2023 Board of Directors
Deborah Kelly | Chair
Kyle Brown | Vice Chair
David Thrower | Secretary
Jim Topping | Treasurer
Michael (Mike) Lammers | Past Chair
Frank Bruno
Teresa Cole
Kitty deKieffer
Scott Gresser
Constance Holden
Timothy Johnson
Chad Kohlmeyer
Dr. Antony Pearson
Claire Riley
Kelly Rogers
Porter Storey
Hilary Wallace
Executive Leadership Team
Jerry Durst | Chief Financial Officer
Prior to joining TRU, Jerry spent his career in healthcare financial leadership, including home health, hospice, palliative care, long-term care, and behavioral health. For more than 14 years, he worked for Ohio’s Hospice, one of the country’s largest nonprofit hospices. Jerry holds an accounting/finance degree as well as an MBA from the University of Cincinnati.
Scott Gresser | President and Chief Executive Officer
While completing his third term on our Board of Directors, Scott applied to serve as CFO and successfully transitioned into the role in 2012. A seasoned financial executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in the publishing and broadcasting industries, he oversaw the finance, facilities, information technology, and administrative functions of the agency for ten years. In July of 2022, Scott was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer by TRU’s Board of Directors.
Dr. David Wensel │ Chief Medical Officer
Before coming to TRU, Dr. Wensel spent 10 years as Chief Medical Officer for hospice, palliative care, home health, and PACE at Midland Care in Topeka, Kansas. There, David was instrumental in developing the PACE program. He also helped to start the palliative medicine consultation service at St. Francis Medical Center in Topeka and one of the first outpatient palliative medicine clinics in a community oncology practice at Topeka’s Cotton O’Neal Cancer Center. He is a past chair of the Membership and Communities Committee for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and serves on the Board of Directors for the Hospice Medical Directors Certification Board and the Governance Committee for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He is also the current chair of the Primary Care Committee for the National PACE Association and serves on that organization’s Board of Directors.
James (Jim) Woodard │ Chief Operating Officer
Jim Woodard is a seasoned healthcare executive who has 15 years of senior leadership experience. Jim has held leadership positions at Denver Health, Devereux, and Centura Health. He has facilitated the development of a wide variety of innovative healthcare delivery systems that focus on improving care for patients and their families. Most recently, Jim was the Vice President of Patient Care/CNO for Centura St. Thomas More. Jim holds degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and Regis University where he received his MBA.
Samantha Black, LCSW | PACE Executive Director
Sam Black has worked with TRU Community Care since 2007 as a social worker, clinical manager, Vice President of Clinical Services, and now PACE Executive Director. Sam is a leader in the field of hospice and palliative care, with 20+ years’ experience as a medical social worker and over 15 years of service in the hospice industry. Sam brings a sensitivity and compassion to TRU’s mission that serves families, patients, staff, and volunteers equally well, with a passion for high quality care through outstanding staff training and support, as well as outreach to the community we serve.
Directors Team
Heather Bowie | PACE Center Director
Ben Cohen | Director of Senior Housing
Raegan Gyorffy | Director of Clinical Services
Chad Hartmann | Director of Access and Palliative Services
Selina Morelli | PACE Director of Community Relations
Brandie Rives| Director of Innovation
Dave Samson | Director of Fund Development
Jen Thomas | Director of Communications and Volunteer Services
