Chapter President: Tenesha Ulrich: I live in Rural Wood County, and I have a passion for advocating. I received my B.S. in communication with a minor in writing from the University of Findlay. When I left college, I went to work in the television industry and worked as a director, editor, and engineer in the Toledo market for ten years. I still love to shoot, edit and do graphic design; It comes in handy when it comes to promotion. I also enjoy advocating, playing tennis, building repurposed items into new projects, swimming, traveling, going to concerts, and running media outlets for several non-profits. I strive to focus on positivity; it is an integral component to living life with a spinal cord injury. I like to think outside of the box to solve problems and find new avenues for affecting positive change in the world around me.
Chapter Vice-president: Cathi Arcuri: You know it takes a lot of courage to get out of bed every morning with a good attitude, everything I do is therapy, and for those bad days you have to have humor, so my reward to myself is my independence. That is the five words that best describe me, “courage, attitude, therapy, humor, and independence”, That’s me, Cathi! I graduated from Eastwood HS and Penta-County Vocational in 1983. Then I went on to college computer classes, with a certificate of completion for administrative office assistant. I have been a licensed Manicurist since 1991 and I live in Bowling Green, Ohio.
May of 1995, my life changed in a matter of seconds when a car crossed the center line and hit me head on. I realize now that things happen for a reason. I would not be the person I am today had I not got put in this wheelchair. I am happier now than I have ever been, you know why? Because I know who I am and what I am capable of doing. Before the chair I lived day by day working, playing, making money, and spending it just as fast. I never ever thought about the future. I didn’t really know who I was or what I wanted to be. Never-the-less, I know the good Lord kept me here for a reason to share my journey with anyone that needs a little encouragement and knowledge. I have learned a lot along my journey of what to look forward to when you think you’re at the end of your rope and ready to let go. Having been there done that, the only person who got me out of it was me, myself, and I. Through my journeys, I hope something I say or do will help someone just a little to realize how much life depends on you and your attitude towards it. I thank EVERYONE along my journey for the knowledge they gave me.
Never say Never!
Chapter Treasurer: Burnard Barney III: I sustained my injury (C5-C6 incomplete) on July 12, 1981, not long after graduating from college with an associate degree in Applied Science. My major was Farm Management and for several years after returning home from my stay at the St. Francis Rehab facility, I continued to help on the family farm. Today I’m the chairman of our “Computer Exchange Program” and editor of the chapter’s newsletter and this website. I enjoy the outdoors especially fishing, camping, and boating. In the colder months you can find me playing military style games online or I may be tinkering with a new computer build or fixing other computers. I have a small home-based web design business where I work with local small businesses that range from dog training to agricultural sites.