Board of Directors

Elizabeth Aderoju

Liz is an Internal Medicine physician at Duke Primary Care - Riverview, and the Regional Medical Director. She was drawn to Senior PharmAssist’s mission to improve access to medication as well as improved Medicare literacy for local older adults.

George Bernhardt

George served as a nonprofit Business Manager and CFO and brings years of experience with nonprofit management and volunteerism. He is especially interested in the challenging decisions that older adults face when it comes to insurance and medicines.

Cheryl Brewer, President

Cheryl is a pillar in the Durham nursing community, as the Associate Vice President for Nursing at DukeHealth Private Diagnostic Clinic and is especially passionate about supporting individuals with sickle cell disease.

David Bright

David is an Internal Medicine physician with Durham Internal Medicine and is also trained as a pharmacist. He is most interested in filling in gaps in accessibility and in the delivery of important health services.

Kecia Courtney

Kecia is the Director of Clinical Development at Biogen, she lives in Durham and also supports the Durham Rescue Mission. She is very enthusiastic about our work and about making Durham better for all.

Alice Dillard

Following in her father’s footsteps, Alice is a pharmacist at their family-owned Triangle Pharmacy. She also serves on the Board of Mutual Drug and understands the critical role that independent pharmacies play in our community. She is a life-long Durhamite and has mentored many pharmacy students - including our own, Sheri Omozokpea.

Meri-Li Douglas

Meri-Li has served for several years on the Participant Advisory Council and has volunteered in our office. She trained as a Presbyterian minister and her positive - can-do - attitude is a wonderful influence. She worked with the UNC-Chapel Hill Program on Aging, which also makes her a valuable asset to Senior PharmAssist.

Karen Dunn

Karen is a physician and clinical researcher. She encountered many patients in her work who participated in clinical trials in order to have medical care and access to medication. She joined the Board of Senior PharmAssist to continue to help people access the care and information they need.

Janet Hortin

A long-time supporter of the program, Janet has used her medical degree to support home-bound older adults. She is excited that we help participants navigate Medicare, afford their medicines, and streamline medication regimens.

Ron Hunter, Chair - Development Committee

Ron was most recently the hotel general manager at the Radisson RTP and Embassy Suites. He is also involved with a number of groups including an international tourism group, and was chair of the Visitors’ Bureau for a number of years. He loves family activities and is passionate about improving the lives of older adults, now that he’s becoming one himself (in his words).

E. Rochelle Jackson

Rochelle is a retired educator who currently works part time as an Exceptional Children’s teacher. She is involved with a number of local nonprofits including Meals on Wheels, the Rescue Mission, and the Food Bank. She is excited about the way Senior PharmAssist is willing and able to assist the economic needs, financial support, medical needs, and Medicare insurance information.

Mary-Jo Keenan, Secretary

Mary-Jo is a retired programmer and software developer with IBM. She is active with First Presbyterian Church, volunteers as a classroom assistant at C.C. Spaulding Elementary and serves meals at Urban Ministries of Durham. Mary-Jo believes that healthcare is a right and is also complicated business – especially for seniors.

Dementric Matthews

Dementric is a VP of Clinical Operations at Syneos Health. He’s also a food bank volunteer and a mentor to at-risk teens and young professionals from underserved communities. As a native son of the Bull City, Senior PharmAssist’s vision and mission resonates with him. He uses his experience to support our business strategy and development plans, and to give back to the community.

Lisa Nadler, Chair - Formulary Committee

Lisa is a recently retired family physician at Triangle Family Practice and physician champion for Duke’s electronic health record (EPIC). She is a past board president of Senior PharmAssist and long-time member of our Formulary Committee. Lisa is also involved with Keep Durham Beautiful, Eno River Association and Piedmont Wildlife Center.

Vicky Orto

Vicky is chief nursing and patient care services officer at Duke Regional Hospital. She has been president of several boards and currently leads the board of directors for Lincoln Community Health Center. She also serves on the nursing advisory board of North Carolina Central University.

Jeff Potter, Treasurer and Chair - Finance Committee

Jeff worked at Duke University for 40 years from 1979 to 2019, first as an attorney in the Office of General Counsel and, for the majority of the time, as Director of Real Estate Administration. Over the years, in addition to providing legal advice on real estate and related matters, he has had a number of administrative responsibilities at Duke, including  managing and leasing of real estate and cell towers, and accepting and disposing of property acquired by gift. Outside of Duke, he has served on the boards of the Durham YMCA and Durham Habitat for Humanity, and he founded and ran for 12 years the Durham Girls Soccer League. In retirement, he and his wife volunteer at a local food bank.

Rebecca Reyes, Vice-President

Rebecca has lived in North Carolina for the last 30 years. She holds a Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Austin, and a Master of Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill.  Ms. Reyes worked at Duke Hospital from 1998-2015, primarily in articulating and prescribing culturally competent organizational strategies for the care of Limited English Proficiency patients and their families. Rebecca is also board member of El Centro Hispano, Durham Parks and Recreation Advisory committee, and NC Humanities Council and for the last 8 years was on the Self Development of People national committee.  

Sherry Spruill

Sherry is a clinical social worker with over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry to include Duke University, Moses Cone Hospital, and The Ohio State University Hospitals. She has professional experience as a case manager and employee assistance counselor and has worked both in medical and mental health settings. She is passionate about quality and patient safety. She looks forward to serving the seniors in the Durham community.

Kelly Sullivan

Kelly is an RN and Associate Chief Nursing Officer. She loves being active in the community and joined Senior PharmAssist’s Board because of the positive impact she believes the organization has in the community. She discovered her love of working with older adults from her childhood relationships with her grandparents and great grandparents, and from the older patients she serves.

Gina Upchurch, Founding Executive Director

Gina was born in Durham and raised in Reidsville, N.C. Gina earned her Bachelor of Science in pharmacy and her master’s degree in public health at UNC-Chapel Hill. She also completed a residency in geriatric pharmacy practice at UNC-CH. Between degrees, she served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer teaching science in Botswana. For a more complete bio on Gina please look under Staff.

Tom Wollman

Tom has held roles in operations, finance, and transformation in the clinical research industry for 27 years.  He is currently with Syneos Health which he joined in 2019 following stints at Quintiles (now IQVIA), LabCorp Drug Development (now Fortrea) and Global Specimen Solutions.  Tom is a past Board President and Treasurer.  Tom is interested in helping vulnerable seniors achieve better health outcomes.