MSAA strives to be a leading resource for the entire MS community by improving lives today through vital services and support – and we could not accomplish this without the help of our volunteer board members. MSAA’s Board of Directors is comprised of accomplished professionals from across the country who volunteer their time to further MSAA’s mission. With our ongoing series, Meet the Board, we hope to introduce you to our wonderful volunteer board members!
MSAA is proud to highlight two volunteer board members this month – Wendy Scott and Ira Levee, Esq.
Wendy Scott
Member of the Programs and Services Committee
Professional Background: Wendy Scott is a professor of law at the Mississippi College School of Law, where she made history as the first African-American to serve as the Dean for the MC School of Law, which she did with distinction from 2014 to 2016. Professor Scott teaches Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, Evidence, Native American Law, and Gender and the Law. Her scholarship focuses on constitutional theory and school desegregation and she is currently completing a book of dissenting opinions of Justice Thurgood Marshall with her coauthor.
Ira Levee, Esq.
Board Secretary and Member of the Development Committee
Professional Background: Ira Levee, Esq. is a Senior Legal Editor at Thomson Reuters/Practical Law and is an accomplished attorney with extensive experience in bankruptcy law as well as commercial and bankruptcy litigation. Mr. Levee is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and has provided legal services for the Volunteer Lawyers for Justice Bankruptcy Pro Bono Program (Newark, NJ) and the Honorable Morris Stern Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project (Rutgers University School of Law – Newark, NJ).
What inspired you to join MSAA’s Board of Directors?
Scott: “I was honored with a nomination to the MSAA Board by James Anderson. I had shared with Jim the story of Stephanie, my sister with multiple sclerosis, and the challenges she faced being diagnosed and affording the medicine needed for successful treatment. My family began donating to research, under the leadership of my sister Sandra, and we are now delighted to support the work of MSAA, which provides direct and needed services to people living with multiple sclerosis.”
Levee: “I have had a longtime association with MS, having served on the Board of Trustees of another MS non-profit organization. After leaving that group, I still wanted to volunteer to help those with MS. After speaking and meeting with several board members of MSAA, I knew this was a group of people that wants to improve the lives of those afflicted with MS. I was invited to join the Board in January 2017. I am proud to be a member of the Board and continue to be amazed by the dedication of the other Board members and more so, by the staff who never seem to stop. Their hard work inspires me to work harder for MSAA.”
What are your goals as an MSAA Board Member?
Scott: “I intend to learn more about multiple sclerosis and use this knowledge to propose ideas for more services. I especially appreciate the focus of MSAA on the particular challenges of women and minorities with multiple sclerosis. I hope to help educate even more communities about our work and find more people in need of the services we provide.”
Levee: “My goals are to get people more aware of all that MSAA has to offer those with MS and their families. This includes not only those with MS but individuals, corporations and medical providers, who can help support, financially and through other means, MSAA’s efforts. The services and products offered by MSAA are so valuable and important, but get little publicity. We need to get the word out through various events. As a Board member, I would like to see a program where Board members can meet people with MS to talk about MS and MSAA.”
Editor’s Note: MSAA is extremely proud and honored to enlist the support of Wendy Scott, Ira Levee, and all of our dedicated Board Members who volunteer their time, expertise, compassion, and leadership to help us achieve our mission of improving lives today for the entire MS community. We are very grateful for their service and look forward to their continued support as we strive to serve more people in more places than ever before. Thank you once again Wendy and Ira!
At the time I recall there was construction and signage indicating only one way to access the upper floor. As I climbed the tightly curved, narrow and steep stairway, I experienced a visceral moment that had me choking back a sudden sob. My thoughts flashed to friends with mobility issues that would not be able to navigate this route. I realized that this is something that someday I will not be able to experience. In that moment I felt profound grief for what I haven’t yet lost – the ability and freedom to go anywhere without my body limiting me. Continue reading 
