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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kathy Carr, MFA
Secretary & Interim Treasurer, Board of Directors
“Yes we can!” - Barack Obama
Kathryn Carr is the proud mother of a child who has made tremendous developmental gains since she and her husband, Dan, discovered Dr. Svetlana Masgutova’s Method of NeuroReflex Integration. Their son, Daniel, was born full-term at a world-class health care system, and received 9s on his APGAR scores. Subsequent tests revealed a rare genetic condition that was accompanied by an extensive list of diagnoses, including Failure to Thrive and Cerebral Palsy. He received multiple surgeries between the age of 5 ½ weeks and 2 years old. Throughout early childhood, Daniel’s developmental progress was glacial. Kathy and her family tried multiple traditional and “alternative” therapies, and while some changes were seen, they were largely unsatisfied with the results. They knew Daniel’s innate, genetically given potential had yet to be realized. They found what they had been looking for in Dr. Masgutova’s NeuroReflex Integration. Daniel’s cognition, perception, curiosity, procedural and muscle memory, postural control, physical strength, communication skills, bonding with people, and engaging with his environment, and many other aspects of his development have improved dramatically since Daniel’s first Family Conference. Kathy is deeply passionate about advocating for greater awareness and application of Dr. Masgutova’s Method of NeuroReflex Integration, including the Reflex Assessment as a mainstream form of evaluation at every child’s birth, and application of reflex integration throughout early childhood.
Kathy is an award-winning author and writer in the print journalism industry, with more than 15 years’ of experience editing and writing for publications such as Crain’s Cleveland Business, with which she has worked since 2007, the Edible Communities magazines, corporate newsletters, and daily newspapers in Ohio and Florida. Kathy finds great satisfaction in contributing her skills as a writer and editor for various publications and communications pertaining to NeuroReflex Integration. She also currently is working on Dr. Masgutova’s biography and helping facilitate the development of an Encyclopedia on NeuroReflex Integration. She is the chief editor of two books written during COVID to provide support to those in need: MNRIⓇ for Daily Well-Being and Strengthen Your Stress Resilience and Immunity with MNRIⓇ Reflex Exercises.
Kathy earned her Bachelor’s Degree with a dual major in Business Administration and Spanish from Baldwin-Wallace College and a Master of Fine Arts in Journalism from Kent State University.
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Heidi Pennella, OTR
Interim President, Board of Directors
“The very best you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof." - Barbara Kingsolver
Heidi Pennella's focus has always been science-based and impact-driven treatment strategies. This emphasis drew her to NeuroReflex Integration in 2012. In the beginning, she was eager to find ways to help support best practices for clients. Along the way, she also soon realized these strategies helped her, her own family, and those she holds most dear because the strategies benefit everyone.
Heidi is an Occupational Therapist (OT) currently living in Florida. She received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the College of Saint Catherine’s in St. Paul MN in 1998. Her experience as an OT includes, but is not limited to, long term care, inpatient psychiatric, hospital acute and inpatient rehabilitation, schools, and private practice.
Her devotion to serve over the past 11 years finds her fully committed to the Florida Elks Children’s Therapy Services, which provides free services ages birth to 18 years old. Heidi's main goal is to improve the quality of life of individuals, one at a time, regardless of their financial status or situation.
Heidi's private sector experience includes joint owner and chief operating officer in an agricultural business as well as commercial real estate.
She is the mother of two amazing children - a growing athlete and a budding creative.
Grayce Stratton, Ph.D.
Board of Directors
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect)."
- Mark Twain
Dr. Grayce Marie Stratton recalls the time a parent introduced her to an exceptional yet highly behavioral and sensory challenged child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The child was a new patient of her colleague, Diane, who is a physical therapist in CA and MNRIⓇ Core Specialist and Instructor. Once Diane explained how MNRI® created behavioral and sensory regulation as well as overall neurodevelopment of the child, Grayce was beyond intrigued. Her behavioral and psychophysiological educational and clinical backgrounds afforded the profound significance of MNRI® to immediately become clear. Now, as a board member for The Masgutova Foundation, Grayce is passionate about continuing to advocate for NeuroReflex Integration on a global scale and furthering investments in scientific research to propel Dr. Svetlana Masgutova’s Method forward.
Grayce has extensive experience in EEG biofeedback services and advocacy as a psychologist with a private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her practice also encompasses neurofeedback provision, field expansion and research. She acquired three years of post-doctoral training in neuropsychological diagnostics at the Reiss-Davis Child Study Center in Los Angeles, where she provided psychoeducational diagnostics, personality assessment, career evaluation, and
neuropsychiatric abnormality and disability testing. She is experienced in case, organization and project management in multiple health-related areas, including treatment sequencing at an advanced biomedical clinic for ASD individuals; and devising referrals and overseeing the appropriate interventions for disparately challenged clients with treatment plans including physical medicine and complementary health interventions such as NeuroReflex Integration. She also is former corporate medical affairs director of physician training for National Medical Enterprises.
Beyond her involvement with The Masgutova Foundation, Grayce also serves as director of the San Francisco East Bay Functional Medicine Forum and is a board committee member of the International Society of Neurofeedback & Research. She is a former board member of the Biofeedback Institute of Los Angeles, commissioner of the American Youth Soccer Organization and former president, assistant director and board member of The Center for Healthy Aging in Santa Monica, California.
She is highly respected and loved by her colleagues and patients.