Meet our Board of Directors...
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Malana Maher |
With an extensive background in the senior-focused healthcare industry, Malana has developed a true passion for the area’s aging population. Through her endeavors, she has developed a vast network of professional resources and has become very adept at matching an individual's needs with the best resources in the Michiana area. Over the years Malana has been involved in her local community and has volunteered for numerous organizations.
As the founder and president of ACOM, she genuinely believes in the group’s vision: To be a community resource offering educational programming to meet the needs of the community and the professionals who serve the aging population. This can be accomplished by developing meaningful relationships with quality business professionals; inform and educate members about service availability, access and needs; discuss industry updates and trends; and explore “co-opetition” opportunities so that members will be able to better meet the needs of the people they serve. |
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Brian Cook |
Brian Cook is a licensed Comprehensive Health Facility Administrator who is currently the Executive Director at Green Oaks of Goshen, an assisted living facility accepting Medicaid Waiver that is expected to open in July 2023.
Brian has been working in the senior health care field for 36 years, the last 25 as the Administrator or Executive Director of skilled nursing or assisted living facilities in northern Indiana.
Born in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and raised in Minneapolis, Brian earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire majoring in Health Care Administration. |
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Sam Fuller, MD Plastic Reconstructive Surgeon |
Sam Fuller, MD, is a Board-Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon with additional Subspecialty Certification in Surgery of the Hand (SOTH). He attended college at the University of Notre Dame and graduated Cum Laude with a double major in Spanish Languages and Literature and Pre-Professional Studies. He continued his education at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago. He then completed a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He went on to complete an Orthopaedic Upper Extremity Fellowship at The Curtis National Hand Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Fuller won numerous awards throughout his training, including the 2016 Michael S. Murphy Research Award for his research, "Design and Use of a Novel Coupling Device for Tendon Repair and Reconstruction." Dr. Fuller and his co-authors also won Best Hand Paper in 2014 from the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal for, "Fat Transfer to the Upper and Lower Extremity in Patients with Raynaud's Phenomenon- A Novel Therapeutic Modality."
Dr. Fuller specializes in hand, wrist, and forearm surgery. His diverse training allows him to bring a unique “hybrid” approach to the upper extremity. He is able to combine his plastic surgery knowledge of microvascular and soft tissue reconstruction with his orthopaedic training to accurately diagnose and treat bony and ligamentous injuries. This is particularly significant in the hand and wrist, which requires anatomic expertise to address skin, tendon, nerve, vascular, and bony problems as a functioning unit. Dr. Fuller enjoys meeting his patients and establishing goals together in order to reach a satisfying and successful outcome through non-operative and operative treatment options. This may include injections, therapy, surgery, and the latest advancements in the field, such as Wide-Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT), endoscopy, arthroscopy, and collagenase injections.
As a Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Fuller also treats a variety of general plastic surgery conditions, including skin cancer (resection and reconstruction), soft tissue reconstruction following sarcoma resection and radiation, Botox for facial wrinkles, facial fillers for volume loss, post-bariatric weight loss and body lifts including liposuction, tummy tucks, arm lifts, belt lipectomies, and complex wound care that may require skin grafts and flaps.
Dr. Fuller participates in medical mission trips, leads regional cadaver dissection courses, and routinely gives lectures and presentations on his broad and rewarding practice. |
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Fares Farhan |
Fares Farhan has been in the banking industry for over seven years and shares his expertise as the Branch Manager of United Federal Credit Union in Granger. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Business at Indiana University and is very passionate about his community and loves to share information on financial literacy. Personally, Fares enjoys spending his free time with family and friends and he loves to travel the world. He also enjoys helping others and is an active member of the 100 Black Men of Greater South Bend. Fares is beyond excited to join the board of directors for Aging Connections and is looking forward to serving any way he can. |
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Sondra Gardetto, MS |
Sondra Gardetto is a licensed insurance agent and advisor for HealthMarkets, serving Indiana and Michigan, assisting individuals and small groups with Medicare, health, life, accident, and supplemental insurance that meets their specific needs. Sondra has been in the health coverage industry for more than 20 years, and has influenced outreach, coordination and simplification of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance programs in more than 20 states while with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She also consults with organizations to optimize their business models to build organizational capacity and develop sustainable programs. Her services include strategic implementation planning, coalition building, program development, grant writing, board development, event planning and meeting facilitation, strategic partnership and board development, business management, training, budgeting, problem solving, and team building.
Sondra earned her Master of Science degree in Administration from the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, and is a Fellow of the International Center for Health Leadership Development from the University of Illinois-Chicago. She received her bachelor’s degree in music therapy from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. |
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Marlies Look AC KOSCIUSKO COUNTY AREA DIRECTOR |
Marlies has worked for Goshen Home Medical (Goshen Health) in Sales & Marketing since 2008 where she focuses on sales, marketing, public relations, events, educational programs, and in-service training. She also has extensive experience in designing, developing and implementing arts, education and recreational programs and events for Elderhostel programs (now called Road Scholar) at Oakwood Resort, Amish Acres and Chautauqua-Wawasee. |
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Michael McConnell AC Vice President |
Michael is a Physical Therapy Assistant with an Associate's of Applied Science, and a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management. Michael has been practicing in his chosen area of profession for almost ten years. His clinical interests include wound care/debridement, ortho rehab, and cranio-sacral therapy.
Some of his past experiences include performing market analysis to implement therapy-based programs, development and maintenance of strategic partnerships, and promotion of the continuum of health services throughout the aging process. |
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Megan Rogers AC Marshall County Area Director |
Megan has worked 16 years in the social services field in Michiana and graduated from Bethel College with a double major in Sociology and Criminal Justice. She has 4 years’ experience working at the local Community Mental Health Center and ten working with the Area 2 Agency on Aging Real Services with the Aged and Disabled population. Currently, she is the Northwest Indiana Region Volunteer Supervisor and has vast knowledge of the Aged and Disabled, TBI, and BDDS Waivers; Nursing Home assessments and approvals; and Person-Centered Planning Techniques where each position required her to have an extensive knowledge of Medicare and Medicaid. Megan is a Certified Memory Care Professional and certified in two Suicidal prevention techniques: QPR (Question, Persuade, and Referral) and ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), as well as a certificate in Non-Profit Business Management from IUSB. She is also the primary caregiver to her mother and father and resides in Plymouth with her husband. |
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Alicia Sieplinga Village Caregiving Executive Director |
Alicia has been working in the Senior Living Industry for approximately six years, serving as an Executive Director, Asst. Executive Director, & Marketing Director. Previously, her career was in law enforcement until she transitioned to Senior Living to continue serving others in a new capacity. Alicia holds a Bachelors in Political Science and Psychology and is a Licensed Administrator. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, going to concerts, cheering for the Crimson Tide, and spending time with her Wife Shawn, their new son Theo, and 4 doggos. |
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Ahmanda Smith |
Ahmanda currently works as a Physician Liaison at South Bend Orthopaedics and has worn many hats during her 10 years there. She enjoys connecting the community with the many services SBO provides and has a passion for serving others. She understands the needs facing our aging population and is determined to help find long-term solutions. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her two beautiful daughters, Harper & Cora. Ahmanda is proud to serve on the Aging Connections Board of Directors and cannot wait to help make a difference. |
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Thomas Sweeney, DO |
Dr. Thomas Sweeney, DO, is the Medical Director of Caring Cove Hospice, and has been caring for patients for over 40 years, first as a Rheumatologist and then in both the Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center and the Beacon Memorial Hospital Emergency Departments. Dr. Sweeney, a Navy veteran, believes that all people deserve dignity, respect and comfort at the end of life which is why he is so passionate about hospice. As an integral part of the Caring Cove Hospice team, Dr. Sweeney sees patients and their families prior to coming on service and continues to see them regularly during their hospice journey. When he isn't tending to his hospice patients, you can find Dr. Sweeney relaxing with his bee hives. |
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Patti Vandergrift AC Membership Chair |
Patti has a diverse professional background that truly exhibits her heart for our most vulnerable populations. She has a BS from Bethel College and an MPA from Indiana University. Her experience includes working with at-risk young children and homeless teens. For the past decade she has found her passion in the healthcare community, working in skilled nursing and hospital settings.
Patti is currently The Community Liaison for Always Best Care-Michiana, and she considers it a personal goal to assist our aging community in finding the services that will provide them with the best quality of life. |
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Jill Welling AC Secretary |
Jill is currently working as a business development liaison with AseraCare Hospice in Mishawaka, and previously spent 12 years with Golden LivingCenters in several different capacities. She is from the Mishawaka area but has grown up all over the country. Having a passion for seniors and helping them to live their best lives, she has found that being a member of Aging Connections has allowed her to foster connections and relationships that have proven helpful to the Michiana Community.
Jill lives with her beloved dog Jack and has two children and two grandchildren that mean the world to her. In her spare time, she enjoys visiting the grandkids, going to her nephew’s Lacrosse games and spending time with family. Jill is thrilled to be part of Aging Connections and to help further the mission of the organization. |
