Meet the Team

Meet the staff and Board of Directors at the Dempsey Center. Made up of highly trained and mission-driven people, our team is dedicated to making life better for people impacted by cancer.

Leadership Team

Cara Valentino (she/her)
President + Chief Executive Officer

Heather Ward, MBA (she/her)
Chief Financial + Operating Officer

Christine Penney (she/her)
Chief Advancement Officer

Monique Shrader (she/her)
Governance Coordinator

Board of Directors

Tom Caron (he/him)
Broadcaster, NESN

Patrick Dempsey (he/him)
Founder
Actor/Director/Philanthropist

Ann Drew (she/her)
Board Chair
SVP, Chief Ethics + Compliance Officer, WEX, Inc.

Stephanie Graff, MD (she/her)
Director of Breast Oncology, Lifespan Cancer Institute

Tim Griffin (he/him)
Immediate Past Board Chair
Partner + Portfolio Manager, H.M. Payson

Peter Hayes (he/him)
Retired, Former CEO + President, Healthcare Purchasers Alliance of Maine

Steven Ismail (he/him)
Oncology Portfolio Manager, Amgen Oncology

Peter Manning (he/him)
Client Experience Committee Chair
VP of Business Development, Jasper Health

Ben Michaud (he/him)
Board Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair
Director of Research, H.M. Payson

Cary Olson-Cartwright (she/her)
Assistant Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility, Unum

Wendy Reid (she/her)
Chief Operating Officer, The Clearing

Matt Skelton (he/him)
Retired, SVP, Global Brand Strategy, Pfizer/Seagen

Cara Valentino (she/her)
President + CEO, Dempsey Center

Advancement Team

Katelynn Davis (she/her)
Marketing + Communications Director
(207) 376-9689

Deneka Deletetsky (she/her)
Events Manager

Lorianne Saniuk (she/her)
Director of Strategic Relations
(207) 835-4151

Tricia Sierra (she/her)
Development Database Lead

Client Experience Team


Chrissy Bowen, LCSW (she/her)
Youth and Family Services Specialist

Kristen Breault, LCSW (she/her)
Young Adult Oncology Counselor

Christine Brome, LCSW, OSW-C (she/her)
Adult Counseling Services Manager

Bambi Brousseau, LMT (she/her)
Oncology Massage Therapist

Allison Burt, LMSW-cc (she/her)
Client Journey Navigator (CJN)

Patricia “Tish” Caldwell (she/her)
Movement + Fitness Manager

Elizabeth Como, LMT (she/her)
Oncology Massage Therapist

Judy Donnelly, RDN, CSO, LD (she/her)
Nutrition Program Manager

Michael Gelsanliter, LMT (he/him)
Oncology Massage Therapist

Tricia Gilbert, LMT
Oncology Massage Therapist

Karen Gruver (she/her)
Program Manager
(207) 376-9647

Michelle Hayes, LCSW, OSW-C (she/her)
Oncology Counselor

Kerry Irish, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW (she/her)
Oncology Counselor

Erin King, LCSW, APHSW-C, OSW-C, CGP (she/her)
Oncology Counselor

Maggie Miller, MA, LMT (she/her)
Director of Integrative Therapies

Paige Moore, LCSW (she/her)
Oncology Counselor

Alex Reese (he/him)
Business Intelligence Reporting Analyst

Michelle Small (she/her)
Comfort + Wellbeing Manager

Jennifer Stenberg, RN (she/her)
Clayton’s House Hospitality Home Manager

Kailie Sullivan, LCSW, OSW-C (she/her)
Director of Counseling Services

Kelly West, LCSW (she/her)
Client Journey Navigator (CJN)

Kathleen Wing, LMT (she/her)
Oncology Massage Therapist

Operations Team

Julia Allison (she/her)
Client Experience Specialist

Kristy Baker (she/her)
Client Experience Specialist

Lauren Belleau (she/her)
Client Experience Lead

Jeri Cosgrove (she/her)
Technology Manager

Sarah Dodge (she/her)
Client Experience Specialist

Kristen Gilman (she/her)
Director of Finance + Operations

Krystle Hairston (she/her)
Client Experience Manager

Julia Harding (she/her)
Client Experience Specialist + Marketing Coordinator

Amy Erskine-Hinitt (she/her)
Special Projects Lead

Nicole Kelley (she/her)
HR Lead

Join the team and make life better for people impacted by cancer.

The Dempsey Center offers career and volunteer opportunities for mission-oriented individuals who want to make a difference.