Note: Many of our Staff, Board Members and Service Managers have either been rigorously trained as Certified Dementia Practitioners or as Dementia Friends Ohio. For the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners training, click here. For Dementia Friends Ohio, click here.
Our Service Managers
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Kiki Watchorn
Kiki is the Service Manager for the Amherst location. She joined LIFE: A Dementia Friendly Foundation in 2021 and loves being with people and helping put a smile on everyone’s faces. Kiki is a life-long resident of Lorain, graduating from Admiral King in 1965. Kiki worked for Murray Ridge as the Activity Director for 28 years before her retirement. Kiki has completed Dementia Friends training and enjoys presenting activities for clients and caregivers. She married her husband, Rick, in 1974 and now has five boys, 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
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Mary Anne Duncan
Mary Anne has been Service Manager of the North Ridgeville, Elyria and Wellington Memory Cafés since 2019. Viewing each person as an extension of her own family, she loves working with clients and caregivers at each location. Mary Anne was introduced to LIFE as a volunteer; that dedication and passion for dementia care has brought her to where she is today. She says, “My heart is so full when I come to work each day. We are a family and each person who attends knows this is a safe environment and that we care about them.” Mary Anne is a retired Registered Nurse and is also a Certified Dementia Practitioner. She resides in Elyria with her husband Phil.
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Christen Uhl
Christen has been the Service Manager of the Wooster Memory Café since it was established in 2021. She is passionate about working with people and enjoys creating themed activities each week. She enjoys the outdoors and is active in her church and local community outreach organizations. Her education and employment background lie in early childhood development and interpretive education. Christen is a graduate of Hocking College and completed Dementia Friends training. She looks forward to growing LIFE resources in Wayne County. She resides in
Big Prairie, Ohio, with her husband and three boys. |
Our Staff
Carole Klingler, BSN, RN, CDP
Founder and CEO of LIFE: A Dementia Friendly Foundation Carole spent years as an ICU nurse, and was the Director of Nursing for Kendal at Oberlin. She also worked as an adjunct faculty member for Lorain County Community College Allied Health and Nursing Program and in Hospice and Palliative Care in the role of Team Leader and Community Facility Coordinator for the Lorain County Team.
Carole earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a Master Trainer for Dementia Friends Ohio. |
Jennifer Tucker
Financial Administrator Jennifer joined LIFE as its Financial Administrator in 2020. After being part of the caregiving process for her grandmother, she was delighted to join an organization that focuses on the holistic needs of families coping with dementia-related illnesses. Her employment background is in finance; she is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College. Although Jennifer is not involved in daily Memory Café activities, she supports the services provided and works behind the scenes. Jennifer enjoys visiting the Cafés and has completed Dementia Friends training. She resides in Olmsted Township with her husband and two children.
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Evelyn Reyes
Bilingual Services Director Evelyn was born in Cleveland and has lived in Lorain her entire life. She studied at LCCC/ EHOVE and graduated with an Associate’s Degree as an Assistant in Applied Science Occupational Therapy. Evelyn is currently working with CareSource as a Member Health Assessor. She joined LIFE as Bilingual Service Director – Spanish and English -- in 2022. Evelyn has worked with people who have dementia and healthcare issues for many years. Evelyn has a son whom she enjoys and loves deeply. When she is not working, she enjoys baseball and outings with her son. Evelyn loves community and helping people.
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LIFE Board of Directors
Karin Kollar
President Karin has been the owner of Home Instead, serving Lorain County, for more than 11 years. After taking care of her parents, Karin realized that she wanted to help people in similar situations. Hence, in 2008, she opened a Home Instead office. Karin is dedicated to providing reliable and responsive services with caring and compassionate caregivers. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and is a member of the Home Care Association of America. She is also a Leadership Lorain County Alumn, “Best Class of 2019.”
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Terry Kovach
Vice President Terry is Director of Sales and Marketing for Kendal at Oberlin, where she has worked for more than 25 years. Terry’s work includes management of sales, marketing and public relations efforts for the life plan community. She also works with The Kendal Corporation, serving on both the website and IT strategic impact committees for the Kendal System. In her spare time, Terry enjoys bicycling and volunteering in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
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Dr. Supriya Mahajan
Neurologist and Treasurer Dr. Mahajan is part of a private practice, Neurology Center, Incorporated, founded by her father. Her main passion focuses on the treatment of patients with cognitive changes; however, she also oversees patients with other neurological problems, such as epilepsy, headache, stroke and Parkinson's disease. LIFE: a Dementia Friendly Foundation has been a tremendously powerful tool for Dr. Mahajan's patients.
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Carol Bojanowski
Secretary Carol is a retired Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist. She currently lives at Kendal at Oberlin Life Planning Community. She served on the Board of Directors at Kendal for nine years. She is a Dementia Friends Champion.
Before she specialized in geriatrics she was an Emergency Room Nurse. |
Jill Herron
Administrator Jill is the Administrator of Welcome Nursing Home, owned and operated by the Wessell family since 1945. Jill has been actively involved with the Ohio Health Care Association and is currently the President Elect of the organization. Over the years she has been a preceptor for many “Administrators in Training,” providing six- to nine-month internships. Jill is an executive board member of the Oberlin Rotary Club.
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LIFE Board Members
To apply as a Board Member, please find our application here.
Anne Murphy, CDP
Anne is the Sales Director for O'Neill Healthcare, focusing on Assisted Living and Memory Care. Having worked in multiple industries for almost 40 years, Anne brings a unique sales and marketing perspective to LIFE. Her father, Mel, suffered from Alzheimer's disease and passed away with hospice. Anne's passion for this disease and on-going research leads her to become involved with specific projects and initiatives, such as the Lorain County Senior Network, Alzheimer Clinical Studies and being a Certified Dementia Practitioner.
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Margie Karl
After graduating from Marietta College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Margie completed her graduate studies at the University of Akron's School of Law. She earned her Juris Doctor degree there. Margie has been involved with many community groups, including the Kiwanis and the Chamber of Commerce in Olmstead Falls. She enjoys giving back through senior organizations like LIFE.
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Tracey Murphy
Tracey has dedicated more than 16 years to help families navigate the move of a loved one into a senior living community. In addition to her experience in senior living marketing and sales, Tracey has more than 25 years of business development and strategic planning experience. She is the co-founder and two-time President of Lorain County Senior Network, an organization that connects professionals who provide services to seniors in Lorain County. Tracey is currently the Senior Sales Director at Wesleyan Meadows.
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Kari Colón-Zimmermann
Kari is a Research Assistant at Case Western Reserve University. She is a graduate of Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve University, where she earned a Master of Arts in
Bioethics and Medical Humanities. For the past 12 years Kari has been responsible for overseeing all aspects of community-engaged research protocols with a specialty in caregivers’ self-management projects and experience in Hispanic communities outreach. She is fully bilingual in the English and Spanish languages. |
Madelyne "Maddie" Portalatin
Maddie works as Director of Sales & Marketing for Fairmont Senior Living of Westlake, a beautiful community that provides services for those needing Assisted Living and Memory Care. She has been working with seniors starting at the age of 16 at Adopt-A-Senior Organization. Working with seniors is her first passion, but she is also an advocate and volunteer for organizations that serve the under-privileged and the homeless community. She is currently getting certification at National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners for dementia, especially Alzheimer’s.
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Josephine "Josie" Jones
Josie graduated from South Amherst High School and attended the M.B. Johnson School of Nursing in Elyria. She spent her residence at Elyria Memorial Hospital and earned her undergraduate degree at Ursuline College and her Master’s at Cleveland State. Starting at University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center as an R.N., she also worked with great compassion at several inner city and large teaching hospitals and had responsibility for geriatric care programs. Sadly, she lost both her mother and sister to dementia -- events that deepened her appreciation of caregiving and which prompted her to
volunteer for LIFE. |
Laurie King
Laurie King is a pet therapist
and a retired school teacher with 33 years’ experience at Black River Schools. After retirement Laurie became a pet therapist and, with her certified therapy dog Putter, she began making visits. She and Putter have logged more than 300 visits to schools, nursing homes, the library and, of course, LIFE! |
Jennifer Krupa, ACC/EDU, CDP, CADDCT, AC-BC, CMDCP, MDEC
Jennifer Krupa is a degreed Art Therapist, Certified Activity Consultant/Educator and Certified Dementia Practitioner who has worked in the field of health care for more than 35 years. Jennifer founded her business, Krupa Consulting, which provides consultation services/education for residential communities, in 1990. She is a presenter for local, state and national conventions and has been a full-time faculty member and Director of LifeLong Learning for Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio, for 20 years. Jennifer is the author of the books Activities Keep Me Going and Going. She is an approved instructor for the National Certification Council for Activity Professionals and the National Council of Dementia Practitioners.
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