GRAVA Board
GRAVA Board 2024-2025
President: Carol Ayars, CVA (she/her) | email Carol
Carol has been a part of GRAVA since Spring ’19 and, prior to her role as President, served as GRAVA's professional development chair for three years. She has been in the field for over 25 years and contributes her real understanding of what volunteers want because she is a volunteer at heart. Carol is the AmeriCorps Seniors Programs Manager with Senior Connections, The Capital Area Agency on Aging. Her favorite part of her work is helping older adults find purpose and meaning in the second half of life by giving back and helping children in their community. Carol is passionate about helping people who have fallen through the cracks, especially human trafficking survivors, youth, and those without a voice. Carol also serves on the board of the DC-VA AmeriCorps Seniors Director’s Association, the AmeriCorps Seniors Professional Network (ASPN), Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement (AL!VE), and in an ex-officio role on the Governor’s Advisory Board for Volunteerism and Service. Outside of work, she and her husband enjoy being empty nesters with their cat, Bella, but miss having their three granddaughters nearby. She likes playing board games with friends, doing cross-stitch and diamond art, watching old TV shows, and camping and hiking when the weather is nice.
Mary has been an active member of GRAVA since 2022 and currently serves as the organization’s Secretary. She earned her master’s degree in nonprofit studies from the University of Richmond, where she focused on qualitative research in grassroots leadership. In her professional role as Community Engagement Manager at St. Joseph’s Villa, Mary works to build and strengthen community relationships. She is also a member of The River City Ladies League, where she advocates for inclusivity and growth in the sport of disc golf. Outside of her professional and volunteer commitments, Mary enjoys spending time with her family and hitting the local disc golf courses.
Membership Chair: Sarah Wilson (she/her) | email Sarah
Sarah has been a part of GRAVA for many years, joining the board in fall 2021. As Membership Chair, she coordinates GRAVA membership recruitment, engagement and support. Sarah works for the Department of Health in transportation safety work. She is passionate about working to reduce unintentional injury and enjoys working with the statewide network of child passenger safety volunteers. When not working, she is likely to be outside hiking, backpacking or disc golfing. If not outside, she enjoys time with friends, food or a good book.
Programs Chair: Tiffani Beissel (she/her) | email Tiffani
Tiffani is a forward-thinking Strategic Engagement Professional, working to advance the missions of nonprofit organizations in the Greater Richmond Community. Tiffani holds a Paraprofessional in Counseling Certificate, an A.A.S. in Psychology, and a B.S. in Leadership. Her academic background, combined with over 700 hours of volunteer service allows her to effectively manage a large and diversified Volunteer Engagement Portfolio as part of her role as Volunteer Manager at United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg. As Programs Chair with GRAVA, Tiffani identifies topics, as well as locates speakers, facilitators, moderators for Membership Meetings in collaboration with the GRAVA Board.”
Debbie has been an active member of GRAVA since 2021 and previously served as the Visiting Volunteer Coordinator for Family Lifeline from October 2020 to January 2025. As the conference chair, she collaborates with the GRAVA Board to design the programming flow and logistics of the annual conference, ensuring that every detail is assigned and properly executed before, during, and after the event. Additionally, she works closely with the Membership and Public Relations Chairs to effectively publicize and promote the conference.
Professional Development Chair: Naomi Chetelat(she/her) | email Naomi
Naomi has been a member of GRAVA since spring 22' and has been working in the Community Engagement Department at Richmond Metro Habitat for Humanity for the same amount of time. Previously she worked as an advocacy intern for Richmond Habitat while finishing up her degree in Social Justice at Belmont University. Her favorite part of working with youth and volunteers is having a broad view of her organization, being involved in many aspects of its operations. When she is not working, Naomi is spending time with her dog, working on her house, and hanging out with friends around Richmond.
Conference Chair: Debbie Ward (she/her) | email Debbie
As the Treasurer, Kim is responsible for developing, tracking, and monitoring the GRAVA budget and financial resources. Kim works as the Senior Program Manager for Volunteers and Community Service at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She has been a member of GRAVA for several years, most recently serving as Conference Chair.
