Board of Directors
President: Marshall Tempest
Marshall (Lee) is currently employed at University of Pittsburgh as a spinal cord injury research study coordinator at UPMC Mercy Hospital. At 18 years old he sustained a T12 spinal cord injury. He graduated from Kent State University with BA in Psychology and has spent 25 years as a Wheelchair basketball athlete. He serves as a board member in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. He also spent six years competing with the Pittsburgh Mighty Penguins sled hockey team. He has completed many handcycle marathons and enjoys being active competitively and recreationally with handcycling. He is currently a volunteer assistant coach for the local youth wheelchair basketball team and has also served as co-leader of the Spinal Cord Injury Peer Support Group at UPMC Rehabilitation Institute since 2010.
Vice President: Thomas Antolic
Tom is a mechanical engineer at Westinghouse Electric Company, graduating from Virginia Tech in 2007. He has been an active member of the Steelwheelers since 2012, following a snowboarding injury that left him paralyzed in 2011 at the age of 25. He has been active with both the basketball and handcycle teams, but currently focuses on handcycling. In addition to the competitive nature of participating in adaptive sports, he particularly enjoys the comradery and the learning of skills both to evolve his participation in these sports, and to make life with a disability easier.
Secretary: Matthew Berwick
Matt currently serves as the Program Manager for Disability Accommodations in Clinical Services for the UPMC Health System in the Disabilities Resource Center. He also teaches part-time at the University of Pittsburgh and has worked in the area of disability services for almost a decade, serving on local, state and national boards for people with disabilities, currently serving as the President of The United Spinal Association of Western PA. Prior to joining UPMC, Matt worked in higher education and as a Youth Specialist focusing on youth transition services. Matthew has a B.A. in Elementary Education, and an M.A. in Adult Learning and Training. In addition to the work he does, he is very active in the Pittsburgh disability sports community, having played wheelchair rugby since 2004 with the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers and has been curling since 2008 with the Pittsburgh Curling Club.
Treasurer: Julie Gallagher
Julie is a Physical Therapist on the inpatient rehabilitation unit at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She is particularly passionate about advocating for peer support and involvement in adaptive recreation for children and adolescents with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities. Julie serves on the support staff for the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers Wheelchair Rugby team and is a Level 1 classifier for the US Wheelchair Rugby Association. She also enjoys helping with various other recreation activities and community programming in the Pittsburgh area.
Board Member: Rachel Hibbs
Rachel is a Physical Therapist and Assistant Professor & Director of Continuing Education in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology at the University of Pittsburgh. She is also a Neurologic Clinical Specialist Physical Therapist and Certified Assistive Technology professional who provides clinical care at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Center for Assistive Technology and the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute. She is active in the adaptive sports community, not only with the Steelwheelers, but is also a National Classifier for the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, and serves as a member of the medical team for the Pittsburgh Marathon Handcycle Assistance Team. Rachel's professional and personal interests intersect with the training of new healthcare professionals in inclusive and holistic care for individuals with disabilities, as well as in development of training programs for healthcare professionals and volunteers for adaptive sports organizations for safe and inclusive wellness opportunities.
Board Member: Chris Mielo
Chris is a Communications Manager at Achieva in Pittsburgh where he serves individuals with disabilities. He earned his B.A. in TV/Video Production at Robert Morris University and has played wheelchair basketball since 2001, competing at the youth, collegiate, and adult semi-professional levels. He is currently the coach of the Steelwheelers Basketball Team.
Board Member: Chaz Kellem
Chaz currently serves as a Program Manager at Highmark Health where he does work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Chaz began his career at the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he spent most of his 10 years in the Community & Public Affairs department as the Manager of Diversity Initiatives. Chaz earned his Masters of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership from Robert Morris University and his Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education from Edinboro University. Chaz has been a member of the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers in a variety of capacities including a volunteer, player, and Assistant Coach.
