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 — www.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.

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.

After sustaining a spinal cord injury rendering him an incomplete quadriplegic, Chris Connolly attended Stanford University where he developed a fascination with genetics, innovation, and entrepreneurship. During his time at Stanford, he was a finalist for the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships, served as a cabinet member on the student body government, was president of the campus’ disabled student group, and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. After graduating with both his undergraduate and master's degrees in biology, he started medical and business school at the University of Michigan. While in graduate school, Chris was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, was designated as a Dean’s scholar, interned for the United States Senate, worked with lawmakers on improving fair housing opportunities for people with disabilities, and worked in clinical and business development in the biotech industry. Chris is currently a resident in Pediatrics and Medical Genetics at Michigan Medicine where he serves on the hospital’s pharmacy and therapeutics committee and conducts research on the logistics of administering rare disease therapeutics. He hopes to practice as a physician and work in industry following graduation from residency. He is proud to serve the disability community with United Spinal.

Angie became a quadriplegic and power wheelchair user after a C5 spinal cord injury in 2003 due to a vehicle accident. Angie is a longtime member of United Spinal and contributor to United Spinal’s Tech Access Initiative. She was not an initial founder of the Iowa Chapter but has been heavily involved as a board member six months after the Chapter started in 2005, including roles of secretary, president, vice president, and treasurer. Angie is a Chapter Leader, Roll on Capitol Hill advocate, self-employed business owner, and adaptive technology user for personal and employment needs. She loves helping others in Iowa through the Chapter in many ways – event planning, peer mentoring, providing resources, outreach & awareness, and so on.

Ali Ingersoll is a corporate DEI disability strategy consultant, Ms. Wheelchair America 2023, keynote public speaker, writer, and financial assets trader. Ali’s professional passion lies in coaching organizations on how to strategically create and implement disability inclusive policies and practices within organizations from C-suite leaders to employee resource groups. She accomplishes this through teaching how to minimize bias, increase advocacy, accountability, access, and inclusion internally. Ali started her healthcare advocacy career after being repeatedly denied medically necessary equipment by insurance companies over the last 13 years since becoming a C6 quadriplegic and full-time wheelchair user after a shallow water diving accident. She focuses much of her advocacy work on health equity through helping people with significant disabilities get the proper approvals for the medically necessary equipment they need to not only survive in life, but to thrive in order to achieve a higher quality of life. Disability Inclusion in our society is a priority Ali focuses on improving every day. Ali has a firm philosophy of paying it forward by giving back to the community when she is not working through collaborating with stakeholders in the government, the non-profit world, and partnering with organizations to create a more inclusive society and disability employment environment. She believes it’s important to band together as one in order to affect the greatest change on the national stage and in local communities.

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.

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.

Charisma Sydnor has lived most of her life as a native of Richmond, Virginia. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she pursued her master’s in Occupational Therapy at Shenandoah University. The success of her and her husband’s business led her down a new and exciting path where she was able to use her platform for a broader purpose. Together they started their vlog to bring people into their lives, their relationship, to answer some questions about how they navigate the world with some of the behind-the-scenes stuff people typically don't see, and hopefully raise awareness surrounding accessibility and dating in a wheelchair. You can view their channel at Roll with Cole and Charisma. Outside of their channel, Charisma uses her Instagram to share what it is like being a caregiver to her husband, as well as tips and tricks to maintain a healthy mind, body, and soul while caring for someone.

Ana Torres-Davis believes that every person deserves an equal opportunity to fully participate and thrive in a society that is accessible and inclusive. Ana is currently a senior attorney-advisor at the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency advising the White House, Congress, and federal agencies on issues impacting the lives of people with disabilities. She has devoted her career to equal rights and civil rights with special interest in access to housing, transportation, assistive technology, and healthcare. She has held positions at the AARP Foundation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and RESNA, and served on the Commission for Persons with Disabilities for Montgomery County, Maryland and Alexandria, Virginia. She earned a B.S. in psychology from the College of Charleston and a J.D. from the Catholic University of America. Ana is a swimmer, artist, and proud mother of two sons, River and Austen.

Ryan Walters is an enterprise strategist focused on systems transformation and organizational renewal. Working primarily in the healthcare sector, Ryan helps Deloitte clients tackle complex problems, transition to next-generation solutions, and build more resilient systems. He is also an emerging leader in the area of inclusion, where he works to address well-being, accessibility, and talent development of people with disabilities. As he works to eliminate barriers to business performance, he is also committed to helping organizations benefit from more inclusive approaches to talent—by expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to account for disabilities. Ryan draws on his own lived experience as a person with a disability. During his freshman year of college in 2012 he suffered a spinal cord injury and damage to his inner ears that resulted in paralysis and profound hearing loss. With the support of an extraordinary team of doctors, nurses, friends and family from Mexico to Houston and Boston, Ryan successfully transitioned to a manual wheelchair and cochlear implants. His lived experience has become his guiding north star of purpose. To make an impact that matters for the disability community, he serves as Vice Chair of the non-profit Disability:IN DC Metro, in addition to his role on the United Spinal Association Board.

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

• aassaadi@unitedspinal.org

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.

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 Senior 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 2,500 registered advocates across all 50 states.  He also oversees and directs United Spinal's policy and government relations work, including interfacing with federal officials in Congress and the Executive Branch, as well as at the state and local levels.  Steve 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).

Arielle holds a Business degree from the University of Illinois and a Master of Global Public Health from New York University. She was a member of Team USA’s Paralympic Track and Field team for four years specializing in the marathon. She is the founder of an innovative assistive technology company concentrating on 3D printing solutions for wheelchair users. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with a range of organizations to advance global access to healthcare and recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Outside of her professional work, Arielle is passionate about adaptive sports and actively coaches wheelchair racing and participates in adaptive rock climbing.