About Us

Joseph Burris, MD, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.  Dr. Burris is the Medical Director of Rusk Rehabilitation Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, and Medical Director of Rehabilitation Services for MU Health Care.  Dr. Burris was the recipient of the Distinguished Member Award for the American Academy of PM&R (AAPM&R) in 2020.  He has served in multiple committee roles for the AAPM&R, including current Chair of the Advanced Practice Provider Committee for the Medical Education Committee for AAPM&R, as well as the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP), and the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPM&R).  He has recently completed work with the Tri-Organizational Committee working group with the AAPM&R, AAP, and ABPM&R, publishing recommendations for revision of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) PM&R residency training guidelines.  He is a strong advocate for adaptive sports including work with several local and regional associations.

Dr. Greg Carter is chief medical officer and director of the physical medicine and rehabilitation residency program at Providence St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Medical Center in Spokane, WA. He is a professor and fellow of the Gleason Institute for Neuroscience in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University (WSU). He is a past recipient of numerous awards for research and teaching, including both the Distinguished Researcher and the Ernest Johnson Outstanding Educator Awards from the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine, the Best Research Paper Award from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the Excellence in Research Writing Award from the Association of Academic Physiatrists. He has co-authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications indexed on PubMed and serve on multiple journal editorial boards. He is a life-long advocate for adaptive sports and helping people with physical disabilities enjoy outdoor recreation. He enthusiastically supports the mission of Dr. Jones and Accessible Alpine Adventure Tours

Robert James Bereolos was born in Hammond, Indiana on the 29th of August, 1966.  Rob has been paralyzed from a motorcycle accident for over 32 years.  Because he feels he has been given a “second chance” at life, he lives life to the fullest and has become an advocate for others with disabilities.  He has been a peer mentor for newly injured spinal cord-injured individuals and is a founding member of the Spinal Cord Injury Support Group of South Florida.   He has been serving as the Broward Chapter Treasurer for two years and also served as the President and Vice President prior to that.  Rob volunteered at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale for 6 years working with children with special needs and has served on the leadership team for the South Florida Fishing with Friends program, which allows individuals with disabilities of all types to “catch their first fish.”  He has been a volunteer with Joni and Friends Disabilities Ministries as a Youth Leader at the yearly Family Retreats.

He loves to lead worship while playing the guitar, fellowship with friends, read and study the Bible, play chess, Scuba dive, water ski, sail, and attend concerts and sporting events.  He is also an active hand-cycling enthusiast with Achilles International and Shifting Gears United where he competes in Marathons and Half-marathons throughout the nation.  He has competed in the ING New York Marathon as well as the Marine Corps Marathon, Miami, Ft Lauderdale and Palm Beach Marathon which qualified him for the Boston Marathon in 2015.

Dr. Jones received her medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation in 2006. She has been a medical director and traveling physician for the past 17 years, with licenses in 21 states, an academic appointment at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, and extensive experience with trauma and neurologic injury recovery. She most recently was the founding medical director at HCA Florida JFK Hospital and moonlights at Baptist Health South Florida, Cornell Rehabilitation Institute. She joined the faculty of the University of Missouri, Rusk PM&R Department in October, 2024.

She is an amateur athlete, whose childhood love of downhill skiing led her to attend Swiss Challenge (organized by the American School in Switzerland) where she had her first exposure to the alps in 1985. She much later planned to join the Canadian Ski Patrol, but suffered a severe knee injury during a race in Austria and switched her focus to hiking and strength training. As a “Master’s athlete” she now enjoys low-risk outdoor activities, culinary delicacies, and helping others achieve their physical and health goals. Her vision is to make alpine exploration accessible to people with disabilities and create a 5-star “trip of a lifetime” for those who struggle with financial hardship and/or physical challenges.

Heather Bristol brings over 30 years of invaluable experience in sales and development from her illustrious real estate and management career working for Fortune 500 companies in the Washington DC area. Throughout her career, Heather has demonstrated a deep commitment to community service and philanthropy, leveraging her skills to spearhead successful fundraising efforts for various prominent causes.

Heather’s expertise has notably supported organizations such as YMCA Partners for Youth, INOVA Hospital Systems, the Local Symphony Guild, Girl Scouts of America, and the National Alzheimer’s Association, raising substantial funds to advance their missions and initiatives. Her strategic acumen in fundraising includes cultivating strong donor relationships, executing effective stewardship programs, and implementing innovative fundraising strategies tailored to each organization’s unique needs. Heather’s track record of achieving and surpassing fundraising goals underscores her ability to mobilize resources and engage stakeholders effectively.

Beyond her professional achievements, Heather finds joy in spending time with her three wonderful grown children whenever possible. She embraces a love for music and sports, often attending events, and enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and boating with friends.

As Heather Bristol joins our fundraising team, she brings with her a wealth of experience and a steadfast commitment to advancing philanthropic endeavors that enrich and strengthen communities.

Jessica Haynie Bowis, Esq., is a Partner of the law firm Hubbard and Haynie, P.C. in Irvington, Virginia and serves as Commissioner of Accounts for the Circuit Court of Lancaster County, Virginia.  Jessica received her undergraduate degree from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina and her law degree from Campbell University in Raleigh, North Carolina.  She also serves as the Vice President of Northern Neck CASA Board of Directors, Secretary of Roseland Cemetery Board of Directors, and Treasurer of Gibeon Baptist Church.  Jessica wholeheartedly supports the efforts of Dr. Jones and her exceptional team in the incredible and inspiring mission of Accessible Alpine Adventure Tours.

Michael Webber, a Certified Public Accountant, brings extensive experience in accounting and finance to his role as Treasurer for our organization. He holds both a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance and a Master of Accounting from Florida State University.
As a Senior at Deloitte & Touche, LLP, Michael has developed expertise in managing financial audits and providing strategic advisory services. His experience includes overseeing the audits of annual reports for public and private companies.

In addition to his professional work, Michael is dedicated to community service. He is an active member of the South Florida Volunteerism Council and serves on the Town of Jupiter’s Audit Committee, providing key recommendations and insights on their financial statements.
Michael is excited to apply his financial acumen and commitment to service in his role as Treasurer.

Heather Spath holds her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY where she later was an adjunct professor teaching classes on language, swallowing and neurological conditions. She began her career at Glens Falls Hospital as an inpatient rehab speech language pathologist, focused on providing cognitive, language, communication and swallowing therapy to individuals who suffered from stroke, non-traumatic and traumatic brain injury, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, MS and a variety of other medical conditions. Over her 25+ year career, Heather has worked in a variety of healthcare settings including acute hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and skilled nursing rehab centers. She started a company in upstate NY focused on providing speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy in the home setting to help clients regain their ability to live independently back in their communities. Heather has been in leadership roles for the last 17 years of her career serving as Director of Rehabilitation, Regional Director of Rehabilitation and Regional VP of Strategic development. Heather joined HCA JFK Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital as Clinical Rehab Specialist in June of 2023 to help open the facility in July.

Heather has a love of the outdoors and is passionate about hiking. She became a 46er in 2021 by hiking all 46 Adirondack high peaks. Heather is excited to be able to bring her passion for helping others, together with her love of adventure in order to help people who have suffered a life changing disability live their most beautiful life.

Julia Stern is a Speech-Language Pathologist with a Master’s Degree from Florida Atlantic University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Florida State University. She currently works at HCA Florida JFK Hospital, conducting therapy focused on dysphagia, speech, language, and cognitive-linguistic rehabilitation. Julia believes that the best treatment sessions combine functional tasks with evidence-based practice. In addition to her career, Julia focuses heavily on her other two passions – community service and hiking! While completing her undergraduate degree, Julia went on a service trip to Guatemala where she was able to administer ~100 hearing aids to under-served individuals over the course of four days. In Julia’s free time, you can find her outdoors hiking with her fiancé who happens to be her high school sweetheart.

Cristiano grew up in a family of mountain guides with a long tradition of mountaineering. He comes from a little mountain town nestled somewhere in the Italian Alps close to the French border. The Alps are his natural environment, having hiked, mountaineered, skied and climbed since a tender age, and whenever he spends a few weeks away from the familiarity of his peaks, he begins to long for them. He is convinced that mountains are more than just elevations of the earth’s surface, and that hiking is more than a sport. He firmly believes that the combination of majestic mountain scenery and the act of hiking bring a sense of uplifting and self-awareness, contributing to personal growth.

He is very knowledgeable about the Western Alps, particularly about the lesser known regions of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley. In recent years he has started exploring new mountain ranges across Europe, namely the High Tatras in Poland and the Transylvanian Alps in Romania, where he went through some memorable experiences, such as encountering brown bears or being caught in a snowstorm in the middle of the summer.

He enjoys the company of others, and is always happy to share some of his personal stories and knowledge of the Alps.

Lynne is an outdoor enthusiast and adventurist. She leads an active lifestyle embracing all seasons. In addition to day hiking and backpacking trips, she enjoys sailing, multi day sea kayak trips, road and mountain biking, Nordic, alpine and back country skiing. Having spent time in various mountain chains including the Atlas, the Alps, the Pyrenees & the Canadian Rockies, she has acquired a deep appreciation for the humbling nature of the mountains, and their inspiring energy. She enjoys organizing excursions and sharing with others the privilege of the uphill experience. She is bilingual, and has a healthcare background which includes Wilderness Advanced First Aid. She also has Avalanche skills (AST) and Crevasse Rescue training, and puts safety at the forefront of every adventure. Another skill she has is a sunny personality that brings brightness to all her hikes.

Carrie is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, and skiing both inbounds and backcountry. She expresses her love for the mountains by: supporting conservation and preservation of natural lands for future generations, volunteering as a leader and/or instructor for organizations such as the Spokane Mountaineers, and engaging in friendships with others who share her enthusiasm. Carrie continually seeks to broaden her outdoor experience and knowledge base for the safety of her students, peers, hiking guests and friends. She is Wilderness First Aid-certified and has graduated from the Spokane Mountaineers backpacking, mountaineering, lead climbing, and high angle rescue courses.