Why Cville Village?
The number of Americans over age 65 was almost 15% of the national population in 2015. By 2030 the percentage is expected to be 20%, or about 72 million people. Boomers are changing the face of aging. Overwhelmingly, we want to “age in place.” Will existing social and health service agencies be able to adapt, or will they gradually become overwhelmed by the challenges of serving this expanding segment of our population? The goal of Cville Village is to be there before we reach this tipping point.
Our Board of Directors
Maryann Long
Past President
Maryann, a midwife for over 35 years before retiring to Charlottesville in 2018, got inspired by the Village concept while volunteering with Capital City Village in Austin, TX. Anticipating the move to Cville, she looked for a Village here, and found Cville Village in the development phase. Her goal is to see Cville Village grow and thrive. She is the mother of two, grandmother of three, and active in professional and local community organizations. Maryann became a board member in 2019.
Maitland Sharpe
President
Maitland worked in environmental and natural resource policy in Washington for many years. With his wife, Susan, he settled in Charlottesville to enjoy retirement close to their daughter and her family. Reading about something called the “Village Movement,” based on mutual support for people aging-in-place, led them to join with people working to launch a Village here in Charlottesville.
Debbie Parmelee
Treasurer
Debbie, who has lived in Charlottesville since 1985, joined the Cville Village effort after a long career in K-5 education, much of it in Albemarle County schools. Her introduction to issues of aging came when she looked after her own parents in their later years. While caring for her husband as he coped with dementia, she took on management of the Cville Village correspondence, and stepped into the treasurer role in early 2023. She has one son.
Jan Dix
Membership Coordinator
A native Virginian, Jan retired after a career as a physician assistant. She has been involved in other local nonprofits over the years. She joined Cville Village in 2022 and was instrumental in getting our first successful grant proposal written in 2023.
Robbi Savage
Vice President and interim Recording Secretary
Roberta (Robbi) Savage is a retired environmental nonprofit executive, serving 30 years in Washington DC and 15 years here in Charlottesville as the head of the Rivanna Conservation Society/Alliance. Robbi was visiting scholar at the University of Texas and an instructor at UVA’s School of Architecture and the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.
Susan Sharpe
Volunteer Coordinator
Susan Sharpe began working for the Village as a volunteer driver in January of 2024. After 30 years teaching English at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, she and her husband moved to Charlottesville in 2019 to be near their four grandchildren. She is happy to be making new friends through her Village activities, in addition to teaching at Olli and struggling with oil painting.
Our Staff
Sara Ratcliffe
brings three decades’ experience working with national and local NGOs as a staff member, executive, and consultant. Her work included renowned advocacy organizations, such as the American Cancer Society and Catholics for Choice, which helped her become well-versed in nonprofit management and organizational transition. In the midst of her professional achievements, Sara helped shepherd three parents through their end-of-life journeys, giving her a personal commitment to Cville Village’s mission. Our first paid staff member, Sara is also active in local politics, having run for the House of Delegates in the Charlottesville area in 2021, 2023, and 2025.
Milestones
- October 2012 – First organizational meeting of Cville Village held.
- January 2013 – Established core coordinating group that became founding board of directors.
- June 2013 – Cville Village is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- November 2023 – Welcomed first cohort of volunteers and began enrolling members.
- January 2024 – Service offerings went live in Charlottesville City + 1 mile urban ring of Albemarle County.
- June 2025 – Expanded service area to include Charlottesville, plus Albemarle County south to Biscuit Run Park; north on US 29 to Polo Grounds Rd.; east to the intersection of I-64 and US 250 (Richmond Rd.); and west to Old Garth Rd and Ednam.
Our service area expansion in 2025 was possible because we attracted more volunteers. Geography and the number of active volunteers are the factors constraining further growth of our footprint.
Will we grow further? We don’t know yet! More active volunteers from more distant parts of Albemarle County will be key to the next expansion.
Maybe you and your neighbors would like to have a village where you are. There are lots of resources, and we can help you get started. Contact us at info@cvillevillage.org.