Tom Aiello is president of March Marketing , LLC. He is a West Point graduate and Army veteran living with spinal cord injury (SCI) from Wheaton, Illinois. He is currently president and founder of March Marketing, LLC., a leading agency specializing exclusively in strategy, consulting, marketing, recruiting, public relations, social media, and word-of-mouth communications for products and services targeting military and veteran families. After graduating from West Point, Tom served in the 1st Cavalry Division with deployments to Kuwait, Panama, and Korea. Tom received his Master’s in business administration from the Kellogg Business School. His prior positions include division vice president of Marketing at Sears Holdings; general manager and vice president of Marketing at Monster Worldwide and vice president, account director at Leo Burnett Advertising. Throughout his career, he has assisted employers in hiring over 50,000 veterans and raised $118 million for community programs improving the quality of life for more than 110,000 military and veteran families. Tom was recognized by Kellogg Business School as a 2016 Young Social Impact Scholar for his social impact to better the lives of the military and veteran community.

Joshua Basile is a trial attorney with the preeminent law firm of Jack H Olender & Associates in Washington DC. The law firm fights for the injured with a concentration on medical malpractice and catastrophic injury cases. In 2004, Basile’s life was literally flipped upside down. While on a family vacation in Delaware, he was slammed headfirst into the ocean floor by a wave. His paralysis rendered him a C4-5 quadriplegic but it did not stop him from finding his voice and wheeling after his goals. Basile’s positive attitude and desire to help others motivated him to form the Determined2heal Foundation. For over 10 years, he has fought to simplify the difficult transition into life with paralysis for the newly injured. He went on to create the world’s largest paralysis video mentoring network —  opens in a new windowwww.SPINALpedia.com. Basile’s paralysis limited what he could do physically but mentally the sky was the limit. He went on to strengthen his mind and voice by graduating cum laude from the University of Maryland in communication. Three years later, Basile graduated magna cum laude from law school, and soon after passed the Maryland and District of Columbia bars. In his free time, Basile takes those in the spinal cord injury community on rehabilitative adventures. He invented a sport called Slingshot Golf which allows anyone with a physical limitation to play golf competitively. He received two patents for his putting device called The Pendulum Putter. His other rehabilitative adventures include skiing, sailing, bowling, fishing, gliding and indoor skydiving. In May 2016, he brought a quadriplegic and paraplegic on a sailing adventure from Key West to Cuba and back over eight days. He believes that with the right attitude and adventure spirit most anything is possible. In order to truly experience the world, one must not be afraid to get their wheels a little dirty. No matter the surface — land, air or sea — the world can and should be experienced by all. Life is too short not to dream big!

Theresa Berner, MOT, OTR/L, ATP is an occupational therapist and Rehabilitation Clinical Manager at the OSU Wexner Medical. She has over 25 years’ experience in seating and positioning and adult rehabilitation.  Theresa has been certified by RESNA as an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP).  She is responsible for Assistive Technology center and is a clinical instructor at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at OSU where she is involved in teaching both in the OT and PT programs. Theresa is a member of the Clinician Task Force, AOTA, RESNA and Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals. Theresa has participated in presentations at the International Seating Symposiums, Congress on Spinal Cord injury Medicine, The Academy of PM&R, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA), RESNA and Posture and Mobility Group in Glasgow Scotland. Theresa received the 2016 Academy of Spinal Cord Injury TLC Distinguished Clinical Award and the 2017 OSU Medical Center Values in Action Award. Theresa has served on multiple professional boards including The Ohio OT Association and The Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals.

Darren currently works as Senior Director of Direct Materials Procurement with Dairy Farmers of America. In that capacity, he successfully manages all commodity, ingredients, packaging, and co-manufacturing spend to drive value for the 14,000 member farmer-owners. Prior to working at DFA, Brehm led the North America Ingredients Procurement Team for KraftHeinz, and was also an Engagement Manager with McKinsey and Company. Brehm received his Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 2007, graduating in top 10 percent of his class. In 2002, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from San Diego State University. Brehm, a C4-5 quadriplegic who uses a power wheelchair, also served as peer ambassador at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago to help individuals with spinal cord injuries transition back into their communities.

David M. Capozzi, from Gaithersburg, MD, was the Executive Director of the U.S. Access Board, the only Federal agency whose primary mission is accessibility for people with disabilities. He recently retired in June. Capozzi, a wheelchair user since 1977, has over 35 years of experience directing programs focused on national accessibility policies in the Federal and non-profit sectors. He was a member of a nine-person legal team that helped craft sections of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. While at the Access Board, Capozzi managed complex rulemakings, regulatory assessments, contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. He was also responsible for the Access Board's Architectural Barriers Act enforcement program. Capozzi holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Buffalo and a Law Degree from the University at Buffalo School of Law.

Pete Denman is a UX/UI Designer and research scientist working at the Intel Corporation. At Intel’s research and development lab, he has been able to work on projects ranging from entertainment to HealthCare. Currently he is working on projects that deal with disabilities, education, and healthcare. One of his most notable projects was designing the interface that Stephen Hawking used to speak and navigate in his computer. He is also a board member of the International Dyslexia Association and QUAD Inc., and a fellow at the Headstrong Nation.

Ronald is a results-oriented leader with a strong record of directing organizations in the delivery of benefits and employment to service members and veterans with service-connected disabilities. Ronald specializes in helping veterans to reintegrate into their family and community after sustaining combat and other injuries or illnesses in the line of duty to their country. He also has strong connections to support services and other resources necessary to enhance the quality of life of the severely injured and extensive experience working in all programs and services for people with disabilities.

Brooke Ellison is an Associate Professor at Stony Brook University, focusing on Applied Medical Ethics, Health Policy, and Disability, with a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and PhD from Stony Brook University in Sociology. As a result of her work, in 2011, she was granted an honorary degree from Rutgers University, and, in 2014, was chosen to be a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. In 2017, she was chosen to serve on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the New York Civil Liberties Union. In 2018, she was chosen to be a Truman National Security Project Political Partner. In 2020, she was appointed to serve as a commissioner on the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission.

Kimberly Hill, MS, CTRS, CCT, brings a wealth of professional and personal experiences to her current position as the Executive Director of the Louisiana Chapter of United Spinal Association and the Brain Injury Association of Louisiana. Currently, she serves as the South-Central Regional Coordinator for United Spinal Association as well as the Louisiana Chapter Leader. She represents Louisiana as the state Affiliate Leader for the Brain Injury Association of America where she also sits on the Chapter Leaders’ Education committee. Kimberly‘s passion with her numerous roles and job duties stem from a deeper understanding and personal perspective as a result of being a mother of a child who sustained and recovered from a c5-c6 spinal cord injury and as a relative to a family member who sustained a traumatic brain injury. Drawing from these experiences, Kimberly feels compelled to share hope, compassion, and understanding with others who have experienced similar challenging situations in their lives. As a nationally Board-Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and Certified Cognitive Therapist, Kimberly has over 20 years of experience working in various settings including inpatient, outpatient, and residential neurological rehabilitation. After completing her undergraduate studies at Louisiana State University, Kimberly received her Master of Science degree in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of South Alabama. With her unwavering sense of passion, commitment, and desire to make a difference in the world by helping others, Kimberly and the Louisiana Chapter were awarded United Spinal Association’s 2019 Reggie Bennett Outstanding Community Leader Award and the 2019 Award of Excellence for Programs and Services by the Brain Injury Association of America.

Carmen has been an advocate within the disability community for more than 25 years. She is CEO/President of the Solutions Marketing Group, a disability marketing agency.  Living with spinal cord injury since her junior year of college, Carmen uses her experience as a wheelchair user to lead the development of strategies for companies and government agencies to employ, market to and provide customer services to the Nation’s 56M people with disabilities. Carmen previously served as an appointee of President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2016 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In that capacity she served as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Secretary and developed new market opportunities for minority farmers in the rural south. Most recently, she served as the Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. She was a part of the Board of Directors for the National Spinal Cord Injury Association from 1998 to 2006; and then joined the United Spinal Board in 2010.

Jenny Lieberman currently leads the wheelchair seating clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY and has been a practicing occupational therapist since 1996. Lieberman began her career at RUSK Rehabilitation Center at New York University where she worked on the rehabilitation unit, assisting in evaluating patients for their wheelchair seating and mobility needs. In 1998, she joined Bellevue Hospital in New York, NY and played an integral role in developing their wheelchair seating and outpatient brain injury programs. Lieberman also has over 20 years of experience advocating for people with spinal cord injury and greater access to complex rehabilitation technology or products designed to meet the medical, physical, and functional needs of people with disabilities. Lieberman holds a Doctoral Degree in Research in Occupational Therapy, from New York University; New York, NY and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Sargent College of Allied Health Professions, Boston University; Boston, MA.

David Mann is a senior researcher at Mathematica. His research focuses on programs that provide employment or income support to youth and working age adults with disabilities. Mann has helped evaluate Social Security Administration initiatives that promote employment for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries, including Ticket to Work, the Benefit Offset National Demonstration (BOND), and the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration (POD). He has also played a key role in several projects examining the outcomes of vocational rehabilitation customers, including transition age youth with disabilities. For example, Mann is currently leading the impact evaluation of a Rehabilitation Services Administration funded demonstration examining an empirically supported work-based transition model for transition age youth with disabilities. Mann oversees Mathematica’s work for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics, which is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) to produce new knowledge that can improve the well-being of people with disabilities. He was principal investigator in disability employment policy for the Department of Labor’s Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR), which is improving the accessibility of research evidence for policymakers and stakeholders. Mann publishes in peer-reviewed journals, such as the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Journal of Disability Policy Studies, Demography, and Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Mann received a PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011.

Vincenzo Piscopo began his tenure as United Spinal’s president and CEO on November 16, 2020 replacing James Weisman, who retired after 40 years of service to the disability community as an advocate for disability rights and accessible transportation. Piscopo, a wheelchair-user who was paralyzed from a herniated disk in 2010, previously worked at The Coca-Cola Company for 25 years in a variety of strategic roles both in the US and internationally. In his most recent position as the Community and Stakeholder Relations Director at The Coca-Cola Company, Piscopo managed and cultivated company relationships with disability, veteran and Hispanic organizations and advocates for these communities. Piscopo has based much of his work on the belief that people with disabilities are assets for corporations because of their resilience, perseverance, and creative problem-solving skills. Piscopo is also the founder and board member of the opens in a new windowWheels of Happiness Foundation which helps people with motor disabilities in disadvantaged areas of the world, and a member of the board of directors of the organizations opens in a new windowRespectability and opens in a new windowFriends of the Disabled Adults and Children. Born in Venezuela of Italian immigrants, Piscopo currently resides with his wife and four children in Atlanta, Georgia. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics, an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Masters in Creativity from Buffalo State College.

During the 1990s, Ronnie--a wheelchair user who lives with multiple sclerosis--was involved in a case against a New York City Cooperative where she lived that revolved around creating a wheelchair accessible entrance. At that time, United Spinal offered to represent her legally. In 1999, she had a hearing at the New York City Human Rights Commission and prevailed. The Co-Op was instructed to build a ramp at the main entrance. Later, Ronnie became involved in United Spinal’s Women without Limits program that dealt with issues facing women with disabilities. Ronnie is also on the board of Concerts in Motion, a New York City-based nonprofit organization that reaches out to people who are homebound, veterans, people with disabilities, people who are homeless, and medical patients of all ages. Through United Spinal, Concerts in Motion has been connected with the VA hospitals in New York City and performs for the veterans monthly.

Javier Robles is currently an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers University and past President of Thisabled, LLC, an organization that provides support to persons with disabilities through self-empowerment and perseverance.  He is a Juris Doctor graduate of Seton Hall Law School in 1995 and graduated with a double degree in Sociology and Puerto Rican and Caribbean Studies from Rutgers University in 1989. An unfortunate accident at the age of 16 caused Robles to become a C5 quadriplegic, and his doctors told him that he would never regain any movement or strength in his body, never have children, and become dependent on Social Security for the long term.  Rejecting these assumptions and determined to beat the odds, he went on to finish his education and launch a prolific career.  Until 2010, he served as the Deputy Director of the NJ Division of Disability Services (DDS), a $370 million division situated in the New Jersey Department of Human Services and which provides monthly services to over 19,000 people with disabilities.  He also worked as the Project Officer for the NJ Medicaid Infrastructure Grant, which sought to change employment outcomes for people with disabilities, and he oversaw the Personal Assistance Services Program (PASP), the NJ Modular Ramp and Low-Riser Step Program, and the Personal Preference Program, and was a member of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Panel on immigration. He is also the Chair of the New Jersey Disabilities Covid-19 Action Committee. Robles was appointed by Gov. Murphy to the Puerto Rico commission and was recently appointed to the United Spinal National Board. He the Vice President of the Latino Action Network of New Jersey (LAN) and was on the board of Canine Companion for Independence Northeast Board for 15 years.  Robles has written for numerous publications including, Latinos NJ, ThisAbled Nation, New Mobility. One of his poems was recently published in the book, Access Granted. He is currently working on a book of poetry and writing an article on people with disabilities and inclusion. He is a photographer and a collector of glass and vintage negatives from the 1800 and early 1900s. Additionally, he is a beekeeper and Gardner in the Central Jersey region. He lives with his wife, daughter, and service dog in New Jersey.

Afsar Shamsi comes to the United Spinal Board of Directors from the healthcare industry. He is a Senior Manager at WellCare, having previously worked for Optum. Prior to this, he was involved in ventures in Dubai, India, Pakistan, and Turkey. He returned to the United States to seek care for his daughter who was following her diagnosis with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, who is herself a disability advocate. His daughter was the inspiration for his endeavors in the US healthcare industry. His sees work in the regulatory affairs and compliance space most rewarding way to help individuals like his daughter get a voice and help drive change from the local to the national level to better serve their healthcare needs. He has a BA from Northeastern University.

Keaston is Attorney-Advisor at Office of the Solicitor the United States Department of Interior. His first love was performing. As a child, he dreamed of becoming an on-screen actor. In particular, he had a fascination with different voices and speaking styles. Creating different characters and accents to entertain family and friends became one of his favorite pastimes. But on September 11, 2001, one of America’s darkest days, Keaston’s dreams were shattered when he suffered a spinal cord injury during a high school football practice that left him paralyzed. Despite this challenging setback in his life, he refused to let my circumstances define me. Determined to achieve success, Keaston graduated from high school in the top of his class, earned a psychology degree at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 2009, graduated from John Marshall Law School in 2012, and passed the bar on his first attempt. These successes gave Keaston the confidence to re-explore his dream. The exploration led him to voiceover, which allowed him to act beyond his disability. VO is now Keaston’s passion, he is able to act with more versatility than he could have ever dreamed as an on-screen actor. Applying his determination to VO allows Keaston to consistently provide high-quality performances to his clients. Along with voice acting, Keaston is a motivational speaker and member of the Shepherd Center Peer Support Program mentoring others with spinal cord or brain injuries.

Monica Wiley has over 15 years of experience as a disability adviser. She has worked on protecting and advancing the rights of people with disabilities on the federal and state level. She was the Virginia liaison on disability to the White House Disability Group under Obama, and was a Disability Advisor on Community Integration to the McAuliffe administration in Virginia. She is the co-founder of the Disability Issues Caucus Constituency Organization for the Democratic Party of Virginia, and is Vice Chair of the United Spinal Association Chapter of Washington, DC. Ms. Wiley holds a BS, in Criminal Justice with a concentration Pre-Law and Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University. Ms. Wiley received a 2011 Community Activism Award from Special Olympics, a Leadership and Activism Award from The National Progressive Democrats of America, the 2011 Tom Whipple Democratic Party of Virginia Service of The Year Award, and the 2012 Top 40 under 40 Successful Leaders award by Style Weekly.

Felecia Woolens is a long-time resident of Metairie, Louisiana. She is an attorney with experience in disability rights, criminal defense, and corporate/contracts law. She attended Xavier University of Louisiana where she earned her BA in Political Science and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law where she earned her Juris Doctor. She advocates for improved access to healthcare and independent living for people with disabilities, a primary goal in her efforts to change the way Louisiana and other states structure healthcare laws.

“AJ” Assaadi currently serves as VP DEI Corporate Partnerships leading United Spinal’s Development operations and corporate strategy, managing and forging meaningful and robust alliances with corporate partners, and overseeing its Corporate Advisory Council. Previously, she worked with the DatocWitten Group on targeted event fundraising and development assignments with clients including the Army Women's Foundation, Gannett Government Media, Habitat for Humanity, Inter-American Dialogue, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and the USO. Her prior role with the Orphan Foundation of America for over a decade involved directing and securing support for national intern and care package programs impacting college-bound former foster youth. As principal of AlphaJuliet PR, AJ’s specialized experience included leading events and programs involving senior military, people with disabilities, foster youth, the technology sector, and the arts including multi-cultural and youth development programs/events. She is an alumni of Georgetown University’s New Strategies program for non-profit leaders. She currently volunteers on Virginia’s Eastern Shore with the Nature Conservancy, and has served ten years on the board of Partners for Kids, a Washington, DC agency, addressing the needs of foster youth in the DC metro area.

Contact Information

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Alexandra Bennewith directs advocacy and policy strategy for legislation and regulations regarding health and disability policy at the federal level with the United States Executive Branch including the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the United States Congress, and state levels of government.  Bennewith is a steering committee, co-chair or member of multiple coalitions and committees including American Spinal Injury Association’s Health Policy Advocacy Committee, the Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid Coalition, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Activism Advisory Committee and represents United Spinal as a member of the Multiple Sclerosis Coalition. She focuses on healthcare and rehabilitation, transportation, employment, prescription drugs, community sup­ports and services and disability rights issues and has presented to multiple stakeholders on a range of issues. She has more than 20 years of government affairs and public affairs experience. She has her Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University and her Master of Public Administration from American University.

Josie Byzek is our Digital Experience & Content Director. She previously served as associate, managing and finally executive editor of United Spinal’s membership magazine, New Mobility, from 2000-2022. She brings rich experience in creating compelling content that educates and empowers people with disabilities and especially enjoys collaborating with United’s program staff on new ways to serve our members in the digital realm. She reported for Mouth and Ragged Edge disability rights magazines, and her byline can be found in many other publications as well. She enjoys guest-teaching disability studies at local universities and has developed workshops for Pennsylvania’s Power Through Knowledge conferences that ran from 1993-2014. She chaired committees for that conference, including the program committee. Additionally, she chaired the Statewide Plan for Independent Living committee as a governor-appointee to the Pennsylvania Statewide Independent Living Council, served as board secretary for the Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania, and as board secretary and policy committee chair for the Susquehanna Township School District. She helped establish the wheelchair-accessible Rural Transportation Program and the expansion of Medicaid waivers in her state. Her primary disability is multiple sclerosis. She lives with her partner, Ginny Rogers, and their teenage nephew, Antonio Martinez, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Matthew Castelluccio is the Director of United Spinal’s Community Support Programs. He leads our six-person team of Information Specialists in the collection and dissemination of extensive on-line and printed materials and the provision of curated, personal guidance on a wide array of sub-topic areas related to living successfully with SCI/D, and is responsible for the United Spinal Hospital Membership program. He participates in extensive project-based work on a variety of initiatives, including advocacy for more inclusive rehab, Fair Pay for Home-Care Workers and expansion of Medicare coverage for complex equipment. Aside from his duties as Director, Matt is the founder and Chapter President of the Hudson Valley Chapter of United Spinal Association. Matt suffered a spinal cord injury from a motorcycle accident in 2003. Subsequently, Matt has pursued a career in disability advocacy and community program development, including as an Adaptive Sports Coordinator developing recreational program opportunities in New York State and as a Director of Independent Living Services for a New York based Center for Independent Living. He is a certified ADA coordinator. He is active in competitive sports including wheelchair rugby, handcycling, waterskiing and wheelchair softball. He is a devoted husband and father of twin sons. He is a committee member of Rockland County Executive Edward Day’s Disability Advisory Council, Eastern Wheelchair Sports Federation and Mountain Creek Adaptive Sports Program board. He personally recognizes the benefits of community-based programs to create environments that foster resource sharing and peer support. Matt received a Bachelor of Science with a major in Psychology minor in Business Management from Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ.

Jean Dobbs has worked on New Mobility magazine for 30 years, starting as an intern and rising through the editorial side to oversee all aspects of the publication as Publisher. Dobbs joined United Spinal Association staff in 2010 and led the transition of New Mobility to becoming a nonprofit’s member magazine. She collaborates daily with the NM editors to produce features and columns that serve the mission of empowering, informing and entertaining wheelchair users, and she takes particular interest in art directing covers that show people with SCI/D living life to the fullest. During her tenure, New Mobility has won many awards, including an Independent Press Awardopens PDF file from Utne Reader; a Maggie for best buyer’s guide from the Western Publications Association; an Ozzie for best redesign from Folio; a DREAM (Disability Rights in Entertainment, Arts & Media) award from the Disability Rights Legal Center; and several EDI awards for Equality, Dignity and Independence from Easter Seals. Related projects over the years include publishing two editions of Spinal Network: The Total Wheelchair Resource Book, creating Kids on Wheels, a book and magazine for young wheelchair users and their parents, and launching Life in Action, the former member magazine of United Spinal. Dobbs lives with her husband in Wilmington, N.C., where they are active in the local music scene.

Lindsey Elliott is Director of Member Initiatives. Lindsey received her Master of Social Work from Fordham University in 2007. Lindsey has worked for United Spinal Association for the past fourteen years and works directly within their Membership and Chapter Services department. Lindsey oversees the national run United Spinal Peer Mentor Program, coordinates the national support group network and works directly with United Spinal’s chapter and support group leaders on many projects and programs. Lindsey also hosts a variety of virtual discussion groups the Association hosts. Through her work in the United Spinal Resource Center, Lindsey is able to assist members in meeting goals, obtaining maximum independence and helping to increase quality of life for those who have been impacted by spinal cord injuries/disorders. Lindsey lives in North Carolina with her husband and son.

Erin Gildner is a passionate professional and disability advocate with over a decade of experience in public health and Arkansas state government. Prior to joining United Spinal Association, Erin led the Equitable Maternal Health Coalition (EMHC) at March of Dimes. Erin’s passion for her work and advocacy stems from her personal experience as a wheelchair user from a T11-12 spinal cord injury, and as a mother of a son who is visually impaired from retinopathy of prematurity. Erin holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a Master of Public Administration from Arkansas State University. In 2015, she founded the Arkansas chapter of the United Spinal Association, presently serving as Vice President. Erin also sits on the Board of Directors for the Arkansas Disability Coalition and is a member of the Complete Streets Master Plan Steering Committee for the City of Little Rock. Erin currently lives in Bryant, Arkansas, with her husband and two teenage sons.

Christine Golden is the Service Director of VetsFirst, a program of United Spinal Association.  She oversees the day-to-day management of the Philadelphia office, whereby she assists veterans and their dependents in the preparation of VA claims. Christine is a 13-year Army disabled-veteran and has worked for VetsFirst for 21 years.  Her medical and legal backgrounds is an asset when reviewing veteran’s military and medical records. She enjoys her daily interactions with veterans and their dependents educating them about VA benefits and their entitlements.  She remembers the first case she inherited in 1999, whereby VA granted a veteran over $451,000 in retroactive service-connected benefits. To date, she continues to try and surpass that record.  She truly understands the importance of preparation, hard work and respect.  She applies these values to her life daily.  She is truly thankful for her strict Southern upbringing and military experiences, as the two has completely supported her development.  When she isn’t advocating for veterans and their dependents; she enjoys line-dancing, reading, and traveling with her military retired spouse.

Kleo J. King is Senior Director of Accessibility Operations & Counsel for United Spinal Association’s Accessibility Consulting Services program. Kleo began her career with United Spinal, formerly Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association in 1987.  She has worked in the accessibility field for over thirty-three years.  Prior to rejoining United Spinal Association, Kleo served as Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel for the New York City Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities from 2014 to 2021, where she advised the Commissioner on legal issues and city policies that affect people with disabilities, worked with City agencies on accessibility issues, and drafted legislation and policies.  She currently serves on the Accessibility Committee reviewing and revising the New York City Building Code and has consulted on accessibility for major construction projects including the new Yankee Stadium, the Lincoln Center Redevelopment, and various other facilities. A graduate of the George Mason University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate, King is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State and New York City Bar Associations and the Virginia State Bar Association.

Steve Lieberman serves as Director, Advocacy & Policy for United Spinal Association.  In this role, he oversees United Spinal's Advocacy Program, including Chapter and State Advocacy Coordinators and the Grassroots Advocacy Network, which includes more than 1,400 registered advocates across all 50 states.  He also develops United Spinal's advocacy-related programming, including Advocacy Live, working groups, Roll on Capitol Hill, and Virtual Advocacy Day.  Additionally, he serves a co-chair of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Rights Task Force.  Prior to joining United Spinal, he spent ten years as a staffer for U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ).  As one of the few openly-disabled Congressional staffers during his service on Capitol Hill, he developed an understanding of the most effective methods for influencing members of Congress as well as the dire need for improvement in Congressional understanding of the disability experience.  Steve lives in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife and two children.

Dominic Marinelli is Vice President of our Accessibility Consulting Services program. Dominic has been with United Spinal Association since 1988. ACS provides consulting services to assist building owners and designers navigate city, state and federal accessibility requirements by applying the organization’s 75 years of experience in working to develop and interpret federal accessibility requirements. As one of the longest-tenured providers of Continuing Education for the American Institute of Architects, ACS provides training to city and federal agencies, design professionals, developers, building owners and code enforcement officials. ACS has conducted thousands of accessibility inspections and has been accepted as an expert witness, providing testimony at either deposition or trial in multiple Accessibility cases.  Dominic is a Contract Instructor for the International Codes Council (ICC) and an Adjunct Faculty Member at Pratt’s Center for Continuing & Professional Studies in New York City. He is a certified Accessibility Specialist/Plans Examiner by the International Code Council, and serves on various committees including American National Standard Institute Residential Committee which he serves as Chair. He also represented United Spinal Association on the US Access Board’s Emergency Transportable Housing Advisory Committee. He holds a Master of Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is certified in code enforcement by the New York State Department of State Codes Division and as an Accessibility Specialist/Plans Examiner by the International Codes Council (ICC).

Brook McCall is Senior Director of the Tech Access Initiative. Fueled by the perspective gained by living nearly two decades as a quadriplegic, Brook is committed to creating and sharing opportunities for individuals with disabilities to be heard and valued as visionaries for change. Anthropological training and expertise in inclusionary public health lend her the clarity, insight and creativity to recognize, address, and close current gaps in accessibility and beyond. Her Tech Access Initiative brings together tech industry stakeholders and thought leaders from the mobility disability community for substantive conversation and collaboration, fostering reciprocal understanding and driving vital innovation.

Abby Ross is Chief Operating Officer. She has been with the organization for over ten years and has the pleasure of working alongside all staff members to ensure that United Spinal’s programs and services fulfill our mission to enhance the lives of people with spinal cord injury/disease. In addition to her organizational role, Abby also oversees the Pathways to Employment program, an initiative to assist both individuals looking to return to work after spinal cord injury/diagnosis and employers interested in diversifying their workforce. She also developed and oversees the United Spinal’s “Ready to Roll” emergency preparedness program focusing on equipping and educating individuals with disabilities, organizations and municipalities. Prior to United Spinal Association, she worked for the State of Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services and several other nonprofit organizations focusing on health care and safety. She attended college in Washington State and Sydney, Australia.

Tom Scott is Chief Marketing Officer. Tom has over 17 years of experience in nonprofit communications strategy, marketing and brand management.  He coordinates all promotion of United Spinal’s programs and services to strengthen the organization’s impact nationally and raise public awareness of its mission.  Tom began his tenure with United Spinal in 2002 as an assistant editor for its membership magazine. He came on board during an exciting time at the organization, as it embarked on changing its brand from Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association to United Spinal, expanding its nonprofit status and acquiring the National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA), a large nonprofit with an extensive membership network. Tom gained invaluable hands-on experience in managing complex branding and organizational challenges, taking on more responsibilities within the Communications department and working closely with United Spinal’s key leaders to formulate an expansive marketing strategy. This included the development of United Spinal’s social media channels, websites, and visual identity.  Tom currently supports United Spinal’s various departments to ensure consistent messaging across various communication channels, including e-marketing, public affairs, print and digital platforms, direct mail and social media. Tom graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood, Queens in 1995 and went on to earn a Journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1999. He currently lives with his family in Long Island, New York.

In his new role at United Spinal, Lesly St. Louis is grateful to have the opportunity to facilitate people with disabilities obtaining gainful employment, and to replace fear and prejudice against people with disabilities with mutual understanding. Having continuously encountered barriers from employers, he sees the common challenges individuals with disabilities have toovercome are not their disabilities, but the stigma surrounding them. He hopes that creating employment opportunities will increase confidence within these individuals and inspire them to conquer more challenges and achieve even higher levels of success. Lesly was born with Spina Bifida, diagnosed with the most severe form called myelomeningocele, and is a wheelchair user. He holds a Master’s degree from Long Island University, C.W. Post, and regularly participates in adaptive sports. Through his involvement in adaptive sports, and in his professional life, he strives to advocate for individuals with disabilities and restore dignity through productivity.