President, Board Member

Andrew Schlabach is the co-founder and President of the Acupuncture Relief Project having received his Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in 2008. His master’s research project founded a Practice Based Research Network for Oriental medicine practitioners and researchers in Oregon and Southwest Washington in collaboration with the Helfgott Research Institute.

Currently on faculty at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Mr. Schlabach teaches orthopedics, advanced acupuncture and serves as a clinic supervisor. He maintains a private practice at Wintzer Acupuncture in Camas Washington and is the author and publisher of the Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine - Clinic Survival Guide. Mr. Schlabach also served as President and Creative Director of Split Diamond Media, Inc. of Portland Oregon for 15 years. Specializing in business-to-business advertising, Split Diamond Media pioneered digital publishing technologies and internet services for a variety of regional and national companies. Mr. Schlabach is also an accomplished mountaineer with expedition experience in the Himalayas, distinguishing himself as an instructor at the prestigious Himalayan Mountain Institute in Darjeeling India. Having travel extensively in central Asia, Mr. Schlabach has become a student of world theology, Tai Ji and yoga. As a veteran of the U.S. Army, he received an Army Commendation Medal for distinguished service to his unit.  

Secretary, Treasurer, Board Member

Sheri Barrows is the Secretary and Treasurer of Acupuncture Relief Project as well as a professional remote bookkeeper based in Vancouver, Washington. Ms Barrows has traveled extensively in developing countries and has witnessed first hand the tremendous need for affordable and available health care.  When the opportunity arose to assist in the start up of ARP, Ms Barrows was eager to participate, allowing her to support the practitioners and the organization and thus by extension, the patients who need them so desperately.

Board Member

Leith Nippes is a board member and co-founder of the Acupuncture Relief Project.  Mr. Nippes received his Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. His master’s thesis covered the effectiveness of acupuncture on post stroke sequelae. Mr. Nippes also holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Pre-Physical Therapy from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. While at Gettysburg, Mr. Nippes was a Division III College athlete and worked in the training room. Mr. Nippes later interned with Health South Rehabilitation in New Jersey. Mr. Nippes has traveled extensively in Asia, studied in China, and spent the last 10 years studying both yoga and Buddhism.

Advisor, Project Coordinator

Diane Wintzer is the Project Coordinator and an Advisor to the Board for the Acupuncture Relief Project. She has been volunteering as both a Project Lead and Practitioner with ARP since its inception in 2008. Diane graduated from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine with a Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Diane also holds a B.S. in Environmental Education, received from Western Washington University. Ms Wintzer worked as an instructor and staffing coordinator with the Voyageur Outward Bound School for 9 years and served as the Program Director at the Rio Grande Program Area in Southwest Texas on the US-Mexico border. She has in-depth field experience of traveling with groups in remote regions, facilitating a learning experiences, problem solving, creating an environment of safety, and supporting individuals and groups through both personal and interpersonal challenges. Diane has a love for adventure, medicine, healthcare, and third-world environments. Currently Diane is self-employed in a full-time practice in Camas, Washington.

Advisor, Nepal Liaison

Mr. Tsering Sangpo Sherpa serves as Acupuncture Relief Project's Nepal Liaison and is an Advisor to the Board. Born and raised in Nepal, Mr. Sherpa's comes from a family of professional mountaineers. His late father Sirdar Azewa lead many summit expeditions in the Himalayas. Graduating in 2005 from Prasadi Academy in Kathmandu, Tsering is fluent in Nepalese, Hindi, Sherpa, Tibetan and English. He is a trained medical interpreter and has been working with the Acupuncture Relief Project since August 2010. He is interested in becoming a acupuncture practitioner and has been undertaking a clinical apprenticeship in Oriental Medicine.

Tsering also attended the Academy of Culinary Education (Cidade de Goa) in Goa/India, where he successfully completed the course in Food Production where he secured the First Rank and the First Grade. He studied music performance with the Trinity College of London and was an active member of the Agogic Guitar Orchestra of Goa, serving a the lead classical guitar player. Tsering currently runs the office of SUSWAASTHYA NEPAL (GOOD HEALTH NEPAL), a non-profit partnership with the Acupuncture Relief Project in Kathmandu, Nepal. He also owns the mountaineering and trekking agency SHERPA KHUMBIYILA ADVENTURES Pvt. Ltd. in Kathmandu,

Tsering’s is living his dream of bringing health education and facilities to remote parts of Nepal, where the people don’t have access to sustainable health facilities. He has a keen interest in the outdoors and nature, loves adventure, trekking and biking.

Advisor, Special Projects

Volunteer Coordinator

Sarah Richards joined Acupuncture Relief Project in 2016 after serving as a volunteer in 2012 and a Team Leader in 2015. She currently volunteers with ARP as the Volunteer Coordinator to continue supporting the project from home.

Sarah has been a Licensed Massage Therapist in the State of Washington since 2000 and is passionate about anatomy and movement as well as alternative healing therapies such as energy medicine, hypnotherapy and spiritual healing.

The self-care that she cultivates for herself is ecstatic dancing, yoga, floating, receiving acupuncture and bodywork, hiking in the PNW, travelling the world, and riding her motorcycle.

Advisor, Team Leader

Emma Sanchez has been collaborating with Acupuncture Relief Project since 2016, staying for extended periods of time as a volunteer and Team Leader.

Emma received her Masters in Acupuncture from the Tri-State College of Acupuncture in 2011 and her diplomate in Chinese Herbology from Pacific College of Medicine in 2013. Her previous job as a fashion stylist had given her a taste for world travel and remembering that a desire to work with NGOs abroad had provided the initial motivation to change careers, at the end of 2015 she closed her private practice and moved out of New York to do just that. She also volunteers for projects in Guatemala and Peru, trying to stay with each community for as long as is practical with the goal of consolidating change and instilling useful lifestyle practices for as many of her patients as possible.