Parkinson’s Foundation Midwest makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) by improving care and advancing research towards a cure. Whether you are newly diagnosed with PD or have been managing it for years, are a care partner, family member or friend of someone with PD, we are here to help you.
We are leaders in ensuring expert Parkinson’s care, educating and empowering the Parkinson’s community and driving the understanding of Parkinson’s through research. As a national organization with local presence and impact, we bring help and hope to the estimated one million people in the U.S., 10 million worldwide, who are living with Parkinson’s.
Our Impact
Your support of the Parkinson’s Foundation Midwest Chapter makes a big impact on the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) right here in your community, as well as across the country and around the world!
The Hospital Safety Guide contains useful tools and information to help a person with Parkinson’s during their next planned or unplanned hospital visit.
The Helpline answers more than 20,000 calls a year
Call our Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (473-4636) to find your nearest PD specialist or local resources and get answers to your PD and caregiving questions.
The Parkinson’s Foundation Community Grants program supports programs that further the health, wellness and education of the Parkinson’s community. We help people with Parkinson’s live better lives, today.
Every year, we award local grants to community programs. Parkinson's Foundation Community Grants are made possible through the support of donors. Check for programs funded in your area.
Our Chapter Board ensures our impact is community based and community lead.
Executive Committee
Andrew Erickson – Board President
Andrew Erickson is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Winnetka, IL. Andrew helps individuals, families, and small businesses achieve their financial goals to fulfill their life's purpose. Prior to joining Edward Jones, Andrew spent over 15 years on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as a principal and trader of a firm, and successfully led his company through some of the most volatile markets in U.S. history. He holds an economics degree from Dartmouth College, where he was a member of the football team. In addition to his work with the Parkinson's Foundation, Andrew is a board member of his town's local youth basketball league.
Robert Bansfield – Vice President
Wes Braun – Opportunity Development Chair
Wes joined the Parkinson's Foundation Executive Committee in 2019 and has served as its Opportunity Development Chair since the board's inception. Wes and his two sisters got involved with the Parkinson's Foundation's Moving Day Committee after their mom's diagnosis in 2012. They lead Team Moving for Mom and have fundraised over $170K in the last 10 years. Wes is Senior Manager at HBR Consulting. He works directly with clients in the areas of procurement, sourcing and process implementation. Wes received both a bachelor's degree in communications and an MBA from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He enjoys watching Chicago sports (especially the White Sox!), traveling with his wife, and is a huge trivia enthusiast.
Board Members
Ruth A. Almen
Congregational Operations Officer, Our Saviour's Lutheran Church
Jason Baumann
Director of Communications, Disparti Law Group; Founder, Media Space Studios, Chicagoland Custom Spirit Group and Laser Sounds
Kevin Donnellon
President, Macali Advance
Sachin S. Kapur, MD
Northwestern Medical Group
Vera Lewis
Vice President of Development and Communcations at Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Rocky Pontikes
Senior Managing Director & Co-Head of Mesirow Investment Banking
Amy Rantala
Project Manager, CoMetrics
Scott Rofstad
Group Senior Vice President, Wintrust Commerical Banking
Susan Stirling
Adjunct Associate Professor, UIC School of Design; Adjunct Faculty, IIT Institute of Design