AFO Board Of Directors
We are grateful to our Board of Directors for volunteering their time, talents, and resources to further the mission of the Alzheimer's Family Organization.
President
Lori Wilson
Lori was born and raised in Ohio. She attended Bowling Green State University, Major Art Therapy/Cognate Gerontology. Lori began her career in the long-term care industry in 1983 as nursing assistant while attending BGSU. She spent the last few decades as a regional and corporate support for two large chains for skilled nursing care. She was very active in serving the Alzheimer's Association in Ohio.
Alzheimer's and dementia have touched her personally - her mother in-law passed from dementia and her mother is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, with dad as her caregiver in Lake County, Florida. Lori moved to Citrus County Florida full time in 2018. She is married to Gregg Wilson and they have two loving dogs. Lori has two beautiful and successful daughters on the east coast.
Lori joined the Alzheimer's Family Organization Board of Directors in January 2020. She has been coordinating and speaking on dementia related topics at local 55+ communities, was recently voted in as our President. She plans to attend most fundraisers and work with the team to increase membership, raise awareness and increase funding. She will be hosting a caregiver learning day again this year at Atria Evergreen Woods, starting a new support group at a local 55+ community, doing public speaking, etc. She has served as Atria's community sales director for the past two years. Lori brings experience, knowledge, dedication, passion, new energy and commitment to her role on the Board.
Vice President
Bill Tuttle
Bill was born in Alexandria, Virginia and grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He is a graduate of theUniversity of Richmond with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. Bill began his career in the home health industry in 2011 first with Comfort Keepers and has been with Senior Helpers in Hernando, Citrus
and East Pasco since 2014. In his role as Client Service Manager has made countless partnerships with many facilities in the service area. He has been married for seventeen years. He has one son and one daughter. His son has four children, ranging in ages 3 years to 20 years in age.
Bill joined the Alzheimer’s Family Organization Board of Directors in July of 2017. Since joining us, he has been a very active participant on the Board. He ensures the Virtual Dementia Tour is available for our events in the service area of Senior Helper’s. Bill has also jumped in with positive feedback on changes we could make to become more successful. He has become the Editor of The Caregiver’s Companion, and serves on the Marketing Sub-committee. Bill brings enthusiasm, knowledge, and commitment to his role on the Board.
Board Member
Ron Francis
Ron was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania and moved to Florida after earning his Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Penn State University. Ron has been married to Danielle for over 10 years. They have on daughter, Hayden and one son, Noah. Ron is a Financial Adviser with Edward Jones where he focuses on serving the financial needs of individual investors of all ages and financial means. He has built his business by treating clients as he would want to be treated, a simple idea that still makes sense in today's complex marketplace. Ron serves clients of all backgrounds throughout the country.
Ron was exposed to Dementia at a young age. After watching his great grandmother suffer through the disease, and the impact it had on his family, he has always admired the caregiver's strength and perseverance. Ron joined the Alzheimer's Family Organization Board of Directors in 2017 and works closely with the financial, medical and educational aspect of the organization.
Board Member
Tyler Borowski
Tyler was born and raised in Northern New Jersey, until moving to Florida with his family as a teenager. He and his family relocated to the Sunshine State so his ill grandfather could be in a better environment to enjoy his remaining time on earth. Tyler became committed to the health care field after learning the struggles of his grandfather and developed a passion for serving others in the health care arena. He went on to work in medical practices, hospitals, and rehabs and is currently growing with Concierge Home Care as a Senior Care Liaison since 2015. In 2017, Tyler graduated from Rasmussen College in Ocala with a Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration and is currently on scholarship at the Mitchell-Hamline School of Law to complete his certificate in Law & Leadership in Healthcare. In his free time, Tyler enjoys fishing, boating, running, and working with his animals on the farm in Lady Lake, Florida. As a board member since March 2018, Tyler hopes to grow awareness for Alzheimer's and help others navigate the complexities of health care.
Board Member
Alexander Powell
Alexander Powell joined our Board in November of 2018. Alexander represents The Villages on The Board. He first joined the AFO as a supporter and committee member for our Villages Walk. Alexander is the Director of Sales for Harbor Chase of Villages Crossing, Retirement and Assisted Living Facility located in Lady Lake. Alexander has an MBA from St. Leo University. Alexander is married and he and his wife (and their dog) are excited to be expecting their first child in January of 2020.
Board Member
Ed Spinks
Edmund Spinks is founding attorney of the Spinks Law Firm. He focuses his practices in the area of elder law and disability planning in the Tampa Bay area. Mr. Spinks graduated from the University of South Florida and attended law school at Florida State University. He is admitted to the Florida and Hawaii Bar associations and has been practicing law since 2000. Mr. Spinks retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2011 with his over twenty-five years of military service.
Board Member
Sharon Doncourt
Sharon was born and raised in Medford, New York and relocated to Florida in 2013. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Stony Brook University and her Master's degree in Criminal Justice from St. Joseph's University. Since moving to Florida in 2013, she has worked in the field of victim advocacy. Sharon is currently the Victim Services Manager for the Sumter County Sheriff's Office. Her role at the Sheriff's Office also includes working with individuals with dementia/Alzheimer's and their family members. Sharon became involved with the AFO to help address law enforcement training to improve law enforcement response to individuals with Alzheimer's and their families.
Board Member
Dr. Mary Stedman
Mary Stedman, MD, is the Medical Director and Principal Investigator at Stedman Clinical Trials in Tampa, Florida. Since 1997, Dr. Stedman has been investigating new treatment options for many chronic health conditions through clinical trial research studies. By combining her clinical research experience with her extensive pharmaceutical knowledge, Dr. Stedman has created one of the most respected clinical trial sites in the area.
After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Pharmacy from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Dr. Stedman went on to complete her Doctor of Medicine at the University of South Florida in Tampa. She remained in Tampa and at the University of South Florida to complete her residency training in psychiatry and child psychiatry. Dr. Stedman is a board-certified psychiatrist by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
When she’s not researching the benefits of new treatment options to improve various health conditions, Dr. Stedman is taking care of patients at her independent private practice. There, she provides compassionate care to all and specializes in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder, and depression.
Board Member
Mary Darling
Mary Darling is a retired paralegal of 30 years practicing in Government Law, Civil Litigation, Family Law, Real Estate and Personal Injury Law.
Mary and her husband Floyd, a retired law enforcement officer of 38 years, resided in Clearwater until his retirement in 2001. Floyd was awarded the Purple Heart by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department after he was stabbed in the line of duty. He retired as a Sergeant. Mary served the Department of Elder Affairs in the Ombudsman Program for 10 years.
She also served as State Council Vice Chair of District 4 Council for 2 terms. While on the State Council, Mary Chaired the Recruitment, retention and recognition workgroup. While with the program she spoke to many facilities at their resident council meetings and spoke at St. Benedict Catholic Church to tell the congregation of the importance of our program.
Mary is a member of the Citrus County Continuity of Care, giving her many advantages and contact with administrators and other healthcare providers.
In October 2018 The Alzheimer’s Family Organization created a perpetual award in her name for her dedication and work with the residents of Citrus County and was presented with an Award for Special Service to the Alzheimer’s Family Organization.
Mary has recently joined the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office as a volunteer for Crime Against Seniors and Secretary to St. Benedict Church Community of Catholic Women.
Board Member
Peg Pickett
Peg was born in Indiana and raised a Hoosier. She moved to Florida 21 years ago. Peg loves to fish and enjoys spending time with the elderly, her family and all her grandchildren. She loves to socialize and is friendly to all. Peg has a very welcoming personality and a great sense of humor.
Peg and her husband Ron opened their first Visiting Angels home care in 2006 in Orlando/Winter Park after my Mom passed away. Five years ago, they then opened franchises in both Clermont and The Villages. In 2019 Peg went to classes to become a Certified Dementia Practitioner. She believes that 82% of all her clients have some form of Dementia. Her training and years of experience have taught her to be able to identify and work successfully through many situations over the last 14 years. This training and experience have allowed her to grow and succeed in both her business, career and in her personal life.
