The FASD United team is thrilled to welcome five exceptional leaders to our Board of Directors: Michael Keawe Anderson, Karen A. Poteet, Jaqueline Cortez Wang, Kate Boyce Reeder, and William J. Edwards. These talented leaders exemplify leadership, service, and accountability and are committed to advancing progress for people with FASD.
Our new Board Members bring a broad range of experiences and background to the table, drawing on careers in public service and corporate and non-profit leadership. Their expertise in human services, education, policy, and legal advocacy, offer a unique perspective and a deep passion for supporting the FASD community. By joining our Board of Directors, these leaders will leverage their expertise and skills to strengthen FASD United and improve outcomes for individuals and families.
Michael “Keawe” Anderson has rejoined the FASD United Board of Directors as Chairman, having previously served as Treasurer, Development Committee Chair, and on the Legislative and Policy Committee. With five decades of leadership experience spanning military, for-profit, and non-profit sectors, Mike is a seasoned advocate for policy issues on Capitol Hill. Over the past seven years, he has been instrumental in promoting FASD awareness and legislation.
Mike expressed his excitement, stating, “I am thrilled to rejoin the Board during this exciting and opportunity-filled time. As we continue to serve families nationwide, we are deeply grateful for the solid foundation established by previous Boards. We are invigorated by the fresh initiatives led by the FASD United Staff and delighted by the ongoing collaboration with our expanding network of affiliates and medical professionals.”
Mike currently chairs the Lauola Pono Foundation, a Native Hawaiian non-profit dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing of Native Hawaiians. The Foundation provides resources for affordable, modern health care and community-based initiatives that incorporate traditional Hawaiian practices to achieve greater wellness. One of its four focus areas is addressing the impact of FASD on the Native Hawaiian community.
Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the US Air Force Academy, a master’s in business from the University of Northern Colorado, and a master’s in strategic studies from the Air War College. He also has a master’s certificate in contract management from George Washington University.
FASD United is excited to welcome Karen A. Poteet as a new Board member. From 2018-2024, Karen served as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the National Foster Parent Association. Prior to her retirement from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) in 2020, she amassed over 36 years of experience in human services in two state systems, Illinois and Oklahoma, holding positions of increasing responsibility within OKDHS.
From 2006-2010, Karen served as the Post Adoption Programs Manager and as the Oklahoma Administrator of the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance. From 2010-2013, she was the Project Manager of two federally funded grants to develop innovations to find and keep foster parents and support kinship caregivers. She received her Master of Public Administration degree from Baylor University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Nazarene University.
Karen completed her human services career by serving as the Director of Aging Services from 2017 through 2020 where she had oversight over the Medicaid waiver, which serves the most individuals in Oklahoma, as well as multiple additional federal and state funded programs serving older adults and persons with disabilities. Under her tenure, the Oklahoma Caregiver Coalition was created and launched. She currently serves as the Chief Grants Officer of her alma mater, Southern Nazarene University.
Karen and her husband were licensed foster parents in Illinois and adopted their two youngest children, both of whom are on the FASD spectrum, from the Illinois child welfare system. She underscored her commitment stating, “As the adoptive mother of two daughters with FASD, I hope to bring both my lived and professional experiences to advocate for FASD United and those who are affected by FASD.”
FASD United is excited to welcome new Board member Jaqueline Cortez Wang. Jaqueline brings over two decades of experience leading multifaceted initiatives to expand educational equity within both government and nonprofit sectors. She currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer and VP of External Partnerships at Achieving the Dream, leading strategy implementation for a nonprofit serving a network of community colleges across the country.
Her previous roles include Senior Director at the International Society for Technology in Education, where she supported the advancement of technology in K-12 education, and Vice President at GMMB, overseeing national communications campaigns for nonprofits. Her government service includes key roles at the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics where she focused on expanding educational opportunities and improving educational outcomes for Latino students from cradle-to-career. Jaqueline’s career began at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where she helped develop STEM programs to inspire future generations.
Jaqueline joins FASD United because she knows firsthand the power of understanding FASD and “how that knowledge can shape a family’s ability to support, advocate, and thrive.”
Kate Boyce Reeder has rejoined the FASD United Board of Directors after 20 years of service as Board Chair from 2003-2023. As the President of KRBR Consulting LLC, Kate provides federal policy consulting to Native American and nonprofit organizations. She practiced law for decades as Partner at Patton Boggs LLP, specializing in federal public policy and political law, founding the firm’s Indian law practice, and representing foreign and tribal governments, corporations, trade associations, tribal health consortia, and tribal enterprises and other Native-owned businesses.
Kate co-authored the book Corporate Political Activity, maintains D.C., Federal, and National Native American Bar memberships, and serves non-profit roles as: Board Member and former Board Chair, FASD United; Board Member, Virginia Humanities; Chair, Advisory Council, Child and Family Network Centers; and DC Council Member, Vital Voices Global Partnership. She and her husband, Joe Reeder, former Army Undersecretary, have four daughters and five grandchildren.
While Kate stepped off the FASD United Board in 2023, she has agreed to rejoin the Board for a year to bring her expertise to FASD public policy promotion as well as planning for our 35th Anniversary Year activities.
William (Billy) Edwards has rejoined the FASD United Board of Directors, having previously served on the Board from 2014-2022. Billy is a Deputy Public Defender working in the Los Angeles County Mental Health Court, representing clients with mental illness and neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive disorders. He has been with the Los Angeles County Public Defender for 24 years. Billy also works in the Neurocognitive Disorders Unit within his office focusing on clients with FASD.
Billy Edwards pioneered trainings for attorneys around issues involving FASD, beginning with a 1997 lecture for the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers on representing clients with FASD. For 28 years, Billy organized FASD trainings around the U.S. and in 8 countries and consulted with attorneys and federal public defender offices to write detailed amicus briefs in the federal courts to include the U.S. Supreme Court.
He served as the editor of a landmark two-volume issue of the Journal of Psychiatry and Law which focused on the legal aspects of FASD and helped to draft and secure the passage of a resolution by the American Bar Association calling for FASD awareness in the criminal justice system.
Inducted into the Tom and Linda Daschle FASD Hall of Fame in 2014, Billy currently serves as the Chair for the FASD United Justice Advisory Committee which he founded in 2017. Billy reveals, “My reason for joining FASD United’s Board once again is to continue supporting one of the only organizations in the country that have been conducting trainings for the criminal justice community for the last 20 years.”