The Armellino Center of Excellence for Williams Syndrome

At the Armellino Center of Excellence for Williams Syndrome, we aim to provide comprehensive care across the lifespan in order to better meet the needs of patients and families living with Williams Syndrome.  We will address not only medical needs, but also behavioral, emotional, executive function, and social needs. We will champion the values of access to care, inclusion and equity in the Williams Syndrome community. We will pursue a multidisciplinary approach to encompass the physiological, psychological, social, genetic, metabolic, and clinical complexity of Williams Syndrome.

Our vision is to offer expanded and integrated clinical services, lead research into better understanding Williams Syndrome across the lifespan, develop new approaches to treatment and prevention, train the next generation of WS experts, and serve as a national model for the comprehensive care, research and education in Williams Syndrome. 

We are in the planning stages of securing a short-term and long-term physical home for the Armellino Center of Excellence for Williams Syndrome—one that bridges administrative and research space to the clinic. A key component will be a lounge that will serve as a “home base” for families while they are here for appointments, facilitating interactions between families and individuals with Williams Syndrome.

A fundamental component of the Armellino Center of Excellence for Williams Syndrome is its Advisory Committee, comprised of key members of our community who dedicate their time to ensuring the Center is best positioned to address the highest priority needs in Williams Syndrome. We are pleased to announce that the Advisory Committee met this fall for the first time, and we are excited to see this important group grow and evolve in the years ahead. The inaugural Committee will include:

• Michael R. Armellino, W’61, made a gift to establish the Armellino Center of Excellence for Williams Syndrome in 2022. Mr. Armellino, a longtime resident of New Jersey who is retired after a long career at Goldman Sachs, has three sons and seven grandchildren. His partner, Beverly Karch, has a granddaughter, Maelyn, who is living with Williams Syndrome. Mike was inspired to give to create a bright future for individuals living with Williams Syndrome and to establish a home for those touched by the condition. Mike earned an MBA from New York University. Currently, he serves as a Trustee of the Armellino Family Foundation.
• Nicholas C. Armellino, DO, is an Emergency Medicine Physician at Exeter Hospital, in New Hampshire. He went to medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete his internship and residency at Maine Medical Center.
• Samuel Kim, C’85, W’85, serves as the Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Lotte Retail HQ, a large division of the South Korean multinational conglomerate Lotte Corporation. Sam has extensive experience in corporate and board-level leadership for both large and emerging businesses and geographies. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science as well as a concurrent Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of Business. Sam and his wife, Jin, have been steadfast supporters of Williams Syndrome research and care at Penn Medicine, and have a son who is living with Williams Syndrome.
• Jennifer “Jenny” Rae Knox is an active local volunteer for the Williams Syndrome Association. Her son, Jackson, was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome shortly after birth. Jenny co-founded, and continues to help support, the event known as the Philadelphia Walk for Williams Syndrome on behalf of the Williams Syndrome Association, one of the largest and most successful of its kind. Jenny completed advocacy training through Temple’s C2P2 Partner and Policy Making program and through COPAA’s SEAT program. Currently, she serves on the board of the Committee for Special Education in Lower Merion School District and co-founded the PA Inclusion Collective. Her passion is inclusion and belonging and supporting families on the special needs journey.
• Jocelyn Krebs, PhD, is the former president of the Board of Trustees for the Williams Syndrome Association and a researcher who studied a gene in the Williams Syndrome deletion before having a child with Williams Syndrome. She is passionate about supporting high-impact research and about helping make complex science understandable. Dr. Krebs is currently a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the WWAMI School of Medicine at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
• Daniel J. Rader, MD, is chair of the Department of Genetics and Chief of the Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics in the Department of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn. He also serves as chief of the Division of Human Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics at CHOP, home to one of the largest Williams Syndrome clinics in the country. Dr. Rader’s research focuses on the human genetics and functional genomics of lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis, as well as the translational implications for novel therapeutic approaches. He has been on the Penn faculty since 1994.
• Sarah Giddings is currently the Interim Executive Director for the Williams Syndrome Association. Prior to this role as the Vice President of Programs & Services, she lead the development and execution of WSA programs and support services, which include the Family Support Network, scholarship programs, conventions, camps, programs to engage people with WS of all ages. She also leads the development of partnerships & a collaborative of consultants to support families impacted by Williams syndrome. She joined the WSA as staff part-time in 2020, then full time in 2021, but has been involved in the WSA for the past 20 years, after her son Matthew was diagnosed in 2003 when he was 13 months old. She has served as a WSA regional chair volunteer and as a member of our board of trustees. Prior to joining the WSA, Sarah held leadership roles in learning and development, marketing, communications, sales, events, and was sought after to help organizations during times of struggle. Sarah attended Florida State University, is a Partners in Policymaking graduate, and has served as a parent leader for other support organizations. She currently resides in Palm Bay, FL with sons Matthew (WS, born in 2002) and Connor. In her spare time, she enjoys music, travel, crafts, Disney, and building with Lego.