BOARD | ASPNetwork

ASPN BOARD MEMBERS

Get to know your ASPN Board.

Rebecca Maletto-Cornell,

President

Project Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rebecca states that she is grateful to learn and serve with others from across the country to help continue to make our program be the best it can be. Click here to email Rebecca.

Learn more about Rebecca here.

Shaunda Noah,

Vice-President

Project Location: Wilburton, Oklahoma. A large percentage of her volunteers are Native American who assist other native children in the classroom with reading and literacy. Click here to email Shaunda.

Learn more about Shaunda here.

Jennifer Lantz, Secretary/Treasurer

Project Location: Charles City, Iowa. Jennifer directs the Foster Grandparent Program in north central Iowa. She also has a passion for volunteering for local and national organizations. She brings to the board the perspective of a newer director who joined during the pandemic. Click here to email Jennifer.

Stacy Friesland,

Chairperson - FGP

Project Location: Asheville, North Carolina. Stacy's project encompasses the majestic mountains of western North Carolina. Previously, she was a station supervisor for the Senior Companion Program. Stacy is passionate about working with older adults and truly loves the Foster Grandparent Program, including both the volunteers and the children they serve. Click here to email Stacy.

Tina Brown,

Chairperson - SCP

Project Location: Redding CA. With nearly four decades of experience, including 29 years with Connected Living Tina has dedicated her career to supporting and advocating services for seniors and individuals with disabilities. In her current role, she oversees the three federally funded AmeriCorps Seniors programs managing a team and volunteers. Tina was recognized with the 2024 AmeriCorps Seniors Excellence Award from the National AmeriCorps Office. Click here to email Tina.

Learn more about Tina here.

Lisa Jenkins,

Immediate Past President

Project Location: Camp Springs, Maryland.

Lisa manages a Foster Grandparent Program adjacent to Washington, D.C. She has been with Prince George’s County Government for 27 years where she has worked in Aging and

Disabilities Division. In her current role, she looks forward to working with the current board members to continue to advocate nationally for stipend programs to succeed

locally in our communities.

Click here to email Lisa.

Tammy Taylor, Southeast Representative

Project Location: Jefferson, North Carolina. Tammy has over 30 years experience working with Senior Corps Programs. Her work with FGP provides firsthand knowledge of the tremendous impact in the everyday lives of volunteers and the children they serve. Click here to email Tammy.

Learn more about Tammy here.

Marie Llamas, Mountain Representative

Project Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico. Marie brings a strong background in program management, community engagement, and volunteer coordination. She states that she is eager to listen, learn, and contribute meaning to the continued success of our nation network. Click here to email Marie.

Open, North Central Representative

Van Johnson, South Central Representative

Project Location: Houma, Louisiana. Van is the project direct for the Foster Grandparent Program sponsored by Catholic Charities Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. He has served on the ASPN board since 2007. Van’s goals for serving on the ASPN include assisting in any way to increase membership, to work with all board members to continue to build a board that is respected by AmeriCorps Seniors and members of congress and to make sure the voice of each member is represented and heard. Click here to email Van.

Joe Ayer, West Representative

Project Location: Redding, California. Joe has overseen the AmeriCorps Senior Programs for 4 years including FGP, SCP and RSVP. He is eager to contribute strategic insights and leadership experience to the ASPN Board. Joe looks forward to strengthening this vital professional network and championing the invaluable work of AmeriCorps Seniors nationwide. Click here to email Joe.

Danielle Lyons, Midwest Representative

Project Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana. Danielle has served as a program director for 7 years and continues to learn something new about intergenerational relationships everyday. She believes it is essential for those who manage AmeriCorps Seniors programs to have a voice in shaping their work and impact. Danielle is proud to be part of the ASPN team, advocating for project staff and volunteers and ensuring their perspectives are heard and valued.
Click here to email Danielle.

Natalia Uribe-Netufo, At-Large Representative

Project Location: Atlantic City, New Jersey. Natalia is the Lead Project Director for the Foster Grandparent Program at Gateway Community Action Partnership. With more than seven years of experience, Natalia is passionate about creating meaningful opportunities for older adults to stay engaged, valued, and included as vital members of the community. She leads a bilingual program dedicated to ensuring volunteers receive quality experiences.

Click here to email Natalia.

Learn more about Natalia here.

Sonja Workman, At-Large Representative

Project Location: Beatrice, Nebraska.

Sonja has been an employee of, Blue Valley Community Action for 30 years and the program director for 19 years. She is a believer in the importance of the Foster Grandparent Program, the purpose and all it stands for. Sonja has witnessed what a relationship between a Foster Grandparent Volunteer and a child can do. She is a believer in helping others and being involved in your communities. Click here to email Sonja.

Learn more about Sonja here.

Carol Ayars, At-Large Representative

Project Location: Richmond, Virginia.

Carol serves as the AmeriCorps Seniors Programs Manager and brings more than 25 years of experience in volunteer management and working with older adults. Carol finds great joy in working with volunteers, especially older adults in the Foster Grandparent Program. For Carol, the Foster Grandparents and the children they mentor represent the heart of her mission: ensuring that no one falls through the cracks without someone who cares and shows up for them. Click here to email Carol.

Learn more about Carol here.

Suzanne Hull, At-Large Representative

Project Location: Honolulu, Hawaii. In Hawaii, almost one in five persons is now 65 or older. A perfect place for intergenerational services. Suzanne sees the ASPN board as a place where advocacy, teamwork and passion combine. Click here to email Suzanne.

Learn more about Suzanne here.

Makieya Kamara, At-Large Representative

Project Location: Boston, Massachusetts. Makieya is the Director of Elder Services & Project Director for the Foster Grandparents Program at Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. Passionate about aging and intergenerational programs, she is a social worker whose program spans nine cities and towns across Greater Boston. Her work connects generations by serving children in schools, Head Start programs, afterschool settings, and early education centers. In her free time, she enjoys reading and gardening.

Click here to email Makieya.

Heidi Powers, At-Large Representative

Project Location: Alpena, Michigan. Heidi's FGP and SCP projects cover 12 very rural counties of northeast, lower Michigan where she has served as project director since 2016. She believes in the importance of advocating for our programs and having a platform to share best practices and the means to support our membership for the success of all programs. Click here to email Heidi.

Melissa Gomez, At-Large Representative

Project Location: Dallas, Texas. Melissa serves as the Program Director for the Senior Companion Program at The Senior Source. Her goal is to help foster collaboration, support member engagement, and contribute to initiatives that strengthen AmeriCorps Seniors programs nationwide.

Click here to email Melissa.

Dee Heinmuller, At-Large Representative

Project Location: Asheville, North Carolina. Dee has been serving the Senior Companion Program for five years in the Western North Carolina region. She is very interested and energized by our "larger” AmeriCorps relationship and structure as it pertains to our daily operations. Dee believes our partnership is vital to all the volunteers, volunteer stations and sponsorship of AmeriCorps Senior programs.

Click here to email Dee.

Open, Northeast Representative

Open, Mid Atlantic Representative

Denise Nelsen,

ASPN Operations Manager

Location: Carver, Minnesota. Denise has a long history working with the Senior Corps programs and loved the opportunity it provided to serve on this board previously! She says her participation introduced her to some amazing people! Since 2014, Denise has been assisting ASPN with many tasks including member list-serves, member management, sales, etc. Click here to email Denise.

Laura Morgan-Kessler, Washington D.C. Advocate

Location: Washington, D.C. Since 2015, Laura Morgan-Kessler has served as the federal advocate for the Americorps Seniors Professional Network, Inc. She is a strong believer in the role for ASPN and its members to education Members of Congress on the impact and importance of the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Program in local communities.

She provides ASPN with timely and strategic intelligence on Congressional and federal agency actions and helps develop and implement federal advocacy strategies to accomplish ASPN’s federal goals. She maintains strong working relationships with Members of Congress and their staff, as well as the Americorps agency staff.

Laura has been a federal advocate in Washington, D.C. for over a decade. Prior to that, she spent time on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer for California’s senior Senator Dianne Feinstein. A native of Southern California, Laura received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Wake Forest University. She and her husband live in Northern Virginia with their daughter.