Parent Projects Podcast

Leslie Moore is the Director of Desert Mission Adult Day Health Care for HonorHealth. Prior to joining Desert Mission in February 2023, she was the Lifestyle Manager for the Care Center at Vi at Grayhawk Continuing Care Retirement Community where she managed the bio-psycho-social well-being of the residents residing in the Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living, and Memory Care units. Before joining Vi at Grayhawk in 2017, she spent 6 years working at Sojourner Center Domestic Violence Shelter in Phoenix as a Case Manager and then the Volunteer & Community Outreach Manager.

Leslie was a part of the Strategic Planning Committee for Sojourner Center which involved researching and drafting of a grant proposal for the St. Luke’s Health Initiative for a Traumatic Brain Injury and Domestic Violence Research and Treatment Clinic as well as a white paper addressing domestic violence and men.

Leslie brings her diverse professional experiences to every new endeavor and finds that she is always learning something new each day, whether it was working with women and children who had experienced domestic abuse or providing life enrichment to seniors in various levels of care, especially with those experiencing dementia. Leslie found her experiences working with individuals that have probable traumatic brain injuries aides in program creation for individuals impacted by dementia. She continually seeks to create comprehensive, supportive, and innovative programs for individuals experiencing dementia and believes that continuing education builds and expands on relevant skills and knowledge.

Leslie graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology with the Science and Society designation and a Master of Science in Family and Human Development. She also is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer, Certified Dementia Support Group Facilitator, and an Advanced Activity Professional - Board Certified.

Mary Brown-Edokpayi is a Colorado-based Supervising Attorney with Cameron Firm, PC. She represents clients nationwide and is passionate about her work. Before working at Cameron Firm, PC, Mrs. Brown-Edokpayi served as an Aviation Electronics Mate (AE) in the United States Navy. During her honorable service, she earned the rank of 3rd Class Petty Officer.

Following her military service, Mrs. Brown-Edokpayi worked as a public defender in Colorado. There, she represented veterans facing unjust criminal charges. After six years as a public defender, she practiced at a private firm in Bethesda, Maryland, where she battled before the Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims (CAVC). Her success led her to join the National Veteran Legal Services Program, which allowed her to focus her advocacy on veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Military Sexual Trauma (MST) claims.

As a veteran, she understands the unique challenges service members face when returning to civilian life. Mrs. Brown-Edokpayi has a wealth of experience dealing with CAVC benefits disputes and appeals and is prepared to assist you with any challenges you may face.

Heather has been working with veterinarians for over a decade and has the insight and knowledge of how pets/animals can bring joy and companionship to people who may be living alone and/or the elderly.

Joyce Petrowski is the Founder and Executive Director of the Arizona non-profit Resources & Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly (R.O.S.E.). Joyce is a public accountant by trade and an avid volunteer and philanthropist by calling, which brought her into the non-profit sector in 2014 when she recognized the need for public education on financial scams, especially those targeting the elderly. Today, she leads a team who share her calling and, together, through advocacy and education, they are on a mission to prevent financial exploitation and defrauding of the elderly. We’ll be discussing efforts to help you increase awareness of the current scams and how to respond if they strike your loved one, and then arm you with the right tools and resources to share with your friends and family.

Dr. Tiffany Pankow, MD, is a family medicine specialist in Phoenix, AZ, and has over 23 years of experience in the medical field. She graduated from the University of Virginia, main campus, in 2000. Dr. Pankow is also chief of caregiver wellness and patient experience for HonorHealth, one of Arizona’s largest nonprofit healthcare systems serving a population of five million people in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.

Ashley is a third-generation funeral director and has worked in his family’s funeral home since he was in high school. He became a licensed funeral director in 1994. Ashley has been recognized as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. In 2004, he was recognized as a Certified Preplanning Consultant (CPC) by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). In 2013, he was among the first group of individuals in the country to be recognized as an NFDA Certified Crematory Operator (CCO).

Ashley is a past president of the Kansas Funeral Directors Association. In 2009, he was named the Kansas Funeral Director of the Year. On a national level, Ashley served as the Kansas representative to the Policy Board of the National Funeral Directors Association, the largest association of funeral directors in the world. In 2011, he was elected by his peers to serve on the NFDA Board of Directors. In 2016, he became the 123rd President of the National Funeral Directors Association.

Under Ashley’s leadership, Broadway Mortuary and its staff have been recognized multiple times by NFDA as a recipient of the prestigious Pursuit of Excellence Award. This award is presented to firms that exemplify a commitment to excellence and outstanding service to others. Broadway Mortuary is the only Wichita funeral home to have been inducted into the NFDA Hall of Excellence.

Carla Sutter holds her master's degree in social work and has spent her 30-year career working with organizations who are dedicated to helping clients and families care for themselves and others whose needs are changing due to age or illness. She is a subject matter expert on end-of-life tools and conversations. Her present work at Contexture and the Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry has her focused on engaging healthcare organizations, community agencies and Arizonans on enhancing goal concordant care through advance care planning conversations and the resulting advance directive documents.

On today’s show, we are talking to Aaron Guest. Aaron Guest is an interdisciplinary trained social-environmental gerontologist and Assistant Professor of Aging in the Center for Innovation in Healthy and Resilient Aging in the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University. Dr. Guest is interested in the predominant social and environmental domains older adults live, and how knowledge can lead to increased understanding of and improvements in health. The scope of his research can be grouped into three overarching themes: Social & Built Environments Approaches to Reduce Health Inequities in Older Age.

Today, on the show, we again have Dr. Arianna Brandolini, a clinical psychologist who maintains a private practice in New York City. Her main areas of expertise include the assessment and treatment of individuals suffering from OCD, anxiety, depression, and trauma-related disorders using cognitive behavioral therapy and other research-supported techniques. Dr. Brandolini also sees people for a variety of other issues, including adjustment to difficult life events, life transitions, challenging family dynamics, and relationship problems. Her main goal is to create a safe, supportive space where she can provide practical and effective treatment that is tailored to one’s specific needs. She is also a speaker and educator on mental health and is passionate about empowering people with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive.

Today on the show, we have clinical psychologist, speaker, educator, and mental health advocate, Dr. Arianna Brandolini. She has degrees from Harvard University and Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Dr. Arianna resides in NYC where she has a private practice, and she is here with us for a conversation about processing grief and pain.