Meet Our Members
With almost 200 members across Virginia, there is a wide variety of experiences, backgrounds, and connection to brain injury within our community. On a rotating basis, we highlight individuals from any membership level so we can all get to know each other better. *If you are a current member and want to be featured, email us.
Kenslea & Nanette
Family Members
Mother and daughter Nanette and Kenslea have been active family members of BIAV for years, regularly participating in conferences, camp, and support group meetings. Navigating a brain injury as a family is not always easy, but the pair always “shows up” for the brain injury community with a smile and a commitment to make things better.
Philip
Individual Member
Philip suffered a TBI at 18 in a car accident with a drunk driver. He spent almost a month in a coma and four months doing rehabilitation. Philip is now a Mechanical Engineer at a nuclear power plant. "What I enjoy most about being a member is having the chance to talk to others and to, hopefully, inspire the same drive and determination in them by showing them what is possible," said Philip.
Rylie
Young Professional Member
Rylie is an Occupational Therapist at Tree of Life Services. “I was connected with the BIAV 10 years ago as a consumer after multiple sports concussions in high school. In the years since then, my membership has supported me both personally and now professionally, providing a network of like-minded providers, up to date literature on brain injury practice and services, and a platform to share knowledge from my own practice.”
Stephanie &
Virginia Supportive Housing
Advocacy Member
Stephanie is the Program Manager of the Brain Injury Program at Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH). She has been at VSH since its inception in 2005 and has spent the majority of her professional career working with people with brain injuries. “Advocacy is so important because we have such an under served population of Virginians in need of services for their brain injuries, and housing in a lot of cases. I have been fortunate enough to see, and be a part of, how specialized brain injury case management and stable housing can make a difference in someone’s life. The services we advocate for survivors of brain injury produce hope for the people we help, and the ones we hope to be able to help in the future,” said Stephanie.
