Kim Ventresca joined VANTAGE Aging as CEO in March of 2023. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the social services and nonprofit sector serving a variety of populations, including aging adults. Prior to joining VANTAGE, she was the chief operating officer at Red Oak Behavioral Health in Akron and previously served as director of human resources and training for Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging.

Kim is a licensed independent social worker and holds a Master of Science degree in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with a minor in business administration from Baldwin Wallace University.

Credentials

• Master of Science in Social Administration (MSSA) from Case Western Reserve University
• Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervisory Designation (LISW-S)- State of Ohio

As Chief Financial Officer, Tamara Lukes is responsible for overseeing the financial reporting to both internal and external stakeholders, ensuring strong internal controls, and integrating the programmatic goals and agency priorities into a comprehensive strategy.

Prior to her promotion to CFO, Tamara held various roles within the finance department during her 7.5 years with the agency. She most recently held the position of Director of Finance following the merger with Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties. Tamara also has experience working on external audits when she was an Assurance Supervisor with CliftonLarsonAllen (formerly Bruner-Cox LLP) where she worked on mainly not-for-profit audit and agreed-upon procedures client engagements.

Tamara is a current member of the American Institute of Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA), alumnus member of the Torchbearers Akron Class of 2012, and former finance committee member for OPEN M.

Credentials

• M.S., Accounting, Ball State University
• CPA, Certified Public Accountant

Tammy’s responsibilities include directing all SCSEP operations and developing strategic programmatic initiatives. Before advancing to her current role in June of 2023, she served as Director of Workforce Development Operations for 1 year, Manager of Quality Assurance for 4 year and as a Regional Director for the Canton Regional Office for 7 years.

Credentials

• B.A in Political Science from the University of Dayton
• Masters in Public Administration from The University of Akron

As the Director of Home and Community-Based Services, Jennifer is responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of services for the Meals on Wheels of Northeast Ohio and Home Wellness Solutions programs. Previously, Jennifer was the Social Services/Case Manager for Meals on Wheels Stark and Wayne and was responsible for the administration of all social service programs.  Jennifer’s past experience is as a social worker at a local hospital for 18 years and she also provided mental health counseling services for 25 years. She is a licensed social worker in the State of Ohio (LSW). Jennifer holds a master’s degree in Community Counseling and is a licensed professional clinical counselor in the State of Ohio (LPCC).

Credentials

• M.Ed. in Community Counseling from Kent State University
• Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from The College of Wooster
• LSW, Licensed Social Worker
• LPCC, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor

As Director of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, Lisa Mascellino oversees the nation’s largest volunteer network for people 55 and older in seven Ohio counties. She engages older Ohioans who want to give back, fosters meaningful relationships between volunteers and community-based organizations, and measures impact at local and national levels.  

She brings over 15 years of experience in nonprofit, volunteer management, and community engagement to VANTAGE Aging. Previously, Lisa spent seven years as the Assistant Director of the Kent State University Alumni Association where she was responsible for the leadership of the alumni volunteer program. In this role, she was responsible for the organization of over 400 volunteers involved in an average of 75 events annually.  In addition, Lisa has held various community engagement positions in organizations such as OhioGuidestone and Jobs for Ohio Graduates. Lisa enjoys giving back to the community and volunteers at various local nonprofit organizations. Her most current volunteer activity is with the Akron Area Society of Human Resource Management where she serves as the Social and Community Outreach Chair on the executive board.  

Lisa holds an M.Ed. in Community Counseling from the University of Akron and a B.A. in Individual and Family Development from Kent State University. She also holds a State of Ohio School Counselor Certification from Walsh University and is a member of the Women’s Network Authentic Leadership: Leading with Strength Class #9.  

Credentials

• M.Ed. in Community Counseling from the University of Akron
• B.A. in Individual and Family Development from Kent State University
• State of Ohio School Counselor Certification from Walsh University

Jenna Helmuth serves as the Director of Human Resources for Vantage Aging. She brings 7 years of human resources and health care management experience, with a heavy emphasis on compliance and employee relations. Prior to joining the Vantage Aging team, Jenna served as the Director of Human Resources for AmeriWound, where she oversaw 100 employees, nationwide and previously served as the Manager of Human Resources at the Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio where she oversaw 500 employees across the state of Ohio. In Jenna’s experience she has successfully led a number of State and Joint Commission audits receiving accreditation, while leading initiatives for ‘A Great Place to Work Certification’.

Credentials

Jenna holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, associate degree in science, and a Workplace Communication Certificate from the University of Akron, Magna Cum Laude. 

As Director of Development and Community Partnerships, Lisa is responsible for the agency’s public relations and advancement efforts and for establishing and maintaining community partnerships aligned with the agency’s mission.

Prior to joining Vantage, Lisa served as Community Outreach Specialist with the Summit County Probate Court and brings a lifetime of service to Akron and Summit County.  In addition to her work with the court, she served as Managing Director of Weathervane Playhouse after first working in the education and box office departments.  She was elected three times (12 years total) to serve on the Akron Board of Education, which included two years as the board’s president and two as vice president.

While serving the Probate Court, Mansfield took great pride in shepherding the transformation of the historic Summit County Courthouse via a visual art installation funded by a Knight Arts Challenge grant and matching funds.  She oversaw an additional grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to help improve cooperation between the Court, Prosecutor’s Office, and Adult Protective Services, addressing the protection of some of Summit County’s most vulnerable citizens.  She also helped create the annual Senior Summit event with a committee of agency leaders from various private, public, and non-profit sector organizations. This annual conference and biannual expo bring unmatched services and information to area older adults and relevant stakeholders.

Lisa is a graduate of the Leadership Akron Class #33.  She serves on the Board of the Cascade Locks Park Association.  Awards include the Akron Beacon Journal Woman of the Excellence in 2005, and Woman of the Year for Courage in 2022 by the Summit County History Project. 

As an IT Director, Sarfaraz provides strategic planning and oversight of all VANTAGE Aging’s technology infrastructure. He is well versed in developing security program, analyzing capacity needs, archiving, monitoring health and performance of production systems. His goal is to securely make technology accessible to all VANTAGE Aging staff in their mission to improve the lives of seniors. He loves to research and implement new technology and improve legacy processes. Sarfaraz brings extensive technical support experience serving educational institution and For-Profit Bank.

Credentials

• Bachelors in management information systems with a double major in E-Business Technologies from The University of Akron