Maryann Long, 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 launched and thriving. 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, Vice President

Maitland worked in environmental and natural resource policy in Washington for many years, serving as executive director of the Izaak Walton League and later at the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service. With his wife, Susan, he settled in Charlottesville to enjoy retirement close to their daughter and her family. Social isolation during the covid epidemic led them to search for closer community and greater sharing. At the same time they decided to stay in their home for as long as possible without placing a burden on their daughters. 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. Maitland is now an enthusiastic board member of Cville Village.

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.

Joan Gore, Secretary

Joan Elias Gore has lived in Charlottesville since 1967, when she came to the University of Virginia for graduate school.  Her career was in the field of international higher education.  She has had personal experience in caregiving, and, as a retiree, has been interested in opportunities for seniors to grow and thrive. Other volunteer activities have included working with a therapy dog to visit UVa Hospital, scholarship advising,  and scholarship Board work.

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 successful grant proposal done in 2023.

Laura Wallace, Marketing Chair

Laura is our resident poet (M.A., Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars) and communications specialist. She stepped up as VP in 2022 when Maryann became President. Laura grew up in Charlottesville and returned to care for her aging parents. She believes in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and is committed to upholding respect, kindness and empowering connections for older people who are aging in place.