Leaders

Board Of Directors

Melissa Hayes

President

Melissa Hayes is a research scientist and founder of the Electromagnetic Health Research Institute. She holds a MS in Psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. As a child, Melissa overcame two traumatic brain injuries. She learned to cope with sensory processing challenges and neurological differences throughout her life.

Melissa has always been drawn to nature, as this is the one place where her senses could rest.

Inspired by her neurological challenges, Melissa developed experimental research to study cognition and memory. She managed federally grant-funded research studies at Georgia Tech, which provided a rigorous training of the scientific method. This skillset became invaluable while healing from unexplained health challenges later in life.

As research has validated, there are many contributing factors for our health and well-being that are environmental and within our power to modify. Although we’ve made progress by creating sensory-friendly and less toxic environments, there is often an invisible missing piece: artificial Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR).

Once Melissa realized this missing piece and reduced her exposure to Wireless Radiation, her health and vitality returned! Nearly two decades of insomnia and anxiety resolved on their own. Her sensory processing disorder improved, and her chronic health conditions went into remission.

Melissa’s accessibility is limited by the over-abundance of EMR in our modern world, but she doesn’t let it break her spirit. She is now a passionate speaker and advocate for safe technology. Her work is dedicated to a future that is healthy and brighter for all.

Valeri Marsh

Vice President

Valeri Marsh was Executive Director of our previous sister organization, Arizonans for Safe Technology. Having been seriously ill since childhood, as a young adult she cured herself of severe asthma through natural healing modalities such as juice fasting and cleansing. This sparked an interest in health and nutrition that has spanned 40 years.

In 2018, when the long-awaited results were published from the biggest study ever conducted to determine whether cell phone radiation was safe or not, she was relieved to hear that these results PROVED it caused 9 types of cancer, cardiomyopathy, and DNA damage. She was relieved because she assumed the US would halt the impending 5G rollout. When, to her surprise, the rollout continued full steam ahead, she started investigating other problems with this increase in man-made EMR (electromagnetic radiation) that was to blanket the planet.

Val has spent over 2500 hours researching the health effects of wireless radiation, the dangers of the 4G/5G rollout as it pertains to Arizona, the interplay between radiation and children’s health, and solutions people can implement to protect children, families and neighborhoods. Her lifetime goal is to increase public awareness to the point where people will demand safer use of technology and nationwide access to fiber optics–a superior form of communications that is faster, safer and more secure than wireless.

Valeri spends much of her free time up in the mountains, where she can enjoy nature and animals and allow her body to take a break from the 3 commercial cell towers that blanket her own home in The Valley. She’s also a seasoned Spanish teacher, however this career has been on hold while she’s been working on the EMR issue, and she looks forward to the day she can resume it.

Kimberley Lewis

Board Treasurer

Kimberley has been interested in the health and vitality of little children her whole life. Since the arrival of her little sister, at age 2, she has been noting, both consciously and unconsciously, what creates a natural and healthy childhood. She holds a masters degree from Antioch New England in Waldorf Education and has spent two decades working in early childhood education. Her deep commitment to nurturing, holistic and healing practices shines throughout her work. Her interests and education also include conception, embryology, pregnancy, birth and the earliest years. While she was always aware of Children’s Health Defense, it was during the “pandemic” that she more actively joined CHD, and began working for RFK Jr’s presidential campaign in Arizona. You can visit her website at kimberleylewis.com.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Children’s Health Defense Founder

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., founder of Children’s Health Defense, is former chairman of the board and former chief litigation counsel, supporting the organization’s efforts to address childhood chronic disease and toxic exposures.

Kennedy’s reputation as a resolute defender of the environment and children’s health stems from hundreds of successful legal actions. Kennedy was also the founder of Waterkeeper Alliance, the world’s largest clean water advocacy group. TIME Magazine named Kennedy its “Hero for the Planet” for his leadership in the fight to restore the Hudson River. He received recognition for his role in the landmark victory against Monsanto in 2018, as well as in the DuPont Case that inspired the movie “Dark Waters” (2019).

Kennedy is also an award-winning writer whose articles have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, The Nation, Outside Magazine, the Village Voice, and many others. Among his published books are two New York Times’ bestsellers: “Crimes Against Nature” (2005) and “The Real Anthony Fauci” (2021). His highly reviewed biography is American Values: Lessons I Learned from My Family.