Our Board
Marissa Marczak is a clinical medical assistant who has been involved in FCVA for five years. She is a former Teen Leadership Board President and has actively participated in Friends@Home and FCVA programs. In 2024, she graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Behavioral Neuroscience and is pursuing a career as a physician.
Carla Arton grew up in California and has lived in Virginia for more than eleven years. She moved to Richmond in the Spring of 2023, from Charlottesville, with her husband and two children. She has over seventeen years of experience working with heritage collections and leading digital preservation initiatives at museums, archives, and libraries in the U.S., England, and Scotland. She’s currently the Director of Technology Solutions for the University of Virginia Library. In addition to being the mother of children with additional needs, she is a strong advocate for accessible technology and universal design.
Missy was born and raised in Richmond and has dedicated both her personal and professional life to helping others. She is a LCSW currently working with children and teens in an inpatient psychiatric facility. Prior to her return to the mental health field, she spent over 13 years running the Inclusion and Support department at the Weinstein JCC. She has seen the power of inclusion and advocacy and is committed to creating a more kind and compassionate world. Missy is married and has 2 amazing children.
Kevin was born and raised in Richmond, VA. After graduating from VCU, he moved up and down the east coast before settling back in Richmond in March 2020. Since returning, he has enjoyed getting involved in the local Jewish community and currently serves on the board of the Richmond Jewish Foundation, Rudlin Torah Academy, Hillel at VCU, and Friendship Circle. Professionally, Kevin serves as a Senior Account Executive at American Floor Mats. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys playing golf and ice hockey, and spending time with his two kids, wife, and goldendoodle.
Dr. Harry Gewanter is a semi-retired pediatric rheumatologist who has been an active advocate for children, families and people with disabilities for decades. He is a co-founder of Medical Home Plus, Inc., an organization that provides information, support and resources for families with children and youth with disabilities. He also serves on the board of the disAbility Law Center of Virginia and other local, state and national organizations.
Dr. Peter Heyman has been a Friendship Circle board member for the past 3 years in addition to serving on the Board when Friendship Circle was founded here in Richmond over 10 years ago. He is also the immediate past treasurer. Peter has been practicing pediatrics for 25 years with RVA Pediatrics. He lives in the West End with his wife Allison, and his children Alex and Sadie.
Adele is a clinical social worker who has extensive experience in working with children and adults, families and couples currently in private practice. A highlight of her career included 21 years of working at Jewish Family Services, where she developed, and administered, the Weinstein JCC’s pilot community-wide Inclusion Program, including social groups, religious school, pre-school, after-school and camp programs to ensure that everyone feels welcome and integrated in our community. This program continues to be the pride of the JCC. Adele enjoys her family, traveling and bicycling.
Rabbi Yossel Kranz is the Executive Director at Chabad of Virginia and has served the Richmond community for over 30 years. He is a founding member of the board since its creation 10 years ago. Friendship Circle of Virginia is a project of Chabad Virginia.
Judith Levy has lived in Richmond for 47 years. She spent her early professional years in Atlanta working in the fields of education, counseling and psychology. She developed programs, conducted testing and individual and group therapy with mentally and physically challenged institutionalized children. Over the years in the Richmond community she has devoted her time to numerous organizations including the Massey Cancer Center and facilitating support groups for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She is a former board member of The Richmond Jewish Foundation, Beth Sholom Home and the JCFR. Judith enjoys travel and cherishes family time with her Richmond based, grown children and five grandchildren.
Jay McLaughlin survived a traumatic brain injury in 1988. He went on to attain a Masters degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. He currently works in the community with adults and children with a wide variety of disabilities.
Lynn Schwartz is a native Richmonder. Being a community service volunteer for many years has been a main focus for Lynn. She is a Past president of the Weinstein JCC as well as a continued Board member since 1999, current member of the National Jewish Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy Board, Cadence Theatre Company Board current member, past Hadassah President, past member of the Bon Secours Community Advisory Board, and member of Leadership Metro Richmond class of 2013. Lynn co-launched It’s All Art which brings art to at risk individuals and recently released incarcerated individuals. Lynn enjoys travel and family time which includes five grandsons and one granddaughter.
As a person with a disability, Matthew has spent most of his life motivated to teach those he has met how to better understand the disability community and inclusion. Through this work it has become his life’s mission to educate others regarding disability related issues. With this thought in mind, in December of 2014, he created 6 Wheels Consulting. Working with those in both the private and public sectors he hopes to expand their understanding of disabilities and inclusion to give them the tools they can use in any environment. Matthew has had the privilege of sitting on numerous disability boards and speaking at a variety of conferences both locally and nationally.
Dr. Nathan Zasler is Founder, CEO & Medical Director of Concussion Care Centre of Virginia, Ltd., as well as Tree of Life Services, Inc. Dr. Zasler is board certified in PM&R, fellowship trained in brain injury and subspecialty certified in Brain Injury Medicine. He is an affiliate professor in the VCU Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Richmond, VA, and a visiting professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. He has been working with people with neuro-disability for over 30 years and has a long history of disability advocacy.
Alexis Nichols (1997 - 2021) Board Member since 2019
May Her Memory Be For A Blessing
Alexis Nichols was one of the most authentic, strong, intuitive, and kind people I have ever met. She was a passionate disability advocate and impacted everyone she met, just by being her. Alexis was gentle yet fierce with the understanding of an old soul well beyond her years. She taught me more about the inclusion of every person than I could learn in a lifetime. She will always be a friend, a colleague and a mentor, and will be forever sorely missed.
- Sarah Kranz-Ciment, Director
Alexis was a kind, beautiful person with warmth, charm, grace, and intelligence, as an advocate and as a person who faced challenges due to her disability while never letting them stop her from being who she was or advocating for others with cognitive and/or physical challenges.
- Nathan Zasler - Board President
It was a pleasure serving on the Friendship Circle Board with Alexis. Her contributions to our discussions and planning were enormously influential in guiding our principals and practices of inclusion. I learned so much from her, and will certainly use that knowledge as I continue to do advocacy in my personal and professional life.
-Peter Heyman - Board Member
Climbing walls is not my thing. I like to keep my feet on the ground. So here we are at a FCVA event and I'm this big strong healthy mobile guy and I'm not going anywhere near that crazy wall. Soft voiced tiny Alexis rolls up to the people working the climbing wall and says to them "Let's figure out how we can get me up on this climbing wall." vAnd they did! I'm this big guy being a wimp over in the corner and Alexis is in her cute little wheelchair with flowers all over it and she's the one who went up the climbing wall. I never forgot it and I learned a lot from Alexis about what it means to be brave and strong and confident!
- Jay McLaughlin - Board Member
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