Our Board Members

  • Adrienne Tesarek OTR/L, CHT

    Board President

    Adrienne Tesarek is a graduate of Louisiana State University and has been a hand therapist for 22 years. She has worked at UCSD, UCLA and now is employed by Palomar Health in Poway. She taught at Grossmont Community College in their OTA program for 3 years. She has designed and taught courses in orthotic fabrication for 2 years and presented at the 2020 and 2023 WROTSS conferences. She has served on the board of the Hand Therapy Society of Greater Los Angeles and is passionate about education and custom orthotic fabrication. She is married, has 2 Greyhounds and lives in Ramona. She enjoys anything in or near the water and practicing yoga.

  • Marcia Ito OTR/L, CHT

    Board Treasurer

    Marcia Ito received her degree in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University. Her hand therapy certification was obtained after completing a hand therapy fellowship program in 2001 at the VA Medical Center San Diego under Eileen Apfel, OTR/L, CHT. Marcia currently works as a hand therapist at the Sharp Allison deRose Rehab Center at Sharp Memorial Hospital and at the VA Medical Center San Diego.

  • Debbie L. Petrie OTR/L

    Board Member

    Debbie L. Petrie, OTR is a graduate of San Jose State University. She has over 43 years of experience in the field and is currently working at Sharp Memorial Hospital in the acute care setting. Areas of expertise include trauma, neuro, hands, pediatrics, mental health disorders, cardiac, etc. She has been a board member of SD Hand SIG for many years.

  • Gina M Bello OTR/L, BT-C, CLT, CSRS

    Board Member

    Gina M Bello graduated with a Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University in the City of New York. She is also an alumni of UC San Diego where she currently works for UC San Diego Health’s Regional Burn Center. Gina is a certified lymphedema therapist, certified stroke rehabilitation specialist and a certified burn therapist. She is one of 38 burn therapy specialists with the distinction of Burn Therapist- Certified (BT-C) from the American Burn Association. Having joined the board in 2023 she is one of the newest members and serves assisting in logistics and technology.