The Architects of the Bridge

Extraordinary progress requires an extraordinary team. Meet the leaders, advisors, and partners dedicated to building a safer, clearer path for the ALS community.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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PETER BROOME Founder

BRAD FAXON President & Director

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PAUL SALEM Vice President & Director

DAVID AGNEW Treasurer & Director

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J. GIILL BROOME Director

MARK FLAHERTY Director

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BRAD RICHARDS Director

  • Founder

    Peter Broome is a native of Montreal, Canada and a golf industry veteran.

    Peter’s career in golf began as an Assistant Professional at several notable Canadian golf clubs while attending McGill University. Post graduation, Peter embarked on a career in the golf industry highlighted by 30 years with Acushnet Company as a member of the management team based in the corporate headquarters located in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.

    While at Acushnet, Peter served as the Senior Vice President responsible for Titleist Brand Management and Acushnet’s Industry Relations. As an extension of the Industry Relations responsibilities, Peter oversaw partnerships and communications with key stakeholders in the game, including the PGA of America, PGA Tour and the Governing Bodies. In addition, Peter was responsible for Acushnet’s operations in Latin America and Canada.

    Peter served a term as Chair of the US Golf Manufacturers Council which represents the Manufacturer community with the governing bodies and government. Peter continues to serve as a Trustee at Methodist University in North Carolina and is member of the Board of Directors of Golf Canada.

    In 2025 Peter was bestowed a Honorary Membership in the PGA of America.

    He follows 3 US Presidents and the legendary Bob Hope as only the 13th person in PGA history to receive this honor. In Canada, Peter received the George Cumming Award from PGA of Canada for exceptional contributions to the game and the association. Peter was the 10 th recipient of the award in the association’s history. He also recently received the Legacy Award from the Golf Canada Foundation for distinguished service to the game in Canada and Worldwide.

    In 2025 Peter, his family and close friends founded the Bridge Foundation. The mission of the Bridge Foundation is to raise awareness and funding in support research and treatment for the ALS community.

    Peter and wife Sandy live in Jupiter, Florida and have 3 children, Valerie (Jon Curran), Matthew (Caroline) and Bradley (Juliette) and 3 grandsons (Peter, George and Jack).

  • President & Director

    Brad Faxon is one of golf’s most respected figures, distinguished by his eight-time PGA TOUR winning career, Ryder Cup appearances, and expert putting instruction. Today, he shares his insights as an analyst for NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Critically, Brad is a recognized philanthropic leader, having co-founded charities that have raised more than $30 million for at-risk children. His dedication was recognized with the Payne Stewart Award, reflecting the integrity and impact he brings to the Board and his role as President.

  • Vice President & Director

    Paul Salem is the Founder of Salem Capital Management and The Salem Foundation, and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). He previously served as Chairman of MGM Growth Properties (NYSE: MGP), helping guide one of the industry’s leading hospitality and entertainment platforms.

    Paul spent 27 years building and leading Providence Equity Partners, a global private equity firm specializing in media, communications, and technology. As a Senior Managing Director, he was a member of the investment and management committees and helped grow the firm to more than $50 billion in assets under management. He established Providence’s London office in 1999 and later launched several affiliated investment platforms, including Benefit Street Partners and Providence Public.

    Paul is also deeply committed to philanthropy and nonprofit leadership. He serves as Chairman of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, sits on the advisory board of the Carney Institute for Brain Science at Brown University, and is a former board member of Edesia Global Nutrition and Chairman of Year Up.

    He holds a B.A. from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

  • Treasurer & Director

    David Agnew leads the strategic direction of RBC Wealth Management Canada, the country’s leading full-service wealth management firm. He began his career as an investment advisor in 1985 and went on to hold progressively senior leadership roles before becoming CEO in 2010. David holds a baccalaureate degree from Concordia University and is a graduate of the Queen’s University Executive Program.

    Beyond his work in financial services, David is deeply engaged in the golf community. He serves as President of the Royal Montreal Golf Club and sits on the Board of Directors for the Golf Canada Foundation.

  • Director

    Gill Broome has a long career in merchant banking, investing, and guiding the growth of emerging and consolidating businesses. He has served as an investor, advisor, partner, and board member across a wide range of industries, including healthcare clinics, professional sports, service-based companies, and hospitality. Gill began his career at KPMG and brings a strong financial and operational background to every venture.

    He is currently the President of Forth Bridge Capital, a merchant bank that owns and manages golf-focused hospitality businesses and invests in select mid-market growth opportunities.

  • Director

    Mark previously served as Senior Partner and Vice Chairman at Wellington Management, a global investment firm managing over $1 trillion in assets. He oversaw the Investment Services Division, encompassing Global Trading, Risk Management, and Governance, and was a long-standing member of the Operating Committee.

    Before Wellington, Mark was a Partner at Standish, Ayer & Wood, leading Global Equity Trading and serving on the Executive Committee.

    Currently, Mark holds several leadership roles:

    • Independent Director at Goldman Sachs Group

    • Independent Director at Openly, a technology-driven homeowners insurance provider

    • Senior Advisor for RedBird Capital Partners, specializing in Sports, Media & Entertainment, and Financial Services investments

    • Lead Director at Suffolk Technologies, a venture capital platform focusing on startups transforming the built environment

    Additionally, Mark is a former Policy Board member of the PGA TOUR.

    He earned a BS in Accounting from Providence College, where he served on the Board of Trustees.

    Mark is a CFA charterholder.

  • Director

    Brad Richards is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and one of Canada’s most accomplished former NHL players. Drafted 64th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1998, he went on to play 15 seasons in the NHL for Tampa Bay, New York, Dallas, Chicago, and Detroit. During the Lightning’s 2004 championship run, Brad earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, cementing his place among hockey’s elite. He won his second Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015.

    Born in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Brad rose through the ranks of Canadian junior hockey, capturing nearly every major QMJHL and CHL award before beginning his professional career. Known for his leadership and consistency, he is the only player in NHL history to win all eight Game 7 appearances he played in.

    Since retiring in 2016, Brad has remained active in the sport and currently serves as a consultant for the St. Louis Blues. Off the ice, he is deeply committed to philanthropy. He founded the Brad Richards PEI Celebrity Golf Classic, supporting children’s charities across Prince Edward Island, and has long provided game experiences to pediatric cancer patients and military families in the cities where he played. He also made a landmark $500,000 donation to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.

    Brad lives with his wife Rechelle and their two children, and continues to support both the hockey and golf communities that shaped his life and career.

Medical Advisory Council:

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VALERIE BROOME PA-C

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JENNIFER DIMARTINO Director of Community Engagement

MATT BROOME Executive Director

DANIELLE MATTHEWS Director of Digital and Communications

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CHESTER MAXSON MD

MERIT CUDKOWICZ MD

  • Born in Canada and raised in Rhode Island, Valerie headed south for school, earning her undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston and completing PA school at Methodist University. She is a Physician Assistant at Jupiter Medical Center, where she has been practicing for over 10 years. Valerie lives in Jupiter, Florida, with her husband, Jon Curran, and their three young boys—Peter, George, and Jack. Caregiving is at the center of her life, both at home and in her medical practice. She is a strong advocate for ALS research, a cause close to her heart.

  • Dr. Merit Cudkowicz is the Director of the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Executive Director of the Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute, Director and the Julieanne Dorn Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Cudkowicz’s research and clinical activities are dedicated to the study and treatment of people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Dr. Cudkowicz is one of the founders and past Co-Chairs of the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS), a group of over 134 clinical sites in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East dedicated to performing collaborative clinical trials and research in ALS. She has brought innovations to accelerate the development of treatments for people with ALS, including senior role in first antisense oligonucleotide treatment for a neurological disorder (SOD1 ALS), adaptive trial designs, central IRB - all with goal to bring the best treatments rapidly.  Dr. Cudkowicz is Principal Investigator of the Clinical Coordination Center for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s Neurology Network of Excellence in Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT).  Dr. Cudkowicz is launching the first platform trial initiative in ALS, the HEALEY ALS Platform Trial, a program that will greatly accelerate therapy development in ALS.

    Dr. Cudkowicz received the American Academy of Neurology 2009 Sheila Essay ALS award, the 2017 Forbes Norris Award from the International MND Alliance, the 2017 Pinnacle Award from the Boston Chamber of Commerce and the 2019 Ray Adams American Neurological Association Award. A dedicated educator, Dr. Cudkowicz mentors many young neurologists in clinical investigation of ALS and related neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Cudkowicz completed her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and obtained a medical degree in the Health Science and Technology program of Harvard Medical School. She served her internship at Beth Israel Hospital in New York and her neurology residency and fellowship at MGH. She also obtained a master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health.

  • Dr. Chester (Chet) Maxson is a practicing gastroenterologist in general and advanced therapeutic endoscopy in Jupiter, FL for the last 28 years. He is currently serves as the Medical Director (since 2013) of The Center for Excellence in Digestive Health at Jupiter Medical Center and the Medical Director of Baptist Health Endoscopy Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He received an undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University (1981), his M.D. from Medical College of Pennsylvania/UPenn (1986), and completed his fellowship in Gastroenterology/Hepatology and Nutrition at The Graduate Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (1991). Outside interests include fishing, snorkeling, travel, and of course golf, and he is currently seeking his first real putting lesson from Brad Faxon. 

BRIDGE FOR ALS FOUNDATION STAFF:

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  • Director of Operations

    Matt brings a unique blend of elite athletic management and personal dedication to the ALS Bridge Foundation. As a Managing Partner at Motion Sports and a PGA TOUR Certified Player Manager, he applies high-level strategic operations and executive precision to the foundation’s daily mission. Driven by his father Peter’s diagnosis, Matt is committed to leveraging his operational expertise to bridge the gap between groundbreaking research and the families facing ALS.

  • Director of Community Engagement

    A recognized leader in ALS advocacy, Jennifer serves as the Lead for Patient and Family Engagement at the Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital. With over a decade of experience, including her tenure as Executive Director of ALS ONE, she has raised over $21M for research pipelines and patient support. Jennifer’s work is rooted in building meaningful community connections and empowering families with the resources and clarity needed to navigate an ALS diagnosis.

  • Director of Digital & Communications

    Danielle is a seasoned marketing executive and creative strategist who specializes in purpose-driven storytelling and digital innovation. As the Founder and CEO of DM Creative House, she has a proven track record of building global brands and leading high-impact philanthropic initiatives, having helped raise over $2.3M for various charitable causes. Danielle leverages her deep roots in sports media and the golf community to amplify the foundation’s message and accelerate global awareness.

  • Foundation Counsel

    Andrew brings deep expertise at the intersection of celebrity, philanthropy, and nonprofit governance to the ALS Bridge Foundation. As a Partner at Handler Thayer LLP and Chair of the firm’s Sports & Entertainment Law Group, he advises professional athletes, entertainers, and public figures on building and sustaining high-impact charitable organizations.

    With extensive experience guiding tax-exempt formation, compliance, governance, and best practices, Andrew ensures the foundation operates with integrity, transparency, and strategic precision. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and recipient of Penn Law’s highest public interest honor, Andrew is committed to strengthening the legal and structural framework that allows ALS Bridge to accelerate meaningful progress for patients and families.

Trustees & Friends of the Foundation:

  • Timothy Boyce - Toronto

  • J. Bradley Broome - Providence, RI

  • P. Matthew Broome - Birmingham, AL

  • Eric Eshleman - Birmingham, AL

  • Ted Fischer - Barrington, RI

  • Mark Smith - Montreal

  • Jeff Speak - Montreal

  • George Marucci- Palm Beach, FL

  • Kelly Miller - Southern Pines, NC

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