President/CEO – Michelle Keating, RN, MSCN
Michelle is an RN with oncology nurse experience and multiple sclerosis nurse certification. Her career highlights include health education and counseling for all types of patients, chemotherapy and oncology care, injection training for MS disease modifying drugs, and provision of emotional and medical support by telephone for patients with MS for over 10 years. She retired in 2018 as a nurse navigator in the Cancer Information Center located in the David C. Pratt Cancer Center at Mercy St. Louis. She is published in several journals, and has been faculty for nurse, physician, and patient programs. In recent years, she has created novel programs for patients focusing on “hope in MS”. These began with MS Evening of Hope and Many Steps Toward Hope, and now include many other programs. In 2016, professional and personal experience and passionate efforts propelled her to establish MS Bright Spots of Hope as a 501c3 nonprofit, whose mission is to educate, empower, spark creativity, and enhance wellness for the MS community and broader community through engaging programs featuring positive MS role models.
Diagnosed in 1981 and now living with relapsing remitting MS over 41 years, Michelle has personal experience with multiple disease modifying drugs. She was one of the original board members of the Multiple Sclerosis Nurses International Certification Board. In 2003, she was awarded the Consortium of MS Centers Best Patient/Family Education Platform Award for her work on a patient guide to MS “Development of the MS Guidebook”. In 2008, she was awarded the IOMSN Hope award for the poster Quilting for healing and hope in multiple sclerosis. In 2011, she presented the keynote personal message at the 26th Can Do MS Autumn Benefit, Living the Can Do Spirit. Michelle was honored as Woman of Courage 2012 for the Gateway Chapter of the National MS Society.
Her “can do” attitude, her amazing story of symptom improvement and mobility recovery from using a scooter full time to walking and bicycling at the park and smiling face inspires hope in others!
Secretary – Cathy Daugherty
Cathy Daugherty is an Assistant Professor at St. Charles Community College. She has spent her entire career in education. She is a graduate of Webster University with a BA degree in Psychology. After graduation, she married and moved to Southern California. She attended Pepperdine University and earned a MA degree in Education. She is passionate about teaching students and loves inspiring college students to further their education.
Cathy was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2019. She is newly diagnosed, but she has had symptoms for many years. When the COVID pandemic hit, she felt alone and searched her St. Louis community for support. She heard about MS Bright Spots of Hope and started attending events on Zoom. She found that this community provided exactly what she was looking for: support, hope, and love. Cathy joined MS Bright Spots of Hope because she believes in the mission and philosophy. She went from being a teacher to a student as she learned how to cope with MS from her fellow group members. You can find her exercising with bungee cords at cycling training, dancing at the classes, riding a recumbent bike, or socializing at the MS Evening of Hope. Cathy has received so much joy ever since joining MS Bright Spots of Hope and is humbled to serve on the Board of Directors.
Treasurer – Russ Miller
Russ Miller is a Bank Manager, Vice President with Paramount Bank. In this role, Russ manages a team providing exceptional customer services in all aspects of business banking. Russ has more than 13 years of management experience in banking. Before joining Paramount Bank, Russ worked for 20 years for a
diverse range of organizations including A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc, Men’s Wearhouse, Southwest Bank, Busey Bank formerly Pulaski Bank. This all laid the foundation for his present position at Paramount Bank. Russ is an active member of the North County Chamber of Commerce. He has worked with other non-profit organizations including the Lion’s Club, Autism Speaks, former President of the Garrett Elementary PTA in Hazelwood, MO and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
“My wife was diagnosed with MS six and half years ago. I have seen firsthand what this disease can do to an individual and family. There are many times individuals feel hopeless. I would like to assist in bringing back hope to these families. I would like to share my expertise in the banking industry as well as stand side by side with individuals who may be going through this for the first time. Community is something that is needed by not only individuals but for family members.”
Director – Rudy Yanuck, M.D.
Rudy is a retired physician, the 2010 Gateway area chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Father of the Year, a US Navy veteran, and a father of six children. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1994. He is a graduate of Dickinson College in Carlisle Pennsylvania, and the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC. He did his Surgery internship at the Naval Hospital in San Diego, California, his pathology residency at the University of California Irvine, and his Hematopathology fellowship at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, also in Washington, DC. After completing his medical training, Rudy worked at the VA Medical Center in St. Louis, MO as the Director of Hematopathology and Flow Cytometry until retiring in 2013.
Rudy speaks about his journey walking hand-in-hand with MS by sharing some of his trials and triumphs, tragedies and victories. Hopefully his story will inspire and give hope not only to those suffering with multiple sclerosis, but also those suffering any chronic disease, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, mental illness, even those suffering from chronic good health. He knows personally that hearing other people’s accounts of their difficulties and how they were able to cope with their illnesses and continue living life fully have been very inspirational to him. Rudy joined MS Bright Spots of Hope because he feels passionate about the mission of this organization of empowerment and inspiration
Chair- Mark Frank
Mark Frank founded the St. Louis Institute for Rehabilitative and Sports Massage in 1995 after graduating from Kaleidoscope School of Massage in St. Louis, Mo. in 1994. Since graduating Mark has practiced structural integration, active isolated stretching and myofascial integration in the St. Louis area, while teaching courses and seminars from 1997-2001 in Swedish massage, myofascial integration and active isolated stretching at the Kaleidoscope School of Massage in St. Louis, Mo.; myofascial integration at the CORE Institute in Tallahassee, Florida; and structural integration at the CORE Institute in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Mark’s experience is grounded in work with clients that have chronic pain and structural problems as well as numerous professional and amateur athletes. He was a member of the British Olympic Sports Massage Team in 1995, assistant coach for the British Olympic Sports Massage Team in 1996, massage therapist for the U.S. Women’s Field Hockey team in 1995, therapist for the Washington University Athletic Department during the 1995-1996 season, and personal therapist for Gail Devers and Jackie Joyner Kersee at the U.S. Track and Field Meet in 1997.
Mark’s wife, Abbie has been living with MS since 1996. He has witnessed first-hand how MS changes one’s life and the life of their family. After being introduced to Bright Spots of Hope and their cycling program in the spring of 2022, he realized he had found an organization that align with his beliefs. His hope is to help Bright Spots build an organization that gives people with MS opportunities to participate in physical and social activities.
Director -Gina Fletcher
Gina Fletcher is a retired executive from a direct sales company with an organization of consultants and leaders spanning the globe. As a sales coach and trainer, she mentored and trained thousands during her career and received many awards along the way.
After 25 years with MS, and in spite of owning four walkers, a wheelchair and a mobility scooter, Gina maintains a hopeful outlook. In 2019, she wrote and published a book that quickly reached Amazon’s Best Seller status in the health & wellness category. “Stumble to Rise: My Life Surviving and Thriving With MS” tells about her journey, full of inspiration for anyone who’s dealing with adversity while striving to achieve goals; and as she realistically points out, everybody is struggling. Maybe it’s a diagnosis, job loss, divorce, or addiction. “MS just happens to be my challenge.”
By telling her story, she has helped and inspired countless numbers of people who are struggling as well as their family members who may want to better understand their situations. Whether due to MS or other challenges, Gina has been a source of light in dark situations. Gina has become a speaker who’s gained the title of, EOO or Expert Obstacle overcomer.
Now she exercises daily, rides a recumbent tricycle, and is happily married to Scott and busy raising a teenage son. She also leads an MS support group and is an active fundraiser for the MS community. She loves to support, plan and organize events with MS Bright Spots of Hope. As a Bright Spots Trustee and Ambassador, she hopes to speak at community events to promote and bring awareness to this wonderful organization.