NEW YORK & MIAMI – July 9, 2020 – The Parkinson’s Foundation appointed two members to its Board of Directors, Christina Weaver Jackson, AV/VR Policy Manager at Facebook, and Travis Scott Howe, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Operations and Strategy at The Walt Disney Company.
“Christina and Travis bring a passion for helping people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) live better lives today, as well as extensive business experience that will ensure the Foundation continues its accelerated growth,” said Howard D. Morgan, Chair of the Parkinson’s Foundation Board of Directors. “We look forward to working alongside them to advance our research, care and educationmission objectives.”
Christina oversees government relations related to augmented and virtual reality at Facebook. Prior to that she worked at the Raben Group, a public policy group based in Washington D.C., as a Legislative Counsel for Congresswoman Shirley Jackson Lee, and as an attorney at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Christina attended Howard University and Boston College Law School where she received her J.D.
"Watching my father deal with the progression of Parkinson's disease, and dealing with my own transition into a caregiver role have been nothing short of difficult. However, those challenges have resulted in a growing passion for programs that support individuals and families impacted by PD,” said Christina. “I am both humbled and excited to have the opportunity to serve on the board and serve this community by contributing to a vital network of support, resources and research that will ultimately lead to a cure."
Travis oversees global digital and television advertising operations across ESPN, ABC, FreeForm, Disney, FX & Nat Geo at the Walt Disney Company. Prior to Disney, he worked in senior leadership positions at Mediaocean, Sony and Accenture. Travis serves on several nonprofit boards including the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School and the Lighthouse Guild. Travis attended University of Colorado Boulder.
“I am honored to contribute to such an esteemed organization dedicated to improving the lives of those living with Parkinson’s,” said Travis. “Being involved on the board will allow me to support the journey of my father, and many others living with the disease, and contribute to leaving a legacy of change through the program and services provided by the Foundation.”
For a complete list of Parkinson’s Foundation Board of Directors visit Parkinson.org/Board.
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About the Parkinson’s Foundation
The Parkinson’s Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson’s community. For more information, visit www.parkinson.org or call (800) 4PD-INFO (473-4636).
About Parkinson’s Disease
Affecting nearly one million Americans and 10 million worldwide, Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s and is the 14th-leading cause of death in the United States. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). There is no cure for Parkinson’s and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.
