Róisín McManus is stutterer, nurse practitioner and mother. She has been involved with Friends since 2010, and still gets chills witnessing its impact on kids, families, adults and therapists. She works as a nurse practitioner specializing in palliative care, and lives in Providence, RI with her husband, daughter and extended family. 

Stavros Ladeas is a PWS, a proud father and software engineer based in Providence, RI. He spent a decade in NYC where he met my amazing wife and became involved in the stuttering advocacy community. His work challenges him and helps him grow, and he enjoys being a new parent in his free time.

Arin Sheeler is a proud parent of a young boy who stutters. Her family found Friends through The Ohio State University One-Day Conference in 2018, and attended their first Annual Convention in Chicago in 2019. Her husband and 3 children live in Columbus, Ohio, and both Arin and her husband work for The Ohio State University. She is a Speech

Rick Arenas is a person who stutters and a parent of a child who stutters.  He works at the University of New Mexico as an associate professor where he teaches and conducts research in the area of stuttering.  He is honored to be able to be part of Friends.  The organization does an amazing job supporting young people who stutter and their families.  

Adannaya Brown (she/her) is a parent of a person who stutters, dedicated advocate, friend, and student of the stuttering community. A relentless chaser of joy, her favorite pastimes are reading, dancing, and staring at the sky. She lives with her husband, four children, and two dogs in Aurora, Colorado.

Eric Jackson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a person who stutters, speech-language pathologist, and Assistant Professor at NYU, where he conducts research on stuttering. He is a long-time supporter and volunteer for Friends.

Joel Korte is a person who stutters and the owner of Chase Bliss, a Minneapolis based company that designs and manufactures guitar pedals.

Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP is the director of YouSpeak, a private practice in Philadelphia, where she works with individuals of all ages who stutter. She is also the Director of Programs and Education for The Stuttering Foundation and an Adjunct instructor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Sara previously served as the Friends

Mark O’Malia, M.S., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and person who stutters. He is a full-time clinician at The American Institute for Stuttering (AIS) in NYC, working with people who stutter across the lifespan. 

I am the proud parent of a daughter who stutters and eternally grateful to the entire Friends organization for providing so much support, knowledge, and comfort to our entire family. Friends has been life changing for us and we are so privileged to be part of this phenomenal organization!

Tricia Zebrowski is a long-time volunteer with FRIENDS and has been a presenter and facilitator for many annual conventions, one-day workshops and virtual parent groups. In recent years she organized the Graduate Student Training Program at the annual convention. Tricia is a speech-language therapist and Professor