Our Team

Brian F. Hofland, PHD

President, RPB

Dr. Hofland provides oversight for strategic direction and all operations at RPB and reports to RPB’s Board of Trustees. He pursues RPB’s founding mission by creating and modifying programs to meet the current and emerging needs of the U.S. vision research community.

Prior to RPB, Dr. Hofland served in senior leadership positions in a variety of organizations, including the National Council on Aging, AARP Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, and The Retirement Research Foundation. In addition, Hofland is a Fellow of The Gerontological Society of America and founding chairman of Grantmakers in Aging, Inc., an affinity group of philanthropies with a common dedication to improve the experience of aging.

He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Health and Human Development from The Pennsylvania State University.

Diana Friedman

Director of External Affairs

Diana Friedman is the Director of External Affairs at RPB, responsible for the organization’s communications, media, and marketing efforts. Prior to joining RPB, she served as Director of Communications for the New York Academy of Sciences. Previously, she also served as an editor at several healthcare-related publications. Diana has a BA in English from Boston College and a Master’s degree in Branding & Integrated Communications from the City University of New York.

Eric Mohlenhoff

Director of Finance & Operations

Eric Mohlenhoff is RPB’s Director of Finance & Operations, overseeing both the financial and operational aspects of the organization.

Nora Scott

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Nora Scott is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at RPB, overseeing development activities and the organization’s fundraising partnerships. Nora has a long history of fundraising and has worked to raise support for a myriad of organizations, including Madison Square Boys and Girls Club, Lighthouse Guild, and her alma mater, Hunter College. Nora received her BA in English from Hunter College.

Kathy Apolinar

Assistant to the Director of Grants Management

Kathy supports the Director of Grants Management by helping to execute various processes and procedures for the granting cycles. She also collaborates with other members of RPB staff. She has extensive experience in bookkeeping, client relations and day-to-day office administration.

Previously she was working in a law firm where she oversaw legal forms and related documents for immigration processes. She holds a Computer Programming Associate as well as Business Administration and Accounting Certificates.

Jo Casella

Assistant to the Director of External Affairs

Jo Casella has been at RPB for 30+ years. Jo works in External Affairs helping to execute communication projects and strategies. She helps to ensure that internal communication operations run effortlessly, and provides essential assistance to the department and to upholding the organization’s external image.

She supports the Director of External Affairs and assists in editing publication materials and communications copy, helps to maintain web content, manage social media platforms, and liaises with various vendors for the production and distribution of RPB materials.

MariaClaudia Lora-Montano

Director of Grants Management

MariaClaudia Lora-Montano serves as the Director of Grants Management at RPB, overseeing the organization’s operations for grantmaking. MariaClaudia has worked at RPB since 2015 as Deputy Director of Grants Management and Executive Administrator, supporting the organization in its various activities.

Prior to joining RPB, in her transition period to the U.S., she worked in the Finance and Operations Department of a charter school in Hempstead, NY. She is a Bolivian lawyer holding a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, and a master’s degree in Corporate Law from Maestrías para el Desarrollo (MpD) from Bolivian Catholic University in agreement with Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID).

She has extensive experience working with the local, state and federal government and the non-for-profit sector in Bolivia.

Lisa Smith

Executive Assistant to the President

Lisa brings several decades of experience to the organization, from diverse companies including Berkshire Global Advisors, Blackstone, NYU Langone, Weight Watchers, Practicing Law Institute and Milton Glaser, Inc.

As an entrepreneur, Lisa also founded a business focused on improving the lives of other through coaching, meditation, and yoga. In this capacity, she has been a frequent speaker at other mission-oriented organizations, such as the Center for Learning and Living, The Transitions Network, and Retired Teachers Foundation. Lisa graduated cum laude from Hunter College in New York City.

Jane Van Ingen

Database Manager

Jane Van Ingen has been working as a Database Manager at Research to Prevent Blindness since March of 2020. Jane manages database-related tasks for fundraising and grants administration staff, and works collaboratively with the entire staff on other tasks. Prior to that, she was a grant writer and database manager at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen for over 8 years. Earlier in her career, she worked on fundraising and communications projects at Fund for Public Health in New York City and Helen Keller Services for the Blind. Jane is an editor by trade with a B.A. from Cabrini University.