The Executive Board Leads the Way

Meet our Board of Directors—the passionate leaders driving NextStep Raleigh forward with energy, vision, and purpose.

Board of Directors

karen thor

Founder, NextStep Raleigh

Karen Thor worked in banking for over 20 years, holding positions as Director of Treasury Management, Small Business, Group Banking and Credit Cards. She completed her career in banking as CIO and Executive Vice President at National Commerce Financial, a $26B financial institution. She also ran a successful consulting company, Revenue Enhancement Associates, teaching community banks how to establish high performing treasury management and group banking divisions. Karen then joined Deluxe Corporation’s Treasury Management Solutions division as a national sales manager, leading a nationwide team selling complex payments software. In 2015, Karen’s son was hit by a car and suffered a C2 break, paralyzing him from the neck down. She and her family immediately moved to Atlanta so that Michael could rehab at the Shepherd Center, one of the top SCI rehab centers in the country. It was there she saw the immense benefits of activity-based therapy. After 2 ½ years, it was time to come home to the Raleigh area, but we found that the opportunity to continue aggressive activity-based therapy was very limited. We decided to open NextStep Raleigh to allow our son to continue his recovery while giving this same opportunity to others.

Her background includes leadership roles with a wide range of community-focused organizations, including the Red Sword Guild of the American Cancer Society, the Raleigh Junior League, Broughton High School’s PTSA and Athletic Booster Club, and the Rex Healthcare Foundation. Throughout her service, she has successfully led fundraising campaigns, developed volunteer training programs, and strengthened community partnerships through hands-on engagement and thoughtful strategy.

Sandy is passionate about creating structure that empowers people—from volunteers and staff to sponsors and community members. Her leadership at NextStep Raleigh is rooted in collaboration, communication, and a commitment to meaningful, measurable impact.

Margaret Hennessee

Vice President

Margaret “Margie” Hennessee arrived in Cary, North Carolina in 1995, bringing with her a Pennsylvania upbringing and a BA in Communication Studies from Thiel College. What began as a curiosity sparked by a friend attending culinary school quickly evolved into a lifelong passion for cooking—and for creating meaningful connections through food.

As Chef and Co-Owner of Maximillians Grill and Wine Bar, which she operates alongside her husband, Will, Margie draws from a rich tapestry of global flavors while staying rooted in the use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Her culinary style reflects an adventurous yet approachable spirit—an eclectic blend of textures, aromatics, and bold flavors that celebrate both comfort and creativity.

Margie’s commitment to community is as deep as her dedication to the kitchen. She actively supports a number of local nonprofits in addition to NextStep Raleigh, including the North Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association, Ronald McDonald House and the Foundation of Hope. Her advocacy is personal: following a life-altering injury that left her unable to walk for over five months, Margie emerged with a renewed sense of purpose and drive. That journey continues to inspire the distinctive, dynamic cuisine at Maximillians—a place where passion, resilience, and flavor come together on every plate.

Jim Passe

Secretary & Legal Advisor

Jim Passe is the founder and principal attorney of Passé Intellectual Property, LLC, a full-service patent law firm specializing in patent application drafting, portfolio management, and legal opinions. With over 40 years of experience, Jim provides strategic guidance to individuals and small to medium-sized companies across various industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals.

Confined to a wheelchair since 1996 due to a spinal cord injury, Jim has overcome significant challenges and thrived. An accomplished illusionist before his accident, he is now recognized as one of the best magicians in the country.

Jim's talents extend beyond magic—he is a former U.S. Olympic Team Cyclist, an electrical contractor, and a gourmet chef. Despite the challenges of his injury, his passion for illusion remains at the forefront of his life. 

Jim is licensed to practice in North Carolina, Illinois, and Michigan and continues to inspire through his work both in the legal field and in the world of magic.

Jan browder

Strategic Marketing

Jan is a seasoned business and marketing professional with extensive experience in B2B technology, supply chain, consulting, sales, and business transformation. Throughout her career, she has worked with leading companies such as Oracle, Tata Consultancy Services, IBM, and several startups. Jan holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Logistics from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from Meredith College.

Now retired, Jan resides in Cary, NC, where she enjoys traveling, volunteering, practicing yoga, and spending quality time with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Tim Hopper

With over 30 years of experience in the medical device and healthcare industries, Tim Hopper has built a robust career marked by leadership in sales, marketing, and executive positions at top multinational companies such as Medtronic, Covidien/Tyco Healthcare, and Teleflex. His extensive background includes 15 years within large corporate environments, after which he shifted his focus to entrepreneurship, immersing himself in the thriving North Carolina startup ecosystem.

Tim took an ownership and leadership role in GILERO, a medical device design, development, and manufacturing firm, where he shaped long-term growth strategies. During this time, he co-founded Infield Medical, a medical device accelerator specializing in low to mid-tech devices with a clear regulatory path (Class I/II 510(k)) and significant potential for revenue generation or strategic exit within two years. His work also led to the creation of 623 Medical (makers of nüm), which became a self-sustaining, revenue-generating company.

In 2016, a tragic accident left his youngest son with a spinal cord injury (SCI), inspiring Tim’s deep involvement in the neuro-rehabilitation and neuromodulation fields. Recognizing the limited access to neuro-rehabilitation technologies in the U.S., he partnered with a European-based robotic rehabilitation company to introduce their products to the U.S. market, helping individuals like his son and others suffering from neurological deficits.

Currently, Tim is focused on guiding startups through the commercialization and strategic planning of innovative healthcare technologies aimed at improving lives. He holds a BBA in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Babson College’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business. Residing in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife of 30 years, Tim is the proud father of three children, all graduates of local NC universities.

Joel Morgan

Joel Morgan is a training and customer engagement professional with extensive experience in technical education, relationship management, and program development. As a Senior Customer Training Professional with Honeywell, he delivers comprehensive technical training programs that help utility and technology customers successfully implement advanced metering and network systems. He also provides internal technical instruction for employees, sales teams, and strategic partners while developing training materials that support new product launches and system innovations. Previously, Joel served as a Training Facilitator at Charter Communications, where he implemented and delivered blended-learning training programs for new employees and sales teams. His professional background also includes experience in office management, logistics coordination, and corporate event planning, where he supported executive leadership, coordinated client events, and strengthened brand engagement through communications and marketing initiatives.

Alongside his professional career, Joel has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to volunteerism, nonprofit leadership, and charitable events. For more than two decades, he volunteered with the Triangle Wine & Food Experience, helping manage key operational components of the multimillion-dollar fundraising event that benefits local charities. His responsibilities included vendor coordination, winery logistics, event permitting, and front-of-house operations for major tasting and gala events. Joel continues to support nonprofit initiatives as a Winery Liaison for the Cape Fear Wine & Food Experience, where he serves as the primary point of contact for participating wineries and ensures a seamless experience for partners and guests. He also served as Chairperson of the Young Museum Associates at the North Carolina Museum of History, where he led a volunteer board dedicated to engaging young professionals, expanding community involvement, and supporting the museum’s mission to preserve and share North Carolina’s history. Through these roles, Joel has combined his leadership, organizational expertise, and passion for community service to advance charitable causes and strengthen cultural institutions.

Alexander "sasha" rabchevsky(pHD)

Professor of Physiology at the University of Kentucky, College of Medicine

Alexander “Sasha”Rabchevsky (PhD) is a tenured Professor of Physiology at the University of Kentucky, College of Medicine and is a core member of the Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Research Center. Notably, he is, himself, paralyzed from the chest down as the result of a motorcycle accident in 1985 which fractured his sixth thoracic vertebrae rendering him a complete T5 paraplegic.  He has gained international recognition as a leading expert in the pathophysiology of both mitochondrial and autonomic dysfunction following SCI.  

Dr. Rabchevsky has and continues to serve on various study sections, both federal and private, he is an associate editor and reviewer for various scientific journals, and his distinct studies have been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the International Spinal Research Trust, the Paralyzed Veterans Administration, the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the University of Kentucky. 

Since 2009, Sasha has served on the Board of Directors for the non-profit, No Barriers USA, that provides transformative experiences to empower people with various forms of disabilities to manifest ground-breaking innovation and discover the potential that lies within themselves – to overcome impairments in a world full of perceived obstacles. Since 2013 he has also served as co-founder and vice president of the Kentucky Congress on Spinal Cord Injury (KCSCI) that advocates for individuals with SCI in the commonwealth, and he serves on the Board for Independence Place, KY, a non-profit that supports KCSCI and further fosters inclusion and employment for individuals with a range of abilities.

Scot Sanborn

Scot Sanborn is the founder of Sutler’s Spirit Co., which he established in 2012. A graduate of The Citadel, where he earned both his undergraduate degree and MBA, Scot has built a career shaped by entrepreneurship, photography, teaching, and adventure. His background includes work as a motorsports photographer, 15 years in commercial advertising and photography, and time living in Germany, South Africa, Charleston, and across the Southeast.

An avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast, Scot enjoys surfing, camping, backpacking, vintage auto racing, and exploring the world of alcoholic beverages. He is also the proud father of a daughter, Everest, and considers being the best father he can be his most important goal. Through Sutler’s Spirit Co., Scot hopes to build an internationally respected boutique brand while helping shine a larger spotlight on North Carolina as a producer of exceptional beer, wine, and spirits.

Eric Wayne

Eric is a North Carolina native who has resided in the Triangle area since 2001. He is a licensed Realtor® associated with Live Oaks Realty, and a member of the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS.

Eric previously worked with Ernest & Young, LLP as a sales and use tax senior manager. He served as the technical guru for all things sales and use taxes for North Carolina, South Carolina, and Nebraska. His client base included fortune 1000 companies, foreign entities, and companies in an array of industries and services. Service he provided in that role included, in part, product taxability, filing requirements, nexus studies, and serving as the technical signoff for client deliverables. Prior to joining Ernest & Young, LLP, Eric served as the Sales and Use Tax Director with the North Carolina Revenue Department for a number of years before retiring from public service.

In that role, he worked with the North Carolina General Assembly regarding legislation at various stages of the legislative cycle, including responding to questions before the House and Senate Finance Committees. He oversaw the activities of the Division staff and he was heavily involved with the creation and publishment of sales and use tax information to provide guidance to the general public and tax professionals through website content, sales and use tax bulletins, administrative rules, private letter rulings, etc. During his tenure as director, he spoke before various organizations regarding many things sales and use tax. He was a member of the Department of Revenue Extended Leadership team as well. Eric was a North Carolina delegate to the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Organization whose primary purpose is to simplify and modernize sales and use tax administration in order to substantially reduce the burden of tax compliance. In addition, Eric served on the Sales and Use Tax Governing Board Executive Board for the Streamlined Organization. In earlier years, Eric was a sales and use tax manager in the North Carolina Department of Revenue Interstate Audit Examination Division which primarily audits Fortune 1000 companies headquartered throughout the United States. He was an in-state field auditor and team leader in the initial stages of his career with the North CarolinaDepartment of Revenue.