Ethan received his diagnosis of young-onset Parkinson's disease in 2016. However, his deep involvement goes back to 2001 when his father was diagnosed with PD. Ethan became an ambassador to help educate the public, bring more resources to the community, and provide care for his father during his journey. He  has participated in multiple clinical trials to further research for better treatments of PD. He uses his voice to help advocate for several neurodegenerative diseases at a local, state, and federal level. After all, it takes a team.

After receiving his diagnosis, Ethan started physical therapy (LSVT BIG!). His therapist happened to be part of the elite U.S. masters marathon team. Then he joined Rock Steady Boxing. Little did he know the trainer, herself, was a former amateur boxing champion. They instilled a fighting passion for Ethan to remain active physically and mentally. 

Ethan is Senior Associate Director of Advancement with The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Prior to this, he held a faculty appointment and was Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at Georgetown University. He held similar positions at Pepperdine University and Kenyon College.  Prior to his academic career he led nonprofits, universities/colleges, and arts organizations through capital campaigns, strategic planning, fund development, and leadership gift processes.

Based in Tucson, Arizona, Ethan was born and raised in the Midwest. Originally trained as a musician, he holds a Bachelor in Music from St. Olaf College and a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is very familiar with MJFF as a longtime fundraiser, running in the Boston, New York and Chicago Marathons and several other "non-athletic" events for Team Fox. When not running, you can find Ethan swimming, exploring backroads with his wife Gretchen and their dog Ava, xeriscape gardening, or making/listening to music. He likes to say that he lives an extraordinary ordinary life.

The MJFF Patient Council was established in March 2009 as a formal channel for the Foundation to solicit input from PD patients and the broader Parkinson's community. The Council advises the Foundation on programmatic fronts including (but not limited to) strategies to best convey patient priorities to the research community and its funders; content and emphasis for patient education and outreach relevant to MJFF's mission to find a cure; patient roles in developing novel ways to conduct research; and mechanisms for impact assessment.