Ann Marie Mohr (Executive Director) began Project Present, a 501(c)(3) organization, to improve the quality of life for caregivers and individuals living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Project Present provides improv sessions, communication training, family immersive sessions, and support groups to create connection, reduce stress, foster creative problem-solving, cultivate creativity, and promote joyful collaboration. Mohr teaches Embodied Communication, Acting, and Improvisation courses on the Danforth campus of Washington University. Mohr created Mohr Improv, an organization devoted to communication training and the facilitation of applied improvisation workshops to build collaborative practices and cultivate creativity within businesses and organizations. Mohr was Artistic Director of OnSite Theater Company for ten years. Mohr has her M.A. in Drama, is a Professional Applied Improv Practitioner, and is a Master Interprofessional Educator. Mohr attended Washington University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s Clinician Partner’s Program and is a Certified Dementia Practitioner.
Andrea Denny, JD, LMSW, (President) leads the Outreach, Recruitment, and Education Core of the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (Knight ADRC). She is also a social worker for Washington University School of Medicine’s Memory Diagnostic Center.
Ms. Denny earned her BS in Psychology at the University of Virginia and her MSSW and JD at the University of Texas in Austin. She has worked as a case manager at a rehabilitation hospital, a clerk for the Travis County Probate Court in Austin, Texas, an agent of the Public Guardian in San Francisco, and as an attorney at an elder law firm in New York City.
She joined the Knight ADRC in October 2011. She has served as an active volunteer at the Saint Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association since 2009 when she joined as a Helpline Volunteer, providing information and support for care partners and people with early memory loss. She later became a co-facilitator of a caregiver support group in 2012. Andrea applies her expertise on Alzheimer’s disease and the affected population to facilitate the growth of Project Present.
Kristen Edler (Treasurer) is a Brand Director at Nestle Purina Petcare Company. She has been a marketing professional for 15 years, with an international assignment in Switzerland for three of those years. She received her MBA from the University of Michigan and a BA in Communications from Truman State University.
As Treasurer, Kristen has contributed to Project Present by donating her time for the annual trivia fundraiser, specifically focused on digital/social marketing, registrations, auction item collection, and silent auction and raffle facilitation during the event. She also assists in creating a strong financial plan, security, and sustainability for the organization.
Kristen is key in helping to market and promote the work of the organization through her expertise in the field of marketing.
Helen Chesnut (Secretary) Helen Chesnut served as Executive Director of Susan G. Komen Missouri from 2008 to 2017. In this role, she provided visionary leadership. She worked with the Komen Missouri Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers to fulfill the Komen mission of meeting the most critical breast health needs in the community. She continued her work with Susan G. Komen from 2018 to 2020 as Regional Director.
She joined the Project Present Board in 2022, recognizing the importance of its mission of improving the quality of life for individuals living with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and/or Memory loss as she navigates the role of a caregiver of 3 aging parents. When she isn’t volunteering, Helen loves books, music and drinking a good cup of coffee, especially if it involves good friends.
Andy Rachelski is a dynamic caregiver of his wife, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease, and a father of four wonderful children who live all over the world. Besides having a prolific business career, Andy has spent decades volunteering in the prison system with his beauiful wife of 59 years working to make a positive difference in the lives of those around him.
Andy is now sharing the message of hope with people who are facing Alzheimer’s or other dementias. He believes in being proactive and living one’s best life with grace and humor. Get to know Andy a little more through this link: https://www.lssliving.org/news/resources/living-with-the-long-goodbye/
Kristin Rohlfing is a dynamic marketing leader with 19 years of experience specializing in media planning and strategy on both the agency and client sides. She has built award-winning and business-transforming media campaigns for global brands such as Kraft Heinz, Luxottica, LEGO, and Walgreens.
She is currently the Media Director at Nestle Purina Petcare, where she leads an in-house team of media COEs who provide strategic consultation, investment oversight, and bleeding-edge innovation to the Purina portfolio of brands.
Kristin originally hails from Kansas City but currently resides in St. Louis, MO, with her partner Branden, children Liv (10) and Finn (7), and Bernedoodle Taco Belle. Her passions include food (cooking, trying new restaurants, reading food magazines and cookbooks), staying active, traveling, and spending time with friends and her family. Project Present is extremely personal to Kristin as her father was recently diagnosed with early onset FTD.
Dotti P. McDowell is a distinguished Clinical Research Specialist at the Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, where she leads innovative outreach, recruitment, and engagement initiatives across five counties in two states. With a passion for addressing health disparities and promoting equity in Alzheimer’s disease research, she has successfully spearheaded projects that streamline participant data management and enhance research efficiency.
With a career spanning over 27 years in government, nonprofits, and private sectors, Dotti has honed her expertise in data analysis, community engagement, and operational management. She holds a Master of Arts in Urban Planning and Real Estate Development and a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Studies, both from Saint Louis University. Her professional accomplishments include leading transformative initiatives at organizations such as Rung for Women, the City of St. Louis, and the Ujamaa Community Development Corporation.
Dotti is married to Earl McDowell, Jr., and together they have an adult daughter, Deja. In all her endeavors, Dotti exemplifies a profound dedication to uplifting her community and advancing meaningful change.