Staff

Brian F. Hofland, PhD

President

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.

bhofland@rpbusa.org

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.

dfriedman@rpbusa.org

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.

emohlenhoff@rpbusa.org

Patricia Moran

Director of Grants Administration

In managing RPB's extensive and highly regarded Grants Program, Patricia Moran interfaces with more than 50 of the nation's top departments of ophthalmology and more than 120 active researchers, coordinates the activities of RPB's grant review panels, and provides analytical support for special projects. Prior to RPB, she was a Senior Program Officer at the Citigroup Foundation, responsible for its Subsidiary Grant Program in the U.S. and Canada. Pattie began her career in philanthropy at the American Express Foundation in education and child care, attended Syracuse and Pace Universities (NY), and served as a board member of several state and national nonprofit organizations.

pmoran@rpbusa.org

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.

nscott@rpbusa.org

Jo Casella

Assistant to the Director of External Affairs

Jo Casella has been at RPB for 28 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.

jcasella@rpbusa.org

MariaClaudia Lora

Executive Assistant and Deputy Grants Manager

MariaClaudia Lora-Montano works at RPB as the Executive Assistant to the President and also holds the additional position of Deputy Grants Administrator.  MariaClaudia supports the President and the Director of Grants Administration in their various activities. She also works collaboratively with other members of RPB staff on specific activities. Previous to that, in her transition period to the U.S., she worked in the Administration of a Charter School in Hempstead, NY.  A Bolivian lawyer with a master’s degree in Corporate Law from Maestrias para el Desarrollo (MpD) 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.

mlora@rpbusa.org

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.

jvaningen@rpbusa.org