Organization bolsters governance and leadership team to strengthen its service to and support of the limb loss and limb difference community
The Amputee Coalition named Mona Patel, Founder and Executive Director of the San Antonio Amputee Foundation, and Chad Jerdee, most recently the Global Lead of Responsible Business for Corporate Sustainability and Citizenship at Accenture (NYSE: ACN) to its Board of Directors. The Coalition also appointed TaKeisha S. Walker as Chief Operating Officer.
“Our mission is to provide support, education, and advocacy to the more than two million Americans with limb loss and limb difference and the more than 28 million who are at risk for amputation,” said Amputee Coalition President and CEO Mary Richards. “Mona and Chad’s insights, lived experience, and leadership expertise will push us closer toward our achieving our strategic goals to grow the Coalition,” she added. “TaKeisha brings executive-level programmatic and organizational expertise that will propel the growth we need to steward our resources wisely in serving even more people living with limb loss and limb difference. Bringing all three of these powerhouses into the Amputee Coalition fold is going to benefit our community greatly.”
The Amputee Coalition’s mission is to reach out to and empower people affected by limb loss and limb difference to live the life they most want to live through education, support and advocacy, and to promote limb loss prevention. The Coalition runs the National Limb Loss Resource Center which provides services, supports, referrals, and resources for individuals and families living with limb loss. By building community, belonging, and connection, the Amputee Coalition helps ensure no one navigates their limb loss or limb difference journey alone.
Patel and Jerdee will join eleven other board members that advise the organization on federal policy outreach, insurance protections for patients, the organization’s National Limb Loss Resource Center, strategic partnerships, and other mission-driven work. Walker joins the organization as its Chief Operating Officer and will oversee finance, human resources, IT, development, communications, and other operational functions.
“I am honored to continue my decades-long service to, advocacy for, and involvement with the limb loss and limb difference community by joining the Amputee Coalition Board of Directors,” said Mona Patel. “As a long-time volunteer with and partner of the Amputee Coalition, joining the board of directors is an honor.”
“Being able to pair my executive leadership experience and the belief that nonprofits can change the world, I look forward to serving on a board of directors that will provide effective governance to such an esteemed organization and its leadership,” said Chad Jerdee.
“I have built my career supporting organizations and institutions that allow people to live the lives they choose,” said TaKeisha S. Walker. “Becoming an officer at the Amputee Coalition will allow me to help guide the organization through strategic growth and development and ensure people living with limb loss and limb difference have access to the resources they need to do the things in life they most want to do,” said TaKeisha S. Walker.
About Mona Patel, MA, MSW
Mona Patel was 17 and a student at California Polytechnic State University when she was struck by a drunk driver. After undergoing 21 surgeries in seven years, she chose to have her right leg amputated below the knee. Patel earned her undergraduate degree in behavioral science and criminal justice. She earned her Master’s in psychology at Pepperdine University and her Master’s in social work at Texas State University. Mona is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with Hanger Clinic. She created the first amputee support group in San Antonio, Texas and is the Founder and Executive Director of the San Antonio Amputee Foundation. In 2017, she was one of the top 10 finalists for CNN’s Hero of the Year award.
About Chad Jerdee, JD
Chad Jerdee most recently served as the Global Lead of Responsible Business, Corporate Sustainability and Citizenship at Accenture. Prior to that role, Chad served as Accenture’s General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. He also was the global executive sponsor for Accenture’s Persons with Disabilities initiatives, a member of the Accenture Diversity Council and serves on the national board of directors for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, as well as board chair for Disability:IN. He is an adaptive sports athlete and enjoys downhill skiing, backpacking, running, cycling and swimming. He obtained his undergraduate degree in economics and English at St. Olaf College and his Juris Doctor in law at the University of Minnesota. Jerdee lost his leg from the knee down as a result of a collision with a drunk driver and is dedicated to leadership and service for people with disabilities.
About TaKeisha S. Walker, MS, MA
TaKeisha S. Walker’s leadership career has included work in the disability, environmental, and education communities. Her influence and strategic direction have helped young people with disabilities obtain their first meaningful work experience through summer internship positions in Washington, D.C., reduced the gap in STEM readiness for middle and high school students, and protected children from asthma attacks by training healthcare providers to adopt guidelines-based care practices to minimize environmental triggers. Walker holds a Master of Science in Management and Marketing from the University of Maryland University College, a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of Missouri Kansas City, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Communications from the University of Tulsa. She is also a certified professional development facilitator.
About the Amputee Coalition
The Amputee Coalition serves the more than two million Americans with limb loss and limb difference and more than 28 million at risk for amputation. The Amputee Coalition is the nation’s leading organization on limb loss and limb difference, dedicated to enhancing quality of life, improving patient care, and preventing limb loss through its management of the National Limb Loss Resource Center. For more information, please call 888-267-5669 or go to amputee-coalition.org