Jamila DeCarli
Executive Committee
Jamila has committed her professional life to lifting up individuals with disabilities in the areas of education and employment. She is driven by her passion to serve those from marginalized groups and communities and making sure they have a voice and opportunities to succeed. Presently, she is the coordinator of the WorkAbility III Program at the San Diego Community College District, which provides uniquely customized employment services to college students with disabilities. Jamila also serves as the chair for the District’s Committee for Community, Inclusion and Diversity (DCCID). She is an alumni of SDSU’s rehabilitation counseling program.
Prior to his retirement in 2017 Harvey worked as a physician for 35 years, trained and specializing in Physiatry and Pain Medicine. During his career he served in clinical, academic, administrative and consulting roles for organizations including New York University Medical Center, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Stony Brook School of Medicine, Bellevue Hospital, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, VA Medical Center Northport, New York City (NYC) Police Department, NYC Employees’ Retirement System, NYC Human Resources Administration, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and The Joint Commission. In addition to general inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, some of Harvey's areas of focus have included Traumatic (Acquired) Brain Injury, Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, Chronic Pain Management and Disability Evaluation.
Harvey was honored to be invited to support the work of Spinal Network. A widowed dad of three grown children, he resides in the New York/New Jersey area and spends much time on the west coast where he has relatives, friends, colleagues, and business interests. With travel and social events cut back due to the pandemic, Harvey has enjoyed the pleasures of home including cooking, DIY, audiobooks, exercising, biking, and caring for his two chihuahuas, Sandy and Romeo. Opportunities for community service and philanthropic endeavors are always welcome and rewarding.
Harvey Goldberg
Executive Committee
Mary Thompson, MSW
Executive Committee
Mary Thompson is a licensed clinical social worker at Sharp Rehabilitation Center in San Diego where she has held a variety of administrative and professional positions since 1991. She serves newly-injured SCI patients as well as those with other types of physical and cognitive injuries and illnesses.
Mary has a C8 complete SCI as a result of a car accident in 1982. She is a three time Paralympian and won a bronze medal in Seoul in 1988. She has completed over 135 marathons all across the U.S., Europe and Asia and is one of only two wheelchair racers who are legacy competitors having completed 32 consecutive Los Angeles marathons. She also finished the 367-mile Alaska Sun Midnight Marathon in her race chair. In 1998, she completed the GTE Big Ride, a 3,200 mile bike ride across the US in 48 days. In 1994 she was selected as the San Diego Disabled Athlete of the Year by the San Diego Hall of Champions.
Jeff suffered a Spinal Cord Injury from a diving accident when he was 22 years old. He willingly shares his experience to mentor others who need help coping with their own disability. Since his accident he has earned a BA in Psychology, a MA in Education, participated in adaptive sports, and traveled the country. He is experienced with MTS in San Diego and knowledgeable on other transportation options for people with disabilities. His hobbies and interests include pool, darts, poker, reading, and sports.
Jeff Logan
Executive Committee
Richard Green, LCSW
Executive Committee
Richard has been a social worker at Sharp Rehabilitation Hospital in San Diego for 37 years working with the SCI population. He is co-founder of the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation and facilitates the Men with SCI Network group that meets monthly at Sharp. Richard is the Sharp Rehab liaison with the United Spinal Association. Richard has recently accepted a volunteer position with Spinal Network as the Clinical Social Worker Consultant.
Kathleen L. Dunn, MS,RN,CNS received her BSN from Humboldt State University (California) and her Masters in Rehabilitation Nursing from Rush University (Chicago, IL). She has over 43 years’ experience in orthopedic and rehabilitation nursing as a staff nurse, nurse educator, clinical nurse specialist, program coordinator and case manager, specializing further in spinal cord injury care for the last 34 years. She worked at Sharp Rehab Center from 1976-1981 and 1982-1988. She retired in 2017 as the clinical nurse specialist and rehabilitation case manager for the Spinal Cord Injury Center at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System in San Diego, California. She was recruited to open this center and guided development of all clinical programs from 1989-2017.
She is an honorary life member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA). She was the 2003 Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year for the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, and was selected as the Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year in 2008 by the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses. In 2008 she was inducted into the Spinal Cord Injury Hall of Fame (NSCIA). She was awarded the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs Nursing Excellence Award (Expanded Role) in 2012. She has represented both the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses and AASCIN/ASCIP on the Steering Committee for the Consortium of Spinal Cord Injury Medicine. She has served as a as the lead SCI-Nurse moderator for on-line discussion forums for people with SCI for the http://carecure.net/ website since 1997. Currently she does some consulting including legal nurse consultant.
Kathy Dunn
Executive Committee
Haydee Pina
Executive Committee
A native San Diegan, Haydee Piña spent the first five years after college as an elementary school teacher. She eventually moved onto the medical field taking on a variety of roles before spending the past 15 years with Rehabilitation Care Coordination. After 15 years, Haydee is now managing the case management department. She works with many fiduciaries, trustees and special need trusts attorneys. Haydee participates in many of the community events and supports many organizations that provide services to individuals with disabilities. Favorite on her list is traveling, jazz concerts, and movies with family and friends and volunteers for the Lambs Player Theatre in Coronado.
Mark Daggett
Executive Committee
Ania Flatau
Executive Committee
Ania is the newest board member and the chapter advocacy representative. Ania represents the spina bifida community. She grew up in San Diego and attended the San Diego Adaptive Sports and Recreations summer camp as far back as 1992 and has since made the transition to counselor/mentor.
Ania recently completed her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology and entered into a graduate program, both at SDSU.
Ania's passion is dancing, specifically fitness dance. She is a certified World of Dance (WOD), U-Jam dance instructor and has plans to start an all-inclusive dance fitness WOD U-Jam program. Ania will inject a new level of energy into Spinal Network.
Margaret Reed
Executive Committee
Debra Jackson
Executive Committee
Debra Jackson suffered a spinal cord injury (T7 complete) in 2019 while riding her bicycle in Switzerland where she was living at the time. After spending 8 months in rehabilitation at the Swiss Paraplegic Center in Nottwil, Switzerland, she returned home to San Diego to be closer to family and friends.
Debra serves on the advisory board of Padres Pedal the Cause, an organization that funds grants to local cancer research institutions through an annual fundraising cycling event. In addition to being on the advisory board, Debra led her corporate team and has participated in the event (pre and post injury) for the past 10 years. Debra also recently became involved with peer mentoring through the Spinal Network, helping individuals who are new to a spinal cord injury.
Debra graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a major in Quantitative Economics and pursued her MBA from San Diego State University. She had a successful 30+ year career in corporate finance and supply chain management, the past 13 of which were with Becton Dickenson, a fortune 500 medical technology company. She resides in Escondido with her husband, Dan, and enjoys being active outdoors riding her hand-cycle and visiting local wineries with friends.