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.
Secretary: Rachel Yowell (she/her) | email Rachel
Rachel has been a part of GRAVA since Fall ’21. As secretary, she records the minutes for our board meetings, and ensures there is breakfast foods at our membership meetings. Rachel is the Volunteer Manager at CrossOver Healthcare Ministry. Her favorite part about working with volunteers is seeing people from all different walks of life come together for one common mission. She is greatly inspired by the generosity and commitment of volunteers! Outside of work, Rachel can be found basking in the sunshine, buying iced coffee from local coffee shops, spending time with her many nieces and nephews, and exploring Richmond!
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.
Public Relations Chair: Daiyonna “Dai” Tretina (she/they) | email Dai
Daiyonna has been a part of GRAVA since Fall 2023. As PR Chair, she manages the website, social media, and communications. Philanthropy is an important part of her life, and she works with several organizations to keep her range of experience wide and diverse. Daiyonna is the Philanthropy Engagement Manager for Peter Paul RVA and supervises their Board of Associates and Event Planning Committee. Daiyonna also serves on the Board of Associates for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and SupportWorks Housing; and is on the Event Planning Committee for the Children’s Museum of Richmond. She truly loves having the opportunity to serve in the nonprofit field. When she isn’t working, she enjoys crocheting stuffed animals, spending time outdoors with her family, and traveling to new places.
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 part of GRAVA since 2021. She is the Visiting Volunteers coordinator at Family Lifeline and has been there since 2020. Debbie, as conference chair, designs the programming flow and logistics of the annual conference, with input from the GRAVA Board. This includes ensuring that all details are assigned and implemented correctly before, during, and after the conference. She also works closely with the Membership and Public Relations Chairs to 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.
