Joe Niekro Foundation - Knuckling Up for Aneurysm Research - About Us

Founder: Natalie Niekro (daughter of Joe) – From the time I was born, baseball has been in my blood. I have had the privilege of watching my father surpass records, obstacles and become one of the most recognized names in baseball. I have been blessed in having two loving parents who have supported, loved and guided me through life’s journeys. Growing up as a child of a professional baseball player has been an indescribable experience and now the torch has been passed to me to leave a legacy just as my father has. Dad’s aneurysm was sudden, unexpected and undiagnosed. Within 18 hours of Dad’s rupture, he was pronounced dead. Upon losing my father, I made a commitment to dedicate my time, energy and focus on the advancement of neurological treatments for aneurysm patients. It is my mission to discover a detection method, available to the public, so that thousands of lives can be saved from this silent killer. By providing funds for research and treatment to hospitals, treatment centers and organizations, I am confident that The Joe Niekro Foundation will help families across the world.


Founder: Natalie Niekro (daughter of Joe) – From the time I was born, baseball has been in my blood. I have had the privilege of watching my father surpass records, obstacles and become one of the most recognized names in baseball. I have been blessed in having two loving parents who have supported, loved and guided me through life’s journeys. Growing up as a child of a professional baseball player has been an indescribable experience and now the torch has been passed to me to leave a legacy just as my father has. Dad’s aneurysm was sudden, unexpected and undiagnosed. Within 18 hours of Dad’s rupture, he was pronounced dead. Upon losing my father, I made a commitment to dedicate my time, energy and focus on the advancement of neurological treatments for aneurysm patients. It is my mission to discover a detection method, available to the public, so that thousands of lives can be saved from this silent killer. By providing funds for research and treatment to hospitals, treatment centers and organizations, I am confident that The Joe Niekro Foundation will help families across the world.




Natalie Niekro - President Natalie Niekro, the daughter of Joe, is the VP of Marketing and Advertising for Pure Fitness, a chain of upscale fitness facilities across the state of Arizona. Natalie has been in the advertising business for 14 years, on both the media broadcast sales side and now on the buying side. She handles millions of dollars in advertising budgets and is solely responsible for the success of her clients. Natalie double majored in advertising and psychology and graduated from Florida Southern College in 1994. In addition to serving as President and Founder of The Joe Niekro Foundation, she is also the 10 year reigning president of the AZ chapter of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, actively involved in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program through her church and recently nominated as one of America’s Top 10 Professionals in Who’s Who. Natalie is fully dedicated to the success and outreach of The Joe Niekro Foundation and plans to raise millions of dollars to be given to the research and treatment of aneurysms and aneurysm patients. Natalie married her soul mate, Luke Woosley, in December 2007 and resides in Scottsdale, AZ. David B. Bergman - Treasurer Dave, an investment counselor for Sigma Investments, joined Sigma in 1990 after gaining considerable experience as a licensed securities broker with Merrill Lynch, E.F. Hutton and Roney & Co., as well as participating on the Professional Baseball Players Pension Committee for several years. Prior to joining Sigma on a full time basis, Dave played professional baseball for 20 years and is perhaps best known for his contribution to the Detroit Tigers during the latter part of his career. Dave earned his business degree from Illinois State University and is a member of the CFA Society of Detroit, CFA Institute, and the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame Advisory Board. Donna L. Sterban - Secretary Donna was born at Kessler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1960, and grew up in Mobile, Alabama. She moved to Nashville in the early 1980’s and later married Richard Sterban, bass singer with The Oak Ridge Boys. Richard and Donna have two daughters, Lauren, 18, and Tori, 12. For more than ten years, Donna has been a member of the Nashville Advisory Board for Feed the Children, a worldwide hunger relief organization. Always hands-on, she has been involved in several food distribution events, including a food drop in Harlem (New York City). In 1995, Donna chaired the President George and Barbara Bush 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration at the Grand Ole Opry House. The event raised more than $140,000 for the George Bush Presidential Library, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and NARAS/MusiCares. Serving as the auction chairperson for the Mark Collie Race for the Cure for four years, Donna helped raise one million dollars for diabetes research at Vanderbilt Medical Center. During the past eight years, she has been involved with the Steeple Players Community Theater, Hendersonville, Tennessee, as a volunteer. Donna’s mother Diane Summers is a 15-year survivor of a brain aneurysm. George T. Baylor George is the President and CEO of the Baylor Company, a real estate consulting firm. He advises government agencies, financial institutions, professional firms, and investment groups in business development, corporate growth strategy, project turnaround, and asset management. George has been nominated for several builder awards; one of his homes was featured on the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” television show. George is a Texas Real Estate and Mortgage Broker; Member of the Museum of Fine Arts and Houston Association of Realtors; Life Member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Houston Farm and Ranch Club, and America Quarter Horse and American Angus Associations; and serves on the Board of Directors of Oak Park Mortgage, Inc. and C C Corporation. He is a graduate of the University of Redlands in Business Administration and Economics. Enos Cabell Enos Cabell is a 15 year veteran of the Major Leagues. He started 149 games at third base for the Houston Astros and played on two other division-winning clubs, the 1974 Baltimore Orioles and the 1985 Los Angeles Dodgers. Enos was named team MVP in 1978 for the Houston Astros after setting a then-club mark with 195 hits, which ranked third in the National League. He also led the league with 162 games played and 660 at-bats that season. Enos is in his fourth season as a special assistant to the general manager of the Houston Astros and has been serving as a consultant since joining the Astros front office in 2004. He was a member of the Texas Southern University’s Board of Regents from 1995-2001 and served as interim athletic director for the school in 2000. Enos is a graduate of L.A. Harbor Junior College in San Pedro, Calif., where he was an all-conference selection in baseball. He makes his home in Missouri City, Texas, and has three sons, Marcus, Stephen and Cordell. Enos lost his wife to a cerebral aneurysm. Luke Woosley Luke Woosley, is the co-founder of Paytactix, an international merchant services provider. He has remarkable business acumen gained from years of managing millions of dollars in financial portfolios. Luke earned a finance degree from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. He joined the investment juggernaut, New York Life, as a financial planner and was quickly recognized as one of the company’s premier agents. Luke was ranked in the top 10% of New York Life International's financial planners throughout his career. During that time, Luke developed profitable financial plans and streamlined investments for some of the nation’s largest businesses. Luke is married to Natalie Niekro and resides in Scottsdale, AZ.