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Inspirational Leaders, Medical Excellence, and Outgoing Board Members Honored by Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation honored inspirational leaders in the community, an expert physician and researcher in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) and recognized trustees leaving the Board at its Board of Trustees Annual Dinner on May 22 at The Grove in Cedar Grove, N.J.

“We recognized individuals who are changing the lives of not only people with disabilities but also of all those impacted by their work,” said Rodger DeRose, president and chief executive officer of Kessler Foundation. “They are mentors to their colleagues and help others live better lives through inspiration, leading by example, research, medical care and advancing the development of the Foundation to serve more people with disabilities.”

Bonnie Evans, P.T., M.H.A., and Scott Chesney received 2013 Kessler Foundation Community Inspirational Leadership Awards. Evans is chief executive officer of Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation’s West Orange campus. With the Institute for more than 40 years, she trained under its founder, Dr. Henry H. Kessler. As a mentor, she has helped guide the careers of her employees. Evans displays care for each patient. Kessler Foundation and Kessler Institute frequently collaborate on research studies to improve the quality of life of people with physical and cognitive disabilities. Evans has received many awards, volunteers her time and is very active in her church.

At 15 years old, Chesney had a spinal stroke and was paralyzed from the waist down. Now, he is a world-renowned motivational speaker and life coach. A two-time world traveler, he has motivated more than one million people in 38 countries to live better lives. He has shared his insights with the United Nations, Pentagon, FBI, hospital and rehabilitation centers, associations, colleges, universities and grade schools. Chesney is executive director of Raise Hope Foundation, which trains, mentors and places people with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities, in the financial services industry—an initiative funded by Kessler Foundation. He serves as a trustee to the Knowles Foundation and Children’s Specialized Hospital.

Ross Zafonte, D.O., received the third annual Kessler Foundation Joel A. DeLisa, MD Award for Excellence in Research and Education in the Field of PM&R. An expert on brain injury, Dr. Zafonte is the Harvard Medical School Earle P. and Ida S. Charlton Professor and Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and Chief of PM&R at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Zafonte is investigating the impact of multiple concussions and is an investigator on a grant from the National Football League Players Association. He is also a program director for the Red Sox Foundation/Massachusetts General Hospital’s Home Base Program, which assists in the treatment of wounded warriors. Traveling to Afghanistan, he served as an advisor regarding TBI care.

Kessler Foundation created this award to honor Dr. DeLisa's many contributions to the field of PM&R. Dr. DeLisa is the founding director of Kessler Foundation Research Center, which under his leadership, developed into a center that is recognized around the world for physical and cognitive rehabilitation research and the training of young investigators.

The Foundation also recognized Jeffrey Feiner, John R. Cannell and outgoing chairman James K. Estabrook, who are retiring from the Board this month. “These men have served the Foundation for a combined total of 45 years,” said Liz Lowenstein, the incoming chair of the Board. “Their commitment, dedication and wise counsel have been a major factor in the advancement and the achievements of Kessler Foundation since 1986. I am certain that had it not been for their leadership, encouragement and insight, the Foundation would not be the world-class organization that it is today to change the lives of people with disabilities.”

Estabook joined Kessler Foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2000. Under his leadership, Kessler Foundation invested significant resources to enhance research with state-of-the-art equipment, expand grant-making nationally to support disability employment initiatives and improve collaborations through expansion and renovations of its facilities. Throughout his tenure, the Foundation was the first facility in the U.S. to report research results for Ekso—a robotic, battery-powered exoskeleton that enables individuals in wheelchairs to stand and walk. Kessler Foundation also constructed the Neuroimaging Center, which is one of the few centers in the nation dedicated solely to research. The Neuroimaging Center will increase the rate of research advances to improve the function of people with physical and cognitive disabilities. 

About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.

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Contacts:
Lauren Scrivo, 973.324.8384, 973.768.6583 - c, [email protected]
Carolann Murphy, 973.324.8382, [email protected]