WASHINGTON — As Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) celebrates our 40th Anniversary this year, we are honored to announce Heather Geronemus of Fort Lauderdale as the new chair of the Board, and Don Egdorf of Houston as vice chair. Four new members also join the National Board of Directors.
The new leaders and members:
Heather Geronemus, chair of the board: Heather is an award-winning community leader and communications professional who joined MADD after losing her father, Dr. Robert Geronemus, in a drunk driving crash in 2009. Heather established the Annual Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash Fort Lauderdale in 2011 and has since then continually chaired the event. The walk has raised more than $2 million to date. Heather has been recognized by MADD and outside organizations on both a local and national level for her work with MADD and other charitable organizations. She is employed by Ultimate Software in Fort Lauderdale, where she serves as Director of Public Relations & Corporate Social Responsibility.
Don Egdorf, vice chair of the board: Don is a Houston police officer who specializes in drunk driving enforcement. He is a Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) instructor who travels across the country to speak about fatal crash cases, and investigative techniques he has acquired through his years of experience. While Don was in high school, his father, who also was a law enforcement officer, was hit by a drunk driver while on duty. Don’s father survived, and the experience inspired Don to join the law enforcement community. Throughout his own career, Don has been involved in five DWI-related crashes and investigated many DWI-related, line-of-duty deaths. Don has volunteered with MADD for many years and serves on the MADD Southeast Texas Advisory Board.
Nathaniel “Nat” Beuse: Nat is the Head of Safety for Self-Driving in Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group and he was formerly an Associate Administrator for Vehicle Safety Research at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). He brings a unique understanding of federal policy and how policy relates to broad public acceptance of new technology, such as self-driving. His connection to the MADD mission stems from a drunk driving crash that significantly impacted his family.
Matthew Bretz: Matthew is a personal injury attorney in Kansas who has seen the devastation caused by drunk drivers in the numerous cases he has handled over the years. He has served on the boards of the United Way and the Red Cross and TECH for over 10 years and has a passion for helping the community by volunteering for local and national non-profits. He is motivated by the devastation and loss which he has seen his clients experience at the hands of drunk and drugged drivers, and is dedicated to preventing further loss of life and to holding drunk and drugged drivers accountable for their actions.
Erica Linn: Erica has an extensive background in media sales and marketing in the New York City area. Erica has served on the MADD New York Board of Directors and has been a vocal advocate for MADD in New York. She is a stage actress and singer and started an annual benefit concert in New York for MADD that she has produced and performed in since 2018. Erica lost both her parents in a drunk driving crash on October 28, 2016, which drives her passion for MADD’s mission.
Andrew Robinson: Andrew is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer at CKE Restaurant Holdings and most recently held the same position at Starr Restaurant and TGI Fridays. He has three decades of senior leadership experience in the restaurant and retail industry as a strategic business leader driving corporate core mission and values. His connection to the MADD mission is due to his sister-in-law’s untimely death in a crash that was caused by a drunk driver in 2017.
About Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Founded in 1980 by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes and prevent underage drinking. MADD has helped to save more than 390,000 lives, reduce drunk driving deaths by more than 50 percent and promote designating a non-drinking driver. MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® calls for law enforcement support, ignition interlocks for all offenders and advanced vehicle technology. MADD has provided supportive services to nearly one million drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge through local victim advocates and the 24-Hour Victim Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP. Visit www.madd.org or call 1-877-ASK-MADD.
