Board of Directors

Burris ‘Duke’ Duncan

Co-Founder of ARSOBO

Duke is a semi-retired pediatrician and a Professor Emeritus (Pediatrics and Public Health) at the University of Arizona. His entire 55+ year medical career concentrated on caring for children with disabilities and their families. He has witnessed the resilience and perseverance of these children and the unconditional care and love given by their families. He knew that, if given a little assistance these children can and do reach their potential, a potential that is generally higher than the public or even many medical professionals expect. He wanted to do everything he could that would ensure that these children, as well as adults with disabilities, are included in school, in work, and in society. It was for those reasons that he and Kiko Trujillo founded the Arizona Sonora Border Projects for Inclusion.

Heidi L. Pottinger

Founder & Executive Director of Child Health & Resilience Mastery (CHARM)

Dr. Heidi L. Pottinger, DrPH, MPH, MA, , is originally from the U.S.-Mexico border town of Nogales, AZ. Since 2014, she has worked to help lead a multi-site clinical trial for young children with cerebral palsy, and as a board member for ARSOBO’s U.S. entity and volunteer for the MX entity. Previously, she was director of clinical research for the Muscular Dystrophy Association national headquarters. She is proud to be involved with ARSOBO because the mission, vision, and programs all support strengthening individual, family, and community resiliency in vital and tangible ways.

Sarah Don

Certified Prosthetist & Orthotist
Tucson Residency Director, Hanger Clinic

I am an ABC-certified prosthetist/orthotist (CPO) since 2012. I specialize in lower extremity pediatric orthotics, idiopathic scoliosis, and lower extremity prosthetics. I have had the pleasure of working with ARSOBO since 2015. Having the ability to provide Orthotic and Prosthetic services to a population that does not readily have resources available to them is immensely rewarding and life-changing. I will continue working alongside ARSOBO for as long as they will have me.

Matthew Apfel

Founding Attorney
Apfel and Associates, PC

An Arizona native, Matthew specializes in public international law, international arbitration/investment disputes, international business transactions, and civil suits against foreign sovereign states in domestic courts. His work has led him to live in Beijing, New York City, Washington, D.C, and Phoenix.

From the first time I visited ARSOBO on a tour, I was amazed and touched by the great impact the organization makes in Nogales and the larger border region. Every single employee, volunteer, and director has joined ARSOBO because they are passionate about changing peoples' lives for the better. Seeing a child walk again, witnessing an individual achieve independence through a wheelchair or hearing well for the first time is why I have joined ARSOBO.

Anna Groff

Certified Prosthetist & Orthotist
Hanger Clinic, Tucson, AZ

A licensed physical therapist with a focus on providing rehabilitation and training for patients with amputations. She is a graduate of the Georgia Tech MSPO and the UConn DPT program. Her interests are in orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) and rehabilitation provision in underserved areas and developing countries. Her research and volunteer time focus on the development of holistic and self-sustainable clinics in low-resource areas.

ARSOBO is one of the major reasons I moved from the East Coast. God gave me the heart to reach people in underserved areas. By working in Tucson with Hanger clinic, it gave me the opportunity to join the partnership we have with the team at ARSOBO to work together to serve patients in the Sonora region. I feel blessed to serve alongside passionate people for their communities, not just meeting their physical needs with devices and rehabilitation but their souls as well. I share the mission of ARSOBO to become self-sustainable and have patients take ownership in their care. This field cannot reach its optimum potential unless everyone involved, including our patients, are actively involved in the care plan and working to meet it. I am privileged to be a part of an amazing project that has blessed so many lives.

Karin Shipman

Founder and President
EGI Development

Karin has 45 years of experience providing technical support to emerging businesses in developing countries in areas such as communications, marketing, and business strategy.

EGI has supported entrepreneurs in Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Caribbean Region with a special focus on Haiti. Among EGI’s clients are: The World Bank, The U.S. Agency for International Development/USAID, International Finance Corporation/IFC Inter-American Development Bank

She is a believer in ARSOBO’s mission to improve the quality of life for individuals of all ages by reducing the adverse effects of their impairment. She has been a member of ARSOBO’s Board of Directors since 2015 supporting the organizations marketing efforts and business development.

Tracy Carroll

Physical Therapist

Tracy Carroll has been a practicing Physical Therapist in Tucson, AZ for almost 40 years. Joining the University of Arizona Family and Community Medicine (FCM) Department in 1997 as lecturer and associate faculty, she has served as a clinical preceptor for Border and Global Health. Initially sponsored by FCM University of Arizona Center for Excellence in Disabilities in Tucson Arizona (UCEDD) in 2008, Ms. Carroll is a founding member, ongoing consultant, and member of the Board of Directors for the Arizona Sonora Border (ARSOBO) Projects for Inclusion.

Eric Burns

Certified Orthotist & Regional Director
Southwest Region, Hanger Clinic

Eric Burns has been in the orthotics and prosthetic field for over 30 years and spent the last 25 years serving the needs of Southern Arizona. He has worked in several settings from specialty clinics, area hospitals, charitable clinics, and formal orthotics and prosthetic clinics. Eric was immediately inspired by ARSOBOs mission of creating a sustainable clinic to not only provide equipment but also have it made by people using the devices and is proud to be involved in providing independence to so many people along the Arizona-Sonora Border.

Robert Guerrero

Southern Arizona Outreach and Constituent Services Representative for U.S. Senator Mark Kelly

Mr. Guerrero strives to develop strong working relationships with local elected officials and community leaders to better understand and report on issues of importance.

As the former Public Sector Co-Chair of the Health Services Committee of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, I had scheduled Dr. Bill Neubauer and Kiko Trujillo to present about ARSOBO at the Plenary Session of the Comisión Sonora-Arizona in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora. I then invited Dr. Neubauer and Kiko to present again in Phoenix at the Arizona-Mexico Commission. I was so impressed with the work that ARSOBO was doing that following the Phoenix presentation, I asked Dr. Neubauer how I might join the board.

Wendy Parent-Johnson

Executive Director, Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities

Professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine

Editor, Journal of Rehabilitation

Dr. Wendy Parent-Johnson is Executive Director of the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities and Professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine, College of Medicine at the University of Arizona. She has thirty-seven years of experience in the areas of supported and customized employment, the transition from school to work, and Employment First policy and practice. The emphasis of Dr. Parent-Johnson’s work has been on model development, capacity building, and implementation strategies that contribute to data-informed decision-making impacting policy, practice, and systems change. Her passion is employment and ensuring all individuals regardless of their disability have the opportunities and supports to work in competitive jobs in their communities.

ARSOBO is an excellent example of innovation in employment and I would like to see the model expanded so that other communities and more people can benefit from having similar experiences. I am honored to be involved with such a great organization and provide support where helpful to assist their operations.