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Staff

Updated January 1, 2012

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CEO - Paul Gray, Full-Time Volunteer

Paul Gray Staff PicturePaul Gray is the creator and current full-time Chief Executive Officer of RISE. Paul has built many successful businesses in his corporate career. After retiring in 2006, he spent a year as the CEO of another outreach organization before creating RISE. With his vast business experience and dedication to the disability community, he formed RISE Adventures in March of 2007. Paul has been exposed to individuals with physical disabilities since 1969 when a friend became paralyzed in a car accident. He has witnessed the vast transformation of wheelchair sports and equipment available in the past into the sophisticated adaptive devices available today. Paul envisioned the need for weekly therapeutic programs providing needed outreach to a number of hospitals and industry organizations. After building RISE Adventures, he turned the organization over to the newly formed Executive Board of Directors and its elected officers in December of 2007.

Contact Paul @ 469.762.5075 or pgray@riseadventures.org.

Program Support and Equipment Manager, Joel "Peanut" Hendrix

Joel spent most of his business life in the construction industry as a manager. Due to the economic downturn, he became involved with RISE Adventures as a full time volunteer since inception in 2007. His love of working with persons with physical disabilities encouraged him to accept a full time position in 2012. He unanimously received the RISE Volunteer of the Year award in 2009 and 2010, and the Equipment Support of the Year award, 2011.

Contact Joel @ jhendrix@riseadventures.org.

 

 

Marketing/Fundraising, Julie Saeger, Full-Time Volunteer

Julie Saeger Staff PictureJulie Saeger is currently a Senior Account Executive for Who’s Calling, A Reynolds & Reynolds Company.  Julie has over 17 years of outside sales experience and customer relationship management.  She has a proven track record of exceeding annual sales goals and is highly motivated.  She is a self-start who is organized, disciplined and goal oriented.  Julie has excellent communication skills demonstrated by her ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds.  Julie grew up in West Texas and graduated with a BBA in Finance from Angelo State University.  Her family consists of three children – Mason, Abbey and Jonathan.

Contact Julie @ jsaeger@riseadventures.org.

 

Program Administrator, Annette Brauer, Full-Time Volunteer

Stephanie BowermanAnnette Brauer grew up in New Mexico eventually moving to Lewisville, TX in 1994. She went to work for Xerox where she met her husband Rick Brauer, RISE's sailing program manager and Board of Directors member. She spent 7 years at Xerox first with customer service, then in the billing department before being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 37. Annette spent 5 years at home before going back to school and receiving her certification for medical billing and coding.  She spent several years participating in the SCA, an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating pre 17th century European history. She is a dedicated genealogist.  She worked for a neurologist for 3 years as a receptionist, biller, referral specialist and scheduling tests.  Annette is now dedicating most of her days as Program Administrator for RISE.

Contact Annette @ 972.978.8903 or abrauer@riseadventures.org.

Director of Development, Chris Goad

Chris GoadChris Goad graduated in 1993 from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in Marketing. He lettered in wheelchair track his freshman year and qualified at the national level in table tennis. During his sophomore and junior years, Chris played quad rugby for a team sponsored by Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation (BIR). Chris’ spinal cord injury occurred at the age of 17 when he was involved in a diving accident, leaving him a quadriplegic at the C5/C6 level. Chris purchased a handcycle in 1999 and it has become one of his favorite recreational activities. In 2007, he began participating in BIR’s Support Challenge Inspire (SCI) monthly support group, and serves on the advisory board. In February of 2009, Chris began participating RISE programs and began volunteering with conducting and organizing special projects to promote RISE within the community.

Contact Chris @ 469-766-4118 or cgoad@riseadventures.org.

Administrative Assistant, Ryan Venable

Ryan Venable grew up in Grapevine, Texas. At age of 14 he was diagnosed with Friedreichs Ataxia which is a NeuroMuscular Disease that caused him to slowly lose his coordination and balance. By 19, he started using a wheelchair fulltime. The disease caused him to isolate himself and not want to go out much, but when he discovered RISE in the summer of 2010. He finally realized that being disabled isn’t something to be ashamed of, but something to be proud of. In 2011 Ryan started to want to do more to help other disabled people, so created a website DisabledDining that ranks restaurants by accessibility. He also started helping out RISE with some of the online things that are needed to keep RISE going. This way others can experience RISE the way he did. He now does programs like Water Skiing, Tubing, and Quad Rugby regularly. He is making many new friends in RISE, and is hoping he can help others discover how much fun and life changing the experience can be participating in Therapeutic Adaptive Programs RISE provides weekly.

Contact Ryan @ 817.528.6011 or rvenable@riseadventures.org.