AmeriCorps requires that all projects involve a focused and sustained core group, an advisory council, that provides perspective and active assistance. Get to know the collection of individuals who serve on our advisory council and support our program and the work that we are all doing to take care of each other and our neighbors. They bring a lot to the table and provide specialized expertise, serve as ambassadors, and perform important duties.
Dorothy (Dot) Keenan has provided programming for older adults her entire career, in nursing homes, at Hollin Hall Senior Center, and finally as supervisor of Fairfax County’s 13 senior centers. Following her retirement in 2009, Dot worked with professors at George Mason University (GMU) to provide retirement classes for Fairfax County and GMU staff. This led to her involvement in the Positive Aging Coalition, followed by the founding of GrandInvolve, an intergenerational program that matches seniors to assist teachers in Title 1 classrooms. Currently, Dot is leading an initiative through Coordinating Council on Aging and Adults with Disabilities to design programs which will decrease isolation and loneliness in the Fairfax area.
Karen Horowitz is the Director of Community & Volunteer Engagement for Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) and has been with the agency since 2009. She has spent her career in the nonprofit sector focusing on volunteer management, community partnership building, and fundraising. Prior to joining NVFS, she worked for Second Story and the Northern Virginia Chapter of MADD. Karen is a northern Virginia native, graduate of George Mason University, and member of the Leadership Fairfax class of 2010.
Mike Mixon served 29+ years in the U.S. Air Force in occupations including air traffic controller, aircraft navigator, and unit commander. He is currently employed by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) as a systems engineer in support of U.S. Navy unmanned aircraft systems acquisitions and operations. He has been a dedicated RSVP volunteer for over five years; his primary volunteer station is the American Red Cross where he serves as Emergency Response Vehicle Operations Coordinator for the Northern Virginia Chapter. Mike strongly believes that the RSVP program significantly contributes in many ways to the well-being of the community and to its volunteers.
Emily Roudebush had a long career in technology and marketing, and since then has largely focused her time on volunteering for three local non-profit organizations: New Dominion Chorale (NDC), the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University, and RSVP. Her volunteer work has largely involved senior programs, covering diverse areas such as marketing and publicity, IT, grants, outreach, membership, and logistics. She currently serves as President of the NDC Board of Directors and Vice President of the OLLI Board of Directors. She appreciates this opportunity to bring her knowledge and skills to the RSVP Advisory Council.
Emily Swenson is the Social Services Supervisor of Volunteer Solutions, part of Fairfax County’s Department of Family Services Adult & Aging Division. She holds a degree in Public Administration from James Madison University and is a Certified Volunteer Administrator (CVA). Emily has dedicated her career to fostering volunteerism and supporting older adults, adults with disabilities, family caregivers, and children’s services. In 2022, she was honored with the Sandra Lee Fitch Volunteer Administrator of the Year award by the Northern Virginia Association of Volunteer Administration. In her personal time, Emily enjoys engaging her family in community volunteering, exploring new destinations, and photography. She especially loves her family’s annual trips to Cape Cod.
Martha Tesfaye is currently serving as a Senior Manager for Community Relations and Stakeholder Engagement with Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. In her role Martha is responsible for building strategies and managing initiatives that advance Kaiser Permanente as a strong community partner with various stakeholders. Martha also serves as board member and co-chair of the Governance and Nomination committee of Volunteer Fairfax. Martha resides in Oakton with her husband and two children.
Ed Weiss and his wife, Karen Tovey, have lived in Northern Virginia for nearly 50 years. He has worked in volunteer leadership capacities with several nonprofits, serving Northern Virginia and the greater DMV. The scope of these efforts has generally been in policy, operations, and organizational governance, concentrating on food insecurity; pre-school, primary, secondary, and adult literacy; social and healthcare related services; and operation of broad-range community-centers and programs. Professionally, he practiced corporate, commercial, and intellectual law for over 40 years.
Paul Wexler is a retired social worker with a 50-year career in federal, state, and local government, and with private nonprofit organizations including VISTA, the Northern Virginia Training Center, Alexandria Community Services Board and Department of Human Services, Central Fairfax Services, and ServiceSource. He has an MSW from Virginia Commonwealth University and taught there for 10 years as an adjunct faculty member. He has experience as a volunteer primarily with the Boy Scouts and worked with volunteers throughout his career. He has lifelong appreciation and respect for seniors starting with his grandparents. He and his wife raised two children in Fairfax County and reside in the Mantua community.
