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

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 stroke, brain injury, and spinal cord injury recovery. She most recently was the founding medical director at HCA Florida JFK Hospital. She plans to join the faculty of the University of Missouri Rusk PM&R Department in September, 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 hiking accessible for people with disabilities, no matter when or how the injury occurred. Each participant has unique needs and capabilities. AAAT will do its best to customize the equipment and match volunteer expertise with those planning alpine adventures.

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.

Bio Coming Soon!

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.