JDRF (www.jdrf.org/newjerseymetro), the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, announces the appointment of three new board members to the New Jersey Metro & Rockland County Chapter Board of Directors and says farewell to those retiring.

JDRF New Jersey Metro & Rockland Co. Chapter welcomed Sapna Bhambhani, St. Peter’s University Hospital; Andy Drechsler, Provention Bio; and Joe McHale, POCN.

“We are thrilled to have such a dynamic group of leaders joining the New Jersey Metro & Rockland County Chapter board. They are dedicated volunteers and each of them have had a unique impact on the T1D community,” said Taran Connelly, executive director. “They are tremendous assets to a chapter board that works tirelessly to improve lives and accelerate progress towards ending T1D. We can’t wait to see what they can accomplish in the years ahead.”

As members of the Board of Directors, Bhambhani, Drechsler and McHale, join an elite group of peers. Fellow members include: David Goodes, Joe DiDomizio, Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Audrey Geiger, Reggie Gross, Jeremy Kopcsik, Eva Kohn, Dina Madonick, Mark Monahan, Neil Posner, Carolyn Sansevere, Chrisie Scott, Mark Taddeo, and Jon Wilk.

Together, board members provide volunteer guidance to the chapter and the local T1D community, and play a vital role in executing fundraising, leadership, and advocacy activities to benefit local families and the 1.6 million Americans who live with this autoimmune disease.

TT1D can strike both children and adults at any age. About 40,000 people are diagnosed each year in the U.S. It comes on suddenly, causes dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications such as kidney, nerve, or eye disease. JDRF is committed to advancing life-changing breakthroughs from development to the marketplace and into the hands of people with T1D.

The New Jersey Metro & Rockland County Chapter serves the central and northern parts of New Jersey as well as Rockland County, NY. The Chapter has sustained an impressive track record in raising funds for T1D research, community outreach, public awareness, and advocacy. To learn more, visit www.jdrf.org/newjerseymetro.