Meet the Team

Susan Ryan, MA

Chief Executive Officer

Susan Ryan serves as Chief Executive Officer of AgingIN, leading the organization’s mission to fundamentally transform eldercare in America and around the world. She focuses on advancing person-directed care, small-home eldercare models, culture transformation, and sustainable nonprofit leadership. Susan works closely with national partners, providers, policymakers, and advocates to drive systemic change across long-term care and home- and community-based services.

With more than 35 years of experience in aging services, Susan is an internationally recognized leader in long-term care reform. She joined The Green House Project in 2008 and has played a central role in advancing small-home models as person-directed alternatives to traditional nursing homes. Throughout her career, she has contributed to major culture-change initiatives, including efforts to eliminate the use of inhumane physical restraints and expand access to home- and community-based services (HCBS). Her work bridges frontline practice, operational leadership, and national advocacy.
At AgingIN, Susan guides the strategic vision and operational sustainability of the organization and its affiliated initiatives, including The Green House Project and Pioneer Network. She supports innovation, education, and partnership development to ensure providers have practical tools and evidence-informed strategies to implement meaningful change. Her leadership strengthens AgingIN’s impact while maintaining the long-term viability of its nonprofit mission and business lines.
Susan holds a Master of Arts in Management of Aging Services from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southern College in Collegedale, Tennessee. She is passionate about building a future where every elder receives high-quality care in the setting of their choice.

Colleen Kammar

Chief Finance Officer

Colleen Kammar has been in the role of Chief Financial Officer for AgingIN since 2017. Her responsibilities include directing the accounting and finance functions, supporting grant application and reporting, evaluating systems and processes to maximize efficiency and mitigate risk, and developing projections and new product models to support decision making and overall business strategy.

Prior to joining AgingIN, Colleen held leadership positions in a variety of industries. In addition to other nonprofit organizations, this includes a startup private equity firm, a privately held healthcare company, and the country’s fifth-largest home mortgage lender. Prior to her work in private industry, Colleen worked as an independent auditor for KPMG, a Big Four accounting firm.

Colleen holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Robins School of Business at University of Richmond and is a Certified Public Accountant. She spends much of her free time either in the mountains or at the beach, and in the winter months she is on the slopes teaching skiing.

Marla DeVries, BA

Chief Learning Officer

Marla DeVries is Chief Learning Officer at AgingIN, where she leads the organization’s global learning strategy and education portfolio advancing person-directed living, coaching leadership, and culture transformation in aging services. She designs and oversees scalable education and consulting initiatives that strengthen leadership capability, workforce development, and operational alignment.

With more than 30 years of experience in long-term care and elder advocacy, Marla has led multi-site culture transformation efforts, developed comprehensive education frameworks and structured learning pathways, and guided leadership teams in translating values into daily operational practice. She champions helping organizations assess and strengthen their learning culture to ensure sustainable change.

At AgingIN, she leads curriculum development and shapes the organization’s broader learning and impact strategy to expand AgingIN’s global reach. A frequent international speaker, Marla presents on coaching leadership, communication, and sustainable culture change. She is a Certified Workplace Mediator and Trainer through the Mediation Training Institute at Eckerd College.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with a minor in Philosophy from Calvin University and is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Kathleen Goff

Strategic Initiatives Leader

Kathleen Goff serves as Strategic Initiatives Leader with AgingIN, where she builds relationships with organizations, companies, and thought leaders who share AgingIN’s mission. She focuses on developing strategic partnerships, collaborative opportunities, and engaging with other service providers, technologies, and innovators who support person-directed living and add value to AgingIN constituents.

She is also an Associate Principal with DaVinci Development Collaborative, bringing more than 30 years of experience in the senior living sector. Kathleen helps clients create innovative, operationally and financially viable environments for elders and often guides organizations through the early feasibility and development of Green House and Small House communities. She also contributes to the strategy and creation of AgingIN symposiums, workshops, and webinars, conducts focus groups, and spearheads post-occupancy evaluations.

Kathleen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design from California State University, Long Beach, and is a member of the Urban Land Institute. She has served as a speaker for LeadingAge and many of its state affiliates, Environments for Aging, and other industry organizations, and has held numerous community leadership roles. Previously, Kathleen served as an Associate Principal with RLPS Architects, leading the then 13-person architectural, interior design, and master planning firm into an 80+ person firm with a national presence in senior living planning and design.

Originally from Southern California, Kathleen calls Atlanta home and enjoys spending time in the North Georgia mountains with her family and keeping up with her grandson, whom she and her husband are raising.

Zoie Garza, LNHA

Project Coach

Zoie Garza is a Project Coach at AgingIN, bringing extensive expertise in organizational leadership, regional operations, and executive management within senior living and long-term care. She has led national and international initiatives, including organizational accreditation, multi-site operational oversight, and strategic planning, helping organizations implement evidence-informed strategies, culture change, and operational excellence.

Zoie’s background includes leadership roles at the regional and C-Suite level, where she oversaw multi-site operations, quality oversight, and system-wide performance improvement. Her experience enables her to guide organizations through complex operational and regulatory challenges, enhance team effectiveness, and align systems with mission-driven goals.

At AgingIN, Zoie supports webinars, newsletters, national symposiums, and serves as a liaison with State Coalition leaders, ensuring that knowledge, resources, and best practices are effectively shared with providers and partners nationwide. She combines operational expertise, strategic insight, and collaborative problem-solving to help organizations achieve lasting, measurable improvements in culture, leadership, and care delivery.

Zoie holds a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA) credential, a bachelors in education from George Mason University, a masters in healthcare administration from Central Michigan University, and a masters in healthcare law and policy from Texas A&M University. She lives in the San Antonio, Texas area.

Rachel Graham, RD, LDN

Project Coach

Rachel Graham is a Project Coach at AgingIN and a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, bringing more than a decade of hands-on leadership experience in Green House and person-directed care environments. Her work focuses on helping aging services organizations strengthen daily practice, food systems, team culture, and resident-directed living, grounded in real-world operational and caregiving experience.

Before joining AgingIN, Rachel served as a culinary leader, clinician, Guide, and educator at a Green House community in South Florida, where she played a central role in shaping home-centered dining, relationship-based caregiving, and empowered team practices. Her lived experience includes working side-by-side with elders, care partners, and interdisciplinary teams to create meaningful daily rhythms, responsive nutrition practices, and environments that honor choice, dignity, and autonomy. She has also served as a family caregiver, an experience that further grounds her work in the realities of daily care, advocacy, and relationship-centered decision-making.

As a Registered Dietitian, Rachel brings specialized expertise in nutrition, wellness, and food service innovation, helping organizations improve meal quality, dining experience, regulatory compliance, and resident satisfaction. She supports communities in transforming food and dining from an institutional function into a core driver of well-being, connection, and home.

Rachel is also an experienced educator and coach, known for her ability to translate culture-change principles into practical, actionable improvements for frontline teams and leaders. Her work is rooted in lived practice, evidence-informed nutrition, and person-directed values, making her a trusted partner for organizations seeking authentic and sustainable transformation.

Rachel lives in Florida with her husband, two children, and their dog, where family life continues to shape her perspective on care, connection, and home.

Mary Hopfner-Thomas, MA

Education Coach

Mary Hopfner Thomas is an Education Coach at AgingIN, specializing in adult learning, leadership development, culture change, and person-directed aging services. She partners with aging services organizations to design and deliver practical, high-impact education and coaching that strengthens staff capability, leadership effectiveness, and day-to-day care practices.

With extensive experience in training, facilitation, and workforce development, Mary supports leaders and teams in translating culture-change principles into real-world behaviors, systems, and routines. Her work focuses on building confidence, accountability, communication, and coaching skills, helping organizations create more responsive, empowered, and person-centered environments.

Mary is known for her ability to engage diverse audiences, from caregivers to executive leaders, using interactive learning, coaching, and applied practice to support sustainable improvement. She has contributed to AgingIN’s national education initiatives, helping providers strengthen person-directed practices, team collaboration, and the lived experience of older adults.

Her approach blends adult learning best practices, field-based insight, and a deep commitment to dignity, autonomy, and continuous learning, making her a trusted partner for organizations seeking to build staff capacity and achieve meaningful, lasting change.

She holds a Master of Arts in Management of Aging Services from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a Bachelor of Arts in Radio and Television with a minor in Speech from St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN.

Anna Ortigara, RN, MSN

Educator | Curriculum Developer | Organizational Consultant

Anna is an educator, curriculum developer, and organizational consultant supporting aging services organizations nationally through the AgingIN, Health Care Interactive, Inc., PHI, and other mission-driven partners. Her work focuses on strengthening leadership practice, advancing workforce innovation, and embedding person-directed living into organizational culture and operations.

Anna brings extensive experience in organizational development and leadership education. She most recently served for seven years as an Organization Development and Workforce Consultant with the Workforce Innovations Team at PHI, where she taught Coaching Approach to Supervision to long-term care leaders across the country. In this role, she supported organizations in strengthening supervisory practice, building resilient teams, and aligning systems with person-directed values.

Previously, Anna served as Director of Resource Development at The Green House Project, where she co-created and taught the Core Green House curriculum and developed Coaching for Guides and Nurse Executives programming. She partnered with executive and operational leaders to implement culture change models that support empowered staff, meaningful roles, and deeply relational living environments for elders.

Anna holds a B.S.in Nursing from St. Xavier University and a M.S.N. in Gerontological Nursing from Northern Illinois University and has completed additional professional development in organizational development, adult learning, and leadership coaching.

She currently resides in Tinley Park, Illinois with her extended family and where she continues to advocate for leadership practices that elevate both workforce stability and quality of life for elders.

Janet Wright

Sales and Systems Administrator

Janet Wright serves as the Sales and Systems Administrator at AgingIN, where she oversees client engagement, systems operations, and data-driven support for the organization’s consulting and education initiatives. By bridging the gap between complex data management and client needs, Janet ensures that AgingIN’s resources are delivered efficiently and aligned with the goals of each partner organization.

With extensive experience in workflow optimization and sales operations, Janet provides a seamless point of contact for inquiries, training registration, and program implementation. Her work emphasizes accuracy and responsiveness, allowing AgingIN’s educational and consulting teams to focus on their mission while she manages the underlying logistics, reporting, and operational excellence required for nationwide success.

A resident of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay region, Janet finds her greatest joy in life’s simple connections. When she isn’t optimizing systems, she is likely tending to her plants, enjoying the bay breeze with her Mini Goldendoodle, Sparkle, or making memories with her grandchildren.

Anne Montgomery

Strategic Advisor

Anne Montgomery is a nationally recognized policy strategist and health services researcher specializing in long-term services and supports (LTSS) for older adults and individuals living with disabilities. As an independent consultant and Strategic Advisor to AgingIN, Gray Panthers NYC, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the Steering Committee for the Moving Forward Coalition that is charged with advancing comprehensive nursing home reform, she provides guidance on policy development, long-term care financing, workforce strategy, and system redesign to strengthen care delivery and improve quality across aging services.

Anne brings more than 30 years of federal and national policy experience. She served for a decade as an analyst for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and the House Ways & Means Committee, where she advised Members of Congress on Medicare and Medicaid policy, long-term care reform, workforce challenges, and quality improvement initiatives. Her work supported congressional hearings, legislative proposals, and bipartisan policy development focused on strengthening long-term care systems nationwide.

Earlier in her career, Anne served as a Senior Analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, evaluating federal programs and long-term care oversight, and as a Senior Health Policy Associate at the Alliance for Health Reform, where she led national briefings on health system reform. She later served as Managing Director of the Center for Eldercare Improvement at Altarum, leading research and policy analysis to advance integrated care models and sustainable long-term care financing.

Anne has contributed to national policy dialogue as a Visiting Scholar at the National Academy of Social Insurance and has authored and co-authored numerous policy briefs, research reports, and expert commentaries on long-term care reform, Medicaid financing, workforce policy, and quality improvement. She is a frequent speaker at national aging and health policy forums.

Anne holds a Master of Science in Journalism from Columbia University, a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Virginia and has completed gerontology coursework at Johns Hopkins University. She resides in the Washington, D.C. area, where she continues to shape national conversations on long-term care policy and mentor emerging leaders in aging services.

Kelly Tremblay, PhD

Neuroscientist | Clinician | Coach Consultant

Kelly Tremblay, PhD, is a neuroscientist, audiologist, educator, and executive coach whose career bridges academic research, leadership development, and aging innovation. She brings more than 25 years of experience as a university professor, researcher, and practitioner, equipping leaders and organizations with evidence-based strategies that strengthen communication, inclusion, and organizational health.

Dr. Tremblay spent decades in higher education as a faculty member, researcher, and mentor, teaching and advancing scholarship in communication neuroscience, healthy aging, and digital health technology. Her research contributions earned national and international recognition, including invitations from the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization to serve as a peer-review judge for competitive research grants and to contribute to the development of global guidelines supporting healthy aging.

In addition to her academic leadership, Dr. Tremblay is deeply committed to education and professional development.

A clinician and champion for inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, Dr. Tremblay has held governance roles including Board Trustee for the Hearing Loss Association of America, where she co-founded and chaired the Task Force for Accessible, Inclusive Employment. Her leadership has focused on advancing equitable workforce participation and accessible workplace design.

In addition to her academic leadership, Dr. Tremblay is deeply committed to education and professional development. As an ICF-certified executive coach, she partners with C-suite and senior leaders to cultivate healthy, multi-generational workplaces where individuals and teams can flourish. Her approach integrates neuroscience, behavioral science, and practical leadership strategy to support sustainable organizational change.

Dr. Tremblay holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Northwestern University, along with clinical credentials in audiology. She is a Professor based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and Detroit, Michigan, where she continues to advance aging research and support leaders and organizations worldwide.

Jim Clark

Financial Consultant

Jim Clark serves as a Financial Consultant for AgingIN, specializing in financial modeling and feasibility analysis for Green House communities under development. He partners with providers and organizational leaders to assess financial sustainability, operational projections, and capital planning strategies that support the successful implementation of small-home models.

Jim brings extensive experience in financial leadership and portfolio management. He currently serves as Senior Director of Portfolio Management and Analytics at Bausch & Lomb in Rochester, New York, where he leads strategic financial planning, performance analytics, and investment oversight. Previously, as Chief Financial Officer at St. John’s Living, he played a key role in supporting the development of the Penfield Green House community in the Rochester suburbs, providing financial oversight, modeling, and strategic guidance throughout the project.

At AgingIN, Jim supports organizations by translating complex financial data into practical, actionable insights. His work helps providers evaluate risk, optimize capital investments, and build financially sound Green House communities positioned for long-term success.

Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from SUNY Geneseo, an MBA from Clarkson University, and an EdD from St. John Fisher University. He also has more than two decades of experience in financial strategy, analytics, and organizational leadership. He lives and works in the Rochester, New York area. His wife, Melissa, owns Clark Cancer and Lymphedema Therapy, and his son, Ben, volunteers for Challenger Baseball in Rochester, NY.

Meg LaPorte

Communications and Marketing Consultant

With more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit management, journalism, communications, and marketing, Meg has a deep commitment to advocating for elders, combating ageism, and improving job quality for direct care professionals.

In addition to consulting, Meg has served as executive director of the Maryland Regional Direct Services Collaborative since 2022. She is cofounder of Art Against Ageism, a nonprofit dedicated to leveraging art as a powerful tool for dismantling age bias.

Meg holds a master’s degree from the Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. From 2018 to 2021, she served as director of communications and marketing for The Green House Project.

Joan Devine, RN, BSN, MS

Annual Conference Planner

Joan Devine brings more than 30 years of leadership, clinical, and educational experience in aging services to her role as Annual Conference Planner for AgingIN. With a career spanning long-term care, workforce development, and culture transformation, Joan is known for her ability to design meaningful learning experiences that advance person-directed practices and strengthen organizational leadership.

In her current role with AgingIN, Joan leads the planning and execution of the AgingINnovation Annual Conference, which convenes national leaders, providers, and advocates committed to transforming the experience of aging. She works closely with faculty to deliver high-impact content, practical tools, and opportunities for collaboration.

Earlier in her career, Joan served in clinical and leadership roles in long-term and acute care settings and later as Director of Education for Pioneer Network, where she developed and implemented national education initiatives supporting culture change across the continuum.

Joan is a frequent speaker at state and national conferences and has contributed to educational programming focused on empowering care partners and organizational leaders. She is the author of Word of the Week: Creating a Culture Change Dictionary. Joan has served on the Board of Directors for MC5, the Missouri State Culture Change Coalition for over 20 years.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education/Music Therapy, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and a Master of Science in Management. Joan resides in the Greater St Louis area and remains deeply committed to creating environments where older adults and those who support them can thrive.

Alex Spanko, In Memoriam

Director of Communications and Marketing (2021–2025)

Alex Spanko served as Director of Communications and Marketing at AgingIN from 2021 until his untimely passing in 2025. In this role, he led the organization’s communications strategy, marketing initiatives, and public engagement, helping to elevate AgingIN’s national presence and amplify its mission to transform long-term care through person-directed practices and culture change.

A skilled strategist and collaborative leader, Alex guided communications that supported consulting, education, and national initiatives, ensuring that AgingIN’s expertise reached providers, stakeholders, and communities across the country. His creativity, professionalism, and commitment to advancing the field of aging services made a lasting impact on colleagues, clients, and the organizations he served.

Alex’s legacy lives on through the programs, initiatives, and communications systems he built, which continue to support AgingIN’s mission and inspire meaningful, person-centered care in long-term care communities nationwide.