Contact our leadership

Here is how to contact PNSN leadership via email:

Pat Gualtieri has been an active member of the DC/VA PN Support Group since 2014 and has been our Executive Director since January 2021. She was a teacher/librarian for more than 20 years. Prior to joining the Fairfax County Public Schools system, she worked for the Commonwealth of Virginia, The Georgetown University Health Policy Center and University Research Corporation in program development, funding and evaluation.

Her focus was on substance abuse, mental health and aging programs. She was diagnosed with idiopathic small fiber neuropathy at Johns Hopkins in 2015. She lives in Alexandria and can be reached at leader@dcpnsupport.org.

I got interested in public policy and economics in high school. Pursued it through graduate school. Life intervenes, so veered off into a highly-stressful IT career with overeating. overweight, pre-diabetic with good health care, I was diagnosed with “idiopathic” PN in 1997.

 What did I hear? PN causes pain and doctors can do nothing. With little pain and no warning by anyone of the disabling weakness headed my way, I did NOTHING
about PN for 13 years. Little balance wobble in 2010, started steadily getting worse. Still did nothing. In 2015, I joined with Steve Klitzman’s support group and began to understand what a complete disaster PN is for our nation, the world, and my own life.

Probably more costly than Alzheimer’s. In particular, that patients are still being told essentially the same garbage I was told. “Focus on pain.” No mention of what to do about disability, the role of exercise and diet and getting ready for the premature aging process that is PN. In retirement, I split my time between helping my wife recover, doing what I can to spread the truth about PN and working on public policy issues associated with the many crises facing our grandchildren, especially climate change and severe political division.

What did we do in 2021? We figured out how to transition from a single in-person group with four volunteers into a major player on the nation’s tiny online PN support system. We ttracted. more volunteers and seem on the verge of making steps to restart the “spread support far and wide” process that was aborted by Covid-19 and illness.

My name is Rebecca Hotop and I live in Fairfax Station, VA. I graduated from Michigan State University with a major in Pre-Law. I wasn’t able to pursue law school though as I met and married my military husband and we lived in Morocco, Germany and Oman.  I started experiencing PN in 2016 and was diagnosed with an EMG in  2018.  I haven’t had Lyme disease, and I am not pre-diabetic, but I have had low B12 levels in the past.  I can’t remember how or when I became aware of the Annandale support group but attended meetings there.

When Covid demanded masking and social distancing, the Annandale group transitioned to Zoom meetings which continue to be our focus today. When a new PNSN Executive Team was created, I volunteered to become treasurer and we opened a checking account in November 2020.  I think we have a good support group and offer good professional lectures and advice and I hope we continue

My name is Bill Porter and I Iive in Richmond, Virginia. After graduating from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, I taught and coached in high school for six years in both the public and private school systems. After teaching, I became a REALTOR until I retired in 2007. I was diagnosed with diabetic peripheral neuropathy in 2008. I have been a member of PNSN for four years. I joined the PNSN’s Executive Team six months ago. I believe we all this situation together and that sharing is caring.

I started attending this Annandzle PN Support Group several years ago when it met in person in
Annandale. After hearing repeated pleas for volunteers to help with the group, I
volunteered to work with Steve Klitzman to identify speakers on various topics for our
monthly meetings. After Steve left the group I formed a team and continue with this
task.

My career was first in audiology and speech-language pathology, but for the last 25
years of working (I retired in 2010), I directed the publications program of the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association in Rockville, Md. My husband and I live in
Reston but spend our summers in Door County, Wi.

I am followed for my peripheral neuropathy by Dr. Charlotte Sumner at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. I apparently have a genetic type of PN, Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome, and have had symptoms for at least 20 years or more. My PN is progressive and I currently
wear AFOs (ankle and foot orthotics) on both legs and more and more use a cane or
walking stick to ensure my balance.

Judson Vaughn is a retired marketing executive who spent a career in technology and telecommunications. He handles the website and social media for the PNSN. 

Vaughn has diabetic neuropathy that is controlled by the doctor-prescribed food supplement MetaNX. He has been a part of the network since 2018.

“Though there are few so-called cures for PN, there is so much we can learn and do through peer support and education,” said Vaughn, “By talking with one another and sharing what we know, we can improve our quality of life immemsely”.

general@dcpnsupport.org goes to all/most members of the Executive Team, plus a few others (about 12 in all)

treasurer@dcpnsupport.org goes to Rebecca Hotop and Pat Gualtieri

membership@dcpnsupport.org goes to membership coordinator regarding membership questions

blog@dcpnsupport.org goes to Mike Foxworth and perhaps other blog writers for the site

footnotes@dcpnsupport.org goes to the Footnotes editor

programs@dcpnsupport.org goes to the program coordinator Joanne Jessen

OnYourFeet@dcpnsupport.org goes to the editor for our On Your Feet Facebook group