Board Members' Bios

Irving Smokler, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, President and Treasurer of The NephCure Foundation
Chairman of Legislative Action and Research Committees of The NephCure Foundation
CEO of Maple Leaf Properties

Dr. Smokler’s middle son was diagnosed with FSGS at the age of 11 months. Now in his 20’s, his son is in remission. Having had FSGS disrupt his family’s life and threaten the life of his son, Smokler is dedicated to finding the cause and the cure. He is a former Clinical Psychologist and now a successful real estate developer. Smokler lives in Boca Raton, Florida with his wife Carol. The Smoklers spend time in Israel each year.

Brian Orton
Co-Founder and Vice-President of The NephCure Foundation
Vice President, Private Asset Management Group, Kibble & Prentice

Brian Orton’s son, Christian, was diagnosed at the age of 10 months with Nephrotic Syndrome and is currently in remission. Having experienced the trials of his son’s treatment process, Orton became aware of the need for an organization that focuses exclusively on this condition. Orton works in the financial industry in Seattle where he lives with his wife and family.

Lou Antosh
Secretary and Past President of NephCure
Chairman of the Communications Committee of The NephCure Foundation

Lou Antosh joined the NephCure cause in its infancy to find help and hope for his daughter, Christine, who was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome three years ago at age16 and now has FSGS. Antosh is a former reporter for several Philadelphia daily newspapers and co-founder of a custom health publishing business. He currently is a Public Relations/Publishing consultant and lives with his wife, Joanne, and Christine in New Jersey.

Ron Cohen
Email: rcohen@nephcure.org
Senior Aide to Suffolk County Legislator, 17th District

Ron Cohen sits on The NephCure Foundation’s Board of Directors and has been a devoted supporter of the foundation for more then five years. 

Ron’s grandson, Ben, was diagnosed with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) when he was just sixteen months old. Ben has been though seemingly endless hospital visits, suffered from blood clotting and has endured countless medications with potentially dangerous side effects.

Unwilling to accept the fact that there is no cure for his grandson’s condition, Ron teamed up with The NephCure Foundation to spread the word about Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS and to raise money for research.  “Over the past five years, I have seen a small group of parents grow into a nationwide support group and organization,” said Ron.  “NephCure has changed the world of pediatric nephrology.”   Each year Ron devotes his time and efforts to Countdown to a Cure, and annual fundraiser which has collected nearly $1 million over the past three years. 

Ben is now six years old and has been in and out of remission.   Currently, Ben is not spilling however; it is a “constant struggle.”

Ron is the Senior Aide to the Suffolk County Legislator (17th District) and resides in Huntington Station, New York, with his wife, Fran.

Claudine Conaway
Director of Travel Agency Sales for Amtrak

Claudine Conaway, herself a diabetes patient, has a granddaughter, Autumn, who suffers from FSGS. Autumn’s treatment has resulted in her suffering from numerous side effects including light sensitivity and cataracts. Autumn is the young African-American lady pictured on NephCure’s brochures. Conaway is the Director of Travel Agency Sales for Amtrak and participates in numerous community organizations including the Tabernacle Baptist Church, YMCA of Burlington County; American Legion Auxiliary Post and the Planning Board of the City of Burlington. Conaway lives in New Jersey.

Laurie B. Kazenoff
Member of Research Committee of The NephCure Foundation
Attorney, Private Practice

Laurie Kazenoff’s middle son, Benjamin, was diagnosed with Minimal Change Nephrotic Syndrome at the age of three in 1996. Since his diagnosis, her son has frequently relapsed and was steroid dependent, with the exception being a remission lasting approximately two years during treatment with cyclosporine. Different doctors currently offer varying opinions on his diagnosis; some say he has FSGS, while others say he has Minimal Change Nephrotic Syndrome. Kazenoff is a tax attorney in private practice in New York, where she resides with her three sons and her husband, Dr. Robert Kazenoff.

Michael Levine
President of L&L Painting Co, Inc.

Michael Levine, a graduate of Syracuse University and President of L&L Painting Co, Inc., resides in Long Island, New York with wife, Dana and children, Sydney and Matthew.

Michael became involved with NephCure after his son, Matthew, was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome in March of 2006. Following an unsuccessful eight week course of steroids, a kidney biopsy showed that Matthew, in fact, had FSGS.

Michael has met with Hillary Clinton, on behalf of his son and all FSGS sufferers, to discuss the importance of increased funding for kidney disease research. And, in the summer of 2007 he travelled to Capitol Hill to educate Congress men and women from the New York area about FSGS.

Michael has served as Co-Chair of Countdown to a Cure with Ron Cohen for a number of years and is the Co-host, along with Chris Eaton, Jeremy Neuer and Beth Nydick, of “Las Vegas in Livingston,” a Texas hold ‘em tournament and casino night.

After the death of Michael’s father in February 2007, the Levine family along with NephCure created the Alvin Levine Research Fund to keep alive Alvin Levine’s spirit. 

Michael, along with wife Dana and the rest of his family, continue to stay involved with The NephCure Foundation in the hopes of one day finding a cause and cure for Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS.

To read more on Matthew Levine, click here...

Chuck Newman
Founder and President of ReCellular, Inc.

Chuck Newman’s knowledge of renal function came through serving as a caregiver to his wife, Sharon, a Multiple Myeloma patient for six years. In addition to his work with NephCure, Newman is active with the International Myeloma Foundation, Hillel, the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life and University of Michigan Alumni Association. Newman is the founder and President of ReCellular Inc., the world's largest facilitator of the reuse of cellular handsets. He and his wife reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan and have four children and three grand children.

William Smoyer, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases
Director, Pediatric Nephrology Division

Dr. Smoyer leads the Pediatric Nephrology Division at the University of Michigan Medical Center. He received his M.D. in 1986 from the University of Florida and has held fellowships at Children’s Hospital in Boston and Philadelphia. His clinical interests include continuous renal replacement therapy, use of newer therapeutic agents in Nephrotic Syndrome, and mechanism of action of corticosteroids in Nephrotic Syndrome. On the research side, he is interested in examining podocyte cell biology, regulation of podocyte structure in Nephrotic syndrome, and mechanisms of action of corticosteroids in Nephrotic Syndrome.

Brad Stewart
Sales Representative for Equipment Financing

Stewart works in the equipment financing business and lives with his family outside Philadelphia.

Brad Stewart’s daughter, Melanie, was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome in March of 1994.  After six months of medication, doctor’s decided it was time to wait for the inevitable, end stage renal failure.  Melanie was eventually diagnosed with FSGS.  On April 21st, 1999, five years after the initial diagnosis and after years of being on dialysis, Brad gave Melanie one of his kidneys.  Unfortunately, Melanie had an immediate reoccurrence of FSGS. The new kidney was removed 18 months later. Melanie has now been battling FSGS for more then 14 years.

Around the time of the transplant, Brad was contacted by Lou Antosh.  Lou’s daughter, Chrissy, also struggles with the disease.  Together, Brad and Lou decided that it was time to do something that could possibly, one day, bring an end to Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS.  They began the initial stages of forming a foundation. 

Brad and Lou were introduced to Irv Smokler and Brian Orton, the current president and vice president of NephCure.  The four men joined forces to begin what we now know as The NephCure Foundation.

The NephCure Foundation would like to thank Brad Stewart and all members of the Board of Directors, in addition to patient families and supporters of the NephCure Foundation for their overwhelming continued dedication to finding a cause and cure for FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome.