About Our Team
Meet the Walen & Assoc Inc Board
Mary Lou Walen
President
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Ms Walen has been a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) for twenty-five years, served as the 2nd Chair of the Allied Health Sciences Section (Now Integrated Health (IH) Section) and is proud to be the 1st Senior IH Section member. She was instrumental in organizing the then AHSS presence for the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity (IFSO) and co-directed several international AHSS Courses at IFSO meetings.
Ms Walen was instrumental in the formation of the New York Chapter of the ASMBS in 2008. Working as the Chapter’s executive director under the direction of and with its first president, Dr Mitchell Roslin, the Chapter enjoyed an excellent beginning. The Chapter continues to do well and Ms Walen remains their Executive Director.
Recently Ms Walen returned to her original home in the Northwest and to her love of creating new communication, teaching and sharing models that encouraged her in the development of BariCommunity and other exciting programs.
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LaVerne Chavez
Vice President
Meet Laverne
More About Laverne
LaVerne has been an active member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) for 14 years. She also participated in the international bariatric surgery organization, the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity (IFSO) and was invited to present a Leadership Training Program at their Congress in Prague, Czech Republic.
She facilitated a leadership-training program at Lenox Hill Hospital and was on the faculty of a Boot Camp for Bariatric Program Managers Course. Her desire to give back to the community since relocating to Cedar Park, Texas has included volunteering with The Assistance League, Dell Children´s Hospital and Breckenridge Hospital. In 2009 Laverne established and has been facilitating a support group for Bariatric patients at Cedar Park Regional Medical Center.
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Jeff B. Baker
Chief Operations/Technology Officer
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Annessa Chumbley
RD, Director of Nutritional Services
Meet Annessa
More About Annessa
Annessa believes in living life with everything it has to offer, and is passionate about the power of nutritious food! Get ready for some “health food cravings!”
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Susan Gallagher
RN, PhD, MA, MSN, WOCN, CBN, HCRM, CSPHP
Meet Susan
More About Susan
In 2009, she was honored with publications in Nursing 2009, Nursing Management, the American Nurses Association Online Journal of Issues in Nursing and many more. She recently contributed a chapter on bariatric safety in the Handbook of Hospital Safety 2010 edition, and is author of the book titled, The Challenges of Caring for the Obese Patient.
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Warren Huberman
PhD
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In 1997, Dr. Huberman founded the Performance Consulting Group, LLC; a firm committed to improving the performance of individuals and organizations through the application of empirically-driven, cognitive-behavioral interventions. He has worked with a number of individuals and organizations in the legal, accounting, engineering, and garment industries.
Dr. Huberman’s work has been featured in a variety of publications both in the medical and lay journals. He has appeared on television, radio, and on several websites. Dr. Huberman received his Ph.D. in Clinical and School Psychology from Hofstra University in 1993 and did post-doctoral training in cognitive-behavior therapy at the Institute for Behavior Therapy in Manhattan. He also participated in an extensive training program through The Global Consulting Partnership (TGCP) from 2001-2003 designed to facilitate the transition of clinical skills to corporate environments. Dr. Huberman is licensed to practice psychology in New York and New Jersey and has a private practice with offices in Manhattan and Rockland County, New York. Dr. Huberman is the author of the new book, “Through Thick and Thin: The Emotional Journey of Weight Loss Surgery.” The book is a must read for anyone considering weight loss surgery or for anyone who wants to better understand the emotional side of weight loss surgery.

Brad Miller
CPA, CIDA Director of Financial Operations
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Mr. Miller has performed interim and part-time Chief Financial Officer (CFO) duties for a multitude of clients and has served on many boards and professional organizations.
Currently Mr. Miller is also serving as a Senior Manager for Wells Fargo Bank. Past positions include: (Financial Services) Project Consultant for Capital One, Vice President – JPMorgan Chase, Vice-President Washington Mutual Bank, (Public Accounting) Director of Accounting Services at Clark Nuber PLLC and Senior Manager at Moss Adams LLP.
Mr. Miller is a graduate of the University of Washington´s Foster School of Business with a Bachelor´s in Business Administration, and a minor in Business Economics, Mr. Miller also earned and additional Bachelor´s degree from Central Washington University in Accounting.
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Shannon Gallagher
BA
Meet Shannon
More About Shannon
In researching this project, Shannon became acquainted with the work of Eric Race and Atlas Lift Tech. This began Shannon’s professional relationship with Atlas, working to prevent musculoskeletal injuries among caregivers while providing safe mobility solutions for patients. Since that time, he has spoken about safe patient handling at the Southern California Association for Healthcare Risk Managers and participated in a roundtable panel discussion published in Bariatric Nursing and Surgical Patient Care.