Terry Wright, Co-Founder and President
Terry Gene Wright is the president and co-founder of the National Organization of African Americans with Cystic Fibrosis (“NOAACF”), a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to connect individuals with CF, help build diverse communities, and, through its national platform, raise CF awareness within the African American community and beyond. At the age of 54, Terry was unexpectedly diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. He shares his surreal journey to CF land in his children’s coloring storybook, “Terry’s Journey to CF Land,” which was listed in the top spot on BookAuthority’s “8 Best New Cystic Fibrosis Books To Read In 2021”. Terry is the winner of the CF Star Award for 2020 presented by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Arkansas Chapter and the 2020 Jacoby Angel Award, the highest award presented by the U.S. Adult Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (“USACFA”), publishers of CF Roundtable. Terry is married to Dr. Michele Wright.
Michele Wright, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Board Chair
Michele Wright, Ph.D. is the Co-Founder and Broad Chair of the National Organization of African Americans with Cystic Fibrosis (NOAACF). Dr. Wright is the CEO and Founder of My Water Buddy® and My Learning Buddy® corporations. She is the author and creator of THE WATER TALES: Ten Life Lessons from My Water Buddy and Family podcast and the children’s book, an adventurous collection of ten short children stories that tell different tales centered around the importance of water, in addition to tapping into life topics that are important to children: autism, bullying, fears, self-esteem, peer pressure, etc. Dr. Wright’s life mantra is “The Best Is Yet To Come,” which she plans to extend towards helping and positively impacting children worldwide.
Zipporah Sealy, MSW
Zipporah Sealy is a social worker at the Cystic Fibrosis Center at St Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to working at St Christopher’s, she worked at Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She graduated from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Fordham University, New York with a Master’s Degree in Social Work. At Yale University Hospital, she pioneered the ‘Sister to Sister’ early cancer detection program which provided education and free mammograms to uninsured and underinsured women In New Haven, Connecticut. She likes people and enjoy helping them. It is in this arena that she does her best work. Her career and passion have been focused on working with underserved communities. In her spare time, she enjoys returning to her native, Trinidad to participate in the annual carnival celebrations while visiting friends and family.
Everett Rice
Everett Rice is a Communications and Community Engagement Specialist with the California State Senate, where he advises and develops messaging and marketing for state Senators. Everett specializes in strategic messaging and branding, policy development and community and organizational empowerment. He has over 25 years of experience in California politics and political communication. Everett also lives with Cystic Fibrosis and CF-related Diabetes. After being diagnosed at the age of nine, he spent most of his childhood and youth years in and out of the hospital. However, thanks to the support of his loving parents, his siblings, including a twin brother, and his CF support system, Everett never allowed his illness to define or limit him. Today Everett is married to the love of his life, Nicole, and they will celebrate their 20 years of marriage in 2021.
Amy Hester, Ph.D., RN, BC
Dr. Amy Hester is the Chairwoman and CEO of HD Nursing, a leading provider of patient safety solutions. Dr. Hester co-founded HD Nursing in 2012 along with her colleague Dees Davis to develop and enhance the science behind falls prevention. She previously served as HD Nursing’s Chief Scientific Officer and was Director of Nursing Research and Innovation at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) before retiring after 26 years of service. Her 26 years of nursing experience include over a decade of med/surge and neuro nursing followed by unit management and hospital administration. She has a Doctorate of Philosophy in Nursing Science and has published and spoken extensively on the subject of falls and injury prediction and prevention. Dr. Hester continues to serve as adjunct faculty for the UAMS College of Nursing and as clinician in residence for Health Tech Arkansas where she helps young startups get a footing in healthcare.
