Board of Directors
Our Board has been working hard together since April of 2012. We are proud of our work so far and look forward to continuing the work of Summit For Parkinson’s. We are pleased to present the current Board of Directors:
Hadley Ferguson
Board President
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​Hadley Ferguson is a prominent Montana artist and mother who was diagnosed with an Atypical Parkinsonism, Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) type P (Parkinson’s) in July of 2013.
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Hadley Ferguson graduated from the University of Montana in 1999 with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. After graduating Hadley moved to Portland Oregon and began work as an artist. Two years later Hadley returned to Missoula, Montana and developed a successful full-time business painting commissions for private and public entities.
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In June of 2010 Hadley was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease, before it was changed to MSA. Soon after her 2010 diagnosis she was actively involved in fundraising efforts for the Parkinson’s community with the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Brian Grant Foundation.
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In 2011 Hadley’s deep dedication to those with chronic illness, especially those with Parkinson’s Disease, compelled her to develop the first organization in the State of Montana dedicated to patients and their loved ones who have Parkinson’s, and founded Summit for Parkinson’s. Since the start of Summit for Parkinson’s, Hadley directed the creation and design of our original website and helped with some of the creation of the new site, organized The Missoula Parkinson’s Awareness Weekend held October 20-22, 2011 a three-day event for patients and their families and has organized several other fundraising events and annual conferences throughout the years.
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Hadley has been the liaison for Summit for Parkinson’s with the Brian Grant Foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the MSA Coalition. She is a member of the Michael J. Fox Foundation Patient Council, She served for 4 years as the MSA Coalition Patient Representative on their Board of Directors but recently transitioned to an Emeritus member of the board, and is currently acting President on the Summit for Parkinson’s Board of Directors.
Outside of her advocacy work, Hadley enjoys her time with her loving and supportive family. She loves connecting with people in meaningful ways and is grateful for the opportunity to help others who are in her same situation.
Tom Seekins
Board Member
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Dr. Tom Seekins earned his Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Kansas in 1983. He has 30 years of experience in disability services and research.
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He has served as Associate Director of Research for the Rural Institute on Disabilities at The University of Montana since 1988 and as the Director of the RTC: Rural since 1993. He has served on numerous state and national boards. He has published over 50 professional papers on disability and community psychology topics.
Dr. Seekins is particularly interested in issues of rural community development, consumer empowerment, and health promotion for people with disabilities.
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He is a retired professor of psychology. Tom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2010.
Jolyn Ortega
Board Member
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Jolyn is an IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist and specializes in neurological diseases and chronic pain. Her 30 plus years of yoga study and practice and a deep belief in healing lends itself well to her life’s work of helping others.
She’s worked closely with the Parkinson’s community since 2015 and is honored to have the opportunity to guide others towards health and harmony.
Jolyn is a lover of nature... beaches, rivers, oceans, mountains, trees, and sky make her happy.
Maribeth Johnson
Board Member
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Maribeth Molloy Johnson is a physical therapist at Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana. She graduated from the University of Montana with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy in 1984. She has worked in the areas of home health, aquatic therapy, women’s health, neurorehabilitation, and acute orthopedics.
She is certified in the LSVT BIG program for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and has a special interest in working with people with movement disorders. She and her husband, Scott, have three grown children. She enjoys hiking and biking and is an avid Montana Grizzly Fan.
John Cahill
Board Member
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John grew up in Billings, MT and made his way to Missoula where he attended the University of Montana. Shortly after graduation he started working in the medical device industry. In 2013 he started working for Medtronic DBS in Spokane, WA including western Montana, north Idaho, and eastern Washington.
John joined the Parkinson’s Resource Center in 2012, a local Spokane patient focused non-profit, as a board member and served as board president and recently joined Summit for Parkinson’s board. He currently works for Boston Scientific DBS and resides in Post Falls, ID with his wife and three kids. He enjoys coming back home to Montana to see family and friends.
