The CVPT Team
Jennifer L. Vonarb
M.P.T., C.L.T. / CVPT Founder
Jennifer L. Vonarb was raised in Southern California and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1985. At UCLA, during a friendly game of football she tore her ACL and underwent an ACL reconstruction. After months of therapy, her interest in helping others was sparked. In 1985, she went on to graduate school in Philadelphia to earn a Master’s of Physical Therapy from Hahnemann University.
After graduating in 1987, she worked at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic specializing in sports medicine and orthopedic patients. For 33 years, she has worked with outpatient orthopedic patients varying from postoperative shoulders and knees, to spinal patients.
During this time she has been doing fitting and fabrication for custom orthotics. In 2000 Jennifer's mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and even with years of Physical Therapy training she was not able to help her mom during her recovery. That is when she became inspired to become certified in Lymphedema therapy. She has had great success in treating Lymphedema and continues to enjoy being able to help her patients during their recovery.
Jennifer has completed numerous continuing education courses over the years with a special interest in Ola Grimsby's techniques and philosophy and is trained in Kinesiotaping.Jennifer enjoys spending time with her three kids, going to yoga, cycling, traveling, cooking and healthy living. One of her favorite quotes that she uses to enjoy life is:"Life is not about how many breaths you take, it is about the moments that take your breath away."
Joanna Kassar
DPT
Joanna was born and raised in Southern California. She went to the University of California, Irvine for her undergraduate studies in Public Health Sciences. At UCI, she participated in women's club water polo. She received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree at the University of St. Augustine in San Marcos, CA. She developed a great emphasis on manual therapy based on the Dr. Stanley Paris approach. Her clinical affiliations involved a wide range of experiences from inpatient rehabilitation, inpatient acute for post-operative conditions, and outpatient orthopedics.
Joanna is passionate about improving the way people move at work and their daily lifestyles. She enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, soaking the sun rays at the beach, watching movies, swimming, patiently waiting for the Summer Olympics, and doing hot yoga.
Derek Taylor
DPT
Derek was born and raised in Southern California. He attended Newbury Park High School and graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. Derek first joined the CVPT team in 2013 as a Physical Therapy Aide. Now back at CVPT as a Physical Therapist, Derek received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree in 2019 from Long Island University in downtown Brooklyn, NY. Although he enjoyed clinical experiences in the acute and subacute settings, Derek’s passion is in the outpatient setting with orthopedic/sports rehab, where he can help individuals get back to doing what they love.
Derek loves being active through playing sports and being outdoors. He enjoys hiking and running, is a die-hard Los Angeles Dodgers and Rams fan, and loves spending time with family and friends.
Corrado Franini
PTA
Corrado Franini was born and raised in Genova, Italy, and has lived in Southern California since 2007. After having knee surgery and being a physical therapy patient, he developed an interest in pursuing physical therapy as a career. He graduated from Long Beach City College and Casa Loma College and became a physical therapist assistant. His clinical experiences brought him to subacute settings as well as balance and orthopedic rehab, where he expanded his knowledge to help people return to their life, manage pain and improve balance by providing high quality care.
Corrado loves all types of sports, though his true passions are soccer and tennis. He enjoys relaxing outdoors, especially at the beach, and spending time with his wife and two children.
