CAST Leadership
Eric Dishman
National Chair, CAST
Intel Fellow, Digital Health Group
Director, Product Research and Innovation, Intel Corporation
Eric Dishman is an Intel Fellow, Digital Health Group and general manager and global director of product research and innovation. He is responsible for driving Intel's worldwide research, new product innovation and usability engineering activities in the healthcare area.
Dishman joined Intel in 1999 as a senior researcher, and has been involved in a variety of research and management roles related to Intel's consumer and healthcare businesses. Trained as a social scientist, he has been involved with bringing an ethnographic approach to Intel's research and product development efforts. Dishman is co-founder and serves as international chair for the Center for Aging Services, is co-director of the Technology Research for Independent Living and helped found the Everyday Technologies for Alzheimer's Care program with the Alzheimer's Association. Dishman holds four patents and has published 13 papers.
Dishman graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in English as well as receiving degrees in speech communication and drama, all in 1991. He earned a master's degree in speech communication from Southern Illinois University in 1992.
David Gehm
CAST Vice Chairman
President and Chief Executive Officer, Lutheran Homes of Michigan
 David M. Gehm has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lutheran Homes of Michigan since January, 1994, having served as Interim President/CEO beginning in October, 1993. In this role, Mr. Gehm is responsible for administrative, executive, and governance leadership for the organization, which is governed by a not-for-profit Board of Directors. Together with the Board, Mr. Gehm sets policy and strategic direction. Together with the administrative and executive staff, Mr. Gehm carries out the directions set.
Prior to assuming his current role, Mr. Gehm served as Administrator of the Lutheran Home Frankenmuth from November 1990 through his appointment as President and CEO. While serving as Administrator of this 138 resident skilled nursing facility and assisted living home, Mr. Gehm was instrumental in establishing the Lutheran Home Care Agency, certified by Medicare in January, 1993. Mr. Gehm served as the Lutheran Home Care Agency's first Executive Director. Prior to joining Lutheran Homes, Mr. Gehm served as assistant administrator of Presbyterian Village Redford, as well as practicing community and consultant pharmacy in the Detroit area. As a practicing pharmacist, Mr. Gehm was an Adjunct Professor at WSU's College of Pharmacy.
Mr. Gehm graduated from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy. While continuing his pharmacy licensure, Mr. Gehm is also a licensed nursing home administrator, having completed the certification courses from Michigan State University in 1989.
Currently, Mr. Gehm serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, Washington DC, past Co-Chair of its Technology Committee, past Co-Chair of its Managed Care Committee and serves on its House of Delegates; past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Michigan Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.
Zachary Sikes
Senior Vice President, AAHSA
 Zachary Sikes most recently worked as a consultant to Pfizer, Inc., where he was responsible for the company's Medical Society eCooperative. He also managed many of Pfizer's external partner relations, including CAST. Prior to joining Pfizer, Zachary worked as a vice president for Partners Consulting Services and has experience with a number of consulting firms, including IBM, Arthur D. Little and The IT Group. He also served as captain in the United States Air Force.
Zachary will be responsible for cultivating corporate America's interest in the mission of long-term care, which affects virtually all American families. He will identify, recommend and cultivate opportunities for AAHSA and its members to form partnerships within the corporate community and oversee this community's role in several AAHSA's programs, including group purchasing and shared services, sponsorships, fundraising and AAHSA's Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST).
Zachary received a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Military Academy and a Masters degree in National Security Studies with a focus on technology policy and competitive intelligence from Georgetown University.
Majd Alwan, Ph.D.
Director, CAST
 Majd Alwan, Ph.D., received his B.S. in electrical engineering from Damascus University, Damascus, Syria in 1988, his M.S. in control engineering with distinction from Bradford University, Bradford, UK in 1992, and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering (intelligent assistive robotics) in 1997 from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, London, UK.
He worked from 1988-1991 for the Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (HIAST), as a Design Engineer and a Research Assistant. In 1997, he returned to HIAST as a Lecturer and Researcher. In the beginning of 2002, he joined the Medical Automation Research Center (MARC) at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Robotics and Eldercare Technologies Program. His research interests encompassed designing, validating and evaluating the outcome of monitoring systems and assistive devices that address the needs of seniors and their caregivers. While at MARC, Majd published several articles on monitoring technology. To view some of these articles click here. He co-founded Home Guardian LLC, a start-up company that specializes in In-Home Functional and Health Status Monitoring Systems and Services.
He is a member of the IEEE's Engineering in Medicine and Biology, and Robotics and Automation Societies. Dr. Alwan is also a member of IEEE-USA's Medical Technology Policy Committee (MTPC) and the Geriatric Care Workgroup (GCW).
|