Founders/Board of Directors
The Young Adult Heart Foundation started as a need for emotional connection for a few young adult women going through heart transplants. They met through Go Red for Women while sharing their story to help other women discover heart disease prevention. The more these women helped other women with prevention the more people they met in their same situation; young adult heart patients. The Young Adult Heart Foundation network grew from there to include men and all types of heart conditions all over the US. They identified that the social and emotional pressures were different than in pediatrics or older adults and wanted to fill in the gaps of care. The Young Adult Heart Foundation has been running strong ever since and welcomes new members every day. With highly qualified board members and new executive committee members, the Young Adult Heart Foundation is paving the way towards being the leading resource for young adult heart patients. Have a great heart day!
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Maria Legatt Executive President Co/Founder This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Maria is one of the original co-founders of the organization and has served as the president since its inception. She has a master's degree in environmental toxicology from St. Cloud State University and an undergraduate degree in conservation biology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Maria managed a team that characterized hazardous pharmaceuticals in hospitals for three years before she had to quit her job because of heart problems. Going through work, insurance, medical and financial issues has given Maria excellent experience to guide others through the process. She has been a Go Red for Women Ambassador for three years and was the 2011 Go Red Spokeswoman for Minnesota. Since then, Maria's story has been featured on Fox 9, KSTP 5, Pioneer Press, and Sartell Newsleader. She also does volunteer work for Donate Life by going to driver's education classrooms to talk about organ donation. Maria is now interning at the American Heart Association where she will be helping to organize major events and sponsors. Her close relationship with doctors and medical providers throughout the metro area gives the organization the advantage of support from the Medical community. Maria lives in St. Paul with her husband, three cats, and heart patient dog Lizzy. |
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Dane Anderson Executive Vice President This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Dane has a master's degree in education and an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He has worked as a certified personal trainer and more currently is working as a Physical Therapist Assistant at Martin Luther Manor. He loves working with people to improve their health in any way, from eating right to exercising even with disabilities. Dane was introduced into the organization because he was the caretaker of his wife who went through a heart transplant in August of 2011. He met his wife the same year she found out she had heart failure and three years later they married. Up until 2011, Dane had never seen his wife with a fully functional heart and the transformation he witnessed was amazing. He saw her grow as she leaned on the Young Adult Heart Foundation for support. Dane is dedicated to helping young adult caregivers but also help young adult heart patients live a healthy life. |
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Michael McLaughlin Director of Communications This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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Dane Anderson Fitness Specialist This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Dane has a master's degree in education and an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He has worked as a certified personal trainer and more currently is working as a Physical Therapist Assistant at Martin Luther Manor. He loves working with people to improve their health in any way, from eating right to exercising even with disabilities. Dane was introduced into the organization because he was the caretaker of his wife who went through a heart transplant in August of 2011. He met his wife the same year she found out she had heart failure and three years later they married. Up until 2011, Dane had never seen his wife with a fully functional heart and the transformation he witnessed was amazing. He saw her grow as she leaned on the Young Adult Heart Foundation for support. Dane is dedicated to helping young adult caregivers but also help young adult heart patients live a healthy life. |
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Karen Kartman Boston Scientific Cardiac Specialist
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Karen graduated in 2002 from North Dakota State University with a bachelor's degree in exercise science. She is an exercise physiologist at Boston Scientific CRM, St Paul, and is an American Heart Association Ambassador for the Twin Cities chapter. |
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Dr. Kristin Lockhart General Care Doctor Healtheast Oakdale |
Dr. Lockhart did her undergraduate work at Iowa State University and graduated from medical school at the University of Iowa. She completed her residency at St. John's Hospital and is board certified in family medicine. In addition to general family medicine, Dr. Lockhart has interests in women's health and obstetrics. Dr. Lockhart serves as the Site Medical Director of the clinic. |
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Lee Harren CPA/Taxes
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In addition to his many years of experience as a Certified Public Accountant, Lee serves as a certified valuation analyst and is accredited in business valuations. He is a member of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts. Lee has been with the same company for more than 30 years and specializes in financial statement presentation, tax preparation/planning business valuations, dispute resolution, corporate acquisitions and sales, estate and gift valuations and employee stock ownership plans. |
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Roger Justin Lawyer |
A native of St. Stephen, Roger graduated magna cum laude with a degree in History from Gustavus Adolphus, and received his Masters degree in Theology from St. John's University. Roger graduated magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he served on the Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif. After graduation, he served a two-year federal court clerkship for Chief Judge Donald Alsop. |
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Dr. Peter Eckman Heart Failure Doctor University of Minnesota Physicians Heart Medical Consultant |
Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Dr. Peter Eckman Graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with a B.A. in physics. At the University of Minnesota, he received his M.D. and completed his residency and general-cardiology fellowship. Following an advanced heart-failure and cardiac transplantation fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Eckman joined the University of Minnesota Faculty in 2009. Dr. Eckman is proud to be a part of the faculty at the University of Minnesota, which has been a national and international leader in heart-failure research and clinical care for decades. He is particularly interested in the role of mechanical circulatory support(such as ventricular-assist devices, or VADs) for severe heart failure, and how heart failure may benefit from cell therapy. |
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Dr. Cindy Martin Congenital Adult Hart Specialist/Researcher University of Minnesota Physicians Heart Medical Consultant |
Born in Ashland, Louisiana, Dr. Cindy Martin graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Chemistry. She received her M.D. from Louisiana State University School of Medicine. Dr. Martin then received her Internal Medicine Residency Training at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Following her residency training, she pursued a formal three-year postdoctoral fellowship in molecular cardiology in Dr. Daniel J. Garry's laboratory. After completing additional fellowships in general cardiology and advanced heart failure and transplantation at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dr. Martin joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota Cardiovascular Division. Her practice primarily focuses on patients with advanced heart failure however Dr. Martin is also interested in adult patients with congenital or inherited cardiovascular disease. Since joining the faculty of the University of Minnesota Cardiovascular Division, Dr. Martin in conjunction with pediatric cardiologists Dr. Jamie Lohr and Dr. Lee Pyles has established the Adult Congenital and Cardiovascular Genetics clinic here at the University of Minnesota. The clinic is designed to meet the growing needs of late teen and adult patients with congenital heart disease and genetic or acquired conditions which may affect the heart including Marfan Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy and cardiomyopathies. Dr. Martin hopes that the clinic will be able to provide a smooth transition for patients in their late teens from a pediatric cardiologist into lifelong cardiology care. The clinic will also provide opportunities for patients to participate in clinical research projects aimed at improving the health and quality of life of patients with congenital heart disease, as well as understanding the genetic causes and risk factors associated with these conditions. |
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Charles Eide Founder and Producer for Eidecom Business Consultant |
