AO NA Executive Council

James P. Stannard, MD Hansjörg Wyss Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery Chairman, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Medical Director, Missouri Orthopaedic Institute Chief Medical Officer for Surgical and Procedural Services University of Missouri Health Care Chairman, Board of Directors, AO North America An internationally respected orthopaedic trauma and complex knee injury surgeon, Dr. James P. Stannard leads the clinical, training, and research efforts for the University of Missouri’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He oversaw the opening of the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute in May 2010, which is central Missouri’s most comprehensive orthopaedic surgery center, as well as its latest four-floor expansion in 2017. He serves as principal investigator on two Department of Defense medical research grants (more than $3 million in funding) that study biologic joint replacement strategies in knee and ankle patients. Dr. Stannard is the immediate Past President of AONA, as well as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of AO North America, an orthopaedic education and research foundation. Before arriving in Missouri, he was section chief of the orthopaedic trauma service at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (1996-2009). He has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Knee Surgery since 2010, and the textbook he co-edited, Surgical Treatment of Orthopaedic Trauma, published its second edition in 2016. It is the best-selling textbook in its field and is published in six languages. He is the head team physician for the University of Missouri’s Athletic Department. Dr. Stannard completed 10 years of active service with the U.S. Army, including service as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He received an Army Commendation Medal twice, three Meritorious Service Medals, and Airborne wings from four different countries (USA, Germany, Honduras, and South Africa). He was a defensive lineman for Brown University in the early 1980s. He and Carolyn, his wife for nearly 40 years, have seven children and seven grandchildren.

Dr. Amy Kapatkin is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and she specializes in small animal orthopedic surgery. Dr. Kapatkin graduated from the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation in the Philippines in 1981. After graduation from veterinary school, she entered private practice in general small animal medicine for four years. Dr. Kapatkin then completed a rotating internship and small animal surgical residency at the Animal Medical Center in New York City from 1986 - 1990. After her specialty training, she stayed on as a staff member at the Animal Medical Center. In 1996, Dr. Kapatkin accepted a faculty position at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2004, she came to the University of California - Davis as an Associate Professor with tenure, and during that time, completed a Master’s degree in Clinical Research. She is now a Full Professor. Her clinical orthopedic research is done in the Veterinary Orthopedic Research Laboratory. Dr. Kapatkin is an AO Faculty member, a Past-Chair of the AO VET North America Education Committee, served on the AO VET NA Board, AO VET Education International Board, AO NA Educational Advisory Committee, Faculty Alignment Committee, present Chair of the working group on Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative and the President of AO NA. Dr. Kapatkin teaches AO VET courses both nationally and internationally.

Travis T. Tollefson MD MPH FACS Dr. Tollefson is the proud father of Theo, a toddler who has humbled him by making him take days off. Theo is already an avid Jayhawk basketball fan, as any well informed gentleman should be. He is Professor and Director of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at the University of California Davis, where he specializes in cleft and pediatric craniofacial care, facial reconstruction and facial trauma care. -His interest in the emerging field of Global Surgery and improving surgical access in low-resource countries led him to complete an MPH at the Harvard School of Public Health. He helps lead the CMF arm of the AO-Alliance.org, whose goal is to instill AO principles in facial injuries in low resource settings. -His current research is focuses on clinical outcomes of patients with cleft lip-palate, facial trauma education in Africa, patterns of mandible fracture care, and patient reported outcomes in facial paralysis surgeries. He coedited, Complete Cleft Care, an evidence-based textbook on team management of cleft lip-palate. He serves as his department’s Director of Wellness and Mentoring, co-director of the UC Davis Cleft Team. He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery,and is the Editor-In-Chief for Facial Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Medicine journal (formerly JAMA - Facial Plastic Surgery).

Dr. Michael Daubs, professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the UNLV School of Medicine, he treats disorders of the neck and back including fractures, herniated discs, stenosis, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis and other complex spinal deformities. He specializes in surgery of the spine in both children and adults. Board certified, he is a member of many national and international research and education organizations and enjoys the privilege of instructing his fellow spine surgeons at medical conferences around the world. He currently serves as the Chair of AO Spine North America and is a Director of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

After obtaining a bachelor's degree from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, Dr. Crist earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, and a fellowship in orthopaedic trauma at the University of California-Davis. Dr. Crist is the Director of the Orthopaedic Trauma Service, Director of the Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship, and the Vice Chairman for Business Development. He specializes in orthopaedic trauma/fracture care, hip and pelvis reconstruction including total hip arthroplasty, and young adult hip disorders/hip preservation. Dr. Crist is a Tenured Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. He has research interests in fracture care, nonunions, deformity, infections, anterior total hip arthroplasty, patient-centered outcomes and hip preservation procedures. From the beginning of his career, he’s been involved with AO and continues to enjoy teaching at AO events, participating in committee and leadership roles, and being a part of the AO Family.

Dr. José M. García-López, VMD, Dipl. ACVS, Dipl. ACVSMR American College of Veterinary Surgeons American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Associate Professor Large Animal Surgery Department of Clinical Studies - New Bolton Center University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine José obtained his VMD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996 and went on to complete a 1-year Equine Internship at Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center (Ringoes, New Jersey, USA) followed by a 3-year Large Animal Surgical Residency with a special focus on Equine Sports Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, Massachusetts. He became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2001. Following his residency, José obtained a Lecturer position in the Section of Equine Sports Medicine and Imaging at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania where he remained for 2 years. From 2002 through 2022, he returned to Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine as an Assistant, then Associate Professor in Large Animal Surgery, where he helped develop the Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery Service of which he served as its Director from 2014-2022. He became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2013. While at Tufts, he focused his work on the diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal disorders as well as the use of advanced imaging in the equine athlete. In 2022, he returned to the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center where he is currently a Clinical Associate Professor of Large Animal Surgery, with a focus on equine orthopedics including arthroscopy and fracture repair, lameness diagnosis and treatment, and advanced imaging. Dr. García-López is also a faculty member of AO VET North America (AO VET NA), of which he is currently serving as Chair. He regularly lectures and provides consultations at the national and international level.

Doctor Roger G. Wilber graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in 1986, beginning his career in Family Practice. Following an internship at Highland General Hospital in Oakland California, he served as Lieutenant in the Alaskan Public Health Service for three years. An increased interest in musculoskeletal disorders inspired Dr. Wilber's return to training at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he completed an internship in General Surgery under the mentorship of Dr. John Border. His inclination to Traumatology was further developed through the close training and friendship of Dr. Lawrence Bone in the Department of Orthopedics at SUNY Buffalo. Dr. Wilber's primary focus became reconstruction of the pelvis and acetabulum, along with complex traumatic disorders and diseases of the hip. He completed a fellowship in Adult Reconstruction at Wayne State University under Drs. Jeffrey Mast and Keith Mayo, and has spent over 23 years as a Trauma and Adult Reconstruction surgeon at University Hospitals and MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the current Chief of both Adult Reconstruction, and Pelvic and Acetabular Surgery at MetroHealth. Beyond his post, Dr. Wilber continues to pursue interest projects in his field. He is dedicated to improving healthcare in developing regions, serving as a volunteer surgeon in Bhutan, and a visiting professor across the globe. He collaborates with various organizations in developing healthcare technology to improve standards throughout the medical practice and educational system. Dr. Wilber has contributed extensively to the AO Foundation, completing the Faculty, Chairman, and Leadership Education Programs. He has served as Chairman of the Faculty Education Program, and the AONA Education Committee. He currently serves as the Chairman of Trauma for AO North America, Trustee of the AO Trauma International Board, and Chairman of the Competence Training and Assessment Project for the AO Foundation, driving efforts to improve surgical training.