RVE CEO and Board of Directors, 2025
CEO: Deborah Owens
Deb worked for the United Nations for some two decades and, being an only Southern daughter, came home when her mother got sick. She stayed for the last two years of her life, devoted, but often mistaken as to what should be done. Deb got involved with the Affordable Care Act because she believed it to be the most comprehensive domestic policy initiative since Medicare. She came across aging folks deciding on not only their health care options, but tackling the overarching issues of aging. She loves her neighborhood and aging neighbors, and is determined to help those that want to age in place do so.
Board Chair: Jim Johnson
Jim brings to the Raleigh Village East Board a background in public policy and financial management. His public service career was in the nonpartisan Fiscal Research Division of the NC General Assembly. Over the course of that career, he focused on first of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, and a variety of health policy issues including Medicaid. Later he was the principal analyst for K-12 finances and education policy. The final portion of Jim's governmental career was spent as the director of the Fiscal Research Division. Following his career on the legislative staff, Jim was recruited to be a Visiting Professor at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy. In that position, he had the opportunity to interact with faculty and students in a variety of academic disciplines from the US and throughout the world.
At the community level, Jim has served on multiple boards, including almost 20 years on the governing boards of the NC State Employees Credit Union and the State Employees Credit Union Foundation. During that service, he was honored to serve terms as both the chair of the SECU corporate governing board and as chair of the Foundation SECU.
Secretary: April Koontz
April is a clinical social worker who's passionate about coaching family caregivers and helping people have meaningful conversations about end-of-life planning. She spent the first half of her career as an individual and family therapist in acute and outpatient behavioral health treatment settings and has since worked with various health IT companies in sales, implementation, and product marketing. She is currently caring for both of her parents, who live with her and her partner in a multi-generational home. April has cared for multiple family members through chronic illnesses and has faced multiple sudden family deaths. Her clinical knowledge and life experience have equipped her to easily connect with and assist others during challenging life seasons. April has a Masters Degree of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She's also a songwriter and social media content creator.
Treasurer: Caroline Ririe
Caroline is Raleigh Village East’s treasurer and fills a long-held wish of enticing a younger generation of aging in place leaders. She works with Belong Health in strategy and growth, seeking a more compassionate, straightforward insurance experience for Medicare-eligible individuals by partnering with regional health plans to help them launch or grow market-leading Medicare Advantage and Special Needs Plans.
Caroline plays the violin and has performed at the International Bluegrass Music Awards Festival. She's also played music with Josh Kelley, Frankie Gavin, Jim Avett, Tony Williamson, Mike Mills, and opened for Moon Taxi, Echosmith, Better Than Ezra, The Gin Blossoms and Edwin McCain.
Johnny Blaylock
Johnny has decades of service to the community, especially in Southeast Raleigh. He is the founder and President of The Friends Committee, enacting calculated methods to address the needs of the underserved communities by targeting areas of education, health, employment, and social injustice.
Yvonne Lewis Holley
Yvonne is a founding Board member who is the daughter of Raleigh broadcast personality J.D. Lewis of WRAL- TV. She attended William G. Enloe High School and graduated from Howard University. Yvonne brings a wealth of experience to Raleigh Village East, serving as the North Carolina state representative for the 38th district from 2013 to 2021. She was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of North Carolina in the 2020.
Kellan Moore
Kellan is the President and CEO of the John Rex Endowment, leading the overall management, managing the Board of Directors, direction, racial equity capacity building and advocacy efforts to advance positive change for children in Wake county.
Peter Rumsey
Peter is a realtor living in Historic Oakwood and an active advocate for policies, codes and programs that increase opportunities for multi-generational housing and aging in place. His experience during his 40 years in real estate includes working with non-profit corporations to increase the availability of affordable housing in the Triangle area. In Peter's earlier career in the Federal OMB and two state governments, he reviewed policies, programs, and budgets for housing assistance and community development programs.
Sara Stohler
Sara is a retired English professor, having taught 20 years at nearby St. Augustine’s University, and a 35 year resident of Oakwood. She's been active in a variety of local non-profits, as well as the Wake County Democratic Party. Sara and her husband have long said that the only way they would leave their home was feet first, so ten years ago they modified their house to make it possible to live on one level. Sara's husband’s serious illness that started in 2018 and from which he is still recovering taught them a lot about home health care and the importance of their home renovation, as well as the immeasurable value of their attentive neighbors.