Welcome to NAOTD's page of personal profiles

This is where we offer you the chance to get to know us.

Victoria E. Brown is the President of NAOTD. She is a 48 year old/Widow/Mother of three/Nana of three. She has a Bachelors in Business Management and Aviation Management. She created Northeast Aviation in Chicago and worked there as their General manager, Charter Director & Drug Program Manager and was a pilot herself until Homozygous CMT Muscular Dystrophy Type1 prevented her from flying. She is very much involved with Disability Activism which is why the National Alliance OF The Disabled was formed to be an organization "OF BY & FOR The DisABLED."

In Torrie's free time she likes to write, she is now putting the finishing touches on a novel and writing two more. She also likes to read and even has a bit of a green thumb. She works on medieval needlework and primitive folk art. Victoria still holds a great love for aviation as well.

Victoria can be reached through email at NAOTD@aol.com.

Tracy Mankins is the Vice President of NAOTD. Tracy graduated from Wright State University in 1990 with a B.A. in Psychology. She worked from 3/92 - 9/94 at the Defense Electronics Supply Center (DESC), a Dept. of Defense Base. At DESC, Tracy worked in the Personnel office where she handled the Workers' Compensation Program for approximately 3000 employees, counseled employees on employee benefits (health insurance, life insurance, retirement, etc.) She did a lot of computer-related work there as well. Tracy ended up having to take a Disability Retirement from DESC a few years ago and now spends most of her time online, running an email discussion list called Strength-L for those who have neuromuscular diseases and working on various advocacy projects.

Tracy married her soulmate, Mark in Dec of 1991. She has a wonderful assistance dog, Angel (the huge, white, beautiful dog in the picture with Tracy). Tracy also drives a very elaborately adapted van (when it works :)

Tracy's main interests at the moment are disability advocacy, helping to empower others by sharing her experiences with them, writing about things that matter to her, and meeting and networking with others via the internet (and of course, helping to make the Alliance a force to be reckoned with :)

Tracy has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, as does her brother Bob.

Tracy would love to hear from you, so email her at turtle@dnaco.net.

Walton Dutcher is the Executive Director of Operations for NAOTD. Wally lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has been a quadriplegic as the result of a spinal cord injury in May, 1956. Wally's educational background includes Architecture at the University of Illinois, the Milwaukee School of Broadcasting, and a BA in Business Administration from the University of South Florida.

After obtaining his BA, Wally organized and concurrently managed; a mutual fund, the fund's underwriter, and the fund's investment adviser. He later joined the management companies for the Templeton Group of mutual funds as the Compliance Officer. In 1985 he accepted a position with a small, 5 employee, cabinet manufacturer and led it through its growth to a $6 million company in two and one-half years.

Wally has had a lot of experience with non-profit organizations, including organizing local chapters of a national organization, a competitive swim club, a Unitarian- Universalist Fellowship, and a center for independent living (CIL). He served three terms as President of the CIL and currently serves on the Board of Directors. He is the Vice President of Dowdell, Dutcher and Associates, Inc., a business and financial consulting firm offering a wide range of services to the small business community.

Wally has been married since June, 1961 and he and his wife adopted a baby girl in April, 1968. Their daughter became a very accomplished swimmer--14 time college All-American-- swam in Russia with the U.S. Junior National Team when she was 14. She married in August of 1993 and Wally and his wife now are enjoying their first grandchild, a girl.

Wally enjoys singing and has been involved with a group called the Alumni Singers since 1985. He also enjoys architectural design and has designed and built 3 of his own homes and designed some for others.

Wally has a great deal of knowledge in many areas of disAbility advocacy and the independent living movement and he is interested in helping others who have disabilities.

Wally can be contacted at wdutcher@stpete.mindspring.com.

Jim Heida, Jr. is the Treasurer of NAOTD and is the director of his own disAbility service organization called AccessHOPE. Jim is a 31 year old survivor of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy which has rendered him wheelchair and ventilator dependent. He is a songwriter and business student. Jim is also a fanatic of computers and cyberspace. He has been working with computers for all of his adult life. Jim started on an old Radio Shack color computer and evolved into a Commodore 64 and then an Amiga 500. Eventually he ended up with IBM's. Jim loves his computer, he even writes music on it and he is about to obtain voice activization.

Jim lives with his parents, one dog and two cats. He is currently attending Baker College and working on an Associate degree in Business Management and about to begin a computer science program though the Internet at Rogers State College. He is working on being a writer as well and hopes to write the Great American novel someday.

As a disabled man, Jim has come to appreciate cyberspace because it has afforded him a new found independence.

Jim's goals in life include film making as well as developing several businesses involving software design, telecommunications and even multimedia production. He'd also like to be a best selling author as well as published songwriter. Jim has learned that no goal is too high to reach.

Jim can be reached at Jaminator@aol.com.

Fred H. Temple is the Director for Multiple Sclerosis for NAOTD's Advisory Panel. Fred was born and continues to live in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Born on Janurary 29, 1944, he is an Aquarious of English - Scotch ancestory, his father having been born in Barrow England. His mother claims to have ancestors who 'came over' on the next boat after the Mayflower.

After gratuating from Duquesne University in 1965 with a degree in Journalism, Fred joined the U.S. Navy at the time when the Vietnam war was beginning to build up. He served in "The Gulf of Tonkin Yacht Club" and in the city of Danang, as a teletype repair man. After receiving the Navy Unit Commendation (twice) and other service awards, Fred was discharged honorably in 1971.

His next ten years were spent as an English teacher in Japan at both Sagami Institute of Technology, and Keio University. Fred says that he thoroughly enjoyed nine of those ten years before he realized it was time to come home.

Upon retrurning to Pittsburgh. Fred began working at his present line of work, that of a sewing machine repairman. He also fell in love with 'the girl next door' (and she fell in love with him). Fred and Audrey were married in February of 1985. Audrey, the most beautiful woman on earth, and Fred share their home with an 'adopted greyhound', a 'pound puppy' and an abandoned spitz.

Along the way, Fred got bored and picked up a degree as a paralegal, and also picked up Multiple Sclerosis. (Which he has dubbed The MonSter.) When he was dianosed in August of 1995, Fred says he went home and cried all afternoon (how un-manly :) and went back to working full time the next day. Fred still works full time, although he starts work and goes home a little earlier.

He hates the word 'cope' but feels his MonSter has helped him to learn to 'adapt' to his numb hands and weak legs. "The MonSter isn't the end of anything, it is just the start of yet another adventure," Fred says.

Fred can be contacted anytime at FTemple917@aol.com

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Spike Spikberg is our Director of Travel & Public Relations for NAOTD's Advisory Panel. He is 42, is married and he has 2 Children and they make Kentucky their home. His DisAbility: Spinal Cord Injury-T-2 incomplete. Spike is retired-US Army/Artillery

His education includes Lansing Community College: Course Completed: Industrial Math & Laser Computation & Alignment. Walter & May Reuther Family Education Center, Black Lake UAW. Courses Completed: CAP. Community Action Program., Family Education & Recreation. Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Warfare Training Center, Ft. Benning GA.

Spike has worked as a volunteer as well at a local Rehabilitation Hospital/Therapeutic Recreation Dept. in Nashville, VA Hospital.

Spike is the Vice President Of his Local Spinal Cord Support Group. "South Central Kentucky Wheelers".

His Interests include Sci-Fi & Historical Gaming Conventions, Movies, Travel, Rock Music, Murder Mysteries on A&E Network, Auto Racing: Indy 500, Teladaga 500, Football: AFC.#1. Team Miami Dolphins!, NFC#2 Team Detroit Lions. Hockey Team: Detroit Red Wings. Historical Military Research, Genealogy Research, Sharing Good Friends, Good Food, Good Wine, Good Times!

"Well there you have it in a nut shell!"

Spike can be reached at BLUE55WING@aol.com.

Donna Eustice is the Director of Parents of Disabled Children for NAOTD's Advisory Panel. Donna is 37 yrs old and is married to Larry; a wonderful husband and Dad. She is the mother of two; Joey (11yrs) and Melissa (3 yrs). Melissa is autistic.

Donna has had 1-1/2 years of college. She is involved with the Autism Society of the Bluegrass which is centered in Lexington, Ky. She attends monthly meetings and surfs the Web to find any new information for the Society on autism to be distributed to other members who do not have access to Web.

Donna likes just about anything she can do outdoors; she loves hiking, fishing, boating, camping, gardening, you name it. She used to work with horses; she worked and lived on the racetracks for about 7 years, travelled all over the US and absolutely loved it!

Indoors, Donna loves canning the food she raises in her garden. She makes homemade hot sauce with her nephew every year and they sell it as fast as they can. Donna is an avid reader and a big Stephen King fan.

If you'd like to contact Donna, she can be reached at DEust10440@aol.com.

REMEMBER: There is no higher religion than truth!