William Kincaid

President

William L. Kincaid, MD, MPH is a graduate of Washington University and St. Louis University School of Medicine, Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology and holds a Masters of Public Health degree from the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. Bill is retired and now lives in Washington DC with his wife, a retired ophthalmologist. The Kincaids have been members of the Foggy Bottom West End Village for 5 years. He currently serves as the Village treasurer. Bill spent most of his career in the St. Louis area as a local health officer, hospital board member, managed care medical director, and mental health and children’s services tax board member. He has also served on the boards of several St. Louis not for profit agencies. He has always been interested in the development of local community collaboratives that address community needs and special at-risk populations. He has a longstanding interest in community health and the maintenance of public health infrastructure and systems. Most of his career was spent in implementing programs aimed at children and youth, but with advancing age he has (of necessity) also become interested in the health and wellbeing of older Americans and the Village movement.

Kim Grier

Vice President

Kim Grier is a leading voice in the field of dementia care education. She is currently the managing director of Grier Dementia Training, Inc., a businesse focused on training and consulting in person-centred dementia care. Kim served as Public Guardianship Coordinator and Livable Communities Specialist at the Georgia Division of Aging Services and Assistant Program Director for the Georgia Centenarian Study. Kim ran her own guardianship services business and developed and implemented programs for the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and started the Abbotsford, BC, Alzheimer Society Resource Centre. She is a past president of the National Guardianship Association and was co-chair of the 3rd World Congress on Guardianship in 2014. Kim holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Gerontology from the University of Guelph and a Master of Education in Adult Education from the University of Georgia.

Hilary Simmons

Treasurer

Hilary Simmons, MPH, is the Executive Director of A Little Help, a village connecting neighbors to help seniors thrive throughout Colorado. Hilary has over 11 years of experience as a director for various organizations and businesses, including six and a half years as the Program Director and one and a half years as the Board Treasurer with A Little Help before rejoining the team as the Executive Director in January 2020. Previously, Hilary served as the Vice President of Finance for a software startup and as a Senior Consultant. In addition to her professional experience, Hilary founded an LLC to perform financial analytics services for over five years, has served as a board member for several organizations, and has been active in her community. Hilary earned her bachelor’s degree from Duke University in Psychology and English and earned her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Leigh Sempeles

Secretary

Leigh Sempeles is currently a Del Mar Encore Fellow, working for The Dayton Foundation and in partnership with Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) on establishing Age-Friendly initiatives in the southwest region of Ohio, as part of the Institute for Livable and Equitable Communities. Trained as an attorney, with more than 20 years in leadership roles in legal information services at LexisNexis and Bloomberg L.P., she has applied her corporate experience to the nonprofit sector capitalizing on business strategies that keep critical social services missions moving forward. Leigh served as the Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul in the Dayton community and as the Executive Director of the Foggy Bottom West End Village in Washington D.C. She has remained active in the Village Movement holding positions as Treasurer and President of the Board of the Washington Area Villages Exchange (WAVE). As she resided in the DC area, Leigh was also an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) in the MBA program teaching leadership and management concepts as well as business ethics, legal principles and corporate social responsibility. She earned her BA in History from Wright State University, possesses a Masters in Management from Antioch College, received her JD from the University of Dayton and is licensed to practice in the state of Ohio.

Eram Abbasi

Board Member

Eram Abbasi is the LTSS Public Policy Analyst at LeadingAge. A nonprofit organization that advocates for providers that serve older adults. Eram tracks state and national policy trends in legislation and regulations. She also supports the grassroots efforts of LeadingAge. Prior to joining LeadinAge, Eram worked for Maryland Department of Aging where she helped implement the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), locally known as Maryland Access Point (MAP) statewide and created the resource directory with over 17,000 providers. Eram also co-founded the Golden Age Village located in Baltimore County under the umbrella of the Islamic Society of Baltimore. The Golden Age Village offers socialization opportunities, visitation, daily check-ins, transportation, and meal delivery to seniors in the community. Eram holds a bachelor’s in health administration and Policy and Masters in Management in Aging Services from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC).

Velma Carter-Dryer

Board Member

Velma Carter-Dryer is a licensed social worker with more than 40 years of experience in the fields of mental health, aging, healthcare, and advocacy. Throughout her career, Velma has integrated her clinical and management skills and understanding of organizational dynamics with her growing knowledge of issues related to social work, process improvement, ethics, diversity, equity, leadership, advocacy, and social justice. Past positions have included Executive Director of the PA Council on Aging, an Associate Regional Director for AARP, Geriatric Social Worker/Educational Coordinator at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (now Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine) and Transplant Social Worker at Penn State Health. Her current volunteer service includes co-chair for the DEI Upstanders, a standing board committee for the American Society on Aging and an appointment by the Governor to the PA Council on Aging. She holds a BS from Penn State University, a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, an ACSW, and is a certified Financial Social Worker.

Isabel Friedenzohn

Board Member

Isabel Friedenzohn has worked in health policy for over 20 years. Recently, she has been a consultant with Burton Policy, delving into how Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) to help address the social needs of patients. As the primary caregiver for her elderly parents, she is acutely aware of the challenges in helping older adults thrive in their communities. Ms. Friedenzohn has a B.A. in Spanish and Latin American Literature from the University of Michigan, and a Master's of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Chris Hauri

Board Member

Having failed at retirement a number of times, Chris is back being a creative director in the marketing world after having her own 50-person firm in Chicago. She has a BA in Advertising from the University of Illinois – Urbana, MA in Personal & Professional Development from DePaul University and has taught Marketing at several area universities. As a member of Arbor West Neighbors in Oak Park, IL, she leads the Asset Mapping project, led strategic planning, has delivered several programs and edited the newsletter. Chris has been on boards for the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust and Ten Thousand Villages and leads a massive neighborhood fundraiser, LemonAid, each September 11 to benefit local children’s charities. As Sr. VP of Marketing for the Girl Scouts of Chicago and Northwest Indiana, she delivered award-winning programs for teen girls and led the 100th Anniversary activities, bringing 10,000 scouting alums to Promise Circles in Chicago.

Brittany Kearney

Board Member

Brittany Kearney, MBA, MA, CDP, is the Community Outreach and Enrollment Director at PACE of the Southern Piedmont, with over 13 years of experience working with older adults. She earned her Master of Arts in Gerontology from University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management from Liberty University. Brittany became a Certified Dementia Practitioner in 2018 and a Credentialed Professional Gerontologist in 2019. Brittany’s extensive education has enabled her to become a strong advocate for the aging population across diverse and multifaceted settings. As a dedicated community leader, she encourages collaboration among various organizations to create a supportive and thriving environment for seniors, enriching their lives, and fostering a sense of community. Brittany is the Past-Board President of Charlotte Village Network; Adjunct Lecturer in the Gerontology Department at UNC Charlotte; Executive Board Support Associate for Sigma Phi Omega, the International Academic Honor and Professional Society in Gerontology; and Facilitator of FOCUS of Greater Charlotte (Fellowship of Communities Uniting Seniors), a professional education group serving over 1000 professionals that work with or on behalf of older adults.

Leslie Mulligan

Board Member

Leslie is excited to bring her business expertise to the nonprofit sector as she joins the board of the Village to Village Network. She brings more than 20 years of experience driving strategy for Fortune 100 companies and Silicon Valley startups, most recently as a Worldwide Director at NVIDIA Corporation, where she led the company’s mobile business. After returning to the Washington, DC area, Leslie joined Watershed Associates, teaching negotiation to organizations ranging from Fortune 100 companies to government agencies. Earlier in her career, she served seven years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and holds advanced degrees from Harvard University (M.S. in Applied Mathematics) and the University of West Florida (M.B.A.), along with a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Notre Dame. Joining the VTVN Board marks a meaningful next chapter—an opportunity to apply her leadership experience in service of the Village community she values deeply, following two years on the Board of Village Support Network in Maryland.

Julie Schoen

Board Member

Julie Schoen, JD, served as the Deputy Director of the National Center on Elder Abuse, NCEA, for 10 years (2014-24) NCEA is a federally-funded initiative which focuses on information regarding policy, research, training, and resources related to the neglect and exploitation of older adults. Concurrently, Julie also directed the Elder Abuse Guide for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) a project at the behest of the Department of Justice. She is also certified as a Reframing Elder Abuse expert with the FrameWorks Institute that disseminates a new evidence-based communication strategy on the issue of elder abuse.
A national expert on elder abuse and neglect, Julie has testified before Congress and is a frequent keynote speaker, invited to present at many national conferences including ASA, GIA, NOVA and NAPSA. Recently retired, Julie is also on the Board of Directors of the San Clemente Village, in California.

Gia Schultz, MHA

Board Member

With over 15 years of experience in small business, healthcare, and nonprofit management Gia currently works as the Director of Health and Wellbeing at The Village Chicago. Her previous work includes implementation of the IHI Age-Friendly Health Systems framework at a federal tertiary hospital, direction of a regional medical transportation service for older adults, and as a village commissioner. An active volunteer and community organizer, Gia understands the power of collective action and routinely serves as an advisor and mentor on grassroots campaigns. Gia holds a Masters in Healthcare Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Gerontology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she received the 2022-2023 Helen Bader School of Social Welfare Award. Originally from California, Gia now lives with her family in the Chicago area where she enjoys native gardening, frequenting her local sauna club, and year-round swimming in Lake Michigan.

Brigitte Specht

Board Member

Brigitte Specht is a seasoned sales strategist and business development leader with deep expertise across senior living, healthcare, multifamily, and startup environments. With more than 15 years of experience driving revenue growth, leading turnarounds, and elevating sales performance, she is known for her ability to blend creativity, data-driven strategy, and people-centered leadership. As a Chief Growth Officer, Brigitte specializes in expanding revenue streams, optimizing goto-market strategies, strengthening brand positioning, and building scalable processes that support long-term success. She excels in aligning sales, marketing, operations, and client experience to ensure consistent and sustainable growth. As co-founder of KJB Sales Consulting, Brigitte partners with organizations nationwide to improve sales processes, strengthen team performance, and accelerate occupancy through curiosity-driven selling. Her background in psychology, combined with extensive hands-on experience in operations and sales, allows her to design training, coaching, and growth solutions that are both practical and transformational. Brigitte is also deeply committed to community leadership, nonprofit engagement, and mentorship. Based in Holly Springs, NC, she brings compassion, strategic insight, and a collaborative approach to every project she leads.

Barbara "BT" Thomas

Board Member

Barbara Thomas (goes by BT) is an award-winning marketing leader and published author who has served for the past three years as Gaithersburg’s local AARP chapter newsletter writer/editor, as well as serving as their secretary, and currently their webmaster. In the summer of 2024, she joined Village Support Network as a board member to support their website and provide guidance to new Villages just starting. Now retired, she and her husband have two pets, travel, enjoy daily swims, walking, and birding.

Larry Toy

Board Member

Larry is in his second year as president of Lamorinda Village, in the SF Bay Area. The last decade of his career was as the founding President/CEO of the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the statewide foundation supporting the over 100 community colleges and 2,000,000 students in California. He grew the foundation to one of the largest operating foundation in higher education. Prior to that he was a professor of astronomy at Chabot College for 28 years. Larry served on the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and was Board president. He served on the California Council of Science and Technology, and was a founding member of the Chabot Space and Science Center Board. Larry has been honored by two California Assembly Resolutions and the first Outstanding Faculty Award for the California Community College System. He received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Harvard Club of San Francisco. Larry has a Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard, and Master’s and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, all in astronomy.

Wendy Zenker

Board Member

Wendy Zenker is the Executive Director of Arlington Neighborhood Village, a Village providing services, support and engagement activities to 230 members in Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of Washington D.C. Prior to joining Arlington Neighborhood Village in 2017, Wendy was the Senior Vice President for the National Council on Aging, where she directed the implementation of nationwide programs to improve the health and financial well-being of older adults, especially those with low incomes; and had a 30+ year career with the Federal Government, her last position as the Chief Operations Officer of the Corporation for National Service, which oversees the AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs.