Volunteer Board and Senior Staff

Healing Arizona Veterans Volunteer Board and Senior Staff

Board Members

Chairman

Robert Sexton, M.D. 

Dr. Sexton has been a resident of Tucson since 1989 where he was in private practice until 2008.  At that point, he rejoined the military after an almost 38 year break. Once again a U.S. Soldier, he was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan where he was a physician with Civil Affairs and a Field Surgeon attached to a forward deployed unit.  In 2009, during his Iraq deployment, he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome and was treated with plasmapheresis for the acute phase of the disease.  Four years later, he once again began experiencing severe symptoms similar to his prior GBS experience.  After neurological evaluation, he was then treated with HBOT, which resulted in a very significant clinical improvement — “a life changer.”  Dr. Sexton’s military, medical and personal experience with this therapy gives him a unique perspective as a strong advocate for HBOT.

Richard (Rick) Chimblo, Ph.D.

Richard (Rick) Chimblo, Ph.D.

Rick is a retired geophysicist and active Rotarian.  He has over 40 years of experience as a professional, a manager and an executive in the petroleum industry.  Since his retirement, Rick has served as President of Rotary Clubs in Texas and Arizona.  He has worked on various committees to develop and fund projects to assist the underprivileged children and families of Mozambique, Cameroon, Morocco, Mexico and Guatemala.  Rick has used his industry experience to develop financial models and budgets for non-profit groups and Rotary Clubs, successfully registering these entities as 501(c)(3) organizations with the IRS.

Timothy Marshal, Ph. D.

Timothy Marshall, Ph. D.

Timothy M. Marshall, Ph.D. is a neuropharmacologist and nutritional biochemist with a passion for natural approaches to healing and nutrient therapeutics. Dr. Marshall earned his doctorate in Medical Pharmacology at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine with a minor in medicinal chemistry and toxicology, and has a Bachelor’s in biochemistry and a Master’s in organic chemistry. He is on the board of Healing Arizona Veterans, and is the author of the landmark publications, “The Next Generation in Brain Recovery and Neuroregeneration” (2017), and “Lithium as a Nutrient” (2015) in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.

Website:  http://www.dr-marshall.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/DrTimothyMarshall

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/timothymarshallphd

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DrTMarshall

Timothy Marshal, Ph.D.

For the past 10 years, Dr. Marshall has taught courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmacology, while serving as the Lead Biofuels Chemist for a Department of Defense funded (NASA sponsored) clean-energy research team. Following a three-year stint in clean energy research, he returned to his lifelong passion in nutritional therapeutics and natural medicine – as a holistic neurospecialist – utilizing the tenets of functional medicine to address a wide-range of neurological conditions and disorders. Since 2012, he has been working closely with neurologist, Dr. Carol Henricks (NorthStar Neurology and Hyperbarics) to tailor nutrient protocols that work in tandem and enhance the healing benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).  

In addition to teaching, research, and medical consulting – he is a highly sought after expert in the fields of nutritional biochemistry, formulation chemistry and optimization, and environmental toxicology – with recent contracts with Susquehanna International Group (SIG), and the award-winning herbal tea company, Garden to Cup Organics (Canada). Dr. Marshall’s passion for root-cause healing solutions began as a child fueled by his quest to identify the root causes of his own health issues, and passion to understand health challenges at their most basic level has driven him throughout his life. It is the culmination of this passion, education and arduous research that lead to the creation of his next-generation supplements – MagLith+ and BrainFood7 – and has brought forth his own line of "Regenerative Therapeutics" that he feels confident will change the face of neurological medicine forever.

Dr. Marshall holds a Ph.D. in Medical Pharmacology, Specializing in Neuropharmacology, Master’s in Organic Chemistry; Minor in Medicinal Chemistry and Toxicology, and Bachelor's in Biochemistry from the University of Arizona.

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Don Siglin, MBA

Experienced executive with over 45 years of managerial leadership:

  • Eight years of work in the electronics industry as a Materials Manager
  • Twenty years as a plant manager in the Grain Bin sector of the Agricultural industry, final duty was VP of a division
  • Twenty years as a Sales Engineer for an environmental system for the oil and gas energy industry.
  • Mechanical Engineering Degree from Iowa State University MBA from University of Illinois.
  • ROTC Commissioned Officer in the Corps of Engineers.
  • Two years active duty with one year in Vietnam.
Don Siglin, MBA

Gene D. Smith, MBA

Accomplished, Dedicated, IT Project Leader with over 15 years of experience managing high performance IT and audit teams for US and global projects at the US Agency for International Development. Especially skilled at delivering wireless, mobile device management, and virtual desktop technology into complex organizations. Demonstrated abilities at forming and guiding determined, nimble teams toward meeting their objectives. Adept at forging positive relationships with key stakeholders. Excel in managing multiple projects concurrently with strong detail, problem solving and follow-through capabilities. Proven track record of building, managing and motivating cohesive teams that achieve stellar results. Highly adaptable and resilient, thriving on challenges. Exceptionally strong investigative and analytical abilities. Earned an MBA, a PMP and an ITIL Level 3 Certification.

Gene D. Smith, MBA

Career Highlights:

(US Agency for International Development)

  • Managed a team of four engineers that developed and installed a headquarters wide video teleconferencing solution that promoted more real time communications and saved approximately $50,000 in related travel costs during the first year.
  • Led a team of eight engineers that developed and installed a wireless solution in headquarters and overseas sites that increased staff productivity as much as 90 minutes per week by making access to content available through laptops, smart phones, and tablets.
  • Directed a team of five engineers that developed and piloted a virtual desktop infrastructure in support of the agency’s strategic objective to shift more IT operations to the cloud; projected to save $500,000 per year in operating costs.
  • Guided a team of twelve engineers that finished a proof of concept and pilot program in managing mobile devices such as smart phones, tablets, and laptops two weeks and $65,000 under budget.
  • Capably supported the Chief Information Officer’s objectives to improve overall network security while expanding access to necessary content by any device, at any time, and from anywhere.

Employment History:

US Agency for International Development, Washington, DC • May 1994 to present

IT Project Manager (Jan 1999 to Present)

  • Spearhead key IT projects supporting greater access to Agency information while reducing overall operating costs; guide project teams in budgeting, scheduling and obtaining resources.
  • Oversee the preparation, submission, and implementation of all project deliverables.
  • Introduce and deliver new technologies such as wireless, mobile device management, and virtual desktops into the organization.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders and other interested parties to establish functional and technical requirements; partner with division leaders to establish integrated, high-performing project teams.
  • Identify potential risks if project tasks are not completed in a quality and timely manner.
  • Develop realistic contingency plans; calculate their impacts on project costs and schedules; prioritize the corrective actions accordingly.
  • Ensure project communication with stakeholders and interested parties to share past and future activities as well as potential risks and their effects on the overall project.
  • Develop and deploy risk mitigation strategies, change management protocols, and project communication plans.
  • Directed the new system’s transition into the agency’s network after ensuring satisfactory completion of all project activities and tests.

Office of the Inspector General: Auditor- Financial Audit Division (May 1994 to Dec 1998) 

  • Managed the activities of high performing audit teams that evaluated cost compliance for global wide programs in eliminating infectious childhood diseases in Africa.
  • Discovered nearly $750,000 in questionable and unsupported costs; recommended specific actions to close audit findings.
  • Led an audit team to Moscow, Russia, in support of a criminal investigation of a host country organization’s misuse of agency funds; discovered unsupported and questionable costs totaling $3.5 million.  (Note: The case was settled out of court when the program’s sponsor, Harvard University, reimbursed the U.S. Treasury for those costs.)
  • Oversaw peer review team of Arthur Andersen’s Chicago office for their audit of a significant agency funds grantee.
  • Evaluated Arthur Anderson’s compliance with generally accepted government auditing standards (GAGAS) when they conducted OMB mandated financial reviews of non-profit organizations that were carrying out agency programs.
  • Directed audit teams that evaluated designated programs to determine if they positively contributed to the strategic objectives of the agency.

Education:

  • University of Dallas,  Irving, TX - MBA 
  • University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS - BBA
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Charles Spillar, BBA

Charles Spillar, BBA

Upon high school graduation, Charles joined the Army National Guard and served in G-2 (intelligence) during active duty and fulfilled an eight year total commitment. He has over 30 years in sales and financial background working with a Fortune 500 corporation dealing with every major banking institution in America. Charles received a NASD principal’s license, representative license from the Chicago Board of Trade and New York Mercantile exchange. In addition, he has 14 years experience in motion picture and television experience in production and screenwriting having written over 20 feature and television scripts as well as worked on over 100 movies and television shows. Charles has 28 years of visual arts experience with exhibitions numbering over 200 and write-ups in over 20 national and regional magazines.  

Charles Spillar, BAA

He is a published free-lance journalist with over 1000 articles published. Since moving to Tucson, he has contributed to numerous community projects and received recognition and voted a “Tucson Hero” in the Tucson Weekly in Tucson, Arizona and received a certificate from the Tucson Mayor and City Council for his actions to help save the iconic sculptures for the closed Magic Carpet Golf property. Charles is the original founder of the non-profit Cactus Drive-in Theatre Foundation. Due to the high-profile recognition, he has been interviewed on all local television stations and several local radio stations and multiple print media with front-page coverage in Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Citizen (now defunct) and the Tucson weekly. Charles brings over 20 years media experience to the HAV organization with many local media contacts benefiting the non-profit. He obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration from University of Oklahoma.

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Senior Staff

Strategy and Operations Officer

Sa’ad J. Allawi, MBA 

Mr. Allawi is the co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Performance Logic Inc. He has 35 years experience in consulting, 20 of those to healthcare organizations in various capacities. Prior to co-founding Performance Logic, Mr. Allawi led Nextera’s healthcare practice. Before that, he built and was the chairman of William Mercer’s healthcare provider practice. Prior to that, he built and was the director of APM’s Operations Improvement program. In addition to healthcare, Mr. Allawi worked in other industries. He was the Director of Business Development for AI industries and worked for McKinsey and Co., where he was a consultant to Fortune 100 companies and public sector organizations. He was an engineer with CA Parsons, the turbine generator manufacturers, and a section leader for MW Kellogg, petrochemical design engineers. He served on the Advisory Boards of a number of Healthcare Service and Technology companies and the Private Sector Development in Iraq for the CPA. He was a prior president of Oro Valley Rotary and Board member for Healing Arizona Veterans. He is an extensive public speaker on management and the Middle East.

Sa'ad J. Allawi, MBA

Healthcare Performance Improvement

  • Directed over 40 hospital cost reduction and performance improvement projects, resulting in cost reductions of 4 to 18% in the expense base, with 30 to 55% service improvement. The approach was franchised and utilized in 250 projects over the past 25 years.
  • Launched the “100 Top Hospitals” benchmarking study in conjunction with HCIA and served on its Advisory Board.

Management

  • Led Nextera’s Healthcare practice.
  • Built and managed the APM’s Operations Improvement practice which achieved national prominence.
  • Built and managed the William Mercer Healthcare Provider practice with full P&L responsibility.
  • Led the business development efforts for AI industries to acquire and start up new businesses in Europe and the Middle East.
  • Restructured Oro Valley Rotary around a main and satellite club, increasing membership by 30%.

Technology Applications

  • Co-founded Performance Logic, a company that provides performance management software tools (scorecard, project management, portfolio management) to the Healthcare industry.
  • Led Nextera’s efforts in applying its product Core Knowledge to reduce the cost of complexity in health plans.

 

Training, Teaching and Speaking

  • Lectured at and ran over 30 seminars on various aspects of healthcare. Organizations include; ACHE, Aspen Publishers, AIC conferences, Healthcare America, USC, Healthcare Advisory Board, Healthcare Forum, Rotary Clubs and Eller School of Business.
  • Wrote and had published over 20 articles on healthcare and project management for such organizations as the Healthcare Forum, Clinical Laboratories and the University of Montreal’s publication and the Internet.
  • Co-authored a book chapter on reengineering healthcare in the Boland Publication reference book on the topic.
  • Published a book – “Grassroots Metamorphosis” in two parts, which captures his seven presentations on the U.S. and the Middle East which were presented over 60 times in 12 years to various groups.

Mr. Allawi received a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering (concentration in Thermodynamics and Nuclear) from Liverpool University. He obtained an MBA from Columbia University School of Business, focusing on operations research and international business.

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Medical Officer

Carol Henricks, M.D. 

Dr. Henricks has been a practicing neurologist in Tucson, Arizona, since 1999, focusing on coordinating all the best traditional and alternative therapies to optimize patient outcome. In 2004, she added the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) as an adjunctive neurological therapy for my patients as part of a complex neurological recovery program. Her private practice is dual: hyperbaric oxygen therapy and neurology. TBI is a focus of her work with our military veterans. Dr. Henricks is the Medical Director of Healing Arizona Veterans. As a regular writer for the blog, she discusses HBOT as an effective treatment for TBI, the misdiagnoses of PTSD that can lead to unnecessary medication, and the hard-won triumphs over TBI and PTSD. She believes it is a tremendous honor to work with our servicemen and women, helping them recover and to improve their quality of life.

Dr. Carol Henricks, M.D.

Ever since her undergraduate days, Dr. Henricks been passionate about Brain Science. It led her to numerous research projects, like Artificial Intelligence at the University of Pittsburgh Learning Research and Development Center, Memory Research at Yale University, and brain recording. Throughout her medical education, from her neurology residency to her first fellowship, in clinical neurophysiology, she remained fascinated with how the brain works, studying how it fires patterns as it learns.

Background and Studies:

NorthStar Hyperbaric facility designated as a treatment center for the NBIRR study treating veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (Fall 2009). Study completed and data in analysis.

Clinical Drug trials of novel anticonvulsants. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. (July 1995 – June 1997)

Neurophysiology Research. Hahnemann University, Philadelphia Pennsylvania: Clinical Neurophysiology of learning and memory as part of Graduate studies during medical school, but PhD was not completed. She surgically implanted deep brain recording electrodes into rats to correlate the firing patterns with new learning. (Sept 1987 – June 1989)

Memory research. Yale University, New Haven Connecticut. Research assistant in studies using healthy college students to understand how healthy memory functions learning new material. (Sept 1984 – August 1987)

Memory research at University of Pittsburgh Learning Research and Development Center. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Educational and Psychological research assistant: studies on how people learn, understand and remember physics principles. (Sept 1981 – June 1984)

Staff Neurologist at Arizona Training Program. Neurological consultant to all residents. Residents have suffered devastating neurological conditions since childhood (2003 – 2013)

Clinical Supervisor at the St. Andrews Clinic for Crippled Children. Nogales, Arizona. Volunteer work managing problems in children with crippling neurological conditions. (1998 – 2007)

Medical Education & Training:

  • University of Arizona: Behavioral Neurology Fellowship 1998
  • University of Michigan: Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship 1997
  • Hahnemann University Hospital: Neurology Residency 1995
  • Hahnemann University Hospital: Internship 1992 General Medicine
  • Hahnemann University School of Medicine MD 1991 Medicine
  • Washington and Jefferson College Psychology BA 1981 Psychology
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Veterans Outreach Officer

Robin O’Bannon, Technical Sergeant, USAF, Retired

Robin served from 1987 to 2005 as an Enlisted member of America’s Air Force, retiring as a decorated, 100% service disabled Gulf War Veteran. Her career fields included Dental Technician and Manager, Leadership Instructor and Enlisted Accessions Recruiter. Robin has received two Associates degrees and an Occupational Instructor Certification from the Community College of the Air Force, a BBA in Training and Leadership and an MBA in Training and Development.

Robin O’Bannon, Technical Sergeant, USAF, Retired

Robin is the chief curriculum writer of the Promissory Note Project, a self-education initiative that focuses primarily on the full meaning and intent of the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution.  This is a calling she would be wholly unable to fulfill but for a continuous journey of recovery from illnesses previously deemed “incurable”.  Fueling her healing journey is an aggressive regimen of alternative therapies at the center of which continues to be Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).  To serve on the Healing Arizona Veterans board of directors is both a privilege and opportunity to be a healed veteran in dedicated service to healing veterans.

“Brain injured, chronically ill veterans are but one group of individuals who are restricted from contributing fully to the Republic they so love.  The simple yet powerful healing of HBOT is key to removing these barriers. As warriors, we have given so much and still have so much more to give this country.  Because of my perspective, not only do I “get it”, I can clearly envision what this nation would look like with some of its strongest citizens fully restored.  I will do whatever is required of me to make that vision a reality.  See, even though many of us are no longer on active duty, we still have important missions to complete.”

Robin has two grown sons, Patrick, 20, an LDS missionary serving a voluntary, 2-year mission in the Oregon, Eugene Mission and Sean, 22, a returned missionary who served for two years in the Missouri, St. Louis Mission. 

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Bo Popovic

Bo Popovic (Grants Officer)

Bo graduated in 1997, with a Masters in Public Administration with emphasis in Public Policy Development from California State University, East Bay. Discovering her personal and social need to work on the “greater good” projects, she worked on causes that provoked her inner need to act on where she received great joy.  Bo has held positions in development and fundraising for a variety of nonprofits and the educational sector for over a 25 year period. She also served on many boards, and as a member and/or volunteer for a number of associations and nonprofits throughout California, Oregon, and Arizona.

A few of her past positions held in Pima County were as the deputy director for the Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission, the volunteer coordinator for MHC Healthcare, as the major gifts officer for El Rio Health and for the past year recruits patients, provides outreach and marketing for Eclipse Clinical Research as their Recruitment Specialist. She is now committed as a volunteer to Healing Arizona Veterans and their fund raising goals.

Your Donation Helps Change Lives

As a 501(c)(3) organization, contributions to Healing Arizona Veterans (HAV) are tax-deductible against Federal income. Immediately show your support by making a donation today, and help make a difference in veterans’ lives.