Bloomfield Hills' Erica Coulston Could Be Oakland's Elite 40-Under-40 Winner With Your Vote

Hundreds submitted nominations, three became finalists, and now it's time to pick the 2013 Elite 40-Under-40 winner. 

Public voting for the annual honor created by Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and organized by Oakland County began at midnight Monday on the Advantage Oakland website.

Bloomfield Hills' Erica Coulston, co-founder of Walk the Line to SCI Recovery in Southfield, is a finalist because of her passion for helping others and her dedication to the community, according to a news release.

The company is comprised of dedicated physical therapists, trainers and doctors that offer innovative and individualized recovery therapy to patients from around Michigan, the United States and the globe.

"For as long as I can remember I've wanted to dedicate my life to helping people," said Coulston, who worked for a California non-profit before a car crash left her paralyzed from the chest down in 2001.

"My life was turned upside down," the 34-year-old wrote in her nomination profile on the website. "I would learn that an irrepressible force existed inside of me that had been dormant until the moment when I was tested beyond what I thought I could handle and then, at my breaking point, I picked myself up. In doing so, I helped others in similar situations pick themselves up as well."

Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 1. The winner will be announced on Feb. 7 and will also introduce Patterson at his 2013 State of the County Address on Thursday, Feb. 7, at Detroit Country Day High School.

Also nominated are Ajay Chawla, of Troy, and Ziad Kassab, of Rochester Hills.