Our CEALH Team
Our CEALH team
Tina Thomas, MSHP, BS, CDP, CADDCT
Executive Director
Tina Thomas first came to Riverside in 2014 as a volunteer Chaplain at Doctors' Hospital Williamsburg, bringing her passionate enthusiasm and 25 years of healthcare leadership with her. Tina has rejoined the Riverside staff as the Executive Director of Memory Care and the Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health. Tina formerly worked for the Alzheimer's Association as the Senior Director of Programs and Services for the Greater Richmond, and Central and Western Virginia Chapters. Under her direction, the chapters grew significantly and positively influenced hundreds of families affected by memory loss. Tina is currently pursuing her PhD in Healthcare Leadership. She has a bachelor's degree in health care administration as well as a master's degree in hospice and palliative studies. She has advanced degrees in Gerontology, Addictions Specialist, Pastoral Care, Nursing Home Administration, and Alzheimer's and Dementia Care. Tina is also a Dementia Friends Champion and a facilitator for the Roslyn Carter Institute's Dealing with Dementia program. Tina resides in Williamsburg with her husband, children, grandchildren, and her pet turtle Yertle.
Christine J. Jensen, Ph.D.
Health Services Research Director
Christy Jensen is the Director of Health Services Research and faculty affiliate in the Department of Gerontology at VCU. She obtained her Ph.D. in Human Development & Family Studies, with a specialty in gerontology, from the University of Delaware. She is active with the Gerontological Society of America, the Southern Gerontological Society, and the Virginia Center on Aging. She is Past Chair of the Virginia Caregiver Coalition. Christy is a Master Trainer with the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers and was named the 2015 Applied Gerontologist of the Year by the Southern Gerontological Society. Christy’s work focuses on programming and person-centered and family-centered training to support family and professional caregivers.
Kim N. Kutner, MPH, LNHA
Community Ventures Director
Kim Kutner earned her Master of Public Health from the University of California at Los Angeles and Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and Gerontology from James Madison University. She is an experienced Nursing Home Administrator, Certified Senior Advisor, Certified Dementia Practitioner, and Certified Positive Approach to Care® trainer. Mrs. Kutner was appointed in 2020 to serve on the Governor’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Commission. She is an Advisory Council Member of Peninsula Agency on Aging and has served as past Board Vice-Chair of Peninsula Agency on Aging and past Chair of the Peninsula Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s. As the Community Ventures Director, Mrs. Kutner conducts professional and community education and translational research, as well as manages Senior Care Navigation.
Mary Martha Stewart, MA
Culture Change Director
In her role as the Culture Change Director, Mary Martha Stewart develops, pilots, and scales innovative programs and services to improve the quality of life for healthcare, long-term care, and aging services professionals and consumers. As the co-founder of Person-Centered Microlearning Series, her recent work focuses on teaching and delivering content in small, very specific bursts allowing learners to consume training in 10 minutes or less and apply new knowledge and skills quickly and with confidence. Prior to joining Riverside, Mary Martha led community-based programs and services including guardian and conservator, in-home respite care, and community assistance and resources for seniors. She obtained a BA in Psychology from Mary Washington College and an MA in Human Resource Development from Marymount University.
Anne Leavines
Officer Manager
Anne has over 30 years of experience as an office assistant in the medical field, first in Family Practice then with Riverside Neurology. Anne has personal experience taking care of an older family member who was legally blind. She understands what it’s like to be on the other side of her business office sliding glass window. Anne wants our patients and care partners to feel welcomed and appreciated when they come into our office or on the phone. She enjoys interacting with people, exemplifying the Riverside Care Difference.
Amanda D. Gada, LMSW
Memory Care Navigator
Amanda Gada, Licensed Master Social Worker, is the Memory Care Navigator with the Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health. She is an undergraduate of Mary Washington College and obtained her Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has previously worked in a Continuing Care Retirement Community, acute care, home health care and hospice, and in the outpatient settings. Her career concentration continues to be Medical Social Work in her current role as Memory Care Navigator. Amanda assists patients, families, and caregivers in their individual journey with dementia using a person-centered and a positive approach to care model.
Denise Butler, MS
Geriatric Assessment Clinic Coordinator
Denise Butler holds a B.S. in Psychology from Old Dominion University, an M.S. in Counselling from Long Island University. Denise began as a volunteer at the Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health in 2011 in the Geriatric Assessment Clinic and in 2013 became the clinic coordinator. She is a Certified Senior Advisor and trained facilitator in Caring for You, Caring for Me, Dealing with Dementia, and Chronic Disease Self-Management, received training in the New York University Caregiver Intervention program, is a certified trainer for Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Caregiving training as well as a certified Teepa Snow Consultant and an Advanced Consultant. In February 2016, she and other volunteers in Williamsburg began the Memory Café to provide a socialization opportunity for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Ms. Butler’s interest in and dedication to geriatric health came from personal experience with family and friends.
John Vaughter, M.Ed., CDRS
Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist
John Vaughter is the Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist. He is a licensed Commercial Driving Instructor with a Bachelor of Science in physical education from Norfolk State University and a Master of Education degree from the University of Pennsylvania at Westchester. He has been credentialed as a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist by the Association of Driver Rehabilitation Specialists since 1995. Mr. Vaughter was honored by the Drive Safe Hampton Roads Organization as the recipient of the 2021 John T. Hanna Lifetime Safety Achievement Award for outstanding service in transportation safety.