Dominick Taitano
Executive Committee
Dominick grew up San Diego and stays very active despite his high level of injury. He feels life is too short not to embrace all that it has to offer. Staying positive is what has helped him the most. He has also been blessed with the loving support of his family. He strives to do the most he can even with all of his limitations. He enjoys attending sporting events, concerts, plays, amusement parks, places with incredible scenery, and spending time with family and friends. He also finds pleasure in traveling and experiencing new adventures. Dominick has been a peer mentor to those with SCI, which he finds very fulfilling. He figures he should share the knowledge and insight that he has gained after living with his injury for so long. He has also been a guest speaker at colleges and numerous functions. Dominick finds strength in sharing his personal story with others and hopes others will benefit from his life experiences.
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
Warren White
Executive Committee
Warren is 60 years old with a zest for life. In 2016 he was injured as a passenger in a car accident which resulted in a C-4/5 complete spinal cord injury. As a glass half full person, he is learning new and exciting things every day, and welcomes any advice from the community on how to move around this new world of his.
Warren grew up in a small town in New Jersey, and went on to be a CYO regional state champion in wrestling. He attended San Diego State University to pursue his love for acting, working towards a degree in Theater and Arts. Warren later moved to New York City where he did some off Broadway for 4 years, eventually moving back to Southern California in 1989.
For the last 30 years, he has been an accomplished VP/Partner in a prestigious global Executive Search Firm where he has worked with Fortune Companies (ie: Amazon, Sony, to name a few) around the globe assisting with high level employee search projects. Upon returning to a consulting and advising role, Warren thrived with the help of his previous employer/mentor/boss, Purcell International Group, which set him up with complete home automation office.
Since his injury Warren has greatly appreciated all of the help and mentoring from people within the spinal cord injury community, and he is truly devoted to giving back to that community. He feels truly blessed to be able to still live life to the fullest and he is excited to be a part of Spinal Network where he hopes he can mentor others in their recovery by sharing his experience mentally and physically.
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.
She was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 2023
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.
Tyler Hay
Executive Committee
Jamie Hay
Executive Committee
Jamie has been a native So. Californian for her entire life. She has been married for 38 years to her husband Brian, and has 2 adult children, Tyler and Tory. Jamie’s son suffered a spinal cord injury in May 2023, leaving him with an incomplete spinal cord injury. Even though his injury drastically changed her families lives, participating in support groups, adaptive sports has been a huge part of Tyler’s ongoing healing. Through Spinal Network, their family has found support and a new community that truly understands the struggles and celebrates the successes. She has worked in the medical field for over 30 years and is currently an instructor and mentor to those seeking to advance their medical careers. Jamie has been involved with several local non-profits and is honored to help Spinal Network as it continues to provide resources to those in the community.
Mark Daggett
Executive Committee
Chelle Struve
Executive Committee
Chelle Struve is an accomplished marketing and advertising professional specializing in integrated marketing programs. These include social, print, broadcast and digital production, multicultural campaigns, product launches, market research, media placement and branding for business-to-business and consumer national accounts in agency, nonprofit and corporate settings. She has produced award winning campaigns for Toyota, Mattel, AMN Healthcare, Embassy Suites and Foothill Transit. Her nonprofit experience includes her previous role as Director of Marketing at Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and client San Diego VeloYouth.