ABC is excited to welcome two new members to its board of directors following the retirement of two members on November 30th. At its September 8th meeting in Boston, the ABC Board of Directors confirmed the appointment of Erin O’Brien, CPO, FAAOP and Stella Seiber and bid farewell to director public member, Colleen P. Coulter, PT, DPT, PhD and director Michelle A. Yakaboski, CPO. 

“We are very excited to welcome these two extremely talented and knowledgeable women to the ABC Board,” says Cathy Carter, ABC Executive Director. “Both Erin and Stella bring a wealth of valuable experience in their respective fields, contributions to scientific publications and an impressive history of volunteer and leadership activities.” 

Erin O’Brien, CPO, FAAOP, of Portland, Ore., has been volunteering with ABC since 2014 as an Orthotic CPM examiner and joined the ABC Scope of Practice Committee in 2018. O’Brien has a BA in Biology from Washington University in St. Louis and received her BS in Prosthetics and Orthotics from the University of Washington in 2008. Since earning her CO and CPO certifications from ABC in 2010 and 2011 respectively, she has worked as an upper limb clinician for Hanger Clinic in both the Houston and Portland areas and has served as Clinic Manager, Clinical Education Specialist and Residency Liaison. O’Brien has been a guest lecturer at both Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and the University of Washington. She has also acted as a residency mentor for Hanger Clinic, BCM and NCOPE. In 2018 alone, O’Brien served as organizer/speaker for a pediatric gait course for PTs and Orthotists, UNITE: Human Tech Connect panelist and collaborator for the Portland Design Museum’s Bespoke Bodies. Additionally, she has contributed to two prosthetic journal articles. 

Stella Sieber of Durham, N.C., is a retired biologist for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Molecular Genomics Core Laboratory. She has contributed to over 40 articles in medical journals and publications and received 10 awards from NIEHS during her career with the institution as well as the Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Unexpectedly in 2001, Sieber was struck and pinned between two cars after stopping to assist a driver whose car had hydroplaned and  flipped over. The accident resulted in Sieber becoming a bilateral above-the-knee amputee. In the 20 years since her accident, Sieber has become a leader for those with limb loss or limb difference, speaking at national conferences and seminars, connecting with health care professionals and researchers and serving as a LL-LD peer advocate and volunteer.