Board of Directors
Our continued efforts to advance research and education in the arena of women's sexual health would not be possible without the time and expertise of our Board of Directors. Each of these professionals brings his or her own unique support, whether it be nationally recognized expertise or unwavering support for the cause, that helps to raise awareness on a local and national level. We thank them for their commitment.
Patty Brisben – President
Patty Brisben is the CEO and founder of Pure Romance Inc., a company specializing in relationship-enhancement products and intimacy education. Established in 1993, Pure Romance has grown into a full-fledged education and party planning company, boasting a network of more than 70,000 Consultants.
Empowering women in the pursuit of safe and healthy relationships is one of Patty’s greatest passions, and her commitment to this cause has pushed Pure Romance to the forefront of sexual health awareness among women. In addition to establishing the Patty Brisben Foundation for Women’s Sexual Health, Patty also founded Sensuality, Sexuality, Survival, a Pure Romance program that helps women recapture their sensual and sexual selves following cancer diagnosis or treatment.
Drawing from extensive research in the industry and using her engaging personality, Patty has become a noted expert in the fields of intimacy and relationships. She has been seen on ABC’s, “The View”, CNN, and VH1, and has been profiled in leading business publications such as Forbes and Entrepreneur magazines, among others.
Amy Isenogle – Vice President
Amy Isenogle is a pharmaceutical sales consultant for AstraZeneca LP. She recently served as the executive director of Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s Greater Cincinnati affiliate, and prior to that served as executive director for the Patty Brisben Foundation for Women’s Sexual Health. She is committed to furthering research and education initiatives specifically for women. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Business Administration, Amy received her degree in marketing and non-profit management.
Justine O’Brien – Treasurer
Justine O’Brien is the vice president of wealth management at PNC Bank in Cincinnati and has long been an active participant in many women’s charities, most recently serving on the Board of Directors and as President of Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s Greater Cincinnati affiliate.
Jessica Johnston – Secretary
Jessica Johnston serves as the executive director and secretary of the Patty Brisben Foundation for Women’s Sexual Health and manages all aspects of the Foundation, including fundraising, event planning, marketing and communication, legal compliance, bookkeeping, grant review, board meeting preparation and execution, and intern and volunteer management.
Susan Colvin – Director
Susan Colvin serves as a director for the Patty Brisben Foundation for Women’s Sexual Health. After earning three college degrees, a B.A. and an M.P.A. from the University of Mexico and an M.A. in business management from Central Michigan University, Susan began teaching GED courses at various military bases and then went on to serve as associate professor at Hawaii Pacific College, Golden Gate University, Honolulu Community College, and Rhode Island College. She has owned several businesses and has been operations manager for various companies.
Margery Gass, M.D. – Director
Dr. Margery Gass is the executive director of the North American Menopause Society based in Cleveland, Ohio. Most recently, Dr. Gass served as professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Cincinnati, where she was director of the University Hospital Menopause and Osteoporosis Center. Her career has been one focused on the health of midlife and menopausal women.
In addition to patient care, Dr. Gass has been involved in clinical research in three areas of particular importance to midlife women—menopause, osteoporosis, and female sexual health. Dr. Gass was a principal investigator for the Women’s Health Initiative, a 15-year National Institutes of Health study of women 50-79, and served as co-investigator for the STAR Trial comparing Tamoxifen and Raloxifene in the prevention of breast cancer. She also serves on the National Institutes of Health National Advisory Council for the Office of Research on Women's Health and was president of the North American Menopause Society from 2002-2003.
Madeleine “Mady” Gordon – Director
Known in the Greater Cincinnati area for her community activism and fundraising, Mady Gordon found her true passion in life in 1995 when she created her nonprofit organization, the Madeleine Gordon Gift of Life Foundation. Thanks to Mady, her Foundation has been helping couples with infertility problems defray the costs of in-vitro fertilization. Her tireless efforts—coupled with the expertise of the Christ Hospital in Cincinnati—have brought more than 44 babies into the world.
Jennifer Manders, M.D., FACS – Director
Dr. Manders is a board-certified general surgeon and fellowship-trained breast surgeon. She specializes in treatment of patients with benign or malignant diseases of the breast, a family history of breast cancer, or other factors that may increase the risk for developing breast cancer.
She has an avid interest in research and is a co-investigator in breast cancer clinical trials at The Christ Hospital. She helps direct the Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Conference that meets weekly, and she participates in multiple clinical and administrative committees at The Christ Hospital. She has also begun a support group for young women with breast cancer at the Wellness Community in Blue Ash and works closely with The American Cancer Society to promote support services for patients and their families.
Dr. Manders was honored as one of Cincinnati Business Courier’s 2007 Class of 40 Under Forty, and has repeatedly been listed as a Best Doctor in America by Best Doctors in America Database, and a Top Doctor by Cincinnati Magazine. She has authored several journal articles, book chapters, and posters, and regularly gives lectures on breast disease to health providers and the community.
Michael Thomas, M.D. – Director
Dr. Thomas is a professor and the Division and Fellowship director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, part of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center. He also serves as director of Reproductive Medicine Research, a clinical trial unit dedicated to women’s health issues. Dr. Thomas is currently the board chair of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) and serves on many national committees, including the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health.
Mary South, M.D. - Director
Dr. South serves as adjunct assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She practices with UC Health and specializes in the areas of Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. South earned her B.A. in Chemistry from the College of Wooster, her M.D. from Case Western Reserve University, and went on to the University of North Carolina as a Resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. South also completed a Fellowship in Urogynecology at Duke University Medical Center.
Terri Tassie - Director
Terri became a Pure Romance Consultant in 2000, eventually becoming a market trainer and being named to the Executive Board of Directors in 2006. She served as the president of the Patty Brisben Foundation for Women’s Sexual health for three terms and strives to be an inspiration as a businesswoman, leader, administrator and role model.