The People Behind HelpGuide

Creative and technical team

Robert Segal, M.A., Executive Director / Technical Director, has enjoyed a wide range of occupations since earing his Electrical Engineering degree in 1955. His first 19 years focused on design and development of aircraft identification systems. He then earned a Master's degree in Educational Psychology and focused on holistic health as a facilitator and conference organizer. Robert then founded and led a commercial development /property management firm. He was an active board member and officer in numerous non-profit organizations. In 1999, he co-founded HelpGuide.

Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., Editorial Director / Co-Founder, is a sociologist, psychologist, writer and public health advocate. She has devoted her 50-year career to pursuing the cutting edge in mental, emotional and social health. Jeanne worked with family service agencies, cancer patients, AIDS patients and later organized some of the first community conferences on holistic health, infant attachment and childhood trauma. She has been an executive board member in several community service organizations. In addition to Feeling Loved, she has written five other books, which have been translated into 16 languages.

Melinda Smith, M.A., Senior Writer / Editor, has a master's degree in psychology and over 15 years experience as a health writer and editor. She is passionate about keeping up with the latest research and giving readers the facts they need to make better choices and take control of their mental health.

Lawrence Robinson, Senior Writer / Editor, has over 15 years experience writing for print and online publications, covering a wide range of subjects in the health and fitness fields. He is also a published author and has edited several books on psychology.

Adrian Tarango, Lead Web / Mobile Developer, has over 15 years experience in developing and optimizing websites and web applications. He's worked in industries ranging from accounting and document management to e-commerce and social media.

Greg Boose, Web Developer / Editor, has over 15 years experience as a writer and editor, covering a wide range of subjects in the health and lifestyle fields. He has extensive experience in information technology and is a published author of three books.

Jenn Shubin, Web Developer / Quality Assurance Coordinator, has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Colorado where she focused her studies on gender and health. She is passionate about helping others, and excited to be working for HelpGuide where she can make a real impact on the health and happiness of others.

Hannah McMahon, Art Director, has over 10 years experience as a marketing manager and graphic designer. She’s owned her own small online retail business and has worked with many different industries including robotics, tech, health, and non-profits.

Board of Directors

Monika White, Ph.D., A nationally recognized author and lecturer in the field of aging, Dr. White was the president and CEO of the Center for Healthy Aging and an adjunct professor of gerontology at the USC Davis School of Gerontology. Since the mid-1970s, she has concentrated her work on coordinating health and community-based service delivery systems, with an emphasis on care management for older adults and their families.

Marti Glenn, Ph.D., Co-Director of the STAR Foundation offering intensive retreats to help adults heal early developmental trauma. She is founding President of Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, known for its graduate degrees in prenatal and perinatal psychology, somatic psychology and clinical psychology. A pioneering psychotherapist and trainer for over 30 years, she has also served as a professor of clinical psychology.

Shirley Fredricks is a long-time trustee of the Lawrence Welk Family Foundation and a founding board member of the National Center for Family Philanthropy. Shirley has been engaged in virtually every important movement in the country to educate and inspire family foundations dedicated to supporting the public good.

Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. (See above)

Robert Segal, M.A. (See Above)

Advisory Board

John E. Kobara is a respected figure nationally in the philanthropic and nonprofit communities. As chief operating officer of the California Community Foundation, he is responsible for all of the development, marketing, administrative, grantmaking, civic engagement and donor relations functions of the foundation.

Damon Ramsey, MD is president of InputHealth, a digital health company. He is a healthcare futurist and practicing physician. He blends clinical expertise and command of software design in producing solutions that tackle healthcare delivery’s glaring inefficiencies.