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
Board Chair
William Passig Perno, MBA, FACHE*
William “Bill” Perno’s expertise in healthcare strategy, healthcare delivery innovation, and operational management is now entering his 7th year of service with the Coalition, he will serve as Board Chair for 2024. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer for Ohio Valley Surgical Hospital and has held past leadership roles including serving as Chief Development Officer for Value-based Care with Revere Health in Provo, Utah, Vice President / COO of Mount Carmel Health Partners in Columbus, OH, and President of West Florida Health in Tampa, Florida. He earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix and is a Board-certified Healthcare Management Fellow (FACHE) with the American College of Healthcare Executives, is an Air Force veteran and has held volunteer leadership roles with the Food & Care Coalition in Provo, Patient Advocate for Families at Kettering Health and Premier Health systems, and the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Perno has a lower limb amputation and believes that providing everyone the opportunity to live the life they choose is paramount.
Immediate Past Chair
John Register*
John Register became a board member in January of 2018, bringing not only his personal experiences living with limb loss but also a passion for empowering the community to share their stories and enhance perception, policy, and passion. John served as the Amputee Coalition Interim President and CEO then Acting President and CEO from June 2022 through February 2023. He is a Gulf War Army Veteran, a four-time track and field All-American, and a two-time Olympic trials qualifier. After the amputation of his left leg, he won the long jump silver medal at the Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia in 2000.
He has appeared on national television, counseled US Secretaries of State on Disability Foreign Policy, and is a well-respected public speaker and coach.
He founded the United States Olympic Committee’s Paralympic Military Sports Program helping wounded, ill, and injured service members use sport as a tool for their rehabilitation and is Associate Director of the U.S. Paralympics.
He also co-hosts a Podcast titled Performance Shift, where listeners learn how to tackle challenges through John’s contextual model on change management and applied improvisation by his co-host Kat Koppet.
He wrote a book during the Pandemic entitled, 10 Power Stories to Impact Any Leader: Journal Your Way to Leadership Success, where he challenges readers to develop stories that will them lead better through change.
John is married to Alice, and the couple have two children and a slew of grandchildren.
Treasurer
R. Carter Wood III, C.P.A.*
Carter Wood III, C.P.A., located in McLean, VA, has more than 22 years of experience supporting both private and publicly held entities. Wood brings a variety of leadership experiences, in the following areas, to Amputee Coalition such as: financial reporting; mergers and acquisitions; company reorganizations; business system implementations; strategic planning/forecasting/analysis; contracts, procurement, and human resources; talent development and retention, treasury/cash management, and board participation.
Wood, a native Virginian, graduated from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce with a bachelor’s degree and a concentration in accounting. He has been an active C.P.A. in Virginia since 2001. In 2013, he was a finalist for the Washington Business Journal’s CFO of the Year and in 2021, he was a founding member of the Washington Executive CFO Council. Wood is also affiliated with the American Institute of C.P.A.s, the Virginia Society of C.P.A.s, and the Association for Corporate Growth.
Wood is a “Symes” amputee, losing his left foot in a lawnmower accident at the age of 4. He is passionate about connecting with others, and especially with fellow amputees. Wood feels fortunate for the opportunity to offer his professional expertise to an organization in which he also feels personally invested.
Secretary
David S. Sanders
David S. Sanders is a partner and business lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP and serves as the managing partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. He is also the vice-chair of the firm’s Business Law Department and co-chair of the Trade Secret/Noncompete Specialty Practice. From 2010 through 2017, Sanders served as co-chair of the firm’s Transactional & Securities Practice. As part of his practice, Sanders counsels medical device and healthcare clients on matters involving formation, operation and growth, as well as employment matters. He is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center (JD, 1995) and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan (BA, 1992). Sanders has been recognized by Chambers USA and Legal 500 for his work in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital. He is a recipient of the Foley & Lardner Carl Hitchner Mentor of the Year Award; an annual award to recognize outstanding mentoring to young attorneys by partners and senior counsel (2009). He is also a recipient of the “Stars For Children” award (2003) in recognition of his individual achievements and philanthropic generosity on behalf of The Children’s Charities Foundation, Inc. He serves on Foley’s Recruiting Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Carrie Davis*
Carrie Davis is a nationally recognized leader in patient experience and organizational transformation through empathy and servant leadership. As the vice president of Patient and Employee Experience at Hanger Clinic, she designs, implements, and manages programs to help create positive outcomes for patients, families, and employees. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Washington State University and her master’s degree from Gonzaga University in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Servant-Leadership. She is the recipient of the J.E. Hanger Award for Customer Service and the Margaret Golding Award for Service for her work with Inner Wheel and their project that provides myoelectric arms to children. She is a two-time para-triathlon national champion and recipient of the Disability Matters Marketplace Award for her organizational work in advocacy and mentorship and shared her passion for service on the TEDx stage.
As a co-leader on the Hanger Clinic Digital Engagement Strategy Team, Davis works to deploy digital tools to help improve ease of access to care and care team job satisfaction. She also holds leadership positions and serves on several strategic leadership councils to include the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, the IGNITE Women in Leadership Council, the Operations Review Committee, the Hanger Advocacy Council, and the Hanger Clinic Quality Committee. She oversees a nationwide Net Promoter Score program at over 800 clinic locations to gain deep insight into patient experience. She also serves as a peer mentor in the upper limb community, oversees Hanger Clinic’s AMPOWER program, participates as volunteer and support group leader at Camp No Limits and co-authored the No Limits Foundation’s Inspire Program.
Dr. Foluso Fakorede
Dr. Fakorede is the Chief Executive Officer at Cardiovascular Solutions of Central Mississippi. Originally from Nigeria, he immigrated to the United States during his teenage years. Dr. Fakorede obtained his medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and completed his internal medicine residency at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Hospital. He specialized in cardiology, interventional cardiology, and endovascular intervention, undergoing fellowship training at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. Since relocating to the Mississippi Delta in 2015, Dr. Fakorede has been steadfast in his dedication to educating and delivering timely, high-quality care to significantly reduce unnecessary amputations. His efforts led to an impressive 88% decrease in amputation rates over four years, a feat highlighted in CathLab Digest. He has emerged as a national advocate for raising awareness about Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) and combating its associated preventable amputation epidemic, tirelessly advocating for equitable access to quality care. Dr. Fakorede is a prominent figure in various medical societies, actively contributing as a member of the Society of Coronary and Angiography Intervention (SCAI) Vascular Disease Council, American Heart Association Peripheral Vascular Disease Council – PAD National Action Plan and serving as the PAD initiative Chair for the Association of Black Cardiologists. His contributions extend to pivotal roles in initiatives such as the Society of Coronary and Angiography Intervention (SCAI) Vascular Disease Council/CLI Disparities White Paper, ACC/AHA PAD guideline peer review committee, and the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Closing the Gaps in Amputation Research Consensus paper.
Dr. Fakorede’s remarkable achievements earned him the esteemed AHA 2023 Louis B Russell Award, recognizing his unwavering dedication and substantial contributions to underserved communities. Dr. Fakorede’s significant contribution lies in his pivotal role in bipartisan collaboration with Congressional lawmakers. Together, they established the inaugural Congressional PAD Caucus and introduced the Amputation Reduction and Compassion (ARC) Act, a crucial element integrated into the Health Equity and Accountability Act. His impactful work has garnered widespread attention, as featured in Walgreens Youtube Series, “In Our Words Saving Limbs and Lives”, ProPublica article, “The Black American Amputation Epidemic,” and an accompanying story featured on BET News. This compelling PAD-related amputation epidemic has been showcased on other prominent platforms, including CBS News, NBC Nightly News, Reader’s Digest, Men’s Health magazine, NY Spectrum News, and Apple News. Driven by his passion for healthcare and commitment to amputation prevention, Dr. Fakorede lends his expertise to the Amputee Coalition’s Board of Directors, working collectively to make a profound impact on the lives of individuals affected by this critical health issue.
Ron Barabas*
Ron is Director, Legal Counsel – Sports for Warner Bros. Discovery (“WBD”), where he provides legal support for WBD’s sports media business, which includes broadcasts of NBA, NHL, MLB, US Soccer, and NCAA March Madness men’s basketball games on TNT, TBS and Max, as well as other operations for properties like Golf Digest and Bleacher Report. Among his responsibilities, he advises on and negotiates contracts for a wide range of transactional matters, including strategic partnerships and other custom collaborations, media rights acquisitions, licenses (e.g., technology, data, content), talent agreements with marquee sports personalities, operational matters (e.g., studio construction, production management, special events), and various revenue-generating transactions (e.g., official marketing partnerships, sponsorships, on-air integrations, ad sales, merchandising). Ron also presently serves as Vice Chair – Sports for the Georgia Bar’s Entertainment & Sports Law Section, as a mentor with the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, as a member of WBD Sports’ cross-functional diversity, equity and inclusion committee, and as a coach on his son’s baseball and basketball teams. Ron graduated from the State University of New York at Albany with a BA in English with Honors (2001) and received his JD from Emory University School of Law (2008). He has been an above-the-knee amputee since 2018.
Dr. Danielle Melton
Danielle Melton joined the University of Colorado School of Medicine Osseointegration and Limb Restoration Program and is the Director of the Amputation Medicine and Rehabilitation Program. She is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Associate Professor with appointments in both departments of PM&R and Orthopedic Surgery.
Dr. Melton received her undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University and completed medical school and residency at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Melton specializes in the rehabilitation of Orthopedic Trauma with an emphasis on non-surgical management of patients with limb salvage and amputation encompassing pre-prosthetic or bracing management, prosthetic design and prescription, rehabilitation and pain management following patients long-term to provide comprehensive continuity of care.
Dr. Melton serves as co-program chair for the Global Collaborative Conference on Osseointegration (GCCO) and selected as the scientific chair for the NIH and DoD funded/ Mayo Clinic PI for the Limb Loss and Preservation Registry (LLPR). She is on the Board of Directors for the Amputee Coalition.
Her research involves novel approaches to treating phantom limb pain and neuromas, limb salvage with Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC), innovations in prosthetic components, and is the PI for DoD funded grant comparing prosthetic socket users with bone anchored prosthesis.
Dr. Melton is recognized internationally as a medical expert in her field, frequently invited as a guest lecturer to national and international conferences on topics including Creating A Model System of Amputee Care, Bridging the Gap between Military and Civilian Care, Innovative Surgical Techniques for Amputations including Osseo-Integration and Targeted Muscle Re-innervation, Best Practices for Upper Limb Prosthetic Evaluation. Dr. Melton has been selected by her peers to “Best Doctors in America”; “America’s Top Physicians”, “Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars” peer recognized in professional achievement and “Houston’s Top Doctors”, “Texas Super Doctors” and “International Physician Leaders of the World.”
Michael Fillauer
Michael Fillauer, CPO, President & CEO of Fillauer Companies, Inc., is a fourth-generation family member involved in orthotics and prosthetics. He is an American Board Certified Prosthetist and Orthotist with more than twenty years of experience in patient care with a focus on upper limb prosthetics, stance control orthotics, and reciprocating gait orthotics, as well as manufacturing and technical development. In addition to his responsibilities as President and CEO of Fillauer Companies, Inc., Michael continues to work closely with the Clinical Education Team.
Staff Leadership
Cass Isidro, MBA
President & CEO
Cassandra “Cass” Isidro joined the organization as the president and CEO in February 2023. She is responsible for leading strategic direction, growing partnerships with key stakeholders, and increasing funding opportunities. Her professional career includes more than 25 years within the nonprofit sector, with 10 years in education-related associations. She obtained a Master of Business Administration from Hawaii Pacific University and a Bachelor of Science in public health education from Indiana University.
Cass is the former president and executive director of the Safe Routes Partnership, a role she had held since 2015. The Partnership focuses on advancing policy and programs related to walking and biking in the community. It employed a staff of 14 and had an annual budget of $2 million during her tenure. Cass worked with the organization while at her previous role with SHAPE America before the Partnership recruited her for the executive director role.
At SHAPE America, she helped the organization grow by developing new partnerships, ensuring the membership function was meeting its goals, and organizing development activities around events and advocacy. The organization had a budget of $10 million at the time, and Cass managed a team of six.
Ashlie White, MA
Chief Strategy & Programs Officer
Ashlie White joined the organization in September 2022. She brings a wealth of expertise to a dynamic team determined to reach out to and empower people affected by limb loss to achieve their full potential. She is responsible for leading the National Limb Loss Resource Center, government relations, community engagement, and peer support initiatives. She has a proven record of developing, implementing, and managing dynamic programs. She came to the Amputee Coalition after a successful tenure as director of health policy and strategic alliances at the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association.
Ashlie provides strategic vision, energy, leadership, and accountability for all program strategies, plans, goals, and outcomes, with a focus on continual improvement and development to meet the needs of the limb loss and limb difference community. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication, a graduate certificate in technology and communication, a Master of Arts in digital communication, and a graduate certificate in public health leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.