Our Leadership

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is the governing body responsible to the public for the Amputee Coalition's mission and effectiveness. The Board is responsible for establishing the strategic direction of the organization and ensuring accountability nationwide.

* Indicates member is an amputee

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD

Chairman
Marshall J. Cohen*
New York, New York
Marshall J. Cohen is a partner in the law firm Cohen & Perfetto. Before becoming a lawyer, Cohen received a PhD in American History from Harvard. He has taught at Harvard, MIT, and Columbia Law School. Cohen lives with his wife, Jean Keh, in New York City and Great Barrington, Massachusetts. His passions are opera and tennis. Born with a malformed and enlarged right hip and leg, at 64, Cohen and his orthopedist decided that amputation was the best solution for the deteriorating condition of his right leg. On September 11, 2003, he had the amputation, and on October 13, 2003, he received a C-leg for field testing. He is now back on the tennis court and is actively involved in his legal practice. His ambition for the Amputee Coalition is to raise money and to lobby for more equitable insurance coverage for prostheses.

Vice Chair
Dan Berschinski*
Washington, D.C.
Dan Berschinski did a tour of duty in Operation Enduring Freedom. During his service in Afghanistan, Berschinski stepped on an IED and lost both his legs. This has not slowed him down. He recently founded and will serve as CEO of Two-Six Industries LLC, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business. Two-Six Industries produces injection molded plastic components; new research will explore the commercial feasibility of prosthetic socket designs. He is also a peer visitor and a committed supporter of the Amputee Coalition Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp. Berschinski is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in International Relations.

Vice Chair
Dennis Strickland*
Atlanta, Georgia
Thomas Dennis Strickland, III, is an upper-limb amputee due to trauma. He is retired from the BellSouth Corporation after a 30-year career in which he held a variety of executive positions, including executive director; president, Bellsouth Information Systems; vice president, International Operations; general network manager; chief engineer; and assistant vice president, Human Resources. He served on the boards of several multinational companies and several BellSouth subsidiaries. Strickland has had significant experience in the nonprofit arena, having served as a volunteer in a variety of positions for over 25 years with the American Heart Association, including chairman of the Georgia Affiliate of the AHA. In addition, Strickland served as chief financial officer of the Amputee Foundation of Greater Atlanta. He currently serves on several committees with the Amputee Coalition. Strickland's education consists of a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech, an MBA degree from Georgia State University, and attendance at advanced management programs at both Harvard and Williams Colleges. He spends his spare time with his children and grandchildren in a variety of settings.

Secretary
Charles Steele*
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlie Steele has been a below-knee amputee since 1990. Before retiring from IBM, he held numerous management positions during his 28 years of service. He is currently active with ASPIRE in New York City and is a support group leader. Steele is a peer visitor/trainer and served on the National Consumer Advisory Panel for the Limb Loss Research & Statistics Program (LLRSP). He is also an advocate for literacy and mentor programs and enjoys the arts, reading, writing, traveling and health/fitness.

Treasurer
Jeffrey S. Lutz
Lafayette, Louisiana
Jeffrey S. Lutz, CPO, is the regional vice president and market leader of Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics, Inc., in Lafayette, Louisiana. He joined Hanger as a staff prosthetist in 1986 in Orlando, Florida, and subsequently worked as a manager and area manager in Louisiana and Texas. Previously, Lutz worked for Southern Prosthetic Supply (SPS), Bethesda, Maryland. Lutz holds a bachelor of science degree from Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, with postgraduate work in prosthetics and orthotics at the department of orthopedics at Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois. He completed an orthotic residency at Children's Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana, and a prosthetic residency at the Myoelectric Institute of Orlando, Florida.

THE DIRECTORS

Annie Berdy
Scarsdale, New York
Annie Berdy serves as president of Lex-Parc Properties, Inc., where she has worked since 1978. She earned her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from New York University. She is a graduate of the Columbia University Center for Environmental Research and Conservation in Conservation Biology, and recently completed the Biomimicry Specialist Program in 2012. While living in Seattle, Berdy volunteered with Arts Corps, where she created, designed and facilitated the implementation of a year-long community sculpture that was installed in Seattle Center for His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Seeds of Compassion presentation. Currently, she is the volunteer coordinator of habitat enhancement for Audubon New York's For The Birds! program, and is part of a team starting up Biomimicry NYC. She is the mother of two amazing teenagers.

Pat Chelf
Edina, Minnesota
Currently at Argo Medical Technologies, Pat Chelf is vice president of marketing and business development. For 9 years, he was vice president of marketing and business development at Otto Bock HealthCare, one of the world's largest manufacturers of prosthetic devices. Prior to joining Otto Bock HealthCare, Chelf worked for the 3M Company in a variety of marketing and management positions in the company's healthcare business sector. Before joining 3M, Chelf worked extensively in the advertising and communications industries. A graduate of the University of Illinois and the University of Minnesota, Chelf is married and has one son. He is a full-time resident of Edina, Minnesota.

Michael Estrada*
Statesville, North Carolina
Michael Estrada consulted for THOR-LO in 2011 as the leader of a think tank called The Tomorrow Team. He was recently hired by THOR-LO as executive vice president, new business initiatives. Prior to THOR-LO, Estrada was vice president at Restore Earth, which dealt in real estate ventures. Previously, he held executive roles in marketing for Reebok International, Rockport, After Hours Formal Wear and The Sport Shoe. Estrada has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He was appointed for two terms to the North Carolina Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health and served on the Board of Directors of Champs Sporting Goods.

Mahesh Mansukhani
Foothills Ranch, California
Mahesh Mansukhani joined Össur in 2008. Immediately prior to that he was a Director at AlixPartners. Between 2005 and 2007, he was the global business director of DuPont Tyvek® and before that, global director of DuPont Marketing and Sales Effectiveness (2002-2005). Previously he held roles in management consulting and finance. Mansukhani is a strong supporter of the Amputee Coalition. Most recently, he spearheaded the development of the Well-Being Initiative to support amputees who may need mental health service referrals from their prosthetic offices. Mansukhani has an MA in Multinational Accounting and Financial Management from Reading University in England, an MPhil Finance degree from Warwick Business School in England and an MBA from Yale University.

Leslie Pitt Schneider*
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Pitt Schneider is the clinical and regulatory affairs manager for Otto Bock Healthcare in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she directs the development and management of the U.S.-based Clinical and Regulatory Affairs Department. She is key in Otto Bock's government relations and lobbying efforts as well. She also holds certifications as a clinical researcher and a histologic technician. Pitt Schneider cofounded and was director of Amputees Getting Into Life Energetically (AGILE) in St. Louis, Missouri. In this organization, first of its kind in the regional area, she developed a community outreach program and established a peer visitor program with local hospitals and rehabilitation centers. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from St. Olaf College, an Associate's Degree in Nursing from Washington University College of Nursing (Summa Cum Laude) and a Juris Doctor from Concord University School of Law.

Terrence P. Sheehan, MD
Rockville, Maryland
Dr. Sheehan is the chief medical officer of Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, an acute rehabilitation facility specializing in traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, strokes, amputations, orthopedic injuries and surgeries, and neurological disorders. Dr. Sheehan is the director of the amputee program and has worked for more than 15 years in the care of patients with limb loss. He is also the Amputee Coalition's medical director and chair of the Amputee Coalition's Medical Advisory Committee. Dr. Sheehan received his medical degree from State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and completed his residency in Boston at Tufts University – New England Medical Center Hospitals.

EX OFFICIO

Kendra Calhoun
Manassas, Virginia
With over 20 years in healthcare nonprofit leadership, Kendra Calhoun is president & CEO of the Amputee Coalition. Since 2009, she has significantly expanded the Amputee Coalition's brand awareness, philanthropy and influence throughout the U.S. Her previous senior management positions include chief operating officer of the Samueli Institute, Alexandria, Virginia; partner at Carmichael Lynch Spong Public Relations, Minneapolis, Minnesota; corporate vice president of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing at Allina Hospitals & Clinics, Minneapolis, Minnesota; and executive director of the Minnesota Chiropractic Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Calhoun currently serves on the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Center for Orthotics & Prosthetics Learning and Outcomes/Evidence-Based Practice Board of Directors; CDC National Center on Birth Defects and Disability/Division of Human Development and Disability Partners Group. Calhoun holds an MS in journalism, a BA in English and a BS in business administration from West Virginia University. From Harvard Business School, she earned a certificate from the executive education program in performance measurement for effective management of nonprofit organizations.

Science & Medical Advisory Committee (SciMAC)

The SciMAC is a body of volunteers from prestigious backgrounds and organizations in the healthcare arena that coordinates and advises the Amputee Coalition on health, wellbeing and research issues and initiatives. SciMAC reviews all patient education materials used in the National Limb Loss Resource Center, curricula for educational programs, data and statistics used by the Coalition, and research projects of the Amputee Coalition. SciMAC complements the work of the Board of Directors and provides a natural flow between the more strategic and visionary work of the Board and the day-to-day work of the Field.

Stephen T. Wegener, PhD, ABPP, Chair
Associate Professor and Director of Rehabilitation Psychology
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Roberta Cone, PsyD
Costa Mesa, California

David M. Crandell, MD
Partners HealthCare

Scott Cummings, PT, CPO, FAAOP
Next Step Orthotics & Prosthetics
Manchester, New Hampshire

Joseph M. Czerniecki, MD
Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
University of Washington
Director, Veterans Administration
Regional Amputee Clinic

David J. Dunville
Amputee Support Coordinator
H‐Care, Hurley/Benson's Medical Equipment, INC.
President, Amputee Firefighters Association
Certified Peer Visitor

Troy Farnsworth, CP, FAAOP
Vice‐President
Upper Extremity Prosthetic Program
Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics

Natalie Fish, PT
President, Amputee Coalition of Canada
Montreal, Quebec Canada

Bob Gailey, PhD, PT
University of Miami

Samuel H. Johnson, PharmD, MPH
Clinical Pharmacist
Durham Regional Hospital

Grant McGimpsey, PhD
Vice President, Research and Sponsored Programs
Kent State University
Kent, Ohio

Danielle H. Melton, MD
Department of PM & R and Orthopedics
University of Texas Health Science Center of Houston
Director of Amputee Program
TIRR Memorial Hermann
Houston, Texas

Nancy Payne, MSN, RN
Limb Loss Clinical Nurse Specialist
Duke University Medical Center (DUMC)
Durham, North Carolina

Bruce Pomeranz, MD
Medical Director, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
Chester and Saddle Brook campuses
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation

Terrence P. Sheehan, MD
Medical Director at Adventist Rehab Hospital of Maryland
Rockville, Maryland

Stella Sieber
Amputee Coalition Peer Visitor/Trainer
PALS trainer (Promoting Amputee Life Skills)
Support Group Leader (Triangle Area, NC)

Christina Skoski, MD
Huntington Beach, California

Troy A. Turner, MBA
Research Portfolio Manager
Advanced Prosthetics and Neural Engineering
Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC)
U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Frederick, MD

Staff Leadership

Kendra Calhoun, President & CEO
Carole Folta, Chief Financial Officer
Mary Beth Gibson, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
Sue Stout, Chief Policy & Programs Officer
Tim Winslett, IT Lead Consultant

Staff & Consultants

Directors
George Gondo, Research & Grants
Dan Ignaszewski, Government Relations

Operations
Andrea Crabtree-Coin, Office Manager
Mike Goins, Data Management & Quality Control Coordinator

National Limb Loss Resource Center
Matt Brunger, Resource & Community Support Coordinator
Keith Canady, Resource Specialist

Education
Lar’Juanette Williams, Programs & Services Coordinator

Peer Support
Jessie Cantrell, Peer Support Coordinator
Kim Henshaw, Youth Programs Coordinator
Tammi Higginbotham, Volunteer Peer Coordinator

Communications
Debbie Cavins, Webmaster Consultant
Peggy Chenoweth, Social Media Consultant
Bill Dupes, Senior Editor
Kevin Manuel, Communications Specialist

Development
Diane Hayes, Special Events Manager