About Us

The Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California is the regional representative of the Epilepsy Foundation. We have served the Northern California area since 1953.

We are dedicated to serving the nearly 130,000 people with epilepsy in our region and seek to ensure that people with seizure disorders are able to participate in all life experiences and prevent, control and cure epilepsy.

Our service center provides education presentations to people with epilepsy and their family members, training to companies, school personnel, public transportation staff, police, fire and emergency first response professionals and others in dealing with seizures. We have active support groups in the region and provide an information resource center to assist people with epilepsy gain the help they need.

We are a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization and are supported solely by the generosity of the community to serve families affected by epilepsy.

Above:  EFNC Staff Members: William Stack, Associate Director, Stephanie Eistetter, Manager of Programs and Services, Neva Hirschkorn, Executive Director, Judy Werre, Bookkeeper,  and Verónica Zárate, Administrative Assistant.

---

Board of Directors

President

Heidi E. Kirsch, M.S., M.D.
Assistant Professor
Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
University of California, San Francisco

Vice President

Andrew Neff
Principal
RadiaterPR

Secretary

Christina M. Pioppi
Gilead Sciences
Sr. Literature Resources Associate

Treasurer

Lane Auten
Director of Marketing
HRJ Capital

Members of the Board

Garrison D.B. Alexander
VP of Corporate Development
Internet Brands, Inc.

Russell J. Andrews, M.D.
Ames Associate
NASA Ames Research Center

Patricia Bettencourt
Community Educator
Parent of a child with epilepsy

Paul A. Garcia, M.D.
Director, Clinical Programs
Professor of Neurology
Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
University of California, San Francisco

David King-Stephens, M.D.
Director of Clinical Neurophsiology
California Pacific Epilepsy Program
California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco

Paul Koenig, Esq.
Attorney at Law

Past National Board President
Past National Board Chairman
Epilepsy Foundation

Past President
California Epilepsy Society

James Larkin
Director
Corporate Public Relations
McKesson Corporation

Kenneth D. Laxer, M.D.
Medical Director
California Pacific Epilepsy Program
California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco

Melissa Lozano
Senior CSSA
Union Bank of California

William J. Marks, Jr., M.D.
Associate Professor of Neurology
Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
University of California, San Francisco

Bonnie Pamiroyan, R.N., M.S.N., F.N.P.
Family Nurse Practitioner
Stanford Comprehensive Epilepsy Center

Brad Triebsch
Principal
Central Valley Fund, Gael Partners, LLC

Beverly Wilson, R.N.C., B.S.N.
Community Health Education
Behavioral Health Services
El Camino Hospital 

Professional Advisory Board Chair

Karen Parko, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology
University of California, San Francisco
Co-director, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center

 Professional Advisory Board

Brian Alldredge, Pharm.D.
Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Neurology
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, School of Pharmacy
University of California, San Francisco

Lisa M. Bateman, M.D., F.R.C.P.C.
Assistant Professor of Neurology
UC Davis Health System

Michael G. Chez, M.D.
Director of Child Neurology
Sutter Neuroscience Group
Sutter Hospital Sacramento, CA

Chau-Chun Chien, Ph.D., M.D.
Chinese Hospital
San Francisco

John Hixson, M.D.
Clinical Instructor
Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
University of California, San Francisco

Raj Kumar, M.D.
San Jose Pacific Neurology
Center PC, San Jose CA

Maritza M. Lopez, RN, CNRN
Epilepsy Nurse Coordinator
University of California San Francisco

William J. McMullen Jr., Ph.D., ABCN, ABPP
Diplomate, American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology
American Board of Professional Psychology
California Licensed Psychologist PSY15879
Clinical Neuropsychologist,California Pacific Epilepsy Center at CPMC
San Francisco, CA

Donald Olson, M.D.
Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics
Stanford Medical Center

Joseph Edgar Sullivan III, M.D
Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology & Pediatrics
University of California, San Francisco

John Sum, M.D.
Chief, Division of Pediatric Neurology
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center

Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences and Pediatrics
Stanford University School of Medicine

Peter B. Weber, M.D.
Surgical Director
California Pacific Epilepsy Program
California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco

Edie E. Zusman, M.D.
Director of Adult Neurosurgery and Neuro-oncology
Sutter Neuroscience Institute

Management Staff

Neva Hirschkorn
Executive Director 

William H. Stack
Associate Director

Stephanie Eistetter
Program Services Manager

Veronica Zarate
Administrative Assistant