Board of Directors
Ford Durbin, President
San Antonio born and raised, Ford Durbin joined the board of Conrad Smiles to facilitate the research awareness of Pediatric Non-Fatal Drowning (PNFD) injury through community outreach and networking. He has been working for the emerging San Antonio based online legal service company, Uncontested.com, Inc. He is an active board member of San Antonio Public Library Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Lone Star Chapter. He lives by his philosophy to “create the best version of tomorrow.” He believes with community outreach, we will achieve the mission in developing new research around PNFD.
Katy Silva, Secretary
Katy Silva joined the board of Conrad Smiles to help improve the lives of children living with pediatric non-fatal drowning through public education and research. She is a Development Officer at the McNay Art Museum and has a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in studio art and art history from Trinity University.
John W. Geyer, Board Member
John is a registered Architect and is a native of San Antonio. He Graduated from The University of Texas, Austin with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1973 and has practiced across North America for the last 50 years. John has extensive experience in successfully planning and executing substantial projects requiring coordination with multiple shareholders, from the initial definition of the needs and goals to the final delivery. John has overall experience in management and team building. Virtually all of the work he has done has been a collaboration of colleagues, consultants, clients and contractors. John has also been active on a national level in Professional Organizations. He has been active in the American Institute of Architects (AIA), The American Correctional Association (ACA), The American Society of Testing ad Materials (ASTM). His experience with these organizations consists of developing professional and technical standards.
Britta Ramirez, Board Member
Britta Ramirez currently works for Mission Road Developmental Center as an HCS Non-Residential Program Manager. She is a graduate of the University of Texas-San Antonio with a BA in Mass Communications. While studying at UTSA, Britta was introduced to working with the special needs community. She was a nanny for a family of four, with the eldest having Down Syndrome. This sparked an interest for her to move forward with a career that was involved with the IDD community. Advocating for those in need is a priority in Britta’s life. Britta has joined Conrad Smiles to help and improve the treatment and research of PNFD.
Lisa Veraza, Board Member
Lisa has been in various communication and marketing roles for over 10 years and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with a minor in social work. She believes that developing more research around pediatric non-fatal drowning can help move the needle forward in developing new treatments and tools for a better future for children and families living with the impacts of PNFD.