Helen Fine Griffin

Board President, Friendship Circle of Virginia

Helen was born and raised In Richmond. In high school, Helen spent many hours volunteering at the Cerebral Palsey Treatment Center and the Virginia Home for Incurables. She worked on the staff of the first inpatient adolescent unit at MCV.

As a Navy Wife, Helen traveled and moved often while raising 2 daughters. She previously served as President of Navy Relief in London England, President of Beth Israel Synagogue, Lexington Park, Md., President of the Officers Wives Club, Patuxent River, MD, President of B’nai Israel Sisterhood, Norfolk, VA, and is currently serving on the Boards of the Weinstein JCC, Keneseth Beth Israel, and the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond.

Karen Giles – Board Treasurer: CPA

Karen Giles, CPA is a Senior Manager at a big four public accounting firm with over 18 years of experience in both public accounting and private industry. She provides multistate tax services to large multinational corporate and pass-through clients, in the energy, hospitality, manufacturing, technology, and the real estate investment trust industries.  Karen assists clients with a wide variety of tax issues, with a focus on income /franchise consulting, tax compliance, tax planning, and tax reporting. 

Marissa Marczak, B.A., CCMA – Inclusive Teen Leadership Board Director:  Clinical Medical Assistant

Marissa Marczak is a clinical medical assistant who has been involved in FCVA for five years. She is a former Teen Leadership Board President and has actively participated in Friends@Home and FCVA programs. In 2024, she graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Behavioral Neuroscience and is pursuing a career as a physician. 

Carla Arton: Parent 

Carla Arton grew up in California and has lived in Virginia for more than eleven years. She moved to Richmond in the Spring of 2023, from Charlottesville, with her husband and two children. She has over seventeen years of experience working with heritage collections and leading digital preservation initiatives at museums, archives, and libraries in the U.S., England, and Scotland. She’s currently the Director of Technology Solutions for the University of Virginia Library. In addition to being the mother of children with additional needs, she is a strong advocate for accessible technology and universal design. 

Jennifer Brandeis: 

Missy Bunce, LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Missy was born and raised in Richmond and has dedicated both her personal and professional life to helping others. She is a LCSW currently working with children and teens in an inpatient psychiatric facility. Prior to her return to the mental health field, she spent over 13 years running the Inclusion and Support department at the Weinstein JCC. She has seen the power of inclusion and advocacy and is committed to creating a more kind and compassionate world. Missy is married and has 2 amazing children. 

Mia Enders: Parent and Disability Advocate

Mia was a microbiologist until her son's birth required her to become a stay at home parent.  During the last 6 years, she has helped families navigate the complicated processes involved in caring for a medically complex child.  Accessibility for those children being the main focus.  Mia has also been active on and off with Special Olympics for over 20 years.

Kevin Fine: Senior Account Executive 

Kevin was born and raised in Richmond, VA. After graduating from VCU, he moved up and down the east coast before settling back in Richmond in March 2020. Since returning, he has enjoyed getting involved in the local Jewish community and currently serves on the board of the Richmond Jewish Foundation, Rudlin Torah Academy, Hillel at VCU, and Friendship Circle. Professionally, Kevin serves as a Senior Account Executive at American Floor Mats. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys playing golf and ice hockey, and spending time with his two kids, wife, and goldendoodle.

Harry L. Gewanter, MD: Retired Pediatrician/Pediatric Rheumatologist

Dr. Harry Gewanter is a semi-retired pediatric rheumatologist who has been an active advocate for children, families and people with disabilities for decades. He is a co-founder of Medical Home Plus, Inc., an organization that provides information, support and resources for families with children and youth with disabilities. He also serves on the board of the disAbility Law Center of Virginia and other local, state and national organizations.

Peter Heyman, MD: Pediatrician

Dr. Peter Heyman has been a Friendship Circle board member for the past 3 years in addition to serving on the Board when Friendship Circle was founded here in Richmond over 10 years ago.  He is also the immediate past treasurer.  Peter has been practicing pediatrics for 25 years with RVA Pediatrics.  He lives in the West End with his wife Allison, and his children Alex and Sadie. 

Adele I. Karp, LCSW, LLC:  Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Adele is a clinical social worker who has extensive experience in working with children and adults, families and couples currently in private practice. A highlight of her career included 21 years of working at Jewish Family Services, where she developed, and administered, the Weinstein JCC’s pilot community-wide Inclusion Program, including social groups, religious
school, pre-school, after-school and camp programs to ensure that everyone feels welcome and integrated in our community. This program continues to be the pride of the JCC. Adele enjoys her family, traveling and bicycling.

Rabbi Yossel Kranz: Chabad of Virginia

Rabbi Yossel Kranz is the Executive Director at Chabad of Virginia and has served the Richmond community for over 30 years. He is a founding member of the board since its creation 10 years ago. Friendship Circle of Virginia is a project of Chabad Virginia.

Judith Levy: Community Volunteer

Judith Levy has lived in Richmond for 47 years.  She spent her early professional years in Atlanta working in the fields of education, counseling  and psychology.  She developed programs, conducted testing and individual and group therapy with mentally and physically challenged institutionalized children.   Over the years in the Richmond community  she has devoted her time to numerous organizations including the Massey Cancer Center and facilitating support groups for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  She is a former board member of The Richmond Jewish Foundation, Beth Sholom Home  and the JCFR.  Judith enjoys travel and cherishes family time with her Richmond based, grown children and five grandchildren.

Jay McLaughlin: Rehabilitation Counselor

Jay McLaughlin survived a traumatic brain injury in 1988. He went on to attain a Masters degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. He currently works in the community with adults and children with a wide variety of disabilities.

Lynn Schwartz: Community Service Volunteer

Lynn Schwartz is a native Richmonder.  Being a community service volunteer for many years has been a main focus for Lynn.  She is a Past president of the Weinstein JCC as well as a continued Board member since 1999, current member of the National Jewish Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy Board, Cadence Theatre Company Board current member, past Hadassah President, past member of the Bon Secours Community Advisory Board, and member of Leadership Metro Richmond class of 2013. Lynn co-launched It’s All Art which brings art to at risk individuals and recently released incarcerated individuals.  Lynn enjoys travel and family time which includes five grandsons and one granddaughter.

Matthew Shapiro: Disability Consultant

As a person with a disability, Matthew has spent most of his life motivated to teach those he has met how to better understand the disability community and inclusion. Through this work it has become his life’s mission to educate others regarding disability related issues. With this thought in mind, in December of 2014, he created 6 Wheels Consulting. Working with those in both the private and public sectors he hopes to expand their understanding of disabilities and inclusion to give them the tools they can use in any environment. Matthew has had the privilege of sitting on numerous disability boards and speaking at a variety of conferences both locally and nationally. 

Nathan D. Zasler, MD, DABPM&R, FAAPM&R, FACRM, BIM-C, CBIST

Dr. Nathan Zasler is Founder, CEO & Medical Director of Concussion Care Centre of Virginia, Ltd., as well as Tree of Life Services, Inc.  Dr. Zasler is board certified in PM&R, fellowship trained in brain injury and subspecialty certified in Brain Injury Medicine.  He is an affiliate professor in the VCU Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Richmond, VA, and a visiting professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.  He has been working with people with neuro-disability for over 30 years and has a long history of disability advocacy.