November 2021 - Leveraging Holiday Themes to Deliver Virtual CDSME Programs

Lauren Popham is Associate Director, Research and Evaluation at the National Council on Aging. She has over 11 years of research experience in the aging field. At NCOA, she oversees research and evaluation projects in economic security and is responsible for measuring the organization’s social impact. Prior to joining NCOA, she worked at Greenwald & Associates where she led quantitative and qualitative studies on topics such as financial stress and retirement planning. Lauren received her PhD in Lifespan Developmental Psychology with a focus on older adults from North Carolina State University.

Dana Heyl joined the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) as the Evidence Based Program Coordinator in March 2021. She began her career in public health at ARC a decade ago working on a Lifelong Communities grant. Since then, Dana has worked at has worked with several non-profit and consulting agencies in Atlanta. Most recently, Dana was a Senior Program Manager with the American Cancer Society, leading transportation and lodging programs for cancer patients in Georgia. Dana has a BS in Journalism from the University of Florida and a Master of Public Health from Emory University. An avid tennis player, Dana also enjoys cycling, visiting the beach, and fostering kittens. 

Laura B. Plunkett is a Senior Program Specialist with the Center for Healthy Aging at the National Council on Aging. In this role, she works with chronic disease self-management education and fall prevention grantees across the country to provide information, support, and resources to strengthen, expand, and sustain the delivery of evidence-based programs. Prior to joining NCOA, Laura spent four years at an Area Agency on Aging in North Carolina, where she coordinated the implementation of evidence-based health promotion programs in 12 counties. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Bachelor of Social Work from North Carolina State University and a Master’s degree in Public Health from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her professional interests include the integration of community-based services and health care, the sustainability of evidence-based programs, and continuum of care efforts.

Kathleen Zuke was privileged to grow up with eight loving grandparents and developed a passion for supportive services for older adults as a caregiver for her grandfather. She has been a Senior Program Manager with the Center for Healthy Aging since 2015. In this role, she works collaboratively with community-based partners across the country to identify, implement, and sustain evidence-based programs that support older adults in staying well and aging in the community, including chronic disease self-management education, falls prevention, and behavioral health. She has a Master’s degree in Public Health from Hunter College and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.