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Our Staff
Mandi Zucker, LSW, CT
Executive Director
Mandi Zucker's 25+ year career has been defined by work in end of life and grief support. Beginning in hospice, she has focused on supporting people through illness and bereavement.
David C. Leven, JD
Senior Consultant, Policy & Advocacy
A leading advocate for patients and an expert on advance care planning, patient rights, palliative care and end-of- life issues, David has played a key role in having legislation introduced and enacted in New York to improve pain, palliative and end-of- life care, including the Palliative Care Information Act.
Nathalie Chara
Program Director
A Sociologist based in New York City. She holds a Master’s degree in Gender and Sexuality Studies from the University of Amsterdam and a Master’s degree in Sociology from St. John’s University.
"Our professional staff is "the tops!" They are on "top" of all the relevant research, news and trends in healthcare and end-of-life literature. And the staff works with both head and heart in providing the New York community with up-to-date insight into facing both living and dying well."
Our Board
Kristen Karlberg, MPH, Ph.D
President
Kristen Karlberg is a medical sociologist at Purchase College SUNY where her work focuses on the life course and ageing. Her education includes a BS in Biology, MPH in preventive medicine and biometrics and a PhD in Sociology from UCSF.
Karyn Figlen Schorr, LCSW
Vice President
Karyn Figlen Schorr is a licensed social worker in private practice. She has provided psychotherapy to individuals, couples and groups for 35 years.
Peter J. Strauss, JD
Treasurer
Peter J. Strauss practices trusts and estate law and has a special interest in issues involving the rights of persons with respect to health care treatment at the end of life.
Susan Nobel, MSW, LCSW
Secretary
Susan Nobel is a social worker with an MSW and an LCSW. She has worked for a “right-to-die” organization as a liaison to health care professions and in Occupational and Environmental Medicine in the Department of Community Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, where she treated people with work-related medical problems.
Melody Madera, MS, MPH, HACP, PHNA-BC
Director
Melody Madera was born in Washington Heights, New York City, and raised in Yonkers, NY. She is a first-generation Dominican American Registered Nurse Certified in Advanced Public Health Nursing and a Healthcare Accreditation Certified Professional.
Robin Plumer, DO
Director
Dr. Robin Plumer practiced emergency medicine in New Jersey for over 30 years. In 2008 she moved to New Zealand, where she continued to work in emergency medicine, but she also pursued her interest in end of life care by working in several hospices and completing a postgraduate diploma in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at the University of Auckland.
Jean Anne Cruz Menna
Director
Jean Anne Cruz Menna is a dedicated Hospice Registered Nurse at Jansen Hospice with over 12 years of experience in the healthcare industry and the Author of Go with Grace: A simple guide to caring for caring for someone on hospice.
Peter Bienstock, JD
Director
Peter Bienstock, JD has been a member of the Board of Directors of End of Life Choices New York, and its predecessor organization, for the better part of 20 years. He has served as member and, at times, Chair of several of its Board Committees, including Finance, Director Search and Nominations.
John Spiro
Director
John Spiro joined the Board in 2026. His commitment to expanding end of life choices grew out of personal family experiences where he saw first hand the complexities of navigating end of life issues, the benefits of autonomy, and the importance of organizations that support families during this process.
Terry M. Perlin, Ph.D
Past President
Terry M. Perlin is Emeritus Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Research Fellow at Scripps Gerontology Center, having been a faculty member at Miami University in Ohio from 1975-2009.