Nancy has over 20 years of senior management experience with non-profit organizations. She possesses excellent interpersonal skills in successfully building relationships, interfacing with diverse groups, committees and boards of directors. Nancy graduated with a BSW from UNCG in 1978.  She lived in Atlanta, Georgia for 30 years before returning to Greensboro in 2010. In addition to her volunteer work with CAN-NC, she is on the Steering Committee for the Glenwood Time Exchange and is active in her neighborhood association.

Chris was born in Vermont and moved to Greensboro NC to attend Guilford College where he received his Bachelor of Science.  He began his career at a local Bank in 2000 as a teller working his way to managing his own office.  Today Chris is the Branch Manager for Carter Bank & Trust a Community Bank located in Greensboro.  Chris volunteers as an Ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce and avid member of the GMA where he works to promote and support local businesses.  Chris is also passionate about Animal Rescue volunteering for the SPCA and other local rescue groups.  In his free time Chris love to Fly Fish, travel, and spend time with his two dogs, Miles and Kai.

Christina is a native of North Carolina. Her passion is working with older adults and her desire is to educate people about the world of Gerontology. She holds a Master of Science degree in Gerontology with a concentration in aging and business, which was obtained from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. However, Christina credits her foundation in the field of Gerontology to the Historically Black College/University, Winston-Salem State University. Christina is also a blogger for Gero-what?!, which is purposed to dispel/eliminate the many myths and stereotypes that are directed towards aging, to provide resources, and to exemplify that life doesn’t end just because we turn another year older. Christina currently works as an Ombudsman at the Piedmont Triad Regional Council Area Agency on Aging.

Born in Connecticut, Karen Mangan Atkison moved to Burlington, NC from Seattle, WA in October of 1999. She went to Saint Bonaventure University in Olean, NY and Update Medical Center in Syracuse, NY before getting her first job in Rochester, NY in 1978. Karen worked as an allied health care professional and educator in the cancer diagnostics field for over 40 years and is recently retired. She obtained a Master’s in Public Administration with a Health Care Emphasis degree while working as a chief technologist and associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center CytoPathology Laboratory in Rochester NY.  After 20 years, she went to work for a medical diagnostic company as the Director of Education and Training in the Women’s Health and Cancer division. Inspired by her passion for lifelong learning, she spent the second half of her career honing skills in adult learning theories, instruction design, course development and eLearning. She still strives to inspire and motivate others through education which is one of the reasons CAN-NC is such a wonderful fit.  “I look forward to working with and meeting many of you as CAN-NC continues to grow and bring its mission to life in our community,” she says.

I am a Visual Artist. I make assemblage art, handmade jewelry, and abstract paintings. My materials are re-used, personal bits, and odd junk found on the street with acrylic paints. I collect and sell vintage jewelry, black Americana, my artworks, and other memorabilia. Being on this board with Creative Aging Network-NC is an honor as I believe that we must respect and aid in the quality of life for people during their aging journey. I have been living in Greensboro since 2016 with my wife, Elizabeth Flax, and we have a new dog, Armon. I am from Seattle, Washington, raised in a mixed-race family. I worked at Pacific NW Bell, from 1973 during which I was a Steward for CWA union, local 9102 until a promotion to first-line management and working in CCTAC – computer communications trouble analysis center. I took an early retirement offer in 1985 and moved to New York City.

My work at Citibank, NA began with small computer operations, then Staff Manager (1986-88) until I opened a storefront computer store, Branch Communications, on the Lower East Side. It was operating from June 1989 to December, 1992. I was drawn to spoken word performances, set and tech design and the arts around small productions. From 1993 thru 2003 I worked as self-employed with numerous theater jobs and several staging companies. I also attended Hunter College to receive a BS degree in Theater (craft/playwriting) in 1996 within a Baccalaureate program for older students. I was seriously hurt when hit by a cab in 1997. I did not return to heavy lifting jobs but was busy in recovery. I wrote and self-produced two plays, “Cafe Bimbo”and “Mickey-O”, became a board member from 1998 to 2001 at the E. 8th St. Co-Op/ HDFC, a mentor for Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) in NYC which coupled us with young people whose parents are or have been incarcerated. I went to Seattle in 2003 to care for my mother’s affairs. During what I refer to as, “The Last 4 Years”, I worked several Maintenance/Facility management jobs then returned to NYC in 2009. I completed a graduate study at MCNY from Jan. 2011 – May, 2012 to receive an MPA, in Emergency and Disaster Management. This information has kept me attune with a new world order of climate change, technical disasters and citizen outcries on the rise. My artwork is often a view and reflection of some national angst as well as the hope that more knowledge, use of resources and intergenerational activity will bring us to a balance. One of my sayings is: “Consider the Humanity in the Process.”

Dee was born and raised in Pennsylvania in a town northeast of Philadelphia. She moved to the South in 1992, graduated from nursing school in South Carolina in 2012 and found her way to North Carolina in 2013. She is currently a Hospital Liaison LPN for AuthoraCare Collective in Greensboro, NC. She has focused on Gerontology in her nursing career because she has a passion for working with older adults. Dee has always had a heart for volunteering, which led her to becoming a Candy Striper at the age of 14, singing at local nursing facilities, crocheting Afghans and hats and donating them, visiting the “sick and shut-in’ members of the church with her sons and finally, periodically volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. Dee loves community theater and has been active with Winston Salem Theater Alliance appearing in several stage plays over the past 5+ years, including “Ghost”, “Hairspray” and “Ragtime”. She believes that intergenerational and multicultural interaction is a way for the younger population to glean wisdom and gain understanding of the struggles older adults face. In an ideal world, older adults will be revered, respected and protected by those who will one day fill their shoes. CAN-NC is a way for our communities to make this happen! Dee’s favorite saying is, “I am not afraid of tomorrow because I’ve seen yesterday and I love today!”

Dr. Sung-Jin Lee is a housing researcher and educator, and a Certified Aging-in-Place specialist. Dr. Lee is a Professor of Housing Research in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at North Carolina A&T State University. Regarding her research interests, Dr. Lee has focused on housing for an aging society, social and environmental issues, sustainable communities, and secondary data analyses. Since 2010, Dr. Lee has served as the principal investigator for USDA Evans Allen research projects on assessing strategies utilized by North Carolina older adults aging in place (home and community), with special emphasis on older, limited-resource households. When implementing the projects, Dr. Lee has also mentored both graduate and undergraduate research assistants. Regarding her teaching career at N.C. A&T, Dr. Lee has 12 years of teaching experience in FCS/housing and research-methods courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels; and has engaged in the design and execution of curricula, marketing and recruitment/retention plans, and assessment which has been utilized for two USDA NIFA 1890s Capacity Building Grant projects. Besides, Dr. Lee has enthusiastically pursued service and leadership roles for the department, the college, and the university (e.g., committee membership) as well as professional organizations at the state, national and international levels (e.g., top-tier journal manuscript reviewer; board member/committee chair; [international journal] editorial board member).  

Burgin is a former Peace Corps Volunteer, serving in Africa 1974-1976 following graduation from UNCG. A Registered Dietitian/Licensed Nutritionist since 1977, her early work was in a variety of hospital settings. She started a private practice in 1990 with a focus on Long Term Care settings. She consulted for 13 different facilities, including CCRC’s and nursing homes as well as 3 different Hospice organizations in Triad. She also volunteered with two AIDS service agencies during that time. In 2008, Burgin added adjunct teaching in Nutrition at UNCG to her private practice, taking a full-time position in 2010 and eventually discontinuing her private practice. She retired in 2021 as an Associate Professor. Her speciality was food science/food chemistry in addition to general nutrition classes. “I thoroughly loved teaching.”