Adaptive Fitness Legion Non-Profit Board Members and Advisors
Devon, Joanna, Kate, and Kiri at AFL's First Silent Auction Oct. 2020
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Joanna Bonilla is a native of Northern Virginia, professionally she has successfully served in various roles from staff to management, and ultimately established herself as the youngest assistant general manager within a respected company in the hospitality industry. Over the course of her 13 plus year career she has learned many different skills that she feels will be of great benefit in the development of the AFL. She also has a wealth of experience in fundraising and in advocating for people.
Joanna herself became paralyzed almost a decade ago and quickly learned the need to advocate for herself, not only in the medical world, but in life personally and professionally. She learned and recognized the importance of continued health and fitness after rehab due to her own journey. She had been very active before her injury and knew there was puzzle piece missing. She heard of DPI Adaptive Fitness through her then physical therapist, DPI Adaptive Fitness helped Joanna gain strength not just physically but mentally as well, which carried over into all aspects of life. She wants everyone to experience the same and wants people to have the opportunity she had. By serving as Chairperson of the Board, she is committed to reach the AFL's goals. To help empower all abilities through adaptive education and training. |
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Kate Okusa is a Northern Virginia native, has worked in the investment industry for more than half of her life and is a licensed Financial Advisor. She has been volunteering at the DPI Annual Adaptive Fitness Games for many years and jumped at the chance to further her participation in the community by joining the AFL board.
Kate serves on the Adaptive Fitness Legion board as Vice-Chairperson of the Board. Kate looks forward to helping as many individuals as possible achieve their fitness goals through the support of AFL. |
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Kiri Okusa was born in Washington DC, graduated in 2010 from George Mason University, and has lived in the area her entire life. She has worked in a number of customer service related positions and now manages a small office in Herndon, VA. Kiri became interested in adaptive fitness after a family member took a couple of debilitating falls and needed ways to be active after physical therapy ended.
Kiri looks forward to bringing her organizational and planning skills to benefit AFL. Kiri serves on the Adaptive Fitness Legion board as Secretary and Treasurer of the Board and has done so since the inception of Adaptive Fitness Legion. She is very excited to see the organization grow and is proud to be apart of AFL. |
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Sabrina Cohen is the Founder / President of the Sabrina Cohen Foundation (SCF), a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing adaptive fitness and recreational programs that provide a better quality of life for individuals living with paralysis and various disabilities.
Born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida, Sabrina endured a severe C3-5 spinal cord injury in 1992 at the age of 14 from a car accident. She instantly became a quadriplegic and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. Sabrina has traveled the country advocating extensively for research and quality of life health initiatives and is also a Motivational Speaker who has spoken to thousands of students about life with paralysis, urging and inspiring young students to drive carefully and . In 2016, Sabrina helped launch “Adaptive Beach Days”, a bi-monthly all inclusive, full service program to provide access to the beach and ocean for disabled individuals, veterans, children with special needs, and the elderly. Today, Sabrina and SCF are spearheading a campaign to build our Nation’s first of a kind beachside Adaptive Recreation Center in South Florida to provide year-round beach access and fitness programs to the disabled community. AFL is very excited and proud to have her on our board as an Advisor. |
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Darlene S. Williamson is well-known in the field of speech-language pathology, having presented at the regional, state and national level and as the recipient of several awards for her professional contributions and her tireless advocacy for people with aphasia. She received her undergraduate education at Purdue University and completed her postgraduate education at the University of Illinois. Darlene has more than 30 years of experience in all levels of post-stroke care. She was previously the Clinic Director at The George Washington University, in Washington, DC.
Darlene's commitment to individuals with aphasia is demonstrated by serving as the President of the National Aphasia Association. She has presented in the areas of supervision, ethics, progressive dementia, and aphasia, particularly group treatment and quality outcomes, but her primary area of clinical expertise and investigation is apraxia. She has researched the efficacy of various approaches to apraxia, including the Video Assisted Speech Technology (VASTTM) approach. Darlene serves as an Advisor for the AFL board. |
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Lynn Skrifvars Nelson is a licensed physical therapist with extensive experience practicing in California and Virginia. She received her B.S. in physical therapy at California State University Long Beach. She also earned an MBA at the University of San Diego.
Lynn has worked in a variety of settings including hospitals, long term care facilities, home health, and outpatient clinics, treating all age groups. She was the director of a large hospital in Southern California, where she directed the development of new programs and exercise routines for a variety of diagnoses. She also helped start a facility in Northern Virginia, which specialized in the treatment and prevention of work related injuries. Prior to her college education, Lynn was ranked as a top 10 swimmer in the world. She represented the U.S. in the World University Games, the Pan American Games, and the Olympic Games. She continues to stay active, regularly swimming, walking, and doing strength training for optimum health. As a former top level athlete and a physical therapist, Lynn recognizes the importance of working toward optimal health and function. She strives to inspire and encourage her patients to make exercise an integral part of their lives. Lynn serves as an Advisor for the AFL board. |
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Devon Palermo is the founder of the Adaptive Fitness Legion and serves as an Advisor to the AFL board of directors. He has a strong passion for safe and effective adaptive fitness programming and for focusing on inclusion in exercise for all abilities.
Devon's career started initially in 2002 as a student in the Spinal cord injury inpatient unit and ultimately as a Physical Therapist Assistant in the Spinal Cord Injury day program at a rehabilitation facility. In this professional role he found his passion for helping those with neurological disorders/disease work to improve function. In 2006, he began moonlighting as a trainer for individuals living with disabilities, fast forward to now he trains out of a fully accessible adaptive gym DPI Adaptive Fitness and has established program design for the adaptive fitness community for a major rehab hospital in the DC area serving areas of DC, MD, VA. Devon is excited about the mission of the AFL and is confident that the AFL will become a trusted resource for those in need looking for safe and effective resources to assist in their progression following injury or illness. |
