NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders Promotes Patricia Phillips to Executive Director

Somerville, NJ, January 13, 2021 --(PR.com)-- NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders (NJCTS) has announced that Patricia Phillips will now lead the non-profit as the newly appointed executive director.

Phillips, a resident of Teaneck, started with NJCTS in 2016 as the Education Outreach Coordinator and was responsible for developing and implementing statewide education and community outreach programs targeting New Jersey’s wide and diverse population.

“I am excited about the new year and the prospects for our organization as we expand upon the legacy of our founder, Faith Rice,” Phillips said in a statement. “I am committed to serving the needs of the TS community and ensuring that TS becomes a disorder that is no longer misunderstood.”

Rice had been at the reigns of the organization since she founded it in 2004, creating quality programming for families living with TS, before announcing her retirement late last year.

Phillips holds an MBA in Marketing from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Business and brings an extensive background in marketing and sales having worked for companies such as IBM and Viacom. She has also been an adjunct professor at the City College of New York as well as Bergen Community College where she taught students with intellectual disabilities.

With as many as 1 in 100 individuals living with TS or a similar tic disorder, there is much work to be done to raise awareness and decrease the stigma associated with TS.

“Working with our young people has been life changing,” she said of her time with NJCTS. “They demonstrate incredible courage which is inspiring. I know that if they can overcome the challenges they face every day, then that leaves little excuse for the rest of us to not fulfill our potential.”

NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders, the nation’s first Center of Excellence for Tourette Syndrome, is a not-for-profit organization committed to the advocacy of children and families with Tourette Syndrome and its associated disorders. Dedicated to delivering high quality services to these individuals, the Center recognizes the importance of educating the public, medical professionals, and teachers about the disorder through programs and affiliations with schools, health centers, and universities.