Feb 05, 2009
Meet the Eastern NC Chapter Research Advocates
A Research Advocate is a volunteer champion of the National MS Society’s research mission who promotes the Society’s research activities and communicates progress in research to our constituents. We are pleased to introduce you to the chapter advocates, Kathy Mackintosh and Elizabeth Page.
Katherine K. (Kathy) Mackintosh has a long history of volunteer service, starting with her high school Keyettes service club. While earning her BS and M. Ed. from the University of Virginia, Kathy was a member of the Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity. Since then Kathy has been active as a volunteer with all of her children’s schools and with many organizations, including the Sertoma Club, Girl Scouts and the University of Virginia Alumni Club.
Kathy has volunteered with the National MS Society since her diagnosis over six years ago. She has worked on the Pooch Parade and has served on both the Walk MS and the Bike MS planning committees for six years. Kathy has participated in Advocacy Day, volunteered with Peer Support, attended Health Fairs, and been a MS Challenge Walk volunteer and walker for 3 years. Recently Kathy became the Chapter’s Research Advocate. She also chairs the Speaker’s Bureau Leadership Team and serves on the Chapter’s Volunteer Engagement Pilot Project Leadership team. Kathy is the epitome of a Movement Ambassador for the MS Society.
Elizabeth G. Page is one of the Eastern North Carolina MS Society Chapter's research advocates. Wife - mother of two teenage sons - MS Research Advocate - she is dynamic, inquisitive, and performs as a vast resource for many people. She has been a research advocate since 2002.
Elizabeth spends countless hours educating others as she keeps up with the latest advances in MS research. Available to the chapter whenever needed, she prepares bulletins on research advances, speaks to self-help groups all over eastern NC and to the media when MS news coincides with Society events. She is there to talk about the latest developments at fundraising events and stays involved, "albeit in an armchair role."
A bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University, with an emphasis in the biosciences, was Elizabeth's jumping off point toward her thorough investigations of the most current research findings regarding Multiple Sclerosis.
Diagnosed with MS in 1995, Elizabeth has an obvious personal reason for wanting to find out all the facts about the disease that is part of her daily life. It hasn't slowed her down much though. She has been a participant and consistent high fundraiser for the MS Bike Tour since 1998 with her team. A Jewelry Boomerang many years running, her lofty fundraising efforts gained her a trip to Australia twice to ride in the international Tour of Champions. Known on the bike tour circuit for selling her "Bike Naked" t-shirts and other clothing paraphernalia, Elizabeth is a constant reminder of fundraising at its best.