Our Board

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A graduate of Miami University, Laura found her way to FVF through an unassuming connection between puppies & purpose.  As a Delta Gamma in college, she worked on fundraising events & awareness campaigns for their philanthropy, ‘aid to the blind’. Because her grandmother suffered vision loss due to macular degeneration, Laura felt a direct connection to these philanthropic efforts, which prevails today. Since 2015, her family has volunteered as puppy raisers for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, raising & training future guide dogs. While volunteering with her 9 week old GEB puppy at the white cane walk for the Cleveland Sight Center, Laura met Dr. Huang & was soon introduced to FVF. Later, she attended the Cleveland Film Festival’s showing of the ‘Pick of the Litter’ with a 14 month old GEB puppy-in-training, meeting with the director & guide dog teams from the film. Educating people about the patient investment it takes to raise & train a pup to successfully become a guide, and the importance of honoring the unique rules when engaging with a team is a deep passion. For 27+ years, Laura enjoyed a successful career in the hospitality industry in sales leadership, marketing, and national sales training roles for Marriott, Maritz and hotel management companies across the Midwest and east coast. In this space, Laura also facilitated education & training for organizations about the important distinctions afforded to legitimate service animals teams. In her present role, Laura is dedicated to serving clients & organizations across NEO, as a senior business development & relationship manager for Sikich. One of the largest professional services firms in the US, Sikich provides a robust breadth of services & expertise across CPA, Technology, and Business Advisory services to help strengthen mid-market privately held companies & NFP organizations. Laura is delighted to support the work of FVF, helping promote its mission of sharing medical triumphs toward vision restoration through compelling film. Except for the parade of GEB puppies in training, Laura and her husband Dave are officially empty nesters in Hudson, OH, where they raised two incredible daughters. 

Since 2003, James Jorkasky has served as the Executive Director of each the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR), a 501c4 advocacy organization, and the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR), a 501c3 educational foundation. The Alliances, which serve as the “Friends of the National Eye Institute (NEI)” and represent the breadth of the community of support for eye and vision research, engage in advocacy and education, respectively, for the value and cost-effectiveness of federally funded eye and vision research. Mr. Jorkasky is a research biochemist by training who has 40 years of health care policy experience, including senior positions at the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), where he founded the Ophthalmic Devices Sector, and the American Association for Homecare. He received his BA in Chemistry from The College of Wooster and MBA from The George Washington University. Current National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD, and former Director Elias Zerhouni, MD have acknowledged Mr. Jorkasky for his leadership as a research advocate. He has also been recognized by the American Glaucoma Society, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the American Academy of Optometry for his service to the vision community.  
 

 Rozanne Oriella has a long history in the Radio/TV/Film industries. She studied Radio/Television and Journalism at University of Arizona and received a bachelor's degree from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles in Cinematography and Film Production. Her student film, "Electricity", won the Jack Haley Jr. award for best student film, and it appeared in the Cleveland International Film Festival as well as Los Angeles International Film Exposition. She has worked at multiple radio stations and 3 network TV stations in Cleveland, as well as the Cleveland International Film Festival. Ms. Oriella has extensive experience as a Hollywood feature film editor, having edited 5 feature films including "Cyborg" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth". She was an assistant editor on Blake Edward's film "That's Life!" starring Jack Lemmon and Julie Andrews. She has also been credited with producing, script supervising, and sound editing other feature films. Since 1996 she has been a licensed Realtor, currently working with ReMax Traditions in Chagrin Falls. She owns a family property in Tuscany, Villa Zingale, and resides in Chagrin Falls with her husband Lino.  

 Mary Ellen Voiers is a graduate of Miami University in Business Economics with over 20 years’ experience in marketing and advertising in the Cleveland area. She spent ten years with Meldrum and Fewsmith Advertising where she became a Vice President, Account Supervisor and worked on accounts such as Mr. Coffee, University Hospitals, American Greetings and County Line Limited. She was also an Account Group Director for Brokaw Advertising.In 2003, Mary Ellen became one of the founding members of Outrun Ovarian Cancer (OROC), a volunteer-driven, nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness and funds to eradicate ovarian cancer.  As Race Director, Mary Ellen helped establish an annual 5K event to raise money for research in northeast Ohio. To date, this grass roots organization has successfully raised and disbursed over $1.5 million. The race continues to attract over 2,300 participants annually.Most recently, Mary Ellen worked for PNC Creative Services as a consultant and for American Greetings Interactive as an assistant editor. Mary Ellen’s passion for FVF is very personal as she battles Retinal Dystrophy, a rare genetic condition that results in the gradual loss of central vision.