Ann Fisher, Executive Director
Ann has worked for the cause of Community Action since 1993, and has been the Executive Director of Virginia CARES, Inc. since 2003. Because of her leadership, Virginia CARES has expanded its statewide coverage, formed stronger bonds with fellow reentry service providers, and has educated many of her peers across the country on the Virginia CARES reentry model. Virginia CARES has also experienced a qualitative transformation under her watch, an improvement due in no small part to her agency-wide training and staffing initiatives. Ann’s tireless work on behalf of our participants led her to being recognized by the Inner City Coalition for Selective Development as one of the “Renowned Women of the Community” in 2004.
Don Jones, Director of Finance and Personnel
A certified Business Administrator through Virginia Community Action Partnership, and featuring over twenty years of experience in accounting and finance, Don has guided Virginia CARES through financial matters and human resources protocol since 2004. He is also responsible for ensuring that Virginia CARES thoroughly and assiduously abides by the myriad of increasingly complicated and exacting financial reporting and accounting obligations that regulate Community Action Agencies. Staying at the forefront of changes in accounting rules means that Don must regularly educate himself on new developments, and in the process has obtained multiple certifications through CAPLAW and other organizations.
Brandon Patterson, Director of Resource Development
Prior to joining the Virginia CARES staff, Brandon served as the Planner and Grant Writer for TAP’s “Families in Transition” component; part of his duties in this role included securing local funding for TAP’s Virginia CARES service site. Since joining Virginia CARES, he has spearheaded initiatives to overhaul the agency’s marketing, data collection, fundraising efforts, and grant writing procedures. Brandon graduated summa cum laude from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor’s degree in English, and received his MFA from Hollins University in Creative Writing.
W. Anthony West, Director of Programs and Training
Anthony has served the Roanoke Valley in various positions of community advocacy throughout his life, including work in children’s advocacy, transitional services, counseling, and case management. His exemplary work as a Virginia CARES Case Manager has carried over to the Virginia CARES Central Office, where he has refined our training procedures, and ably built up our program performance across the board. Anthony has Associate Degrees in Mental Health Services and Computer Information Systems, and is trained in group therapy, counseling, Choice Theory, basic mediation, and life skills education. He was recently featured in the nationally-distributed GOOD Magazine, and was also the subject of a feature piece in the Roanoke Times; Anthony is currently a member of Roanoke’s Youth Services Citizen Board.
Susan Reed, MIS Coordinator
As MIS Coordinator, Susan is responsible for monitoring the data collection and entry for all eleven of the agency’s service sites, as well as providing website updates, data entry training, and technical support. Recently, she has been responsible for overseeing the transitional aspects of implementing a new participant tracking system. Susan has a diverse background in various technological specialties; prior to joining the Virginia CARES staff, she owned and operated a technical support and training business, and has also been a database specialist and computer technician, as well as a hardware repair specialist. She earned her Associates Degree in Applied Science from ECPI, and is proficient in Microsoft FrontPage, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Dreamweaver.
Aisha Kirtley, Executive Assistant
Handling the purchases, communiqués, and travel for an entire agency falls entirely upon Aisha, who has ably handled her duties since 2006. Before joining the Central Office, she was the receptionist for the TAP Virginia CARES site. Ms. Kirtley is also a graduate of TAP’s Center for Employment Training, where she studied Office Automation.
Syreeta Henderson, Finance and Personnel Assistant
Syreeta began her work with Virginia CARES as an Administrative Clerk, though her dedication and skill led to the creation of a Finance position to allow her to serve our agency to her fullest ability. She is a graduate of TAP’s Center for Employment Training, and is skilled in all core Microsoft Office programs. In her current role, she has excelled at managing, organizing, and reporting Virginia CARES’ daily transactions and personnel reporting.
