Board of Directors

James A. Thur, MSW, MPH

Regional Director, Northern Virginia Wounded Warrior ProgramVirginia Department of Veterans Services, Fairfax, Virginia

Responsible for developing and coordinating a system of care in the northern third of the Commonwealth of Virginia for veterans and members of the Guard and Reserve not on Active Duty who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brian Injury or other serious psychological problems as a result of military service, and their families. The full array of public and private agencies are represented, including but not limited to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, Va. Department of Rehabilitative Services, Community Services Boards, Traumatic Brain Injury Services, Veterans Services Organizations, and private providers. Also responsible for community education and outreach; the development of a statewide data collection and reporting system in collaboration with Virginia Tech; and for the development and implementation of housing initiatives for veterans throughout the Commonwealth.

Mr. Thur is the former Executive Director for Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board

Professional Affiliations - American Public Health Association – Member of Mental Health Section and frequent presenter at national APHA conferences.

Other Professional and Community Activities:

United Way - Served on the Long Range Planning Committee, the Executive Committee and the Regional Council in Fairfax, Virginia.

U.S. Navy - Retired with the rank of Captain after serving three years on active duty and 25 years in the Reserves. The most significant assignments included: the Office of the Naval Inspector General, Naval Material Command, Readiness Command Six, the Navy Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program and the USS Holder (DD-819). Prepared position papers for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and delivered Flag Officer briefings in the Pentagon. Awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for exceptional performance.

1995 White House Conference on Aging - U.S. Senatorial appointment as a delegate from Virginia

Long Term Care in Virginia - Appointed to two state level commissions studying the future demand for long term care

Health Information - Member Board of Directors of Northern Virginia Regional Health Information Organization

Veterans Organizations - Life member of Vietnam Veterans of America and Association of US Navy. Also member of Fleet Reserve Association and Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). Actively involved in promoting improved health care for all veterans with a special emphasis on those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hung Quoc Nguyen

Senior Technical Writer/Editor, Knowledge Advantage, Inc.

Community Experience

Advocated change in public policy to ensure greater effectiveness of existing policies and directives relating to Asian Pacific Americans by preparing reports, testimonies and other written documentation for elected officials, government agencies and NGOs.
Managed staff consultants, volunteers and interns. Provided strategic planning, management and administrative consultation to nonprofits and businesses (large and small).
Organized large-scale community events (500+), such as Lunar New Year celebrations, Rock the Vote voter registration, Health Forums, and Business networking/career fairs.
Worked with Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Program to organize the Vietnamese American Heritage Exhibit (01/2007) and created an endowment fund.
Managed leadership training programs for interns and community leaders. Trained 181 young leaders nationally. Results included: 82.4% using new skills or information; 54.4% interning at a government/nonprofit organization; and, 37.8% increasing community activities.

Community Affiliations

Chair, Virginia Service Foundation
Board Member, America’s Service Commission
Board Member, National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies

Political Appointments

Commissioner, Governor’s Commission on National and Community Service
Commissioner, Fairfax County Consumer Protection Commission
Past Chair, Governor’s Virginia Asian Advisory Board
Past Member, Virginia 2007 Community Citizen Planning Committee

Communications/Advocacy

Quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, San José Mercury News, Associated Press, Reuter, Washingtonian, and appeared on television and radio programs (CBS, Saigon Broadcasting Television Network, NPR, The Bob Edward’s Show, BBC, Radio Free Asia, Radio Australia).
Produced APA on the Hill, a nationally aired TV program addressing community needs/issues.

Michael Behrmann, Ed.D, Chair of the Board of Directors

Director, Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities at George Mason University

Dr. Michael M. Behrmann is a local, state, and national leader in special education and assistive technology. He has devoted 35 years to improving services and personnel preparation in the field of special education with his innovative work in teaching, research and service. He believes in collaborative research and training enhanced by technology. George Mason University (GMU) since 1979 at, he has secured over $35 million in external grants and contracts, $11 million in revenue-based projects, and $3.5 million in gifts for special education to the university. He is currently the Helen A. Kellar Professor of Special Education and Director of the Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities (KIHd) in the Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Behrmann hopes to use his experiences with technology, training, and policy development to advance the goals of LifeCircle and is particularly interested in providing leadership in facilitating external funding for seniors and adults with disabilities, thus improving collaborative and innovative services to LifeCircle's stakeholders.

Verdia L. Haywood

Fairfax Deputy County Executive for Human Services, Retired

In Mr. Haywood’s thirty year role as Deputy County Executive for Human Services, he has been noted as the “architect of the Fairfax County human services system” and has been commended for his contributions that have touched and improved the lives of thousands of county residents.

He was instrumental in the creation of the Fairfax Long Term Care Coordinating Council (LTCCC) to address unmet needs in the area of long term care. He worked with LTCCC to create LifeCircle Alliances to meet those needs.

In January 1978, he was appointed Executive Assistant to the Fairfax County Executive, Fairfax, Virginia. In this position, he served as the principal liaison between the County administration and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. While serving as Executive Assistant, he began work developing the Human Services system in Fairfax County, working with State, local and private non-profit agencies.

In 1981, he was appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to his current position as Deputy County Executive for Human Services. In this position he oversaw and directed all human services agencies within the Fairfax County government.

He has provided leadership in a large organization providing comprehensive services that include housing, child care, health, mental health services, long term care, public benefits, self sufficiency services & system of care to children and families.

Among his many awards and recognitions are: 2009 Above & Beyond Award, Best of Reston Honoree Reston Interfaith & Reston Chamber of Commerce; 1994 National Forum for Black Public Administrators, Public Service Award for Human and Social Services; 2001 American Society of Public Administrators Award for Public Service; 2008 Arnold B. Kassabian Memorial AwardFairfax County Bar Association ; 2008 Community Partner Award Human Services Coalition of Northern Virginia.

Mr. Haywood is currently also a member of the Board of the Northern Virginia Community Health Foundation, Inc.; College Summit – National Capital Region; Leadership Fairfax, Inc; Community Foundation – National Capital Region; Northern Virginia 4-H Center; New Hope Housing, Inc.; Blueprint for Livable Communities, Citizens Advisory Committee, State of Virginia; ServiceSource Network, Inc.

Karen Brown

Executive Director, Brain Injury Services

Ms. Brown has spent over 34 years working in the field of rehabilitation serving adults with disabilities in Alabama, Texas and Virginia. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Certified Brain Injury Specialist. Ms. Brown worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor prior to developing and implementing two supported employment programs for individuals with psychiatric disabilities and mental retardation in Northern Virginia. For the past ten years Ms. Brown has served as the Executive Director of Brain Injury Services, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides community-based rehabilitation services and programs to individuals with acquired brain injuries. This was the first community-based organization of its kind in Virginia, and it continues to play a significant leadership role in the development of innovative programs for this population. Ms. Brown was also instrumental in the development of the first community-based pediatric brain injury case management program in Virginia.

Ms. Brown is past Chair of the Virginia Brain Injury Council and Virginia Alliance of Brain Injury Services Providers. She presently serves as Chair of the Fairfax Long Term Care Coordinating Council and serves on the Board of Wesley Housing. Ms. Brown is on George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services Advisory Board and has taught graduate courses at George Washington University. She is also a graduate of Leadership Fairfax.

Ms. Brown hopes to contribute to the success of LifeCircle by using her leadership skills in the development of innovative programs to serve seniors and persons with disabilities through increased collaborative efforts by public/private partnerships.

Craig Hunter, CPA, CA (SA), Treasurer

Partner, Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, L.L.P.

Mr. Hunter is an Audit Partner with over 15 years of experience providing auditing, accounting and consulting services to government contractors, manufacturers, and retail and service firms.

Based in CB&H's Washington practice, Craig serves as the local practice lead for the Firm's Technology and Life Sciences Group, providing audit services to a wide array of clients from start-up entities to publicly traded companies.

Prior to joining Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, Craig was with Deloitte & Touche and Ernst & Young for a total of six years. He also spent a year with a large multinational brand management company as a group management accountant.

Craig received his Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Accounting from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in Virginia and as a South African Chartered Accountant.

Craig is a member of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce.

Brent DeRobertis, Secretary

Senior Real Estate Specialist, Coldwell Banker

Mr. DeRobertis has worked in sales and marketing all his adult life, residing in the Fairfax area since 1984. For the past seven years he has been a realtor for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, specializing in the senior market during the past three years. In this capacity, Mr. DeRobertis along with the Senior Abode Team (a marketing alliance for seniors), has been conducting classes and public seminars for Realtors, community groups, and retirement facilities. The purpose of these information sessions is to promote the concepts of a “universal designed home” to ensure that those working with seniors have sufficient knowledge to advise the seniors and that seniors themselves understand their options as they “age in place”.

Mr. DeRobertis is an active member of the Dulles area chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), serving as president for the past year. In 2008, this Chapter received recognition from AARP National Chapters Newsletter for its gift of geriatric nursing scholarships to George Mason University. He is also active in the community with the Boy Scouts, the Sons of Italy, the Potomac Pedalers Bicycle Club, and Westfield High School Track and Cross Country teams.

After spending nearly 30 years as a retail executive in Florida and Northern Virginia, Mr. DeRobertis knows how critical it is to respond to customer’s needs and the importance of adapting to a changing environment. He hopes to bring his expertise in housing, education and marketing to assist LifeCircle in responding to the many long-term care challenges facing our community today and in the future.

Drew T. Gillespie, CFP

Ameriprise Financial

Mr. Gillespie has spent the past ten years with Ameriprise Financial, formerly American Express Financial Advisors, focusing on retiring baby boomers and their needs. From 2001 -2006, he was a sole proprietor franchisee of Ameriprise, and currently, serves as the estate planning and retirement planning expert for Kim, Hopkins and Associates, a franchisee of Ameriprise Financial.

Mr. Gillespie currently serves on the Herndon Dulles Visitors Center Board as the Secretary. He is an active member of the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce and in 2004 was the winner of the Chamber’s Ambassador of the Year award. Mr. Gillespie is also a charter member of a marketing alliance for seniors, called Team Senior Abode, aimed at helping the aging senior population with the transition to downsizing their homes and/or going into care facilities. In 2004, he graduated from the Emerging Leadership Institute which is one of two curriculums of Leadership Fairfax. In 2007, he completed Georgetown University’s Professional Development Program for Financial Planning which has extensive content on the retiring population. Throughout his work Mr. Gillespie has come to recognize a great need for retirement planning and long-term care services in our community for seniors and adults with disabilities. With the dramatic increase in these populations, he believes the Fairfax area needs to be proactive in its approach to developing its long-term care system and if this task is not undertaken our local government will experience great financial burdens. Mr. Gillespie has joined the LifeCircle Board to lend his strong financial skills and networking abilities to help serve as a catalyst to develop this long-term care system.

Katherine “Kate” Hanley

Retired, Fairfax County

For almost 25 years, the Honorable Katherine 'Kate' Hanley has served in local and state government. After a term on the Fairfax County School Board, she served nine years as the Providence District Supervisor on the Fairfax Board of Supervisors, and nine years as Chairman (At-Large). Most recently, she served as Secretary of the Commonwealth in Governor Tim Kaine's Administration (2006-2010). She was a member and Chairman of the Metro Board (WMATA) and was President of both the Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Municipal League.

Recognitions for her service include one of Washingtonian Magazine's “Washingtonian of the Year in 2000” and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington’s “Distinguished Service Award in 2002.” Additionally, the Board of Supervisors named the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter in her honor.

Currently she serves on the Board of Directors for the Inova Health Care System, Voices for Virginia's Children, Home Aid Northern Virginia, and LifeCircle Alliances^SM.

Mrs. Hanley received her M.A.T from Harvard University in Social Science. She holds a B.A. in French Civilization and a B.S. in Secondary Education from the University of Missouri where she was Phi Beta Kappa.

Today, Mrs. Hanley resides in Reston with her husband, Edward.

Kay Larmer, Vice-Chair

Retired, Fairfax County

Ms. Larmer has spent over 28 years developing, managing and expanding long-term care services in our community including the County's six Adult Day Health Care Centers, the Bathing/Respite Program, the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Early Intervention Program, and the Medicaid Pre-Admission Screening Program. For five years, Ms. Larmer served as the Program Manager for the Long Term Care Coordinating Council (LTCCC) which was charged by the Fairfax Board of Supervisor "to provide community leadership in meeting the long-term care needs for seniors and adults with disabilities in the Fairfax community" and to ensure that the recommendations in the county's Long Term Care Strategic Plan were implemented.

Ms. Larmer has served on several local, state, and national long-term care organizations and chaired the National Institute on Adult Day Services during the development of the first national standards of care. Ms. Larmer has received several awards including the Washingtonian of the Year and the Ruth Van Behren Award for outstanding leadership in the field of adult day health care.

Ms. Larmer hopes to assist LifeCircle in linking people and organizations in strategic partnerships to strengthen the Long Term Care system and to help create new and innovative programs that will enable seniors and adults with disabilities to be as independent as possible and remain in their homes and communities.