Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors consists of members that have been apart of the spinal cord injury and disorder community for a number of years. Each board member brings a unique perspective to the table.
Hover over each picture to learn more about these dedicated individuals.
Midge Dawicki
Midge became a quadriplegic due to an accident in 2005. Currently, she serves as the President of the Board of Directors for the Cape Ann Independent Living Center of the North Shore. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the SCIboston. Moreover, she was appointed to the Saugus Disability Commission, the Saugus Affordable Housing Commission, and to the Board of the Listening Place Counseling Center.
Ryan DeRoche
In 2011, Ryan had a mountain bike accident in Girona, Spain. He injured his spine at the C4 vertebrae. When he returned to the United States after doing his acute rehab in Barcelona, Spain. After a med flight to the states, he spent his time in the Inpatient Rehab at Spaulding in Boston. While there he met a few mentors from the SCIboston and they showed him they didn't let their injury stop them from having amazing lives. Since his accident Ryan has become an advocate for spinal cord injury. He began mentoring with the SCIboston in 2014, and is also a mentor/alumni of Empower Spinal Cord Injury. He became a board member of the SCIboston in 2017 and has better put his experience in logistics, event planning, and management to good use. In 2019 Ryan took the position of Digital Media Coordinator at the SCIboston, focusing on web design, social media and marketing for the organization. Ryan guest lecturers on disabilities and assistive technology at local Universities. He uses his personal experiences to help future engineers, designers, and therapists have a better understanding of being a wheelchair user in an inaccessible world.
Chris Diehl, PT, MHP
Chris is currently the Director of Outpatient Operations for the south region. He oversees 13 sites from Boston to Cape Cod. He has worked for the Partners Healthcare System for 24 years, 4 years at Massachusetts General Hospital as an inpatient therapist and 20 years for SRN. During his 20 years at SRN, Mr. Diehl has held both clinical and administrative positions. His positions ranged from Ortho/Trauma PT Supervisor to Ortho Trauma Program Director to the Director of the Physical Therapy Department and Program Director of the Inpatient Spinal Cord Injury and Ortho/Trauma Programs for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Network. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy from Northeastern University, and a Master’s degree in Health Management from Northeastern University as well. Mr. Diehl is on the board of SCIboston, which is part of the United Spinal Association.
Dave Estrada
Dave was paralyzed in 1995 after being struck by a car while riding his motorcycle. He has been involved with SCIboston from the time an Early Intervention peer mentor from SCIboston came into his hospital room. Dave has been a certified peer mentor since 1997 and served as SCIboston’s Executive Director from 2005 to 2013. He has logged hundreds of hours visiting newly injured patients and their family members. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Juris Doctorate degree from Northeastern University. Dave was an athlete prior to his injury and once injured, began wheelchair racing. From 1997-2000, he completed eleven marathons in the wheelchair division.
Doug Frey
Doug suffered a spinal cord injury in 2012 due to an epidural abscess. He has been involved with SCIboston as a peer/mentor since 2015. He spent his career with investment management firms helping corporations and other institutions provide retirement plans to their employees. He has a degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Since 2016, Doug has served as the President of the Board of Directors.
Chris Johnson
Chris is a graduate of Hyde Park High School of business and finance 2001. He sustained a GSW in October of 2006 causing my paralysis and T12 vertebra. He has been an EMT/Dispatcher for The City of Boston since 2010. He became a SCIboston Peer Mentor in 2013. He has been a successful Real Estate Agent since 2017 and became a SCIboston Board Member 2021 He enjoys playing wheelchair sports, traveling, fishing, four wheeling. Since becoming a paraplegic in 2006 life has had its challenges. Through the highs and lows the most valuable aspects have been support from his family, friends, peer mentors; staying active; setting and accomplishing goals. Life didn't end with his injury. It began.
Kirby Matthess, CCM, CRC, LRC
Kirby currently works as an Advanced Clinician Case Manager with the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital inpatient Spinal Cord Injury program, a position she has held since 2011. In 2005, after graduating from her undergraduate studies in Exercise Science at Boston University, she started work with the VA Boston HealthCare System and Harvard Medical School on longitudinal research studies focused on the health and quality of life for individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries. The studies progressed to incorporate the evaluation of bone health (via Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans) which has helped further progress clinical healthcare practice for individuals who have a spinal cord injury. Through this work she met many individuals living with an SCI and it did not take long for her to become passionate about helping this community. It quickly became apparent that there was a need for advocates to support access to both community resources and healthcare for this population. She pursued her Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and graduated with a 4.0 GPA from Assumption College in 2011, with the goal of beginning a professional career in helping individuals with disabilities live their best and most independent lives. Since the Fall of 2016, Kirby has also held the role of Adjunct Faculty at Assumption College teaching the Internship Seminar Course for the college’s graduate Online Rehabilitation Counseling Program. In addition to professional commitments, she has also been active for over 14 years with the VA Boston Healthcare and New England Healing Sports (NEHSA) adaptive recreation programs, including being a team leader during the week-long winter sports clinic every January held in Sunapee, NH.
Kristen McCosh
Kristen has been an active member of the disability community for over thirty years. She sustained a C5/6 spinal cord injury in a diving accident as a high school freshman in 1983. Since that time, Kristen has been involved in disability issues in both her personal life and her professional career, having worked as a peer mentor, community organizer, service provider, and public servant. She is currently the City of Boston Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.
Tom Parlon, MBA
Tom was introduced to SCI when one of his co-workers had a motorcycle accident in 1995. He helped organize a fundraiser for his co-worker and has been supportive of SCIboston ever since. Tom became a board member of SCIboston in 2013, has an MBA from Northeastern University and works as an investment adviser. He is married with two children and enjoys coaching youth hockey. Tom was captain of Northeastern University's Division 1 hockey team in 1995.
Abby Swaine
In an eerie reprise of her first career as a case worker on the spinal/head injury floor of a rehab hospital in Louisiana, Abby re-entered the world of SCI in 2019 when her 24-year-old son suffered a T4 injury in a skiing accident. Inspired, educated, and supported by SCIboston volunteers she met at Spaulding, she resolved to give back to the Chapter. Abby joined the Board in 2021, and serves as a family Peer Mentor and an Advocate with the Chapter. Determined to improve the visibility, inclusion, and freedom of wheelchair users in the Boston area and beyond, Abby also participates on the disability and pedestrian committees in Brookline where she and her family have lived for thirty years. Abby focuses her advocacy on making transportation easy and streetscapes friendly for wheelchair users, building on her decades-long second career and extracurricular involvement in environmentally sustainable transportation and public works. She holds a BA from Carleton College, a MA in clinical psychology from U of Michigan, and an SM in Public Health from Harvard.
Robert Winston
Robert grew up in southern California where he completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Microbiology) from UC Santa Barbara and attending medical school at Touro University in northern California before moving to Boston for residency. He completed his residency training in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital / Harvard Medical School and then completed a fellowship in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital / Harvard Medical School / VA Boston. Robert is married with two children and enjoys working on old cars. His professional interests include spinal cord injury, brain injury, patient and staff education, as well as patient advocacy.
Jane Wierbicky
Jane Wierbicky, RN, BSN, is a Nurse Information Specialist with the United Spinal Association Resource Center. Jane provides guidance and information to individuals with spinal cord injury, their family members, and healthcare professionals, helping them navigate available resources to address their specific concerns. For over 25 years Jane has worked exclusively in the field of spinal cord injury/dysfunction. Prior to joining the United Spinal Association, she served in various positions with the New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center, including staff nurse, patient educator, and research coordinator. Jane has a special interest in addressing issues related to access to healthcare for people with spinal cord injury/disorders.