Meet Our Team
Kristen Clifford • President & CEO
Kristen Clifford serves as UMDF’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
Kristen arrived at UMDF in January 2025 with several decades of experience in non-profit and healthcare environments, including considerable time focused on improving the accessibility and quality of care for patients impacted by severe disease.
Prior to joining UMDF, Kristen served as Chief Program Officer at the Alzheimer’s Association where she led all care and support services for millions of Alzheimer’s patients, including outreach and quality improvement initiatives for health systems, long-term care initiatives focused on person-centered care, and growth strategies for reaching more individuals through quality improvement, education, and supportive programs and services.
Before this, she held multiple high-profile roles within the National MS Society including Vice President of Healthcare Access and Vice President of Healthcare Provider Engagement and Clinical Activities.
Kristen is a graduate of UCF College of Business, along with holding an M.B.A. from Texas State University. She resides with her husband and three daughters in Austin, Texas.
Philip Yeske, PhD • Science & Alliance Officer
Philip Yeske is UMDF’s Science & Alliance Officer. He received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Allegheny College and a doctorate in organic chemistry from Emory University. Prior to joining UMDF, he served as President and CEO of Fluorous Technologies, a Pittsburgh-based, early-stage life sciences company. He also worked at Bayer Corporation in positions ranging from basic research to global account management and co-founded the drug discovery company, MS2 Array.
Dr. Yeske has been active in the mitochondrial disease community since 2004, first as a parent of an affected child, then as a trustee of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation from 2010 to 2012. In 2013, he accepted the position of UMDF Science & Alliance Officer, responsible for leading the foundation’s research mission and managing all scientific and business development efforts related to improved diagnoses, development of treatments and cures and optimized patient care.
Andy Dearth • Director of Marketing & Communications
Andy started his career as a marketer for concert giant Live Nation, where he rose from part-time publicist to a director role over 12 years with the company, promoting some of the biggest names in music including The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, U2 and more.
He joins UMDF from Goodwill Columbus, where as Marketing Director the last five years he championed the organization’s unique social enterprise model, helping to grow shopping, donations and fundraising to boost Goodwill’s impact in the community.
Andy is a graduate of Otterbein University and resides in Central Ohio with his wife, son and many dogs and cats.
Michael Diperro • Controller
Michael joined UMDF as Controller in September 2025.
He comes to UMDF with over 30 years of expertise, including extensive experience in accounting, financial controls, auditing, and strategic planning across nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Prior to UMDF, he served as Director of Financial Controls at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Michael resides just outside of New York City.
Maria Porto • Director of Finance & Operations
Maria came to UMDF in early 2024 with nearly three decades of finance expertise, most recently with Lowell Public Schools in Lowell, MA, where she served as Deputy Chief Financial Officer. Prior to this, she rose to the role of Vice President of Financial Wellness over a 20-year career with Hanscom Federal Credit Union. Maria resides with her husband and their two teenage children in the greater Boston area. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family skiing, hiking, bike riding, attending soccer games, and traveling. She also speaks three languages, including English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Kara Strittmatter, MA, CMM • Director of Education and Support Services
Kara Strittmatter joined the UMDF in 1997 and has enjoyed many roles in support of patient families. As the first employee, Kara has touched many through her leadership in member services, finance, fundraising, meeting planning, marketing and communications. Currently, she is thrilled to be dedicating her time as the UMDF Meeting Event Director and focusing on education in our mitochondrial community to help the patients and families we serve.
Under her direction, the UMDF organizes a very successful annual international conference which attracts more than 700 physicians, researchers, industry partners, patients, caregivers, and families. She is also very excited about expanding the UMDF’s education outreach and assist in the creation of a new educational portal to better serve the mitochondrial community. Kara has a Master of Arts in Communications and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations/Theatre.
Jill Guyer, CFRE • National Director of Development
Jill brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising strategy, and organizational growth. She most recently served as Executive Director at the American Cancer Society, where she led a multi-state team delivering annual fundraising results exceeding $10 million. Prior to that, she worked on American Heart Association’s National Corporate Relations team, cultivating strategic alliances with Fortune 1000 companies and stewarding an eight-figure revenue portfolio.
Jill is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and has completed executive leadership training through McKinsey & Company’s Inclusive Leaders Academy. Additionally, she earned a Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility from UC Boulder, underscoring her commitment to inclusive, sustainable impact. Jill is a strategic and mission-driven leader with a track record of building lasting partnerships, empowering teams, and unlocking new revenue opportunities. Her energy and vision for opportunity align with where we are headed as an organization.
Jill resides in Oklahoma City, OK and has three cats named Eloise, Millicent, and Russell. Outside of work, Jill enjoys activities like golfing, volleyball, traveling, reading, and exploring culinary delights.
