Ohana Means Family
Ohana Preservation Foundation would not exist without it's amazing Ohana of Volunteers, Program Partners, Animal Partners, Employees and Board of Directors.
We have a small number of employees, who wear multiple hats and over 130 volunteers, who collectively volunteered over 7,000 hours.
Meet Our Team and Board of Directors
Melissa Pankas is the President and CFO of the Ohana Preservation Foundation. Melissa and her husband, Jim, are also the Owners of Ohana Equestrian Preserve. Melissa generously donates her time to the foundation and the use of the Ohana Equestrian Preserve property.
Melissa honors the legacy of John and Tess Jubinsky and thanks them for supporting the mission of the Ohana Preservation Foundation.
Kristin Stewart, Director of Programs and serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors. Kristin is a Virginia native and currently lives in Aldie with her husband and three children. Kristin spent many years in corporate HR and project management. She joined Ohana Equestrian Preserve in 2019 and now focuses on Programs and Operations for the Ohana Preservation Foundation.
Shelly Dixon is our Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning. She heads up all our Equine-Assisted Activities. Shelly lives in Virginia with her husband and two children.
Tara Hoit is a Certified Children's Grief Counselor, Certified Horticultural Therapist, and Virginia Master Gardener. Tara spent many years in non-profit program development and fundraising. Tara joined the foundation in 2022 and now leads our Therapeutic Horticulture program.
Lauren Franklin is pursuing her MA in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Professional Clinical Counseling from Pepperdine University, graduating Winter 2025. Lauren is a PCC intern under the supervision of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
Laura Tekrony lives in Aldie with her husband and three girls and has been an active member of the Aldie community for two decades. She has served on the Aldie Heritage Association since and was appointed to two Loudoun County Advisory Boards and Commissions: Parks, Recreation and Open Space Board and Heritage Commission. Since 2016, she has worked as a Legislative Aide to Phyllis Randall, Chair At-Large of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. In November, 2023, she was elected to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors as the Little River District Supervisor. Laura has been part of our BOD since inception.
Mike Overson joined our board in 2020. Mike Overson is a partner at Moyes Hanssen Overson, PLLC in Leesburg, VA. Real estate, estate planning, and business law are the focal points of Michael J. Overson’s law practice. He currently lives in Leesburg, Virginia with his wife and daughters.
Dominique Duong joined the board in June of 2023. She is the Regional Development Manager for the DC Region of NY Life. Along with her role on the leadership team, she is also part of the New York Life Community Impact Grant Committee and the volunteer coordinator for the Northern Virginia and Greater Washington General Offices. In addition to providing volunteer support for our programs, she has been a big proponent of our grief programming. She currently resides in Washington, DC with her husband and three children. She also serves on the Board of Directors of CaringMatters and LightHouse DC.
Tom Stallone is the founder and managing partner of TapSEC Consulting LLC. TapSEC is a professional sales firm that has decades of experience assisting customers to navigate through the federal and state procurement processes.
Heather Hess, joined our board in June of 2023. Her family donated Bella, a large pony that has become Ohana's lead horse for our equine programs. She has been an integral part of expanding our equine programs and building our volunteer support network. Heather is working on getting her PATH certification (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) in mental health to help support Ohana's Dropping the Reins Initiatives.
Heather, who is a teacher with Loudoun County Public Schools, has over 25 years of experience in the classroom. She has taught both middle and high school. She currently teaches history and psychology at Tuscarora High School. In addition, she is the Key Club Co-Sponsor with access to a large teen volunteer group.