Meet our Board of Directors
Meet the amazing people that help our organization thrive!
President & CEO
Jill Cichowicz
Jill founded “2 End The Stigma,” to help individuals struggling with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and to fulfill her desire to erase the stigma and educate others on the disease of addiction. Her commitment to this purpose began as a way to honor her twin brother and create a legacy for his name after he died from an accidental fentanyl poisoning in February 2017. Her participation on the national Purdue Pharma Ad Hoc Victim's Committee is instrumental in helping those affected to move on from the devastation of losing a loved one to a disease that could have been prevented.
Board Member
Omar Abubaker
Dr. A. Omar Abubaker earned his DMD, PhD in Head and Neck Anatomy from the School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh. He also completed his residency training and a fellowship in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from Presbyterian University Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He Joined the Faculty at VCU School of Dentistry and School of Medicine, VCU medical Center 1991 and has been the Chairman since 2002 Dr. Abubaker has become active in education in the area of addiction, the opioid epidemic and pain management since 2017. In 2015, he earned a Graduate Certificate in Addiction Studies from the International Program in Addiction Studies, which is jointly based in Virginia Commonwealth University, The University of Adelaide, Australia and Kings College London, England.
Board Member
Shrina Desai
Dr. Shrina Desai is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist practicing in the Richmond area. After graduating college, she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a physician and attended medical school. She was instantly drawn to the mental health field and has a passion to help others, especially youth. She completed her psychiatry residency and fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Treatment Center for Children. She then stayed in the Richmond area to work in an outpatient practice where she works closely with young adults, children, and their families.
Board Member
William J. Lynch Jr
William J. Lynch Jr. earned his pharmacy degree from Rutgers University and is an Advanced Clinical Pharmacist with Jefferson Health System. He also serves as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. With more than 37 years of clinical experience, he is a clinical preceptor for Rutgers University Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University College of Pharmacy, and Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. Mr. Lynch is a subject matter expert for the ONDCP High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area National Marijuana Initiative, an Expert Affiliate Council Member of the International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis (IASIC), and a healthcare partner with the Keep Delaware Safe & Healthy Coalition and the State of Delaware Substance Abuse Epidemiological Outcomes Working Group. He is an advisory board member for atTAcK addiction, a member of the Camden County NJ Addiction Awareness Task Force, and an adviser to the Gloucester Township Police Department SAVE Program. In addition, he contributes to the Central Virginia Overdose Working Group, partners with the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center Drug Monitoring Initiative, and supports the Health and Prevention Sharing Network. Mr. Lynch is also a certified New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety Police Training Commission Instructor and founder and preceptor of the Jefferson Pharmacy Internship Program.
Board Member
Eric Morris
Eric is a nine-year veteran of the US Army where he served as a Paratrooper. Originally from Harlem, New York, Eric moved to Chesterfield in high school and has remained a resident of Chesterfield since that time. Eric was honorably discharged from the US Army as a Staff Sergeant and has a bachelor’s degree in Project Management. He brings his leadership, attention to detail, and commitment to community service to his work on raising awareness about substance use disorder. Eric currently resides in Midlothian with his wife, April, their three children Lilianna, Eric, and Seraphina, and their two dogs.
Board Member
Edward E. Neiger
Edward E. Neiger is the managing partner of ASK LLP, a national law firm focusing on mass torts and bankruptcy. With an impressive roster of case involvement to his name including Enron, Lehman Brothers, GM, and representing thousands of victims of Boy Scout sexual abuse and over 60,000 victims of Purdue Pharma, Edward has devoted his career to standing up against powerful people and taking an aggressive stance to fight and recover money for victims. He is passionate about helping children and those suffering from addiction. He is a co-founder of Rides To Recovery, and is also committed to giving back to the community: assisting victims of domestic violence, providing pro bono services to low-income tenants in eviction proceedings, and helping Holocaust survivors recover monetary damages from the German government, including his own grandfather. Edward is a Brooklyn native and a first-generation college graduate, earning a JD from Fordham University School of Law and an undergraduate degree in finance from Touro College. He lives in New York with his wife and two daughters.
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Board Member
Alexandra Plante
Alexandra Plante is a Senior Advisor in the Strategy Office of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. She has served as a consultant to U.S. federal agencies and state policymakers, international agencies such as the United Nations Office of Drug Control and Crime (UNODC), and private entities such as Google. Her writing has been featured in outlets such as Harvard Health Publications, Scientific American, and STAT. She is a current Fulbright Specialist in SUD, serves as a PCORI Merit Reviewer, and is a contracted author with a national publisher. She is a DMSc (Doctorate of Medical Science) candidate and holds a M.A. in Quantitative Research in Communications, previously serving as a Director at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School - Recovery Research Institute and DynamiCare Health.
Board Member
Amanda White
Amanda (Mandy) is an analyst at San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) in San Diego, CA where she has held several finance related positions since joining the company in 2011. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, and a Masters of Business Administration from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Board Member
Kaylyn Wood, Secretary
Kaylyn has spent 6 years working in drug prevention organizations, including the Young Marines and the Drug Enforcement Administration. She led a national drug prevention education program with the Young Marines. During the summer of 2018, she also had the honor of interning at the Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy where she assisted with organizing strategic priorities as well as advancing drug policy internationally and domestically. Recently, she has worked locally in Richmond with Operation Engage, a local, data-driven approach to drug prevention committed to reducing the impact of drugs as well as violence in a community. After her work in Richmond, she still finds ways to keep people connected and engaged in this area. Kaylyn also serves in the United States Army Reserves as an Engineer Soldier. In her free time, she is an avid runner who has completed multiple marathons in Washington, D.C. She also enjoys spending her time with her husband, daughters, dogs, and Mickey Mouse.
Board Member