Carl J. Lauter--Chesapeake Chapter's President Emeritus.

After 14 years of dedicated service as President of the Chesapeake Chapter of the National Ataxia Foundation, Carl J. Lauter became President Emeritus on April 26 at a meeting of the Chapter's "A-Team."

Much has been accomplished under his inspired leadership during that long tenure. The chapter has grown to over 300 members. It hosted the NAF Annual Membership Meeting in 1998. The Ataxia Center at Johns Hopkins was established in Baltimore in 2008 with initial funding from the Macklin Foundation. Various support groups were established, and many chapter meetings were organized over those 14 years. An annual medical meeting has been held consistently for 26 years with speakers from NIH, FARA, A-T Children's Project, Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland, other universities, and various private medical and physical therapy practices both locally and from around the country. Carl was uniquely suited to plan these meetings, with his professional career at National Institutes of Health positioning him to know those involved in ataxia research and patient care. The ataxia community was well served by his understanding of neuro-degenerative disorders as a result of his own studies and research.

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Carl assembled an "A-Team" of chapter members and medical advisors dedicated to carrying out CC-NAF's mission. He oversaw fundraising to support NAF's mission and its research funds and to help sponsor an AIM meeting. He is editor of a comprehensive information booklet distributed by the chapter and updated annually with the latest information on ataxia research and care.

In 2003, unbeknownst to Carl, the chapter initiated the "Lauter Award" to be presented periodically to a member who has shown outstanding support and service to the Chapter. Of course, Carl was the first recipient because of his longstanding and dedicated service.

Carl was born and raised in Washington, DC. In 1955 he graduated from the University of Rochester in New York with a BA in chemistry. He continued with advanced courses in chemistry and biochemistry topics in a program at NIH in Bethesda, MD. His professional career was as a biochemist in medically related biochemical research at NIH with government service spanning 42 years. His projects involved lipid biochemistry, protein synthesis, carbohydrate studies, cell membrane enzymes, cell culturing, genetic manipulations, and glyco-protein components and structure of myelin and its relation to brain development and neuro-degenerative disorders. He has been an active member in several professional societies and community organizations.

Carl is married to Astrid Aarli from Norway and they are the parents of two children. Carl's association with NAF started when his wife was diagnosed with an unknown form of hereditary ataxia and became involved with a clinical study at NIH. Learning of the local Chesapeake Chapter, they began attending meetings in 1992, and in 1995 Carl was "nominated" to lead CC-NAF.

With this change in leadership, Carl and Astrid will have more time to spend with their two granddaughters and to travel, a pastime they have enjoyed throughout their married life. We are grateful that Carl has promised to continue as a member of the "A-Team" with the well-deserved title of "President Emeritus."