CHADD Foothill/Pasadena Chapter 920 Advisory Board
Dr. Richard J. Atkins
Dr. Atkins is a fully trained Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist as well as an Adult Psychiatrist. He attended undergraduate school at the University of California, and medical school at the University of Southern California. His General as well as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry training were at the Los Angeles County-U.S.C. Medical Center. Dr. Atkins was full time faculty at U.S.C. Medical School and Director of Adolescent Inpatient Treatment at L.A.C.-U.S.C. Medical Center for many years. He later served as Child and Adolescent Program Director, director of adult and adolescent inpatient services, substance abuse rehabilitation programs, as well as Chief of the Medical Staff at Ingleside Hospital in Rosemead, California. Dr. Atkins now works in private practice in La Canada and Pasadena. He consults and teaches extensively in the areas of mood and attentional disorders in children and adolescents. Dr. Atkins has served on the Board of Foothill CHADD since 1996. He is also the father of a child with AD/HD.
Leonard “Skip” Baker, M.D.
Dr. Leonard “Skip” Baker is a board-certified pediatrician specializing in children and young adults who have developmental issues in educational and behavioral areas. A leader in bringing insights regarding current brain research to parents and educators in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Baker provides cutting edge services to a large number of patients with neurobiological difficulties. Dr. Baker attended the College of Wooster for undergraduate work and the University of Cincinnati Medical School. He did his pediatric training at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles where he was also Chief Resident. He is presently a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at USC School of Medicine. Dr. Baker is the founder and co-director of the Descanso Medical Center for Development and Learning, a practice dedicated to patients with behavior, learning, and attention issues. He is also Chairman of the Professional Advisory Board for the Los Angeles Schools Attuned Training, a program of the All Kinds of Minds Institute which is dedicated to promoting information and teacher training about differences in the way our brains function.
Dr. Baker has worked with children and adults with attention issues and related difficulties for over 30 years and brings a wealth of experience regarding differences in learning and the various strategies people have developed to manage these differences.
Carol Burton, M.A.
Carol M. Burton has been an educator in the field of public and private education for over 30 years. Ms. Burton has taught all grade levels from preschool to college. She has been a Child Development professor at Whittier College. She is currently a Special Education Teaching Supervisor at the University of La Verne. Her teaching emphasis for most of her career has been in Special Education, with her teaching specialty being in Learning Disabled. Carol Burton has her own educational therapy private practice in Temple City, which includes teaching students of all ages. Ms. Burton holds three lifetime teaching credentials and a Master of Arts in Special Education. Carol Burton’s honors include being listed in Who’s Who Among American Teachers for both the 2004 and 2005 editions.
Carol Burton is also in the educational publishing business as a book author, editor, and co-publisher, under the name of Burton Digital Books. Ms. Burton has authored various educational works in the fields of special education, language arts, and science.
Heather Chatem
Heather Chatem has been working as one of the lead middle school teachers at the Frostig School (a school that specializes in working with students with learning disabilities) since 1999. She received her bachelors in psychology from UCLA, and her masters in Special Education with a specialty in learning disabilities from the University of Arizona.
Ann Marie Garcia
Ann Marie Garcia is a mother of a pre-teen daughter who has severe AD/HD and other comorbid issues. She spends her time home schooling, and writing essays and articles related to mothering, AD/HD, adoption, and education. Mrs. Garcia and her husband live in the Pasadena area and also have an older daughter who attends college in Santa Barbara.
Dr. C. Thomas Hartman, Jr.
Dr. Hartman is a board-certified pediatrician at Descanso Medical Center for Development and Learning (La Canada, CA) specializing in children and young adults who have developmental issues in educational and behavioral areas. Dr. Hartman previously spent 28 years with Southern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Group where he practiced in pediatrics and pediatric allergy. He has also been an Assistant Associate Medical Director for Kaiser and a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at USC. He has been a lead physician nationally in the design and implementation of the electronic medical record for Kaiser Permanente.
Dr. Hartman grew up in Southern California, is an Eagle Scout, graduated from Occidental College with honors in biology and received his medical degree from University of California at Irvine. His residency and postgraduate programs were at Los Angeles County USC Medical Center. His wife is a pediatric nurse who worked with Dr. Baker’s wife while at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Hartman has a 10 year-old son and lives in South Pasadena where he is presently an active Cub Scout Cub Master and an AYSO referee. He thoroughly enjoys time at the beach, boating, and the outdoors with his family. Dr. Hartman has served on the board of the CHADD Foothill Chapter since 2005.
Patricia d. Lock
Ms. Lock has a most amazing teenage son with ADHD and has served on the board of the CHADD Foothill Chapter since May, 2002. Paddy is an engineer NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a writer of science articles and books for young readers. She is also the chapter’s webmaster.
Dr. Bennett Ross
Bennett Ross is the Executive Director of the Frostig Center in Pasadena, California, and has held that position since 1986. Dr. Ross is a licensed psychologist and currently serves on the advisory boards of Foothill CHADD and Schools Attuned (All Kinds of Minds). In addition he is past president of the California Association of Private Special Education Schools and a current Board member. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Windward School in Los Angeles and has also been on a number of California legislative advisory committees.
Melissa Thomasson, Ph. D.
Melissa Thomasson, Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Marriage & Family Therapist with over 30 years experience in the field of Attention Deficit Disorders and Learning Disabilities diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Thomasson specializes in Adult ADD issues and facilitates the Pasadena CHADD Support Group for Adults with ADHD.
Kelly Van Ginkel
Kelly Van Ginkel is the mother of three awesome kids who have ADHD. She is grateful for the good things that ADHD brings to her life. Things like fun, spontaneity, creativity and heightened intuition. She is a tireless worker in her efforts to help her kids and those around her do well in their lives. Kelly grew up in Glendale, California and when looking back at her childhood, she’s pretty certain she has ADD herself. She is an enthusiastic, lifelong learner who is committed to learning all she can about optimal/whole brain function and leading a good life. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a major in Cultural Anthropology and a minor in Cinema and Journalism and had dreams of one day making documentary films for PBS television. But with student loans to pay off, she instead found success in advertising and held the position of Account Executive for 20 years. Today, she is a stay-at-home mom who can most often be found surrounded by lots of kids, either at a ball park, in a basketball gymnasium or simply hanging out with her family. A constant goal in her life is to get organized! She loves the Container Store! She is forever grateful for her patient husband and her own tireless mom.
Elise Wetzel
(bio to come)
Leslie White
(bio to come)
We are always looking for new board members. If you are interested in joining our merry band, please contact Ann Marie Garcia at the chapter email address: foothill-ca@chadd.net
