Conference Educators
Meet our esteemed educators, whose expertise and dedication make them invaluable to our conference. Hailing from across the U.S. and beyond, many have presented at ISS and bring a wealth of experience from international settings.
Christy Natale, DPT, ATP/SMS has a dual background in the rehabilitation industry, starting
her career as a pediatric Physical Therapist before transitioning to the role of Assistive
Technology Professional for a supplier where she worked with a variety of ages and
diagnoses. She earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Pacific University in 2009
and has a combined 16 years of experience providing customized seating, positioning,
and mobility solutions tailored to the needs and goals of her clients. Her specialties
include pediatric positioning and mobility, alternative drive controls, power wheelchair
programming, and sleep positioning in the scope of 24-hour postural care.
Petra holds a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from the University of the West of England and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from A.T. Still University in Arizona. She began her career in neurological research in spinal cord injury, stroke and cerebral palsy. Her clinical experience was focused on inpatient neurorehabilitation during which she developed passion for complex rehabilitation technology. She served as a wheelchair and seating specialist and research instructor during her 7 years at the Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering in Denver, CO. Petra is committed to deliver quality services and driven to achieve exceptional outcomes as an educator and a key member of a multidisciplinary team in complex rehabilitation technology.
Sarah is a physical therapist and the Regional Clinical Education Manager for Permobil in the Mountain Region. Prior to joining Permobil in 2021, Sarah worked at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation where she gained extensive experience in neuro rehabilitation. At Kessler, she served as the inpatient wheelchair team lead and a member of the outpatient wheelchair clinic. She has lectured for numerous Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Medical Residency Programs and was a faculty member for Kessler’s PT Neuroresidency program. She has also presented at ASCIP and the International Seating Symposium. Sarah is a current member of RESNA and the APTA Assistive Technology/Seating & Wheeled Mobility SIG.
Jennifer Janowicz is a seasoned physical therapist with 14 years of clinical experience,
specializing in pediatric therapy. Her extensive background spans rehabilitation, acute care, and
outpatient services. Jennifer dedicated herself to supporting children and their families with
complex seating and mobility needs at Shriners Children’s based out of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Currently, she is an educator at Quantum Rehab, where she passionately shares her expertise
in mobility and seating solutions
Angela Regier, OTD, OTR/L, ATP/SMS, is a licensed occupational therapist and RESNAcertified Assistive Technology Professional and Seating and Mobility Specialist. With a clinical
background in neurorehabilitation and specialized expertise in wheelchair seating and mobility,
she has focused the second half of her career on clinical education and product management
within the complex rehab technology industry. Angela currently serves as Regional Director of
Clinical Education at LUCI, supporting clinicians and providers across the western U.S. in the
application of LUCI’s smart wheelchair technology. She is a frequent presenter and passionate
advocate for clinician involvement in the provision of CRT to maximize client independence and
functional outcomes.
Julie Piriano, PT, ATP/SMS is the Sr. Director of Payor Relations and Regulatory Affairs at the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART). She has worked in the seating and wheeled mobility industry for the past 40 years as a clinician, advocate, and educator where she presents nationally and internationally on seating and wheeled mobility with a focus on evaluation, documentation, and clinical applications of available technologies. Julie is a member of the RESNA Board of Directors where she serves on the Finance and Government Affairs Committees and is the board liaison to the Professional Standards Board where she recently served as the Chair. She is an active participant in the Wheeled Mobility and Seating SIG and the PT PSG. She is a Friend of iNRRTS, a member of the APTA and the Clinician Task Force. She serves on the DMEMAC Advisory Councils, the board of the AMRG Group, several State Associations, and the Mobility Management Editorial Board. Julie is a highly proactive industry resource on legislative and regulatory issues that impact the complex rehab industry.
Dan has been in the HME industry for over 32 years and currently serves as the Director of Reimbursement for U.S. Rehab a Division of The VGM Group Inc. Dan joined VGM in 2014 and before that, was the Director of Education and Compliance for Pride Mobility Products / Quantum Rehab for 13 years. Prior to joining Pride, Dan served as a Senior Manager for Provider Outreach and Education (POE) and Electronic Data Interchange for the Jurisdiction A DME MAC (Travelers Insurance and United Healthcare) for nearly 6 years. He currently sits on the Medicare Council and has presented at numerous local and national events regarding Medicare compliance and reimbursement including, Medtrade, Heartland Conference, ISS, RESNA and for multiple state association meetings. Dan is a graduate of Penn State University where he earned a BS in Economics.