On June 1, the TAA Board of Directors named me President & CEO and I am honored to serve the Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorder community in this capacity. On June 13, I celebrated my two year anniversary with the Tourette Association of America. We have come a long way, and yet there is still so much more to accomplish. This demonstrated belief in me is something I do not take lightly and I am committed to fulfilling our mission each and every day. In this new role at the TAA, I will continue to elevate awareness, combat ignorance and foster social acceptance.
In addition to personal milestones with the TAA, I am proud to say we are breaking records for Tourette Awareness Month. This is because of each and every one of you. Thank you, to all who have responded and donated as a result of a letter from Marcella and Pedro Cavour. Thank you, to the 5.5 million individuals who have elevated the presence of Tourette Syndrome on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin). Thank you to the Mitmann family for being part of a PSA that was distributed to millions of people in Times Square, NYC. And lastly Thank you to the TAA staff, volunteers, Chapters and Boards who work tirelessly to get the word out there and see our mission in action.
As I mentioned earlier, I am overcome with feelings of gratitude – so I can’t say thank you enough.
Awareness month will come to a close, but our efforts will not. I invite you to become a member, get involved with one of our many events, attend a local support group, and share your story.
CDC Feature: Understanding Tourette Syndrome
[Awareness]
We are grateful to the CDC for their continued support of the Tourette Association of America and the Tourette community. Click below for their latest feature on Tourette Syndrome, including a personal story from TAA Youth Ambassador Emma Moburg.
Treating Tourette Syndrome without Drugs
[Research]
Dr. Doug Woods, Dean of the Graduate School at Marquette University and member of the Tourette Association of America’s Medical Advisory Board, authored an article for Scientific American discussing Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT).
10 Things for Employers to Know about Employees with TS
[Support]
Based on personal experiences and struggles faced as an adult living with Tourette Syndrome, Pat O’Leary, Developer Relations Engineer with Havok, shares 10 things employers should know about their employees with Tourette.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding for TS
[Public Policy]
TAA provides critical seed funding for research that is dependent on NIH support to advance exciting findings to fruition. Every $1 of TAA funding has helped researchers obtain $10 in NIH support. This additional NIH support has directly resulted in groundbreaking genetics and neuroimaging findings for Tourette and the development of Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT).
Tracey Alexander
[TAA Spotlight]
Tracey joined the Tourette Association in September of 2017 as the National Director of Development. In this role, she manages national fundraising and revenue development for the TAA including all fundraising programs such as our national Team Tourette events, special events including our annual Gala and golf outing, national marathons and third party fundraising activities.
What’s Happening
[News & Events]
-
- 6/25: Illinois Golf Classic and Ladies’ Game Day
- 6/29: Tourette Education Day hosted by the TAA Wisconsin & Illinois Chapter
- 10/5 – 10/8: jetBlue Long Beach Marathon & Half Marathon Weekend
- 11/15: Gala Honoring Domenick A. Cama
- 1/9/19 – 1/13/19: Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend Presented by Cigna®
