Thomas Tatlock, MD

Dr. Tatlock was a psychiatrist in private practice in Appleton, Wisconsin from 1978 until he sustained a “mild” traumatic brain injury on May 19, 1999. He had earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas Medical School in Kansas City Kansas, where he had also completed a straight medicine internship. He did a residency in psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin School of Hospital (now called: School of Medicine and Public Health). In 2007 he earned a Graduate Certificate in Special Education and Brain Injury from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. Dr. Tatlock has been member of the Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin (now BIA-Alliance). In 2008 he received the Education and Community Service Award. Since 2005 he has served on (or been a member of) the Mayo Clinic Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Regional Advisory Council. He has been a member of the Brain Injury Recognition Accommodation Initiative Network[1]Fox Valley (BRAIN-Fox Valley) since 2015. When, at the request of the National Health Care for the Homeless, Carolyn Lemsky PhD wrote the book, "Adapting Your Practice Recommendations for the Care of Patients Who Are Homeless or Unstably Housed Living with the Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury,” Dr. Tatlock was a member of the Advisory Committee on Adapting Clinical practice for the Care of Homeless Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Julie Biesterveld, CBIS

Julie Biesterveld has been working in the field of brain injury since 2019, after a generous grant funded the creation of a TBI Support Program at SOAR Fox Cities, Inc in Appleton, Wisconsin. Her role as Program Coordinator is to create, implement and facilitate Community Education presentations to raise awareness of TBI and its prevalence and potential long-term effects. She also facilitates local brain injury support groups and has taken on the role of Interim Resource Navigator. She hopes her work is building the foundation for a strong, sustainable program which will be utilized by many in the years to come. In her personal life, Julie is a busy mom of two young children. She enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, painting, and practicing yoga.

Karl Curtis, BA

Karl Curtis has been the executive director of the Brain Injury Alliance of Wisconsin since 2015. During that time he has presented on brain injury subjects before large and small groups throughout the state of Wisconsin, including twice before at the annual conference on brain injury. He is also the father of a brain injury survivor.

Thomas Bergquist, PhD, LP, ABPP, FACRM

Thomas F. Bergquist is Associate Professor of Psychology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Co-investigator of the NIDILRR-funded Mayo TBI Model System Center. He is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology. He is a fellow in the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM), member of the ACRM Board of Governors and chair of the Brain Injury - Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group within ACRM.   Dr. Bergquist received his doctoral degree in Clinical and Medical Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He did his internship in Clinical Psychology at the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center and completed a two-year fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at Mayo Clinic. He has given numerous regional, national, and international presentations in the areas of brain injury rehabilitation and disability and has authored or co-authored over 35 journal publications in rehabilitation and medical journals and a dozen book chapters.  His principal research interests include rehabilitation following brain injury and coping with disability. He is a member of the board of directors of the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance.  He serves as a clinical supervisor at Compassion Counseling Center which provides mental health services to persons in the Rochester, MN area free of charge. He and his wife, Kathy, have four children.

Judy Dettmer, BSW

Judy Dettmer has been working in the field of brain injury for 30 years. Ms. Dettmer is currently the Director for Strategic Partnerships and a Technical Assistance Lead for the Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center at the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators. Ms. Dettmer has worked extensively with adults, children and family members of individuals with brain injury. She has provided direct and systems consultation to improve the lives of individuals with brain injury. Judy has also assisted with research efforts related to brain injury and has conducted countless presentations, classes and seminars on brain injury both in the state of Colorado and Nationally. Ms. Dettmer has provided technical assistance to numerous states including but not limited to; screening on brain injury, developing infrastructure within state systems such as departments of education, criminal justice, and in developing and managing advisory boards and councils. Ms. Dettmer is currently a co-facilitator for the National Collaborative on Children’s Brain Injury.

Jan Heinitz, PhD

Jan Heinitz recently retired after 34 years at Concordia University as Assistant Director of Graduate Counseling and Associate Professor of Education. She has served on the board of directors for the Brain Injury Alliance of Wisconsin since 2012, and has been a frequent presenter at the annual conference on brain injury. Jan is also the mother of a traumatic brain injury survivor.

Jessica Petersen, OTR/L

Jessica Petersen is an Occupational Therapist in the outpatient Brain Rehabilitation Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Ms. Petersen received her Occupational Therapy degree at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2003 and has been a clinician at Mayo Clinic for 16 years. Her professional interests are in acquired brain injury, mild to moderate cognitive impairment, chronic pain rehabilitation and dysphagia. Ms. Petersen specializes in outpatient cognitive rehabilitation and has presented on acquired brain injury topics at local and national levels.

Laurie Powell, PhD, CCC-SLP

Laurie Powell works for the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training at the University of Oregon and is Oregon’s TBI Partnership Grant Project Director. She conducts applied research and development projects on behalf of adults with acquired brain injury and their providers.  She is also a clinical speech-language pathologist specializing in cognitive rehabilitation for adults.

Nicole Shafran, MS CCC-SLP

Nicole is a Speech-Language Pathologist. She prides herself on building strong relationships with her patients to design individualized treatment programs.  Her areas of interest include cognitive rehabilitation for those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury or concussion and rehabilitation for patients post stroke or who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Benjamin Siebert, MD, FAAPMR

Dr. Siebert has found that investing in his patients is an important part of patient care. While keeping a realistic outlook, he tries to help patients focus on what they can achieve and encourages them to keep an optimistic attitude. He has the unique opportunity to be involved in the lives of his patients at all stages of their conditions, which is a challenging yet rewarding responsibility for him. Dr. Siebert has a special interest in traumatic brain injury, headache, and pain.

Caitlin Synovec, OTD, OTR/L

Caitlin Synovec is an occupational therapist with clinical experience in working with adults experiencing homelessness to improve quality of life and engagement in their preferred communities. She has completed clinical research to address the intersection of homelessness, poverty, traumatic brain injury, mental health, and chronic conditions, and their impact on health and community living. Caitlin's experience also includes program development for collaborative and interdisciplinary care, as well as clinical education and training for occupational therapy practitioners, health care and direct service providers. Most recently, she has joined the National Health Care for the Homeless Council as the program manager for Medical Respite to support expansion and best practices in medical respite care.

Lance Trexler, PhD, FACRM

Lance Trexler is the Executive Director, Brain Injury Rehabilitation Research and Program Development, Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of PM&R, Indiana University School of Medicine, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Indiana University, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University.  Dr. Trexler was designated as a Fellow of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) in 2013, and he received the Distiguished Member award in 2015 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 from ACRM.   In addition to serving as a clinician in rehabilitation neuropsychology since 1979, his over-riding commitment as a neuropsychologist has been to develop, implement and disseminate rehabilitation and social interventions for those with acquired brain injury.  Dr. Trexler is an author on over fifty peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters.

Karl Curtis, BA, Executive Director Emeritus*
Brain Injury Alliance of Wisconsin

Sasha St. John, Brain Injury Survivor

Julie Biesterveld, CBIS, Traumatic Brain Injury Support Program Coordinator *
SOAR Fox Cities, Inc.

Dr. Sarah Porter, PsyD, Madison Neuropsychological Services, LLC Owner
Madison Neuropsychological Services, LLC