Jamila DeCarli
Executive Committee
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
Penny Anders
Executive Committee
An experience of 50+ years in healthcare has been fulfilling and rewarding. I have had the pleasure of working with the spinal cord population from the intensive care unit to the ultimate goal of returning to driving.
Having sustained a spinal cord injury in 2021 with the resultant paraplegia with an ironic twist to my life, advocating for community peer support groups, media education, and assisting as a liaison with the regulatory agencies and DME vendors has been a portion of my journey.
In addition, I sit on the Mesa College, physical therapy, assistant, advisory board and enjoy assisting students with their growth and journey in healthcare. I am inspired with community, education, and outreach.
I’m grateful to be included in the Spinal Network team as they continue their ever-expanding growth.
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.
Mark Daggett
Executive Committee
Ania Flatau
Executive Committee
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 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.
Sanda’s career began as an Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Therapist, working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families. She later served as a Psychosocial Research Clinician in the UCLA Neurology research project focusing on Alzheimer’s disease (ACCESS Study), where she worked with dementia patients and their caregivers. Sanda has also held roles as a Psychosocial Clinician at Kaiser Permanente and has extensive experience working in Nephrology.
Sanda is honored to be a part of and contribute to The Spinal Network.
Sanda-Nicole Kaldor
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.
