ATLANTA (April 10, 2023) Anna Combes has joined the CMT Research Foundation in the newly-created position of Vice President of Philanthropy. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Combes will be responsible for fundraising and development activities, including outreach to individual donors and institutions such as foundations, corporations and community funds. “Anna adds years of experience to the CMTRF executive team with proven success at growing donors and their support,” says Cleary Simpson, CEO of the CMTRF. “Nothing is more important to our mission than the ability to fund research and the source of that is primarily individual donations.” Ms. Combes comes to CMTRF from the Ochsner Cancer Institute (Ochsner Health), where as Director Of Development since 2013, she demonstrated success closing six and seven figure gifts annually totaling over $40 million; increased philanthropic activity for the cancer service line from $1 million to $3-5 million year over year. Before that, Ms Combes held several positions of increasing responsibility and scope in Ochsner Corporate Relations and Special Events. She is a graduate of Salsibury (Maryland) University earning a BA in Communication.“I am thrilled to be joining the dynamic team at the CMT Research Foundation,” says Ms. Combes. “It is my hope, that together with the power of philanthropy and our generous donors, we can develop life changing therapeutics and finally find a cure for all types of CMT*.”
CMT Research Foundation (CMTRF) is a patient-led, non-profit focused on delivering treatments and cures for CMT. The foundation identifies significant obstacles or deficiencies impeding progress towards a cure and seeks out collaborators to address these issues. It’s their mission to raise funds to invest in promising science with high potential of leading to treatments and cures. Founded by two patients who are driven to expedite drug delivery to people who live with CMT, the 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt organization is supported by personal and corporate financial gifts. *Charcot-Marie-Tooth encompasses a group of inherited, chronic peripheral neuropathies that result in nerve degradation. CMT patients suffer from progressive muscle atrophy of legs and arms, causing walking, running and balance problems as well as abnormal functioning of hands and feet. CMT affects one in 2,500 people (about the same prevalence as cystic fibrosis), including 150,000 Americans and nearly 3 million people worldwide. At the moment, there is no treatment or cure for CMT.
