About Us
Executive Director
Luba Djurdjinovic, MS
Luba Djurdjinovic, MS is the Executive Director of Ferre Institute, Inc., a non-profit organization that comprises a number of programs in genetics and reproductive health. She is also Director of Ferre Genetics, the genetic counseling program of Ferre Institute. A genetic counselor for over 30 years, Luba’s clinical interests and expertise range from fertility education, to familial cancer syndromes and cardiovascular genetics. Luba is credited with developing a unique genetic service delivery model and has promoted its adoption. She has served important roles in many state and national genetic professional organizations. She is a past president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and a recipient of their National Achievement Award.
Founder
Murray Nusbaum, MD
Murray Nusbaum, MD was the founder and Medical Director of Ferre Institute Inc. He was also the Medical Advisor to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) for New York State as well as a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He spent many years in the private practice of reproductive medicine before becoming Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. In 2004, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from District II (New York State) ACOG.
Dr. Nusbaum had advocated for the integration of genetic discussions in clinical practice for 30 years. He was a frequent lecturer to professional and community groups about the importance of genetics in our daily lives.
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Diane Smith Faubion
Thomas Goodman
MD
Jane Greenlaw
BSN, MS, JD
Erin E. Houghton
MS, CGC
Ed Kloza
MS, CGC
Don Sommerville
BA, MBA
James A. Terzian
MD, FCAP
Dennis First
Jane Greenlaw, BSN, MS, JD
Jane is Professor Emeritus at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
She is the former Director of their Division of Medical Humanities and Bioethics as well as
Director of the Program in Clinical Ethics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She
taught health care law and bioethics to medical students and residents , and headed up the
Clinical Ethics Consultation Team in the medical center. Prof. Greenlaw has served on many
boards and commissions, including the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law. She
has authored and co-authored many articles on law and bioethics.
Thomas Goodman, MD
Dr. Goodman was born and raised in Rhode Island. He has practiced clinical oncology/hematology for
over forty years. His education and training included Johns Hopkins University, Warren Alpert Medical
School of Brown University, and Harvard Medical School. He has authored multiple medical abstracts,
medical journal articles, oncology text chapters, and monographs. He was past president of the Upstate
New York Society of Medical Oncology Hematology, President of the Schenectady Cancer Foundation,
and Co-Medical Director of Community Hospice. He was instrumental in founding the local Gilda’s Club.
The author has been involved in laboratory and clinical oncology/hematology research studying
conditions including bleeding and clotting disorders, cancer pharmacology, and bone marrow
transplantation. He is presently the Medical Director of Ferre Genetics headquartered in Upstate New
York. He lives with his wife, Cynthia, of forty years, a psychologist, Ph.D., R.N., N.P., and is always happy
to boast about his three daughters, all of whom are physicians in their own right.
Erin E. Houghton, MS, CGC
Erin E. Houghton, MS, CGC is a Senior Genomic Counselor at Personalis, a cancer genomics testing
laboratory which provides molecular analyses of patients’ tumors for a personalized therapeutic
approach. Erin analyzes the genetic alterations detected in tumor samples to provide individual drug and
clinical trial recommendations to cancer patients and their medical providers. Prior to her work at
Personalis, Erin was the Associate Director of Ferre Institute, where she was in clinical practice for 12
years. She attended the University of California, Irvine, where she received her master's degree in
genetic counseling in 2004, and is certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling.
Ed Kloza, MS, CGC
Ed Kloza is a genetics consultant to the New England Regional Genetics Network. He received his degree
in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from Rutgers University and has co-authored over 35 articles
in the medical literature. Ed has extensive experience in genetic education of primary care clinicians and
the general public. He is past president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and served on the
editorial board of the Journal of Genetic Counseling. He co-founded the American Board of Genetic
Counseling and received the Natalie Weissberger Paul National Achievement Award in 2000.
Don Sommerville, BA, MBA
Don Sommerville is an accomplished Senior Executive and Board Member, with more
than 35 years of success across the consumer packaged goods, food and
beverage, retail, paper and building products industries. Leveraging
extensive experience in strategy, he is a valuable asset for businesses
seeking assistance with customer centric strategic direction. His broad
areas of expertise include sales, marketing, and general management with
emphasis in brand building.
Throughout his executive career, he has held leadership positions with
Latham International, Meadwestvaco, The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea
Company, and Eight O’Clock Coffee. In a recent role as Chief Marketing
Officer for Latham International, he developed a go-to-market strategy for
the company, and also combined a few autonomous brands under a single
entity, leveraging the strength of the overall organization while focusing the
product line on the key profitable segments. Additionally, he developed
and introduced a new customer incentive program resulting in significant
sales growth. In a prior role with Eight O’Clock Coffee, he was
instrumental in orchestrating a turnaround for the organization, earning
$23M in profit improvement within a period of three years. Furthermore,
during his time with Meadwestvaco, he played in integral role in building
the company’s direct to consumer business, growing it at a rate of 40% a
year.
Don is currently the Managing Director of Sommerville Marketing, LLC and
is a Mentor for Score (affiliate of the Small Business Administration). He
holds a BA in Economics and Accounting from Muhlenberg College, as
well as an MBA in Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is
currently on the board of Ferre Genetics and has held board positions with
the National Coffee Federation and the United Way.
James A. Terzian, MD, FCAP
James A. Terzian, MD, FCAP is a forensic pathologist practicing in the southern tier of New York State. He currently serves as the Medical Director of Pathology and Laboratories at Lourdes Hospital, an Ascension Health Institute in Binghamton.
Having completed his medical training and pathology residency at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, New York, Dr. Terzian holds certifications in anatomic, clinical and forensic pathology. In addition to his duties as a full-time community hospital pathologist, Dr. Terzian has performed over 3,000 autopsies to date, and has served as a county medical examiner.
The investigation of unexpected and suspicious deaths in the seven New York State counties surrounding Binghamton has been his primary responsibility for the past 25 years. Dr. Terzian has testified in dozens of homicide cases, as well as in family court and in civil suits. He has also appeared in two episodes of Court TV’s Forensic Files.
Dr. Terzian is a member of the College of American Pathologists, the New York State Association of County Coroners and Medical Examiners, a member of the Forensic Committee of the Medical Society of the State of New York, and belongs to the National Association of Medical Examiners, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the American Society of Clinical Pathology. He is also a Clinical Professor of Pathology on the Update Medical University Clinical Campus faculty.
Diane Smith Faubion
Diane Smith Faubion has over 40 years of banking and non-profit board experience. She recently retired form 1st National Bank of Scotia as Executive Vice President and COO. In that capacity Diane managed the Retail, Business Banking, Deposit Operations, Human Resources, Marketing and Training Departments. Additionally, she led the bank’s strategic planning and employee development efforts and served on the board of its insurance agency.
Over the course of her career, Diane has held numerous board positions in healthcare, education, and social services. Currently, she serves on the board of the Ferre Institute, Sunnyview Hospital Foundation, Samaritan Counseling Center, and the Church Growth Fund of the Reformed Church in America.