ABOUT

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Cathy was a part of the team that formed St. John’s Outreach Committee in 2016, and she served as its chairman until 2023. Both her volunteer service and 15 years of work with cancer patients showed her the importance of forming connections and finding a purpose during challenging times. She also witnessed the critical need for caregivers to take time to focus on their own well-being in order to effectively support their loved one. She is dedicated to working with the committee to ensure Hope Haven fulfills both of these needs.  Cathy has an Alzheimer’s Association certification and has completed the “Positive Approach to Care ®” Champion certification through dementia care specialist, Teepa Snow. 

Terry comes to Hope Haven believing that nothing in her training as a practicing attorney, her substantial non-profit Board and organizational involvement, or her role as a parent to four children compares to the challenges of providing care for an elderly parent whose emotional, mental and physical needs far exceed all previous challenges. She fully understands the phrase “make time for yourself” can be an empty one when there is no one else to attend to the needs of a loved one and the substantial effect this has on whole families. Terry believes Hope Haven not only can help make that phrase an attainable goal by providing a place where the loved one can thrive in a place of support and where another caregiver’s phrase “no one can fully understand” is rendered moot. Terry holds a deep belief that we should all continually try to find personal ways in which we can expand our ministry of God. As Chair of the St. John’s Hope Haven Outreach Sub-Committee, Terry looks forward to doing just that by working with St. John’s and the community to develop a structured safe place of growth, support and comfort for the benefit of all.

Heather Harvey serves as Communications Coordinator for both Hope Haven and St. John’s Church in Savannah. With two decades of experience in communications, marketing, and graphic design, she has worked with nonprofits, educational institutions, and community organizations throughout her career. 

Having watched her grandmother and two aunts live with Alzheimer’s disease and witnessing its impact on her family, Heather has a personal appreciation for Hope Haven’s mission to support individuals and families affected by memory loss and related challenges.

Martha Laird Sullivan is a lifelong educator, caregiver, and businesswoman who has been a dedicated Companion at Hope Haven since its inception. A former Savannah public school teacher with a Master’s in Special Education, Martha spent years focusing on learning disabilities before transitioning to a leadership role alongside her husband at The Sullivan Group.

Her commitment to the Savannah community is deep-rooted; she has served on the St. John’s Vestry, held officer positions with the Savannah Garden Club and EYCS, and spent nearly a decade supporting Backpack Buddies at Second Harvest. Martha’s extensive volunteer background also includes work with Urban Hope and the Fresh Air Home, reflecting the same spirit of service she brings to our Members and the Hope Haven community every day.

After a career spanning over 40 years in the medical field, Carole—a lifelong caregiver—found a meaningful way to continue giving back through her volunteer work and service as a committee member at Hope Haven. Having personally experienced the effects of dementia in both her grandmother and father-in-law, the cause is especially close to her heart. Supporting individuals living with dementia is a deeply personal and rewarding role and has fulfilled Carole's desire to have a positive impact in her community.

Ex-officio member

Gavin Dunbar has been rector (pastor) of St. John’s Church in Savannah since 2006.  A priest since 1992, he has witnessed over and over again the sadness and isolation not only of persons suffering from dementia, but also the heavy burdens it imposes on caregivers.  He is committed to having St. John’s become a place where the whole community can engage together in the life-transforming work of Dementia Respite Ministry.