Department Directors

Eric Harness, CSCS, CSRS
Director of Research, Training, and Development

Eric graduated from San Diego State University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Athletic Training and a Minor in Psychology. He then received a post-graduate certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. In 1998, he met up with Ted and started training high school, college, and Olympic athletes in Ted’s facility. 6 months later Ted began seeing Mike Thomas, his first SCI client. Eric watched as Mike began to progress and became intrigued; people with spinal cord injuries were not supposed to be able to gain function below the level of injury. He began assisting Ted and learning what he was doing with Mike. Project Walk had begun…

Eric is now the Director of Research, Training, and Development for Project Walk and a Certified SCI Recovery Specialist. In the past 7 years, he has developed many of the exercise techniques used with our clients, was responsible for developing the Home Program, and he designed a new evaluation scale (Developmental Activity Scale). He also designed the strength testing device used in Project Walk’s collaboration with the University of California Irvine.

His current duties include:

Research: He maintains relationships with doctors and researchers and collaborates on exercise related studies. He develops client testing and evaluation protocols.
Training(Client): Develops new exercise techniques and assists education and testing of Specialists.
Development(Program): Maintain Project Walk’s presence within the SCI community and work to get our program accepted worldwide.

Adrienne Wagemester
Director of Business Affairs

As the Director of Business Affairs, Adrienne manages the organization’s finances, human resources and is involved in the business development of the company. 
 
Originally from the east coast, Adrienne completed degrees in both business and exercise science and spent over eleven years working in the business, healthcare and fitness sectors.  She worked for American Express Travel Related Services and another large corporation where she helped to grow both companies’ meetings and incentives divisions through the development of quality control systems and assisted with the expansion of satellite offices.  She also traveled extensively as she planned and managed corporate meeting and sales incentive trips for some of the leading corporations in the world.

Adrienne later decided to pursue her interest of helping people improve their quality of life.  While finishing a degree in exercise science, she worked as a certified personal trainer, physical therapy aide and later completed an intensive internship in cardiac rehabilitation at Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA.  In San Diego, she worked in the corporate fitness sector where she founded and directed the employee sports program and created several incentive fitness programs and sporting events for more than 200 employees at Nokia Mobile Phones.

Adrienne joined Project Walk® in 2002.  She enjoys contributing her experience to an organization dedicated to helping other people and is truly rewarded by the continued success of Project Walk®.

Outside of the office, Adrienne enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter.  She is very active outdoors and likes running and hiking, often taking her daughter along for the ride.