Tenacious (adj.):
“Persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired”.

We at Leonardo physical therapy are patient care driven. We aim to be tenacious in helping even the most challenging patient conditions. We have a highly skilled and cooperative team of clinicians who share their experiences and abilities with one another in order to make this happen. We routinely meet for skill building sessions. And, our ongoing professional training with certified continuing education coursework helps us to serve you better.

Juli A. Hunt, PT, DPT, CSCS
Clinical Director
Juli is one of the owners of Leonardo Physical Therapy. She began her career as a physical therapist upon graduation from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2001. Here she received a Masters of Science in physical therapy. Prior to obtaining her Masters Degree she graduated with honors from Merrimack College. In 2006 she returned to UMASS Lowell and fulfilled her academic aspirations, receiving a Clinical Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy. Juli has expanded her academic knowledge with a specialization certification in Strength and Conditioning. She is experienced and enjoys working with athletes of all ages. Other skills that she has honed include manual techniques to address problems of the extremities and the spine. Juli is also an accomplished figure skater and shares her talents by teaching figure skating to children of all ages. When not engaged in her career, Juli enjoys spending her free time with her loving husband, beautiful daughter and son, and rambunctious dog Roscoe. As a family they enjoy exploring the great outdoors, hiking, biking and going to the beach.

Lynda Last
Practice Business Manager
Lynda Is one of the owners of Leonardo Physical Therapy and has managed the practice since 2000. Lynda is a former nurse of 25 years and she brings her wealth of medical training, and business experience to our practice. Lynda is well versed in navigating the complexities of our health care system, both as a nurse and business practice manager. She believes that patients come first and is a health care advocate. When not at the clinic Lynda enjoys spending time with her husband John, daughter, granddaughter, family, and friends, gardening,  when the animals don't eat the garden walking, and reading.

Melissa DiTaranto, B.S., DPT
Clinic Manager
Melissa graduated from Simmons College in 2007 in the Clinical Doctoral program in Physical Therapy. She is currently teaching Adaptive Physical activity at University of Massachusetts Boston to spread her knowledge about health and fitness. Prior to her entering graduate school, she received a Bachelor’s in Exercise Physiology from University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1994 and started her own personal training business shortly after. She has a passion to educate and implement programs to stress the importance of fitness and health for both disabled and non-disabled people. She is experienced and enjoys working with athletes of all ages. Melissa is also an accomplished soccer player and fitness competitor and continues to contribute her talents by training fitness competitors and helping children of all ages learn how to take care of themselves in a healthful, safe manner. When not engaged in her career, Melissa enjoys spending her free time exercising, biking, hiking, playing sports and spending time with her family and friends

Kim Maguire, PT, MSPT
Kim Maguire’s physical therapy career began in 1993 when she graduated with a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. During her Physical Therapy graduate work she also became a certified athletic trainer. Kim spent two years working with collegiate athletes and rehabilitating them so they could return to athletic competition. She has found that teaching others how to exercise in a way that is specific for their needs is very important and beneficial to their rehabilitation. Kim has enjoyed 14 years as a PT, helping people improve their quality of life by reducing pain, increasing function and educating them on how to take care of their bodies through exercise. She looks forward to many years of continuing to help people and their rehabilitation needs.

John Hunt,PT, MSPT
John is our newest member of the Leonardo Team. John is a graduate from Merrimack College with a Bachelors of Science in Sports Medicine (1998) and the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a Masters of Science in Physical Therapy (2001). He brings with him a wealth of experience from Personal Training, Athletic Training, Orthopedic Sales, and of course Physical Therapy. Given his background, John greatly likes discussing the intricacies of total joint arthroplasty. Other areas of clinical interest include foot/ankle, shoulder, and spine. When not at work at the clinic, John enjoys spending time with his wife, two young children and his dog. If time and weather allows you may also find him racking up a few dozen miles cycling.

Kerri Eldredge,PT, MSPT
Kerri received her BS in exercise physiology at University of Massachusetts Lowell in 1996.She continued her education at University of Massachusetts Lowell where she received her MS in physical therapy in 1998. Kerri has been working in an outpatient orthopedic setting ever since.She has had specialized training in the shoulder, knee, foot and ankle, but enjoys treating a wide variety of diagnoses. When Kerri is not working, she enjoys quality time with her family and friends. She lives in Tewksbury where is she happily married, and has a beautiful baby girl.  

Chris Carrozza, PT, MSPT
Chris graduated in 2009 from American International College in Springfield, MA with a Masters in Physical Therapy. I enjoy competing in all sports, but my favorite has always been soccer. In my free time, I enjoy exercising at the gym, spending time with my family and friends and following Boston’s Major League sport teams. I have always enjoyed interacting and helping people. Being in the Physical Therapy field has allowed me the opportunity to use my training to assist people by helping them improve their quality of life. I am glad to be a part of the Leonardo Physical Therapy team and I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge and assisting the team in any way possible.

Connie Sweet, PT, MSPT  CPUR, CSHE
[Adjunct Clinical Staff Specialist]
Connie is a veteran physical therapist with 32 years of varied experience. She graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy in 1974. She worked for many years in the community setting in home care and as a consultant to nursing homes. Later she worked at community based hospitals in the surgical and medical ICU’s providing chest physical therapy and developing and teaching in pre/postnatal and oncology programs. Connie received her Master’s degree in Health Services Administration from UMass-Lowell in 1995. Since then she has specialized in outpatient care with a concentration in Industrial Health and the worker’s compensation system focusing on prevention services, repetitive strain injury as well job coaching and ergonomic task analysis and onsite job assessments. She has attended many continuing education courses and uses her knowledge of manual therapy skills to provide comprehensive treatment to the patient. In 2005 Connie obtained her certification as a professional utilization reviewer and in 2006 she received her certification as a specialist in health ergonomics. Presently she is an independent consultant in ergonomics.

Dr. James J. Leonardo ,PT, DPT ( 1955-2009)
Founder of Leonardo Physical Therapy
Jim was a graduate of Boston University. He founded Leonardo Physical Therapy 26 years ago on the principle of patients come first. During his career as a physical therapist, he published articles in the field of physical therapy and lectured professionally and in the community. He was also an adjunct instructor in the Physical Therapy Program at University of Massachusetts Lowell. Sadly, Jim lost his battle with cancer June 2009. 
Jim inspired us all with his boundless energy, curiosity, his unfailing zest for life. Jim was a professional dedicated to providing compassionate, quality, care, with a philosophy of “patients come first.” We here at Leonardo Physical Therapy are committed to carrying out his legacy. His thoughtful, caring attitude towards patients and staff alike has earned him a place in our hearts and prayers forever.  We miss you.