Jeff Bantle – (Retired) St. James - (Chairman). A highly effective leader and decision maker with the ability to build and motivate teams to perform at a high level. Jeff brings a wealth of managing experience in all aspects of finance, program, operations, facilities, and people. A passionate strategic leader and former Chairman of the Board for Lockheed Martin Canada, Jeff’s outstanding communication skills and problem solving abilities make him a wealth of organizational and strategic planning knowledge that is paramount as Samara’s Village continues to grow to meet the needs in our community. jeff@samarasvillage.org
Mollie Lindholm, Southport – (Secretary). Licensed Physician Assistant specializing in pediatrics. Employed at Seashore Pediatrics. Mollie has obtained a Master of Public Health from the University of Iowa, and a Master of Health Science, and PA Certificate of Completion from Duke University. She has an expanded network of individuals and organizations both inside and outside the medical field, affording the organization a wide-reach when promoting the work of Samara’s Village. mollie@samarasvillage.org
Donna Robey-Sullivan, (Retired) Georgia– (Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair). A Co-founder of Samara’s Village who possesses a Master of Nonprofit Management, Donna has served nearly 40 years as a professional manager, with over 15 of those years serving in nonprofit governance. As a former small business owner with ongoing experience as a business and nonprofit consultant, she has held numerous finance, risk-management and administrative directorial positions in banking and nonprofit organizations. donna@samarasvillage.org
Diana Setaro, (Retired) Oak Island – (Program Chair) Retired Brunswick County DSS-Children Services Supervisor with over twenty-three years of experience in the social work and mental health. As a long- term Brunswick County resident, Diana brings a wealth of knowledge about our county and her vast experience working with children and families. She has a BA in Child Development, specializing in Child Mental Health and a MA in education. diana@samarasvillage.org
Mary Galligan, (Retired) St James – (Resource Development Chair). Mary brings extensive management, customer service, contract negotiation and team leadership experience from her twenty plus years with Johnson & Johnson in sales, account management, and division leadership. She possesses a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Providence College and is a Wharton Executive Management Fellow in Healthcare through the University of Pennsylvania. mary@samarasvillage.org
Susan Harman, (partner in Xcelventures.com), St. James (Marketing & Public Relations Chair). Susan is a partner in Xcel Ventures; providing marketing, strategy and technology services to small businesses. She is a highly experienced and results-oriented product management, product marketing, strategy and innovation leader, having served employers and clients (Apple, Intuit, Citrix, LexisNexis, Pendo, National Data Corp, Hatch Early Learning) in both Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) environments. She holds a BA in Psychology and Education from Vassar College and the Babson College MBA program.. susan@samarasvillage.org
Bayard G. Gardineer, III (Retired) St.James (At-Large). A retired CFO and CPA, with many years of experience in the nonprofit sector. In addition to leading our public relations team, Bayard’s experience with the Drug Information Association and the SE Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Cross will benefit SV on many levels. bayard@samarasvillage.org.
Sandy Cockrell, (owner of accounting/bookkeeping business) St. James (Finance Committee). Sandy brings extensive accounting and bookkeeping experience. She served on the board of numerous organizations. She has an MBA and MAED (Masters of Adult Education in Distance Learning). sandy@samarasvillage.org
Niesha White-Diggs (Program committee). Niesha is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and has worked in the mental health/social services fields for 20yrs. She currently practices at a community agency. She also has a private practice where she provides life coaching and other wellness centered services. niesha@samarasvillage.org
Key Contacts
Program Director - Debbie Keener debbie@samarasvillage.org
Home Visitor Team Leader - Karyn Ducey karyn@samarasvillage.org
Fatherhood Mentor Team Leader - Tony Rizzo tony@samarasvillage.org
Volunteer Coordinator - Janis Gassenmeyer janis@samarsvillage.org