Board of Directors - connorcaresfoundation

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Debbie Neagle-Freed
President

Debbie Neagle-Freed is president and founder of the Connor Cares Foundation. After her son Connor drowned, she became aware of the staggering statistics relating to drowning and knew she had to do something. Thus, in 2007, the Connor Cares Foundation was formed with the hope of sparing other families from the same grief and pain, and for Connor’s legacy to live on forever.

This foundation is Debbie’s biggest passion in life. Her heart and soul is put into this work and she knows that we must use Connor’s death to educate adults and children of water safety. Throughout the past seven years, Debbie has learned a lot about legislating and lobbying for a bill. Her hard work and dedication eventually got “Connor’s Law” passed in the state of Maryland. She plans to take the important life saving legislation nationwide.

When she is not running the foundation, she and her husband, Tom, own and manage John James Salon in Crofton, Maryland, named after their son, Connor John-James Freed. More importantly, they are raising a beautiful five-year-old little girl, Emma, who never got to know her brother Connor but will forever keep him in her heart.

Deborah A. Freed
Chairman of the Board of Directors

With over 30 years of insurance agency and leadership experience, Deborah manages and operates as Agency Owner and President of a full service Property and Casualty and Financial Services Allstate Agency in Summerville, SC.  

Deborah graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Business Administration and Management and brings forth her years of knowledge and experience to the foundation. In addition to being a board member, she secures sponsorships and donations every year and assists in developing legislation in the state of South Carolina for "Connor's Law". As Connor's aunt, she is passionate about water safety and aims to protect other families from suffering the same tragedy.

Briggs Bedigian
Co-Chairman

In the last five years, no plaintiffs’ lawyer in the Baltimore-Washington metro area has tried and won more medical malpractice trials than H. Briggs Bedigian. Briggs is a partner with Gilman & Bedigian, LLC. Prior to forming Gilman & Bedigian, LLC, Briggs was a partner at Wais, Vogelstein and Bedigian, LLC where he was the head of the litigation practice. Briggs has tirelessly fought for the rights of the most seriously injured people, primarily representing clients in the Mid-Atlantic region of Maryland, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. He has also tried cases in courtrooms across the country.

Briggs graduated from the University of Baltimore in 2002, with honors, and was a member of the Heuisler Honor Society, the Intellectual Property Moot Court team and the Criminal Practice Clinic. Briggs received his undergraduate degree from Ithaca College in Environmental Studies.

More importantly, Briggs fought hard to not let Connor die in vain and has remained an amazing asset to this foundation.

Denny Neagle 
Co-Chairman

Denny Neagle, former Major League Baseball pitcher, and Connor's uncle, was one of the top pitchers in baseball in the 1990's. He attended the University of Minnesota where he played baseball and helped the Golden Gophers to a Big Ten title in 1988. He was shortly thereafter drafted to the Twins. He became a full-time starter with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1994 and represented them during the All-Star Game.

After an impressive time with the Pirates, the Atlanta Braves gave him an opportunity to pitch in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series earning a no-decision.  He earned another All-Star selection and finished third in Cy Young Award voting.  In the 1997 National League Championship Series, Neagle pitched a complete-game shutout. Shortly after his nephew, Connor, was born in July of 2000, Denny earned a World Series ring with the New York Yankees in the famous Subway Series (Mets vs. Yankees).

Denny has always been known for his heart of gold and comedic ways. He earned the nickname 'Choo-Choo' for his famous train-whistle noise he makes, something that Connor would ask him to do again and again. He has always been involved with helping others, such as donating $100 per strikeout to the Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and contributing a portion of his salary to the Rockies Youth Fields of Dreams Program. The Connor Cares Foundation is happy to have Connor's uncle on the board and his experience in professional sports brings a new perspective to the table.

Brittany Webber 
Program Director/Public Relations

Brittany Webber is the driving force “behind the scenes” of the foundation. She was only 15 when her brother Connor died and now at 26, has vowed to remain an advocate for water safety and drowning awareness.

Since the time she was little, computers and technology were of great interest to her, so when the Connor Cares Foundation was started, she immediately knew what she had to do. She made the original website for the organization and got it up on it’s feet. Quickly thereafter, social networking was booming and she realized this was a great way to stay connected with our supporters, old and new, as well as meeting other families who had been through similar tragedies. She runs the foundation’s e-mail, mailing list, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and any other online activities. 

Brittany plans and launches fundraising events, reaches out to the community for volunteers and support, writes grant proposals and press releases, coordinates activities of programs, monitors the effectiveness and results of the program and attends community events to represent the the foundation. 

Doug Neagle
Board Member

Doug Neagle serves as Head Tennis Coach at Towson University. He came to the Tigers from UMBC where he served as the Associate Head Coach for the men’s and women’s programs.

Doug graduated from Salisbury University in 1997.  He has served as the head coach at Pomona College/Pitzer College in California, was the associate head men’s coach at the Naval Academy and has also served as the head tennis pro at the Sport Fit Bowie Racquet Club and the Suburban Club and Severn School.  A three time All-American at Salisbury in both singles and doubles, he was inducted into the Salisbury University Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. He also spent time on the French Satellite/Money Tour in the summer of 1997.

When his nephew Connor drowned at the tender age of 5, he knew he had to do something so he became an important asset to the foundation. With his athletic background, he is trained in CPR and very much an advocate for defibrillators being available everywhere possible. Doug vows to remain a water safety advocate and ensure that not one more child dies from this preventable death.

Amanda Rosman 
Board Member

Amanda has been an amazing volunteer, bringing her strong leadership and communication skills to the foundation throughout the years. Her experience as the Assistant General Manager for the Spartanburg Stingers Baseball Club where she was responsible for sponsorship sales, group sales, promotions, managing the game day staff, and player housing makes her a great asset to our organization.  She graduated from Clarion University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Communications.

As a board member for the Connor Cares Foundation she has assisted at several of our fundraising events, including Comedy Night with Dave Coulier and our Celebrity Poker/Golf Tournament.  She also organized the first out-of-state CCF fundraiser in DuBois, PA at a pool where they received an AED from the foundation. The event included a Chinese Auction featuring items from local vendors.  In one day, they raised nearly $1000.  Amanda resides in DuBois, PA and works at a local Hampton Inn.

In Memory of Carol Morales

Carol Morales was a long standing community volunteer. She was a crucial asset to the Connor Cares Foundation. Through her passionate work and dedication, she wore many hats in this organization and was always quick to lend a hand wherever she was needed.

Unfortunately, Carol passed away in February 2015. She is greatly missed.