Our People

Tom Gurley, Board Member

Tom is a retired electrical engineer and project manager. He spent his career working in the consumer electronics, life sciences and medical diagnostics industries. He was granted 18 United States Patents during his tenure.

Tom’s father-in-law suffered from Parkinson’s disease for nearly 30 years, during which time Tom learned much about caregiving for Parkinson’s patients. In 2019 Tom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and finds the CLIMB, a comprehensive program offered by the Indiana Parkinson Foundation, to be of great benefit in dealing with the disease.

Tom’s desire is to use the sum of his experience to bring hope to those afflicted with Parkinson’s disease.

Lindsay Conn, Board Secretary

Lindsay Conn has been a physical therapist since 2010. She works full time in the outpatient Neuro Specialty Clinic at Franciscan Health in Indianapolis, IN and is a board certified Neurological Clinical Specialist (NCS) and a Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults (CEEAA). Lindsay has been involved with the Indiana Parkinson Foundation through the Greenwood Climb since 2011 and has served on the Board of Directors since 2020. In addition to her full-time practice as a physical therapist, Lindsay also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program in the University of Indianapolis’ Krannert School of Physical Therapy.

Jim Patton, Board Member

Patton Health and Wealth

Jim Patton brings a lifetime of leadership, service, and dedication to his role as a board member of the Indiana Parkinson Foundation. A graduate of Purdue University, Jim was commissioned as a U.S. Army officer and went on to serve thirty years between active duty and the Army Reserve, retiring as a Colonel. His career included assignments in Germany, Korea, and the U.S., as well as teaching at Cornell University. After his military service, Jim built a professional career in human resources and banking before founding his own consulting firm. In 2014, he entered the financial services field, narrowing his focus to personal and business risk management in areas such as life, disability, health, and long-term care insurance.

Jim approaches his work as an educator, helping families and business owners prepare for unexpected life events with sound financial planning. He holds advanced degrees from Purdue, Oklahoma University, and Indiana University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, and has earned the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designation. Beyond his professional life, Jim has been married to his wife, Janice, for more than fifty years, enjoys running, hiking, and reading, and is committed to giving back to the community through his service on the Indiana Parkinson Foundation’s board of directors.

Michael Anderson, Board Member

Assistant Chief of Police for the Anderson Police Department

Michael Anderson serves as the Assistant Chief of Police for the Anderson Police Department, where he has dedicated his career to training, investigations, and community outreach. With a commitment to both professional excellence and building strong community relationships, Michael has become a trusted leader within the department and his community.

Beyond his professional life, Michael is a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Married to his high school sweetheart, he and his wife have built a life centered around family, faith, and service. Together, they have two children and one grandchild, who remain constant sources of joy and motivation.

Michael is also an avid golfer and active member of ITOWN, where he finds both fellowship and purpose. In 2021, his family faced a new challenge when his wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Since then, Michael has embraced the role of advocate and supporter, focusing on education, encouragement, and surrounding his wife with a strong community of care.

This personal journey has deepened his passion for service and is the driving force behind his honor of serving on the board, where he works to bring hope, awareness, and support to others navigating Parkinson’s.

Christie Freeze, Board Member

Christie Feeze has been in Eldercare for 9 years and helped over 4,400 families make tough decisions regarding care for their loved ones. After realizing that caregivers needed more than what was offered in traditional support groups, she branched out on her own to establish a new system for exhausted caregivers.

CAREbyChristie is a tried and tested 2-step system guaranteed to connect Family Caregivers to the resources and support they need, while equipping them with practical tools to reduce overwhelm and burnout in their Family Caregiver role.

Jessie Hillock, Board Membe

Jessie Hillock M.A. CCC-SLP, CDP is the owner and founder of The Memory Compass LLC, a private practice specializing in services that empower families on their journey living with Dementia or Alzheimer’s through individualized Dementia Family Coaching, Therapy and Cognitive Wellness. Jessie is a speech-language pathologist with an area of specialty in cognitive-communication disorders. Jessie felt driven to start her practice out of the growing frustration expressed by countless families of how little support they felt they received following a diagnosis of a memory impairment.

Jennifer Rozelle, Board Member

Indiana Estate & Elder Law, Attorney, Partner and Co-Owner

Jennifer L. Rozelle (“Jenny”) is an Attorney, Partner, and Co-Owner of Indiana Estate & Elder Law. Since 2012, she has been assisting clients create all types of estate plans; be it for a young client with straight-forward needs, or an elderly loved-one who may need guidance on protecting a nest egg from assisted living or nursing home costs. Additionally, she happily helps clients when they need assistance in the areas of guardianship, special needs planning, probate, trust administration, and business/farm succession planning.

Jenny and her husband, Justin, live in Sheridan, Indiana with their two basset hounds, Flossie and Mildred. If not at home, Jenny is likely either at Hinkle Fieldhouse cheering for the Butler Bulldogs, spending time with her family and friends, or traveling on a cruise ship.

John Templeton, Ph.D., Board Member

Computer Science and Engineering Ph.D. & Biomedical Engineer

John M. Templeton Ph.D. earned his doctoral degree from the University of Notre Dame in Computer Science and Engineering and also holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Arizona State University. His research lies at the cross-sectional area of computer science and engineering focused on mobile health-systems, specifically in the assessment of neurocognitive functionalities (e.g., motor, memory, speech, language, executive function, sensory, behavioral and psychological function, sleep, and autonomic functions) for the monitoring and assessment of neurodegenerative health conditions.

Melissa Volz-Smith, Board Member

Terri Wada, Board Member

Kim Williams, Director

I graduated with a BA in Psychology from Indiana University Bloomington in 1997.  After college I worked in various fields including sales, pensions and administration.  During this time, I knew that I had not found my "fit", but there was a common thread.  I was passionate about health and wellness.  I finally realized that health and wellness was where I wanted to be.  I began my fitness journey as a Certified Personal Trainer through American Council on Exercise. When I began training I realized that most people were injured, and needed more than an exercise routine, they needed corrective exercise to help rehabilitate their injuries.  So, I became certified in Corrective Exercise through National Academy of Sports Medicine. This along with a mentor with 30+ years’ experience in PT gave me the foundation needed to train people with physical limitations.  During this time as a trainer, I was asked to help with an exercise program for those with Parkinson's.  Although I had not worked with the Parkinson’s population, I was excited about the opportunity.

The day I walked into The CLIMB, the Indiana Parkinson Foundation’s exercise program, I saw the amazing work they were doing with the Parkinson’s community, I knew I was meant to be there, and I was trained in The CLIMB exercise program shortly thereafter. After being immersed in the program, the community, I wanted to learn more. I went on to be certified in Parkinson Wellness Recovery and Functional Aging.  These trainings allowed me to help and improve the lives of those with Parkinson’s and their families.  

After working as a CLIMB instructor for several years, I became Program Director of The CLIMB programs in 2016.  Being a CLIMB trainer and then becoming the Program Director was a perfect transition.  Not only was I still able to be on the floor working with the people we serve, but I was also visiting and training other CLIMB locations allowing us to help more people.  

My journey with IPF has been one of growth, education and passion.  Today I am the Director of IPF and enjoy educating others and expanding our reach.  My passion continues to grow as we bring these programs and services to more communities in need throughout Indiana.

Addie Cunningham, Program Director

Addie Cunningham, a member of the founding family, is passionate about helping those with Parkinson's Disease. She has completed both her Bachelor's of Business Management and Masters of Business Administration degrees at Taylor University in Upland, IN. Her most important role as mom of five daughters keeps her very busy and she enjoys homeschooling them. In her spare time, Addie enjoys serving at church, studying God's Word, camping with the family and running.

Beth Meskis, Program Director

Lindsay Williams, Fitness Director