Board of Directors
Leslie Zimmerman
CHAIR
Leslie has over 20 years of experience in public affairs, marketing, sales, and fundraising earning a reputation for linking people’s needs and talents with opportunities to enhance the quality of life found in a community with a career focus on: public issue campaigns, expanding the impact of nonprofits, and raising awareness for issues affecting seniors.
Leslie’s inspiration for dementia education came from her experience caring for her father, RW Davis who passed in 2018 after a long journey with vascular dementia. From this experience, Leslie wants to ensure everyone has access to resources, professional and non-professional caregivers alike that will make running the caregiver marathon easier and find moments of joy along the way.
Sivan Perdue
VICE-CHAIR
Sivan Perdue, an art therapist located in Salisbury, MD, is dedicated to advancing mental health care for older adults, with a particular focus on those living with dementia. Sivan earned her bachelor’s degree in studio art from Nazareth College of Rochester and continued her education at Nazareth, obtaining a master’s degree in art therapy.
Founder of Perdue Art Therapy, her private practice, Sivan seamlessly blends creativity with therapeutic support.
She specializes in assisting individuals coping with dementia and leads a tailored support program designed for people navigating the complexities of caring for their partners during this challenging phase.
Beyond her studio practice, Sivan holds certification in Dementia and Sexual Health. In a consulting capacity, she collaborates with diverse facilities and organizations, offering guidance in the development of environments and policies that foster sexual health and affirm identity.
Mary Ellen Clark
Retired music educator, held senior leadership positions transforming non-profit, corporate and government organizations.
Expertise in strategic planning, program management and information systems.
Amy Feger
Amy Feger is a Certified Senior Advisor, and co-owner of CarePatrol of DE and MD Eastern Shore, along with her husband Gary. CarePatrol is a national franchise of 203 offices, that helps seniors, and their families understand available care solutions including in-home care, assisted living, memory care, and independent living; and, how to achieve it.
Amy, originally from western PA, attended Indiana University of PA with a bachelor’s degree in Consumer Services and a Minor in Business. Dementia has touched Amy’s family in a personal way so she understands caregivers especially well.
Rose Kavanagh O’Neill
Rose Kavanagh O’Neill was born and raised in Baltimore Maryland; she has been living on the Eastern Shore for over 25 years. Working with visual artists, musicians, writers, and corporate and government leaders, she has been advocating for creativity-driven lifestyle support for the aging population and their caregivers for over a decade.
Her program: “Communicating with Families, Strategies for Building Families Partnerships” is designed to engage family and friends with formal caregivers, resolve caregiver conflict, and truly partner with families to create real, person-centered care plans.
This program has been presented at the Lifespan Beacon conference several times.
Her formal career in Senior Living started as Sales Director and she quickly rose as a leader becoming executive director, leading communities through the challenges of ownership changes and major expansion projects.
She holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Salisbury University. She is passionate about creating a positive and supportive environment for seniors and their families and enhancing the quality of life and well-being of our seniors through innovative programs and partnerships.
Niki Runge
Niki Runge, MCAT, LPMT, MT-BC is a Board Certified and Licensed Professional Music Therapist and the owner of Chesapeake Music Therapy in Salisbury, MD. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a music minor from Rutgers University and a Master of Creative Arts in Therapy from Hahnemann University (Drexel). She has been practicing Music Therapy for over 30 years in both NJ and MD. Niki’s main area of expertise is in child and adolescent mental health, early childhood, developmental disabilities of all ages, trauma-informed care, dementia/Alzheimer’s and hospice. She holds an advanced training certificate in Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapy.
Niki has been involved with government relations since 2013, co-chaired the Maryland Music Therapy State Task Force for Occupational Regulations, is a board member for the MD Board of Examiners for Audiology, Hearing Aid Dispensers, Speech Language Pathologists and Music Therapists and chairs the Board’s legislative sub-committee. Niki’s primary instrument is the piano, but she also plays guitar, flute, percussion and English handbells/handchimes. When not working, Niki enjoys time with her husband, 2 daughters, 2 cats and 1 dog, antiquing and thrift shopping, being on or near the water, bird watching, and playing music as part of the Salisbury Community Band and Capital Ringers.
Loretta Woodward Veney
Loretta Woodward Veney is a motivational speaker and trainer who has delivered more than 300 speeches and presentations on dementia and caregiving since 2014 and she offers a wealth of information, encouragement and humor to her audiences. Throughout her life Loretta, author of Being My Mom’s Mom (2nd edition 2019) , Colors Flowing from My Mind (2019) and Refreshment for the Caregiver’s Spirit (2nd edition 2020), has chronicled family events through journals, photos, and videos, seeking to capture every moment.
Stories Love Music Advisory Council
Jan Luster Chiampa
Jan is a licensed social worker with more than 30 years working in the field of geriatrics with persons with various forms of dementia and their families and caregivers. Jan has also worked as an instructor on memory support and has written training manuals for nursing assistants, recreation and support staff in long term care centers. Prior to her retirement in October of 2018 Jan was the National Director of Memory Support Clinical Practice and Education for Genesis Healthcare.
Retired Therapeutic Recreational Director of Cobble Hill Health Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Nancy Hendley
Consultant and trainer in Dementia Care Training for many institutions, including Caring Kind formerly Alzheimer’s Association NYC chapter.
Dr. Lewis Kadushin
Clinical Psychologist specialist at Psychological Associates in Salisbury MD.
Retired Psychotherapist at Psychological Associates in Salisbury, Maryland with a background in mental health nursing.
Author, educator and advocate for the aging, who worked for many years at MAC (Maintaining Active Citizens) Center in Maryland.
Carol Zimmerman
Carol Zimmerman is the former Director of Aging and Dementia Program’s at MAC Inc, the Area Agency on Aging on Maryland’s Lower Shore. Prior to joining the MAC team, Carol served as the Eastern Shore Development and Community Relations Coordinator for the Greater Maryland Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Carol is a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Nursing. Prior to moving to Maryland, Carol was the managing partner of a public relations and consulting firm in Arizona, served as the Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Tucson, and was the director of Development for a private school. She brings a wealth of experience in managing large projects, organizational and strategic planning, and public/media relations. Carol is a community educator, trained in many of the Alzheimer’s Association’s national educational programs for use in both training staff and volunteers and for caregiver and community education.