fury. She agrees with the words of Anne Frank, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

Kristi Greene – Office Manager

Email: kgreene@jdrf.org
Phone: (336) 455-7904

Kristi—who was diagnosed with type 1 when she was 10 years old—has always been extremely interested in JDRF and its goal of finding a cure. She joined JDRF in 2011, after working a local company and captaining one of its Burlington Walk Teams several years ago! As a technical writer, software trainer, and business analyst, Kristi is already putting her skills to great use for the Piedmont Triad Chapter!

Kristi grew up in Lexington, North Carolina, and currently lives outside Greensboro with her daughter Mori, who is a senior in high school, and their two dogs, Snooters and Moose.