Board of Directors

Vince is currently the Chairman of the Board of Edenwald, and has served on the Board since 2016. Vince grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and graduated from the University of Maryland. He holds a CPA license, and has worked for Stoy, Malone and Company, PC since 1983. He and his wife Kristin moved to Towson in 1986, and raised three children. Vince has been active in community and civic organizations. He currently serves as Treasurer of the historic Prospect Hill Cemetery. In his free time, he and Kristin enjoy taking care of her extensive gardens at their home in Bay Ridge.

Frank is a professor and executive director at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Center on Drugs and Public Policy. He is also a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia Bars and is a licensed pharmacist. Frank has practiced both pharmacy and law. As an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Law, he teaches the course in food and drug law. In addition, Frank served as chair of the editorial advisory board of the Food and Drug Law Journal.He has been the principal investigator on major federal research grants and served as a member of a NIH study section for over four years. In addition to law, Frank maintains a strong interest in public policy, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology and health services research. He has many journal articles and presentations to his credit, covering a wide range of topics including law and public policy, and he co-authored a book on containing costs in third party drug programs.
Frank is also Of Counsel at Baker & Hostetler, in their Washington, D.C. office, where his practice is principally in the food and drug area. He has also been very active in several national professional organizations, including the American Pharmacists Association where he served as President of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science, the American Society for Pharmacy Law where he is a past president, and the Food and Drug Law Institute where he serves as a member of the Board of Directors. He received his B.S. in Pharmacy from the Medical University of South Carolina, M.S. and Ph.D. in Health Care Administration from the University of Mississippi and J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
Frank served in the U.S. Army from 1969-1971 and has been a member of the Edenwald Board since the early 1990s. He is our Immediate Past Board Chair. Frank has no serious hobbies, but he does enjoy spending time with his wife, Karen, and walking their dog. He and Karen have one daughter and two grandchildren.

Trudy is a retired home care nurse and has worked with seniors for over 40 years. She came to Baltimore in 1967 from New York City where she was a public health nurse for the New York City Health Department.Trudy received a Masters’ Degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins in 1968, and worked for the Baltimore County Health Department as a nurse manager in their Home Care division for 30 years.

Always active and never able to fully retire, Trudy’s last position was as a Medicare Home Care nurse for Blakehurst.

Due to her extensive background, we are honored to have Trudy as a member of our Board, particularly as we plan our future and the addition of service lines we envision will include serving seniors in their homes.

Andri Purkanto is the Owner of BrightStar Care of Baltimore County and South-Central Pennsylvania. Prior to his current role, he held global leadership responsibilities at multinational companies where he developed a depth of knowledge and experience in management, operations, technology, and execution.Andri earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Colorado State University and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University.

Andri’s lifelong pursuit is to find an opportunity to indulge his intellectual passion of life, enjoy doing it, and at the same time contribute something beyond himself. He and his wife, Sussy, have two children, Lexi, 13, and Elie, 11.

Charlie was born in South Baltimore and raised in Parkville about 10 minutes from Edenwald. He graduated from Parkville High School before going on to the University of Maryland earning a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Johns Hopkins University earning a M.S. in Environmental Engineering. He worked for 20 years in engineering and management in the chemical industry in Maryland and then Delaware. He returned to Baltimore and spent 10 years with Constellation Energy becoming Director of Corporate Compliance. He also served on the board of Clean Air Partners a public-private partnership developed to encouraged employers and their employees to take voluntary actions to reduce ozone pollution episodes on hot summer days.Charlie began a second career graduating from University of Maryland School of Law at age 50. He is admitted to practice in Maryland and District of Columbia and is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He practiced law at Blank Rome LLP in their Washington DC office focusing on environmental, energy, and maritime law. He also conducted internal investigations of white-collar crimes for business clients. His pro bono work included representing veterans and social security claimants denied benefits and staffing a walk-in legal clinic in Washington. He was an adjunct professor of environmental law at the University of Maryland School of Law Maryland law.

Charlie and his wife Fran met through the Baltimore Ski Club and have been married over 40 years. They have a son and a granddaughter. They are “travel-holics” who have travelled to all 50 states and many countries including Australia, New Zealand, China, Cuba, Russia, most of Europe, and Iceland. They love to hike, bike ride, and camp. They went on a 5-month cross country camping trip in a tent after they both retired.
Charlie and Fran moved to Edenwald in November 2019 after living in Lutherville for 28 years. He was Treasurer of the Residents’ Association (RA) 2021-2022 and is currently President of the RA.

Emily Brophy has over 15 years of experience in commercial asset management. She began her career with William Tan & Associates, Inc. by managing the day-to-day operations of various properties including retail, mixed-use, office and raw land (for future development). She progressed from overseeing the daily operations of properties to managing the strategy, planning, construction, and development of new properties within her portfolio.Emily developed increased responsibility in her career with Westfield and Brookfield. During her time at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, MD, the approximately 1.3 million square foot mall underwent a 100+ million-dollar renovation, which included the addition of a new movie theatre, expanded food court and several new full-service restaurants. At Brookfield’s Towson Town Center, she worked closely with the development and construction teams to deliver a 12+ million-dollar entertainment renovation, which included relocating 10+ tenants and delivering a 55 thousand square foot white box space to an entertainment user.

Emily has extensive knowledge of various areas of asset management including strategic planning, budget preparation, lease negotiations, project management, tenant coordination, accounts receivables, vendor relations, and center operations.

Currently, Emily is a Principal at William Tan & Associates, Inc., which is a Baltimore-based professional services company that provides accounting, tax, financial planning, and real estate development and management services. Emily heads the real estate department, which consists of over 20 properties in multiple asset classes, including retail, office, office condominiums, and mixed-use.

Emily is married, has a 2-year old Labrador puppy, and enjoys travelling and drinking wine.

Chuck was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended McDonogh School, Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and University of Maryland School of Law. He practiced law for 37 years, 34 of which were spent with his family’s law firm, Rogers, Moore, and Rogers in downtown Baltimore. He retired from the practice of law in 2017, but still serves on the boards of several local companies.Chuck joined the Edenwald Board in 2015. He currently serves as Board treasurer and chairman of the finance committee. His aunt has resided in independent living at Edenwald since 2012 and is very appreciative of the excellent living environment provided by the Edenwald staff.

He enjoys spending several months a year in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. He loves hiking there with his wife, Margie, and his dog, Little Rachel. Chuck also enjoys scuba diving and reading most anything.

Tracy is the Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Towson University. She is originally from a small college town in northern New York State. She holds a BA from Middlebury College in Vermont and an MFA from the University of Maryland at College Park.Before working with the “overgrads” in the Osher at Towson University program, Tracy worked with students of all ages as the Director of Special Programs in the School for Professional and Continuing Studies at MICA. She also taught college-level studio art classes at Baltimore area colleges and universities. Tracy is passionate about providing lifelong learning opportunities that help people to enrich their lives. She lives in Baltimore with her husband Greg.

Debbie’s entire life and professional career involved caring for and serving seniors. Debbie received her medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine. She has been a geriatrician and hospice/palliative care physician associated with both the University of Maryland Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Maryland Healthcare System.Her relationship with Edenwald began as a result of her professional interests and affiliations, however, it was with great pleasure that her parents chose to become members of the Edenwald community. Debbie has reflected that “the move from their house to Edenwald was a very positive step and they loved the activities and stimulation they found here.”

Debbie’s children and grandchildren remember Bubby and Opa’s apartment, and treats from the Café. The entire family was thankful they were safe and happy at Edenwald. Debbie’s experience and interests are instrumental in guiding Edenwald forward, and expanding the services that our organization offers.

Larry is a native Baltimorean who was called to serve in the US Army during the Vietnam era. Upon returning from duty, he completed his education with a BS degree in Business Management. He worked for a well-known national construction company until his retirement after 38 years as a senior project manager. Larry joined the Edenwald board as a director in 2010. He currently serves on the healthcare committee, and also consults on construction matters. His relationship with Edenwald goes back to 1997 when his father became a resident, and at which time he invested himself into the general welfare of all residents and staff. On a personal note, Larry is happiest when spending time with his wife, Ginni, and their blended family which includes six grown children and ten grandchildren ranging in age from 5-29. Larry’s interests include gardening, kayaking, exercising, traveling, and time at the beach.

Michele is the vice president for advancement at Goucher College since June 2020, after serving nine years at Johns Hopkins School of Education as the associate dean for development and external relations. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and has worked in higher education fundraising for 28+ years in Maryland. Whenever she gets the chance, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, baking, or reading, and looks forward to spontaneous days on the beach or the mountains of West Virginia, wine and food tours or friendly competition of any kind.

Cory Silkman is the managing attorney for Silkman LLC, a Maryland law firm defending health care providers and entities in contested licensing matters before government agencies. Mr. Silkman holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Messiah College, a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is also a registered nurse with over thirteen years of experience in direct-care nursing and nursing management.Mr. Silkman is the current Chair of the Healthcare Subcommittee at Edenwald, and also a member of the Strategic Planning Subcommittee and Recruitment Subcommittee.

He grew up in central Pennsylvania and has roots in the Mennonite and Anabaptist communities. He loves his two sons, and enjoys seeing his own parents enjoy grandparenting.

Bruce followed his father’s footsteps and has been a Board member for thirty-two years, now serving as Chairman of the Continuing Quality Improvement Committee and member of the Nominating Committee. His mother was a resident in Independent Living until she passed eight months later. Bruce’s wife, Carolyn, is now a resident in Hoerichs Hall, the Memory Care unit, where she is receiving excellent care.Bruce received his BA degree in Business Management and is a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC). He is now retired after fort-one years in the insurance business as a second generation owner of the B.J. Mattheiss Insurance Agency, Inc., which is now owned by the third generation, his son.

Bruce is very active in the Bethel Presbyterian Church and serves on their Board of Trustees and the Finance Committee, as well as being a participating member in their Men’s Breakfast Bunch. He is an outdoorsman and enjoys hunting, fishing, golfing, and driving his 1963 Corvette.

Scott Ensor is a Vice President of Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas where he has worked for the last 25 years. Scott has been on the Board of Edenwald since May 4, 2011, and also serves on the Board of other non-profit organizations in the Baltimore area. He has been a lifelong resident of Northern Baltimore County and actually had his first experience with Edenwald while as a child – his parents served on the Board, and he cut our grass! Scott enjoys being able to participate in the continuation of Edenwald as a premier community for our residents and staff.

Tim Wessel currently serves on the Governance Committee of Edenwald’s Board of Directors. He is president of Wessel Financial Services, Inc. and the managing member of Wessel Realty, LLC. Tim grew up in Lutherville, Maryland and now resides in Forest Hill, Maryland with his wife and children. Tim is active in the community as he serves on the Board of Directors for the Bel Air Recreation Committee and Winters Run Golf Club. Tim enjoys spending time with friends and family and attempting to improve his golf game.

Born in 1941, Bill Hermann is a 1959 graduate of Towson High School and received his BS in accounting from Penn State University in 1963. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and later transitioned into the Maryland Air National Guard where he served until 1969. Throughout his professional career, Mr. Hermann worked at Price Waterhouse & Co. and later founded the public accounting firm Heine and Hermann PA. In 1983, Mr. Hermann started the financial management company William L. Hermann, Inc. where he continues to serve as president. He has served on the Edenwald board since 2001. Mr. Hermann has been married since 1965 and has two children and two grandchildren.

Bob Seeger grew up in Baltimore and attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute graduating in 1952. He was the owner of R.L. Seeger Printing Co. located in Hamilton, Maryland from which he is now retired. During Bob’s career he also drove a school bus for Baltimore County (about 20 years). He enjoys his beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and loves spending time with his daughter. Bob’s hobbies include taking things apart, fishing, some travel if it is not too far, walking the boardwalk and just enjoying life. Bob was married to his beloved wife for over 60 years. He has served on the board since 1983 and was also a long-time board member at Augsburg Lutheran Home, Rotary International and many fraternal organizations. Bob enjoys going to church and especially loves listening to the organist.

Andy is a financial services executive with a broad set of investment and leadership experience. He currently serves on Edenwald’s Finance and Investment Committees. Throughout his career, he’s had a core focus on healthcare corporate finance and real estate investing. Andy is currently a Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Management for the Healthcare Finance business at MUFG. Prior to that, he was a Managing Principal with LCM Financial. Before LCM, Andy spent 24 years in various roles of increasing responsibility within Capital One (and related predecessor companies GE Capital Healthcare Financial Services; Heller Healthcare Finance; and HealthCare Financial Partners), where most recently he was the Head of CRE Institutional Specialties Underwriting & Asset Management and Managing Director & Head of Healthcare Leveraged Finance Underwriting & Portfolio Management. He holds a B.A. in Business Management from Washington College.

Andy currently resides in Bethesda, MD with his wife and two children. He has been engaged in the Edenwald community since he was a child and is a third-generation member of the Board of Directors.

Ardena N. Githara is a proud native of Baltimore, MD, whose upbringing reflects a rich heritage of resilience and education. Her father, Dr. Henry K. Githara, a Kenyan immigrant, and her mother, Alma Frazier Darby of Salters, SC, instilled in her a deep appreciation for learning and community impact. Ardena is a graduate of Bennett College, an all-female, historically Black institution in Greensboro, NC, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She furthered her education with a Master of Arts in Non-Profit Management from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy and Administration at Walden University.

As a professional, Ardena is an accomplished and highly motivated executive with extensive experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion; community building; youth development; grant management; and policy development. She currently serves as the Equal Equity Opportunity (EEO) Program Manager for the ATO’s Employee Education & Enterprise Team of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Her impressive career includes roles such as Senior Grants Manager for HRSA, Regional Enrollment and Recruitment Manager for the Bell Foundation, and Program Manager for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Making Connections Initiatives.

Ardena also has over a decade of experience designing and implementing programs that empower youth and foster community engagement. She has developed impactful marketing campaigns encouraging Baltimore youth to stay in school and make informed life choices. Her strategic leadership includes organizing the Youth Engagement Conference in San Francisco, CA, and leading initiatives to strengthen partnerships between families, institutions, and communities.

Her entrepreneurial spirit is evident in her founding of PENN Training & Consulting, LLC, a company offering tailored management and development consulting services. Ardena collaborates with executives from various industries to craft innovative solutions to complex challenges, driven by a commitment to accountability, growth, and sustainability.

Ardena’s dedication to service extends to her community involvement. She is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, serving with the Upsilon Epsilon Omega Chapter in Baltimore County, MD. She is also an active member of organizations such as the College of Notre Dame Alumni Association, A Sister’s Gold Investment Group, and the Associated Black Charities Board Pipeline Project. She serves on multiple boards, including Ladies of Vision Charities, Edenwald Senior Living, the Women’s Law Center of Maryland, Pro Bono Counseling and Programs for Academic & Cultural Achievements, contributing her expertise and vision to each.

A proud mother to her daughter, Julianna, Ardena finds joy in balancing her professional and personal endeavors. Together, they reside in Baltimore County, Maryland where Ardena continues to lead with a deep sense of purpose and a commitment to justice, equity, and community empowerment.