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Blair Curtis, M.Ed, Minneapolis, MN
Blair Curtis is a K-12 public school teacher currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program at Bethel University; writing a dissertation on the use of yoga as a behavioral intervention for schools. She has advised on many VA panels and co-authored a paper on the reasons veterans choose not to utilize integrated health offerings. Blair is a Navy Veteran and published author. She earned her Bachelor of Science from Excelsior University and her M.Ed. from Saint Leo University.
Davi Gray, Minneapolis, MN
Davi Gray (she/they) is a queer, trans, nonbinary poet, writer, performer, artist, producer, activist, and abolitionist, living in Bde Óta OthúÅ‹we (Minneapolis), on unceded Dakota lands. A former paratrooper (airborne infantry) deployed to Saudi Arabia and Iraq during the first Gulf War, Haiti with UN peacekeepers, and elsewhere, Davi is deeply committed to helping build a better world for all of us through many paths, including providing feedback for VA research.
Jerry Obieglo SFC US Army (Retired)
Jerry entered the US Army in 1978 and served in the Military Police Corps. Six years active duty and retired in 2000 from the US Army Reserve as a Platoon Sergeant. He was deployed during the Gulf War in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait and again in 1999 to Europe. Jerry has been in the VA Health care System since 1992 and has participated in several Gulf War studies. During his employment with the Winona County Minnesota Sheriff’s Office as Training Officer he focused on Veterans in crises and the implementation of Veterans Court. In 2015 he retired from law enforcement and was appointed the Winona County Veterans Service Officer, where he continued to serve Veterans in his County. After retiring in 2021, Jerry volunteers and assists Veterans in need with medical transportation, deliver of medical equipment, and setting up wheelchair ramps. He is a member of VFW Post 1287 Honor Guard, performing the final tribute to Veterans at grave sites. As a member of the Winona Veterans Memorial Park Board, Jerry has started a community service program for volunteers to donate time resurfacing bricks bearing the names of Veterans that have faded with time.
Jacqueline Fiore, MA, Industrial-Organizational Psychology; Minneapolis, MN
Jacqueline Fiore is an Army Veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and now applies her expertise in industrial-organizational psychology to help organizations strengthen talent management, leadership, and employee engagement. She has extensive experience in organizational effectiveness and change management, working with both Fortune 500 companies and small businesses. Ms. Fiore is passionate about ensuring Veterans’ voices are heard in shaping care and services, which inspired her to join the Veteran Engagement Panel. She splits her time between Minneapolis, MN and Port Saint Lucie, FL, and is dedicated to supporting initiatives that improve the well-being and outcomes of fellow Veterans.
Matt Carder, Peer Specialist, Interventionist; CONNECTED Study, Indianapolis, IN
Matt is an interventionist on a research project designed to increase social connections and reduce isolation in Veterans; he also works with a Veteran engagement panel on their current project in Indianapolis. Prior to this he was a peer specialist at the Toledo, Ohio VA where he worked with Veterans with substance use disorders. Matt has always been passionate about caring for military personnel, both in the military as well as in his civilian career. When he heard about the opportunity to be on this panel, he was eager to join. Matt was an Army Medic and served eight years Active Duty and twenty-two years in the Reserves. He deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan. Then in March of 2024 he took his boots off for the last time. Matt has worked for the Dept of Veterans Affairs for almost twenty-four years and is very passionate about improving the quality of life of our Veterans.
Matthew McCaa, MSOT is a dedicated healthcare professional and researcher with a diverse background in military service, psychology, and occupational therapy. He began his career as an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter in the United States Marine Corps, where he developed a strong commitment to service and public safety. He has worked as a case manager in a transitional housing program supporting Veterans who experienced homelessness and joined the VA in 2014 to support the implementation of the Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution program. He currently works on projects related to pain management and palliative care. Mr. McCaa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University in the City of New York.
Matt is excited to contribute to the Veteran Engagement Panel as a co-facilitator to support the inclusion of Veteran ideas and feedback into research and evaluation projects.
Kayla Gray is an accomplished research project manager with a strong background in in healthcare research, data analysis and policy development. She is passionate about improving healthcare operations and patient outcomes. She currently serves on the VA's Virtual Care CORE to support projects generating evidence in telehealth effectiveness that will shape national policies to enhance healthcare access for Veterans. Before joining VA in 2021, Kayla's work focused on teaching behavioral and social skills to at-risk youth. Kayla earned her Masters degree in Research and Experimental Psychology at San Jose State University.
Kayla will serve as a co-facilitator of the Veteran Engagement Panel and lead communications with panel members and the VA research community. She looks forward to working closely with our VA community and incorporating their voices into future research projects.
Cindie Slightam, MPH is a project manager and currently leads several projects that aim to incorporate Veteran perspectives on video visits and virtual care. She has worked at the VA for 15 years and has experience working on a variety of projects ranging from testing new treatments for PTSD, leading nutrition education and developing community gardens and collaborative programs to support caregivers. She is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and completed her undergraduate degree at Mills College (Biopsychology) and her Masters in Public Health from San Jose State University.
Cindie will support many of the activities that occur in the background to help the panel run smoothly. She looks forward to making sure Veteran voices are incorporated into new projects and that research projects are able to adapt their materials and projects to be accessible to all Veterans.
Donna Zulman, MD, MS, is Associate Director of VA Palo Alto’s Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i) and serves as one of the Principal Investigators for VA’s Virtual Care Consortium of Research. Dr. Zulman has been a primary care physician and researcher in the VA system since 2008. Her research focuses on improving health care delivery for veterans with complex medical and social needs and optimizing health-related technology to improve access, quality of care, and outcomes. After completing medical school at UCLA and Internal Medicine training at the University of Michigan, she received a Masters in Health and Health Care Research at the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor VA.
Dr. Zulman will support the research community in bringing their project ideas to the panel and will ensure that panel feedback is incorporated at a variety of research project stages.
Find out more about the Veteran Engagement Panel.
