About Us

Vision

NCMC envisions a world in which no one will feel that they do not belong because of a concussion. Research and information about concussion care is easily available so that anyone affected by concussion will be treated appropriately by physicians, coaches, and educators. 

Mission

The National Concussion Management Center is the trusted resource for information on concussion management for individuals, families, educators, and healthcare providers. We provide, ensure, and advocate for a common understanding of best practices in concussion management and care throughout the United States. 

Nonprofit Board

The National Concussion Management Center is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization (tax identification number  85-1604913) under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.

Cindy Daniel is one of the nation’s leading experts in disability advocacy and awareness. With more than 25 years of involvement with disability law compliance and in developing and implementing policies and procedures for individuals with disabilities while she was on the President’s Committee on Employment of Disabilities, she has become passionate about the prevention and treatment of brain injury. As the National Disability Coordinator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, she found there was a lack of expertise in the area of disaster-related brain injury. Her experience makes her uniquely qualified to organize and disseminate best practices in the field of sports concussions.  Having developed national protocols for people with disabilities enduring a disaster and then focusing on brain injury educational materials, Ms. Daniel now proposes to follow a similar process in the development of a Concussion/TBI Bill with a National Clearinghouse to provide vetted resources and information on brain injuries from national experts in the field of brain injuries. Her experience in the past years of topics that she presents about brain injuries ensures that people with disabilities, especially individuals who sustain a brain injury has the resources and support they need to have the quality of life that they choose. Cindy is a passionate advocate for the community that she represents and serves but most of all proudly belongs, working to address issues that for so long have gone unresolved.

Philip Heywood is a Masters Level Certified Athletic Trainer who found his calling in the professional world as a Practice Administrator at a nationally recognized healthcare organization.  He oversees multiple facilities and leads a team of highly motivated leaders to improve the healthcare industry through continuous improvement.  Philip has a passion for concussion and enjoys educating others on the recognition, treatment, and return to life.  He has  been involved with multiple concussion programs and has helped implement concussion protocols in many communities. 

Andrew Little has a Masters degree in athletic training and spent more than ten years on the front line serving and caring for athletes. As a hospital administrator, he brings with him over a decade of Sports Medicine and Orthopedic departmental leadership. During this time, he built one of the nation’s largest athletic training programs along with a robust pediatric sports medicine department. He is one of the founding members of the Seattle Sports Concussion Program in Washington state, which established the nation’s first sports concussion law.  His leadership has driven substantial research and collaboration on best practices and standards of care in concussion management. He has consulted and spoken nationally on sports medicine, hospital administration, concussion baseline standards, and pediatric concussion management

Tony Marra is a graduate of Liu Southampton, C.W. Post and Brooklyn campuses where he received degrees in Environmental Biology and his Masters in Athletic Training/Sports Medicine. Tony is a Staff Athletic Trainer at NYU Winthrop Hospital and Sports Medicine Department with over 25+ years of experience working at the youth, high school, collegiate, professional and Olympic levels of sports. He is the Sports Medicine Coordinator for Athletic Training education, a member of the hospital’s Concussion Management Program and Fire/EMS Sports Medicine Community Outreach Program.  Tony is the hospital’s Head Athletic Trainer at St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay, New York. He is the school’s Co-Director of the Concussion Management Program, member of the schools Health and Safety Advisory Committee, the Sports Medicine Consultant for the Parents’ Organization and CYO Sports Programs (K-8) for St. Dominic Catholic School District. He is the Associate Medical Director and Head Athletic Trainer for Nassau County and New York State High School Wrestling Medical Staff. Tony is a committee member of the New York State Athletic Trainers Associations Governmental Affairs, Secondary School and New York Islanders High School Hockey Safety as well as a contributing editor for New York State’s Board of Educations Concussion Management Guidelines in High Schools.

Andrew Palumbo is an organizational coach, software developer, and instructor on project management theory and practice, with expertise in product development strategy and startup growth. He values guiding organizations’ growth with ethical tactics and objectives. He has been a part of the NCMC core team since its founding in 2013.

Board of Experts

A preliminary objective of the NCMC is to develop a Board of Experts. This Board of Experts will meet on a regular cadence to share information and knowledge on new practices and reviews of new research.  Initial meetings will establish how this will be accomplished throughout the year and what information will meet the standard to be shared by the Clearinghouse.

This panel of experts from across the country will initially be selected and work together on what are the general criteria for brain injury expertise that will run across all professions.  They will develop ways to ensure profession-specific expertise in traumatic brain injury/ concussion management.

Membership of the Board of Experts will be developed on criteria that includes professional degrees, years in practice, research expertise and other specialized knowledge in the field of brain injury.  Representatives on the Board will cross all appropriate disciplines and geographical areas across the United States.