Kimberly Nowakowski, PT, DPT is a Professor of Physical Therapy and the Director of Clinical Education at Springfield College. She has been a physical therapist for over 30 years and continues to practice with clients with neurologic dysfunction on a per diem basis. Kim is an ABPTS-certified specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy and Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults. Her involvement in community health includes fall prevention programs locally and in Trinidad, SAFE screening at the MA Senior Games, and she is a trained leader for Walk With Ease, Stay Active and Independent for Life, and Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance. She is part of the research team that received a grant from the Administration of Community Living to provide community-based falls risk reduction programming for older adults in Western Massachusetts.

Regina Kaufman, PT, EdD, MS, NCS is Professor of Physical Therapy at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.  She received her Bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Russell Sage College in 1984, an MS in PT from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, and an EdD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  She is an academician and clinician with a strong commitment to community-engaged education.  For more than a decade she has partnered with community members living with chronic neurologic conditions to promote improvements in health and function while enhancing DPT student development through a variety of service learning initiatives.  Long term relationships with community partners have prompted and informed deep introspection about what it means to provide authentic person-centered care as well as an evolving critique of some of the values and assumptions that drive traditional rehabilitation efforts.

Riley has a master’s degree in public health from the University of Texas. She has been a Health Educator at Sacramento County Public Health for almost four years. Her area of focus is on older adults' well-being and empowering them to make informed choices for a healthier and more fulfilling life.

Aknoor has a master’s degree in Public Health from San Jose State University. She is currently a Health Educator at Sacramento County Public Health, in the Older Adult Health program. Her passion for public health comes from a strong desire to boost community well-being and support healthy aging.

Brianna Ferraro, Program Manager, joined the Lamprey Health Care/Southern NH AHEC team in 2017. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire in Business Administration: Management and has two minors in Health Management & Policy and Public Health. Brianna works on a variety of projects, including but not limited to managing continuing education trainings, overseeing systems for data collection and reporting for grant funders and continuing education accreditors, and working with the Well-Being Action Network Leadership Team (previously the NH CDSMP network), Master Trainers, Leaders, and the Self-Management Resource Center to promote evidence-based self-management programs. She has also been managing Lamprey Health Care’s Nurse Practitioner Fellowship Program since February 2019. In her free time, she can be found spending time with her family & friends, watching movies, or completing jigsaw puzzles.

As the Associate AHEC Director, I am responsible for program development, grant writing, and overseeing staff who work to increase access to quality health care in southern NH. I partner with community-based providers and academic institutions to improve the supply and distribution of primary health care professionals, and work to promote awareness of chronic disease self-management classes and training opportunities in the community with an emphasis on medically underserved areas and populations. I also oversee the development and coordination of health care awareness programs for high school students with a focus on minority and disadvantaged populations. I develop outreach strategies to engage stakeholders and community members in improving health outcomes, as well as working with the Primary Care Association and Community Behavioral Health Association on initiatives and policy that advance efforts of integration of primary care and behavioral health services.

Paula Smith, MBA, EdD has been responsible for overseeing activities of the Southern New Hampshire Area Health Education Center, since its inception in 1998. She is responsible for program development, financial management and overseeing staff who work to increase access to quality health care in southern NH. Dr. Smith partners with community-based providers and academic institutions to improve the supply and distribution of primary health care professionals, and works to facilitate student placements in the community with an emphasis on medically underserved areas. She oversees the provision of training opportunities for a variety of health professionals and health professions students.  Dr. Smith also oversees the development and coordination of health care awareness programs for high school students with a focus on minority and disadvantaged populations. In addition, she evaluates program outcomes, designs survey instruments, analyzes data and writes reports in support of program operation. She oversees the Center for Cultural Effectiveness and conducts research and promotes best practices for chronic disease management. 

Melissa joined UNH Extension in 2019, bringing with her both passion and expertise in advancing community and individual health. Melissa graduated from Plymouth State University with a BS in Health Education and an M. Ed in Adult Education and Development. She worked for many years immersed in community health initiatives in the Lakes Region of NH, developing and leading community coalitions, facilitating evidence based workshops, and creating strategic partnerships among community organizations. Melissa is passionate about creating healthy environments and systems change to bring about improved health and quality of life.

Melissa is a Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) in NH and was awarded the NH CPS of the Year Award in June of 2023 for her efforts in community substance misuse prevention. She is the Project Director for the NH Opioid Prevention Project and the NH Community First Responder Program, SAMHSA Rural Opioid Technical Assistance funded initiatives that have brought important prevention and harm reduction resources to NH communities.  Melissa is also Co-Director of the Building Community Resilience Project, a cross Extension team project focused on helping rural communities thrive in light of challenges brought on by COVID-19. She provides technical assistance to NH coalitions on implementation of the Strategic Prevention Framework (SAMHSA) and the Well-Connected Communities Change Cycle. Melissa also brings knowledge and experience to Extension gained from her work at the NH DOE, Bureau of Student Wellness on working with NH schools and communities to implement a systems approach that supports students behavioral health and wellness needs. She is an instructor in Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid and is a Master Trainer and program leader for the evidence based Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP). 

Dr. Jennifer L. Tripken is an Associate Director, Center for Healthy Aging at the National Council on Aging. In this role, Jennifer supports the expansion and sustainability of evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs in the community and online through collaboration with national, state, and community partners. Prior to joining NCOA, Jennifer worked for eight years as a university professor in Health Education and Promotion. Before that, Jennifer spent six years as a middle and high school Health Education teacher in New York. 

Jennifer earned her Ed.D. in Health Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, her M.Ed. in Health Education at Boston University, and her B.S. in Athletic Training at Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Jennifer L. Tripken is an Associate Director, Center for Healthy Aging at the National Council on Aging. In this role, Jennifer supports the expansion and sustainability of evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs in the community and online through collaboration with national, state, and community partners. Prior to joining NCOA, Jennifer worked for eight years as a university professor in Health Education and Promotion. Before that, Jennifer spent six years as a middle and high school Health Education teacher in New York. 

Jennifer earned her Ed.D. in Health Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, her M.Ed. in Health Education at Boston University, and her B.S. in Athletic Training at Pennsylvania State University.

Padraic Stanley is a social worker living in Chicago, IL. He currently works as a program manager for community-based health promotion for the Rush University Medical Center Department of Social Work & Community Health. He is also the chair of Rush’s Immigrant Health Working Group, which is oversees Rush’s immigrant health and welcoming healthcare initiatives. He is a graduate of the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work, where he completed the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship and completed clinical practicum at Heartland Human Care Services and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Currently, he is an adjunct professor of social work at Loyola University Chicago, Associate Professor of Social Work for the Rush University College of Health Sciences, on the associate board for Erie Neighborhood House, and the executive board for the International Association for Social Work with Groups.

Carlee Wasik is currently the grant manager for an ACL Fall Prevention Sustainable Systems grantee for Michigan State University Extension. Her background resides in population health, disease management, and working with managed care organizations. She has created referral workflows within several health care and community settings such as primary care providers, managed care organizations, ophthalmologists, senior centers, and fire departments.

Dr. Jennifer L. Tripken is an Associate Director, Center for Healthy Aging at the National Council on Aging. In this role, Jennifer supports the expansion and sustainability of evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs in the community and online through collaboration with national, state, and community partners. Prior to joining NCOA, Jennifer worked for eight years as a university professor in Health Education and Promotion. Before that, Jennifer spent six years as a middle and high school Health Education teacher in New York. 

Jennifer earned her Ed.D. in Health Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, her M.Ed. in Health Education at Boston University, and her B.S. in Athletic Training at Pennsylvania State University.

Dianne Davis is Vice President, Community Wellness at Partners in Care Foundation leading 16 professionals implementing evidence-based programs as well as overseeing the nationally-recognized HomeMeds program. She has 25 years’ experience in healthcare administration, Managed Care and Gerontology. Ms. Davis oversees federal, state, county, city and private foundation relationships, and Partners’ contracts for evidence-based programs with health systems. Ms. Davis holds a MPH from UMASS, Amherst and a post-graduate certificate in Gerontology from UMASS Boston. She speaks at numerous conferences, is a member of the Evidence-Based Leadership Collaborative, a mentor for the NCOA Network Development Learning Collaborative and taught a course at UCLA, Evidence-based Programs for Older Adults.

Jen started with Spectrum Generations in 2014 in the Adult Day and Community Support program where she focused on consumer enrollment, care coordination, and staff training and support. She joined Spectrum Generations’ Healthy Living for ME team in 2018 and in her current role supports the development, delivery, and coordination of the evidence-based provider network in Maine.

Jen is a Master Trainer for A Matter of Balance and the Chronic Disease Self-Management series, including Chronic Disease, Chronic Pain, Diabetes, Positive self-management, and Building Better Caregiver programs. Jen also leads Tai Chi for Arthritis and Falls Prevention, the National Diabetes Prevention Program, and is a training provider for the American Red Cross First Aid, CPR and AED programs.

Jen lives in Burnham, Maine, and in her free time enjoys cooking, kayaking, and exploring Maine’s many hidden treasures.

Sarah Blonigan is the Juniper Network Director at Trellis. Her background spans the fields of public health, state and federal health care regulations and compliance, and law.

Juniper is a network of over 85 community-based providers throughout Minnesota that offer evidence-based health promotion classes. The classes are offered in community settings and healthcare settings. Juniper and its network of providers improve the health outcomes related to disease management and falls prevention.

As the Juniper Network Director Ms. Blonigan leads the daily operations of the Juniper provider network while contributing to the development of forward-looking strategy.

Ms. Blonigan draws on a broad range of experience as the Juniper Network Director including public health leadership at a tri-county Community Action Program agency; research at University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center; research at Mitchell Hamline Public Health Law Center; health care regulation, compliance, and statutory drafting at the Minnesota Department of Health Regulatory Division; health care provider licensing matters at the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings; health care fraud and abuse at the Department of Justice Civil Division; and legal research for long-term care providers at a Twin Cities law firm.

Ms. Blonigan received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biology and Public Health Policy and Administration at the University of Minnesota. She received her Juris Doctor and health care compliance and health law certificates from Mitchell Hamline School of Law, where she served as President of the Health Law Society.

A lifelong Minnesotan, Sarah lives in St. Paul with her spouse Tony and their two children. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys spending time outdoors and enjoying nature and doodling.

EDUCATION

J.D., (health law and health care compliance) Mitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, MN, 2018

M.P.H., (policy and administration), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 2017

B.A., (biology) University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 2009

PUBLICATIONS

Blonigan, S., & Henning-Smith, C. (2017, December 4). Rural Aging in Place Toolkit – Rural Health Information Hub. Retrieved from https://www.ruralhealthinfo.or...