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.
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.
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 including 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 equal 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. 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, a member of WBD Sports’, 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, increasing reach and impact as well as funding opportunities. Her professional career includes more than 30 years within the nonprofit sector, with 10 years in education and health related associations. Cass is deeply committed to servant leadership and served as an executive for the American Red Cross and the USO during her time in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands.
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 at the state and federal level as well as programs and inspiration across the country driving social change and healthier lives.
With a Master of Business Administration from Hawaii Pacific University and a Bachelor of Science in public health education from Indiana University, Cass blends nonprofit and business practices for sustainability. Cass lives in the DC Metro area with her husband, three children, two days, and a cat.
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 who have had amputations and those born with limb difference. She is responsible for leading the National Limb Loss Resource Center, advocacy and government relations, education, and research programming. She has a proven record of developing, implementing, and managing dynamic and collaborative, cross-discipline 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 recently completed her Master of Science in health law at New York University and holds a graduate certificate in public health leadership, a Master of Arts in digital communication, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Lucas DeLuca
Director of Education & Resources
Lucas became a member of the Amputee Coalition in November 2022 and currently holds the position of Director of Education & Resources. In this role, he oversees the development and dissemination of educational resources, manages the Amputee Coalition’s Information and Referral Services, fosters the expansion of partner education initiatives, and leads the planning and execution of all educational courses and curricula.
Attending school with a prosthesis from a young age, Lucas experienced first-hand the gaps that existed for people with disabilities, and he dedicated his professional life to removing those barriers. Lucas has a wealth of experience in the fields of education, accommodation, disability law, community engagement, peer support, and mental health, with experience working as a teacher, accessibility representative, and disability support services director. He was selected as a Breece Fellow with the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics where he worked to identify outcomes within the Orthotic and Prosthetic industry. In his role as Disability Support Services Director at Columbia Basin College, he worked with the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Washington Disability Support Services Council to identify long covid as a medical condition, ensuring students could receive accommodations after the pandemic.
Lucas holds a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies from Trent University, a concurrent bachelor’s in Education from Trent University, and a Masters in Critical Disability Studies from York University. His graduate research project focused on growing protections for people with limb loss and limb difference online. Lucas is a lover of the arts, when he is not in the office you can find him throwing pottery on the wheel, performing with community theatre companies, or cooking elaborate meals for family and friends.
Nicole Ver Kuilen
Director of Impact Campaigns
So Every BODY Can Move Lead
Nicole Ver Kuilen is a disability rights advocate, cancer survivor, and social impact entrepreneur dedicated to using her talents for meaningful, systemic change. She founded the nonprofit advocacy organization, Forrest Stump, after facing insurance denials for nearly two decades, and completing a 1,500-mile ultra-triathlon on a prosthesis built only for walking. Her innovative advocacy and awareness campaigns have sparked national change, laying the foundation for her current role as Director of Impact Campaigns at the Amputee Coalition and Campaign Lead for So Every BODY Can Move, a landmark state-based policy initiative increasing access to prostheses and orthoses for physical activity as medically necessary healthcare.
Nicole brings over 10 years of experience in nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship, and disability justice. She is the producer and feature of the award-winning documentary film 1500 Miles and has seen her advocacy efforts featured by numerous media outlets and outdoor brands, including MPR News, Fox, VICE, REI, Strava, On, Merrell, Osprey, and Cotopaxi. Her work has earned her several accolades, including the Mohamed Amin Award for Humanitarian Service at the 2020 AAOP Academy Meeting, recognition as a Grand Prize Winner in Merrell and VICE’s “Future 40 Under 40” changemakers campaign in 2021, Dare2Tri’s 2022 One Impacts Many award, and the Amputee Coalition’s 2024 Values in Action award. Additionally, she received a signed poster from actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks in recognition of her efforts.
You can often find her running through the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, which she proudly calls home. Nicole is a 4x marathoner, 2x 50k ultramarathoner, Paratriathlon National Champion, and 2nd place finisher at the Boston Marathon in 2023 and 2024. Nicole is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
Maurice Henson
Director of Youth & Workforce Development
Maurice is a passionate youth advocate, avid fisherman, snowboarder, and golfer. A once 7’3” high jumper he gained the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Athlete of the Year merit award and became a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) National Qualifier and Record Holder. He uses his athletic tenacity, passion, and opportunity to perform in his daily work today. While sports were a lifelong passion, his commitment to youth has given him another pathway to be an instrumental driving force in the development of the next generation.
He has been dedicated to youth development even before professional opportunities, as he is a Boys & Girls Club alumnus. Bringing 15 years of professional youth development experience dedicated to working with youth, Maurice continues to implement his core values of integrity, respect, excellence, teamwork, and having a shared vision which is a central catalyst behind his programming strategies for the youth and workforce programs of the Amputee Coalition. His background has led him to execute executive operational management strategies, youth and collegiate leadership development programs, volunteer and program implementation processes, facilitating state-wide educational institute partnerships, but at the center of it all being a long-time advocate for the well-being of our future generations.
In his role, Maurice supports the advancement of youth and workforce programs, creating meaningful and long-term action plans for various youth engagement and workforce opportunities by developing strategies for achieving continued growth.
The Amputee Coalition’s vision, mission, and values align well with him through his years of wanting youth to have access to opportunities, good healthcare, positive social opportunities, education resources, character development access for learning, and healthy lifestyles to help youth and communities flourish.
Shree Thaker
Director of Communications & Partnerships
Shree joined the organization in March 2023 and serves as the Director of Communications & Partnerships. She leads the development and dissemination of multimodal accessible resources. Offerings include inMotion magazine, social media, e-newsletter, blog, webinars, guidebooks, pamphlets, and more. She also manages Corporate Council partnerships, facilitates partnership development for resource and event creation and provision, and administers the Scientific and Medical Advisory Committee (SciMAC) guidances.
Shree has an expansive background in healthcare marketing, bionic technology, prosthetic and orthotic devices, insurance reimbursement, and health policy, with experience in roles that include product management, nonprofit development, and patient advocacy. Her experience includes work with the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education, PSYONIC, American Red Cross, Range of Motion Project, Médecins Sans Frontières, and she even founded Koki Communications to further support disability and healthcare clients.
Shree holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Virginia Tech and a postgraduate degree in global health policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is a multi-cultured global transplant and an avid outdoors enthusiast, having rafted sections of the Ganga River and summited volcanos in the Andes.
Whitney Doyle, MNM, CNP, CP
Director of Operations & Capacity Building
Whitney Doyle joined the organization in March 2023. She is currently the Director of Operations and Capacity Building at the Amputee Coalition and previously served as the Director of Advocacy and Government Relations. Whitney has extensive advocacy and grassroots leadership experience and previously served as the Executive Director of the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology, Inc. Her efforts led to expanded outreach of assistive technology services in every county in Florida.
As a person who grew up making frequent trips to Shriners Hospitals for Children to get new prostheses, Whitney began her career with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics from St. Petersburg College and became a certified prosthetist in 2015. Early in her career, Whitney volunteered at multiple summer camps for children without limbs, including Camp No Limits and NubAbility. She was part of the team that co-founded an activities-based support group for people who have limb loss and limb difference in Denver, Colorado: LIM359. Seeking a transition away from patient care, Whitney began working on projects that aligned with her passions.
Her disability advocacy work started in 2008, when she joined the Florida Youth Council and became a volunteer at the Florida Youth Leadership Forum. Being influenced by leaders within the disability community has led her to become an active member of the Florida Independent Living Council’s board of directors and the National Council on Independent Living’s finance committee. Whitney has a master’s degree in nonprofit management from the University of Central Florida and became a certified nonprofit professional in 2023.
Patrice Diechelle
Strategy Executive to the President & CEO
Patrice Diechelle joined the Amputee Coalition in June 2022 and currently serves as the Strategy Executive to the President and CEO. Patrice is an executive leader with 15 years in the nonprofit sector with a public relations and communications professional background. During her career she has had the opportunity to leverage and materialize over $900,000 in hospitality sales; co-orchestrate and direct event gatherings with over 3,000 attendees; create non-profit fund development impact dollars of over $1 million through corporate relationships, individual donor relationships, private sector and foundational support, government, city, and grassroots fundraising and communication strategy approaches through teamwork and fostering collaboration within the teams she has the opportunity to work alongside.
Patrice is deeply passionate about assisting organizations to thrive and build capacity through executive strategy, executive communication leadership, and high-level fund development philanthropic giving to increase the missional impact. In her current role, she also serves as liaison for the Board of Directors and supports strategy efforts for both executive office communication and donor development. Favorite personal value: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”