Board of Directors
Desirèe Douglass
President and Founder
Desiree Douglass, along with other parents, founded HeadStrong for Life in 2006 after Desiree’s youngest son sustained a severe TBI in a pedestrian-car crash in Seattle. HeadStrong seeks to create a community of positive people around youth and families to support recovery and well-being after injury. Desiree is passionate about emerging science on neuroplasticity and cellular healing after injury.
Desiree also works as an environmental planner on parks, trails, education, and pedestrian safety projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. She loves camping, hiking, and hanging out with friends and family.
Reilly Dever
Board Member
Reilly Dever has been passionate about improving mind and body wellness for as long as she can remember, and has been a HeadStrong board member since 2015. She is currently completing her MD/MBA at Duke University after spending five years coordinating clinical neuroscience research at Seattle Children’s and UC San Francisco. Reilly believes that innovative organizations like HeadStrong are changing the lives of patients and the world of healthcare. She is honored to be a part of the HeadStrong team.
Stuart Harper
Board Member
Stuart Harper is a medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is passionate about brain injury awareness and education. After his family's challenges navigating their own brain injury recovery, Stuart felt determined to share his experiences with others and joined HeadStrong in 2020.
He has a significant interest in the mechanisms of neuroplasticity and learning, particularly in the context of neurotrauma. Stuart hopes to provide individuals and families with resources to appropriately respond to the biological, psychological, and social changes that can occur following a head injury.
Scott Bowen
Board Member
Scott Bowen started as a consultant with HeadStrong in 2014 after pivoting out of a career composing music for film in Hollywood. In 2020 he successfully completed his studies to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and recently received his credential as a Certified Brain Injury Specialist.
Scott currently works at the Rehabilitation Institute of Washington in their pain management and brain injury rehab programs. In addition to working on the executive board with HeadStrong, he also currently serves as Secretary for the Washington Occupational Therapy Association.
He is passionate about helping others improve their health, well-being, and functional participation in meaningful activities.