miraclefeet team

Chesca Colloredo-Mansfeld: Executive Director. chesca@miraclefeet.org

Chesca has a proven track record of helping to create and build organizations in the corporate, academic and non-profit arenas. Her experience includes the University of North Carolina Business School, University of Iowa President's Office and College of Business, eToys, CitySearch, The Boston Consulting Group, Goldman Sachs, International Rescue Committee and CARE. Chesca has worked and lived in Ecuador, Pakistan, South Africa, UK and the US. She received an MBA from Stanford and a BA from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Richard Hoffman: Director of Programs. Richard.Hoffman@miraclefeet.org

Richard has many years of diverse development and relief experience, acquired through senior-level management responsibilities with US-based non-goverment organizations operating in a wide range of countries. Former employers include CRS, IRD, IMC, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. He received a BSFS from Georgetown University (School of Foreign Service) and an MPA from Princeton University (Woodrow Wilson School).

Jennifer Everhart: Program Manager. jen.everhart@miraclefeet.org

Jennifer is a physical therapist whose career has focused on international physical rehabilitation. Her experience includes serving in the Peace Corps in Cote d' Ivoire providing community-based rehabilitation to underserved populations, being the physiotherapy coordinator in Angola for landmine victims, and managing a rehabilitation project in Niger with the country's first Ponseti clinic. Jennifer received her Bachelors in Biology from State University of New York-Oswego and her Master of Physical Therapy at Western Carolina University.

Anne Pope: Contract Financial Management Consultant. anne.pope@miraclefeet.org

Anne's experience includes working as a Credit Analyst and Small Business Loan Underwriter for Central Carolina Bank and serving as Treasurer and on the Finance Committee at her church. She has operated a business that addresses the financial management and bookkeeping needs of not-for-profit and for-profit companies. Anne received her BS in Business Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Dr. Laura Ferreira: Brazil Medical Director. Laura graduated from the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo in 1983. She completed her residency at the Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia do Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP between 1984 to 1987. In 1988, she began with the Tumor Group at Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia and received her title from the Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia. She has been at Hospital Universitario in Sao Paulo since 1989, where she is the director of miraclefeet's first partner clubfoot clinic.

Dr. Milena Cruz graduated from the Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saude Publica in 2002.  She completed her residency in orthopedics and trauma at COT-Martagao, and in 2006 received her specialist in Orthopedics and Trauma from the Brazilian Orthopedics and Trauma Society.  She traveled to Barcelona to complete her specialization in pediatric orthopedics at Hospital Vall d’Hebron and participated in the Advanced Ponseti Method course in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in 2010.  She splits time between Hospital Espanhol in Salvador, where she is a preceptor for the residency program in pediatric orthopedics, and Hospital Martagao Gesteira where she is responsible for the miraclefeet partnership and clubfoot treatment.  Hospital Martagao Gesteira’s clubfoot clinic is on Thursday mornings.

Dr. Augustine Boye Chiewolo: FACORC-Liberia Executive Director.  Augustine graduated from the University of Liberia with a degree in sociology and medicine.  Trained as a Physician Assistant in general clinical medicine for rural communities, Augustine is currently working toward his Masters in Public Health from Cuttington University College.  Augustine was trained in the Ponseti Method by Dr. Jose Morcuende and Dr. Bill Whitmore in 2012 at the University of Iowa, with further training by Ponseti International Association.  Augustine has extensive experience working with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross.  He established the Faith Clinical Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center (FACORC-Liberia), the only clubfoot center in Liberia.

Dr. Martin Enrique Rosales: Mexico Medical Director. Dr. Rosales completed his medical studies at the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Mexico. He studied pediatrics, orthopedics and trauma, and pediatric orthopedics at the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, in the Hospital Infantil de Mexico and Hospital Shriners Mexico. He practices pediatric orthopedic surgery in Shriners, where he learned and put into practice the Ponseti Method. While president of the Sociedad Mexicana de Ortopedia Pediatrica in 2011, he initiated a project to introduce the Ponseti Method to Mexico, Plan Nacional Mexicano de Pie Equino Varo. He is the founder and director of the Mexican Chapter of Ponseti International Association.

Male García-Torres Aguilar completed her undergraduate studies in Chemical Engineering at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).  She completed her first Master’s degree in Marketing at Leicester University in the United Kingdom. She received her Masters of Business Administration from the Universidad Panaméricana in Mexico City. She worked ten years for Kimberly Clark de México, SA de CV. in consumer products research and development as Manager for Top Brands. Currently she works as a consultant in marketing research and new product launches. She is a founder and general director of the Fundación Mexicana del Pie Equino Varo, SC. She pursued this project since 2009, after her daughter Fernanda’s first clubfoot relapse.  Fernanda was born in England and successfully treated with the Ponseti Method.

Olga Aguilar Olvera studied Social Work at the Instituto Nacional de Estudios del Trabajo de la Secretaria del Trabajo y Previsión Social and is a licensed lawyer, having studied at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. She has worked as a social worker at the National Pediatrics Institute, Mexican Petroleum Hospitals, Social Support Foundation, and Food Program in 60 communities.  She worked with the National Surgical Backlog program in the Social Security Institute.  Recently Olga has worked as a social worker in community centers, facilitating medical, dental, psychological, and legal services for clients.  She is the Coordinator of the National Mexican Clubfoot Foundation.

Dr. Mario F. Sequeira Somoza: Nicaragua Medical Director. Dr Sequeira Somoza completed his Medical studies at the Universidad del Noreste, Tampico, Tamaulipas; Mexico. He studied Pediatrics and Pediatric Orthopedics at the Hospital Infantil de Mexico . He practices Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery in Hospital Dr. Fernando Velez Paiz, and Clinica Altamira in Managua, Nicaragua. He learned the Ponseti Method from Dr. Jose Morcuende in 2001, and in 2007 studied in Iowa under Dr. Ignacio Ponseti. He has been practicing the Ponseti Method since 2001.

Dr. Rafael Cruz Molina graduated from UNAN-Leon in internal medicine.  He finished his specialization in orthopedics and trauma, also at UNAN-Leon, in 1982, and his specialization in pediatric orthopedics and spinal surgery in Guadalajara, Mexico and Hospital German Dias Lombardo in Mexico City in 1989.  He has served as a faculty member at UNAN-Leon for 30 years and worked at HEODRA for 35 years, where he has practiced the Ponseti Method since 2006.  The HEODRA clubfoot clinic is on Wednesday mornings.

Dr. Felix Balladares Zamora graduated from UNAN-Leon in 1995.  He later completed his orthopedics and trauma specialization in 2000.  From 2003 to 2007, he was the coordinator for TAR missions.  In 2006, he completed his studies in pediatric orthopedics at the Instituto Nacional de Pediatria in Mexico City.  He practiced general medicine from 1996-2011 in Hospital de Victoria Mota in Jinotega before moving to Leon where he works as an orthopedic surgeon at HEODRA and runs the Wednesday morning Ponseti clinics.  He has been practicing Ponseti since 2007.  The HEODRA clubfoot clinic is on Wednesday mornings.

Karen Moss Director and Founder of STEPS SA. Karen started STEPS SA in 2005, having seen the need for Ponseti in South Africa after her own son was born with clubfoot.  After facilitating brace donations and organizing the first and second South African Ponseti workshops in 2006 and 2007, Karen successfully brought the Ponseti method to South Africa. She is the winner of the 2011 CEO’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government award.  Thanks to STEPS’ partnership with miraclefeet, Karen has recently taken steps to develop a national clubfoot clinic program and is expanding STEPS’s work to Namibia and Botswana.  Prior to focusing full time on clubfoot, Karen was a magazine columnist and Director of Strategic Planning at MMPA.