Board of Directors
Bill Parravano
Founder and Executive Director
Christina Thevaos
President
Christina Thevaos, C.Hom, MM.Hom is a Professional Homeopath and mother of 5+1 whose commitment to natural healing began more than three decades ago, when chronic health challenges were severely impacting her mental health and quality of life. Unsatisfied with being told things like “progressive illness” or “you’ll be on this medication for the rest of your life,” she began a lifelong search for natural approaches that support true healing, recovery, and resilience.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Christina and her husband, Bill Parravano, opened their healing center to support the local community. While working with numerous First Responders and Search and Recovery teams—many of whom were Veterans—they recognized an underserved population and saw an opportunity to share tools that could help address the physical and emotional challenges they faced.
The mission of The Comella Foundation is especially meaningful to Christina because it addresses an unmet need in the mental and physical health of First Responders and Veterans while providing practical, evidence-informed tools and strategies to help them manage stress, improve resilience, and support their overall well-being.
In addition to serving as President, Christina contributes to the Foundation behind the scenes, designing the website, creating promotional materials, advising on programs, and helping wherever needed. She has served the Foundation in various capacities since 2025.
Dr. Charles Beck
Vice President
Charlie Beck, D.O., F.A.A.O. has been on the Comella board since the beginning in 2019. He is a nationally and internationally recognized osteopathic physician and educator. A graduate of the University of Pikeville, he was among its first undergraduate fellows, studying advanced osteopathic manipulation under Edward G. Stiles, D.O., F.A.A.O. He became the first Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine resident in his hospital and state.
Dr. Beck has taught across the U.S., Canada, Japan, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and serves as president of the Indiana Academy of Osteopathy. A published author and researcher, he integrates osteopathy with dentistry and vision care to create a unique, whole-body approach to healing. Passionate about finding common principles across healing traditions, he works to make them practical and teachable—helping people restore balance, function, and optimal health from his practice in Lebanon, IN.
Clay Rice
Secretary
Clay is an operational strategist, business owner, and dedicated community advocate driven by a core belief in practical service and helping others succeed. As a husband and father of three, his family is the cornerstone of his life and the primary motivation behind his commitment to building stronger, more resilient communities. He understands firsthand that supporting individuals and families requires not just good intentions, but sustainable systems, actionable resources, and a strong network of care.
As the principal of R Sqrd Solutions, Clay specializes in full-scale project management, organizational logistics, and strategic problem-solving. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for transforming complex operational challenges into streamlined, high-impact solutions. His professional journey has been defined by a hands-on leadership style, clear communication, and a continuous focus on bringing people together to achieve common goals.
As the Secretary of The Comella Foundation, Clay blends his entrepreneurial background with his passion for philanthropic stewardship. He is committed to expanding the Foundation’s reach and ensuring its initiatives are grounded in strong operational practices, meaningful community partnerships, and measurable impact. By leveraging his expertise in resource management, project execution, and team alignment, Clay works to ensure that the Foundation remains a powerful vehicle for positive change, empowering individuals and enriching the broader community for generations to come.
Dr. Nick Caro
Member at Large
Dr. Caro joined the board in 2025. He graduated from a seven-year advanced medical program before completing a surgical internship at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. This led to an ophthalmology residency in 1983, and by 1984, he had opened his own private practice. In 1997, he transitioned to refractive surgery, and in 2000, he founded a surgical center specializing in Radial Keratotomy (RK) and LASIK procedures.
Over his career, Dr. Caro designed six surgical instruments for LASIK, authored two chapters in a refractive surgery handbook, and performed approximately 30,000 LASIK procedures. He trained over 2,000 surgeons worldwide and secured international patents for his groundbreaking cure for glaucoma.
Married since 1983, he is a proud father of three and grandfather of two. After retiring in 2017, Dr. Caro began studying the Russian martial art of Systema in 2020, training in Greenville, SC, and Weaverville, NC. He now focuses on the role of breath and movement in enhancing daily life, with a special passion for applying these techniques to support children and the elderly.
Pastor Will Edmonds
Member at Large
Will joined the board in 2025. He says, “I’m a husband, dad of four, and a bi-vocational Baptist minister with a pretty unique path in life. Alongside ministry, I worked as an automotive technician and shop owner before beginning to support my family through my passion for aviation—earning my license in 2005 and eventually becoming a flight instructor. I now enjoy teaching others to fly while also serving as a high school aviation instructor, helping students discover opportunities in aviation and beyond.
Life has tested me in ways I never expected: sports injuries, car accidents, and even a thirty-foot fall from scaffolding while helping build the very building the Comella Foundation now calls home. Those challenges left me with firsthand knowledge of pain, both physical and emotional, and a real appreciation for the many methods people use to manage and overcome it. Since 2018, I’ve been working with Bill, gaining unique insight into his methods and the mission of the Comella Foundation.
Because of my background, I’m able to translate the Foundation’s offerings into real-world understanding—helping people see not only how they work, but why they matter.”
