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 Manager

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 – Development Manager

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.

Sylvia Herndon – Development Manager

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

Sylvia, who focuses on Winston-Salem and on chapter-wide Outreach,  joined JDRF in the fall of 2010, right before the Winston-Salem Walk. To say that it was a baptism by fire is no exaggeration! Before joining the JDRF team, Sylvia was working part-time and volunteering a great deal, and she’s thrilled to be working and making a difference in the community full-time.

Sylvia is a real Triad girl—she grew up in High Point, worked in Greensboro (previously), and has lived in Winston-Salem for 25 years. She has three kids in College—her son Wells is at North Carolina State, her daughter Cameron is a junior at Sewanee, and her daughter Laine just started her freshman year at High Point University.

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.