Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by advancing innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis.

Laurie Rappl

Laurie Rappl is a Certified Wound Specialist with expertise in wounds stemming from spinal cord injuries, pressure management, and positioning for pressure relief in both lying down and sitting. While working as a clinical specialist in the Wound Management industry, she has educated clinicians, company staff, and patients on the management of both pressure management and open wounds, bridging the company-customer divide.

Michael Avalos Jr., MS

Michael recently earned his Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences with a focus on Health Systems Science from the University of Chicago. His background includes research on prevention as well as efforts in quality improvement. He plans to leverage his unique perspective and knowledge gained through extensive research and patient experiences.

Guillermo Vicencio

Guillermo Vicencio is a proud nursing leader with comprehensive experience developing and managing wound care programs across both short-term acute care and skilled nursing settings. He has a proven history of building wound care services from the ground up for hospital systems and directing multi-disciplinary teams to foster a collaborative approach to patient healing. His leadership in the acute care space includes serving as a Clinical Nurse Manager for a National Dialysis company, where he oversaw clinical support for nurses across 17 hospitals. His experience also spans roles such as Director of Wound Care at one of the largest Long Term Acute Care Hospitals (LTACH), Manager for the Center for Limb Preservation & Advanced Wound Care in Los Angeles, and Clinical Program Director for a Wound Healing & HBO Center for a National Wound Company. Guillermo has had the privilege of serving as Director of Nursing for skilled nursing facilities ranging from 100, 300 and up to 400 bed facilities.

Currently, he serves as a Clinical Consultant for Sun Mar Healthcare, supporting their clinical and operations teams. Guillermo did his undergraduate work in Nursing at West Coast University and Aspen University, and also attended the University of California, Irvine.

Sharon Gabison PhD, BSc, PScPT, MSc, IIWCC

Sharon Gabison serves as the co-chair of the Consumer Experience Liaison.

Shannon Layton DNP, MSW, RN, LILCSW-S, NEA-BC, CNL, CNE, CWCN

Shannon Layton serves as the co-chair of the Consumer Experience Liaison.