CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Peter Constantian serves as co-founder and Executive Director of Heartfelt Haywood. He holds a B.A. in Religion and Economics from St. Olaf College and an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School. He is driven by a love for rural places and people. He served as Pastor of Long’s and Cruso United Methodist Churches (UMCs) in Canton, NC from 2019 to 2023. His time in ministry was shaped by the COVID pandemic, his partner’s diagnosis and treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and the devastating flash flood of 2021 caused by Tropical Storm Fred. Since 2022, he has served as Bereavement Coordinator and Hospice Chaplain for Haywood Hospice & Palliative Care. Peter maintains his credentials with the UMC and continues to serve passionately on and off the clock to organize his community for the mutual flourishing of people and the land. He enjoys running, cycling, baking, and doing chainsaw projects for friends and neighbors. 

CO-FOUNDER & PRESIDENT

Patrick Davis, MA, serves as the board President. He developed children’s grief programs and creative approaches for grieving adults during the formative years of a thriving non-profit center: www.thecollectiveforhope.org. After moving to Haywood County to serve as a hospice chaplain, he began gathering other community leaders with an interest in creating an end-of-life coalition to identify the unique needs and resources of our community. Over the past thirty years, Patrick has served the cause of end of life care in various leadership and direct service positions. Today, he offers tools for increasing the emotional resilience and spiritual vitality of leaders and teams at: www.Awake8.com

VICE PRESIDENT

Sarah Tomaka worked in Atlanta for 18 years in the field of early childhood education, both as a teacher and a preschool director. Since 2013 she has also been a certified therapeutic riding instructor and volunteer. After moving to WNC in 2018, Sarah joined Heartfelt Haywood with a strong interest in serving the community’s children who are grieving. She helped develop a program called Healing Hearts which brings children and teens together with horses in a safe environment in which they can express themselves. Sarah is working with others at Heartfelt Haywood to develop additional programs for children. She also serves as a bereavement volunteer for Haywood Hospice & Palliative Care.

BOARD SECRETARY

Lisa Allen is the Health and Community Educator with the Southwestern Commission Area Agency on Aging. She began her career in social work at the Jackson County Dept. of Public Health where she worked with families of children 0-5 for 17 years. During this time, the first Family Outreach Department was established. In 2005 she was asked to join the West-Care Health System Leadership team as the Director of Physician Services and recruited medical staff for the Sylva and Bryson City hospital. For the last few years, she has worked as the Training Director for a Mental Health Entity serving 17 counties, Director of Social Services for a long-term care and Rehab facility and held 2 Human Resource positions. She is passionate about all primary prevention health strategies that help older adults live their best life. Lisa is a native of Haywood County and resides in Waynesville with her husband Johnny and enjoys spending time with her son Parker, her family and friends.

TREASURER

Jeff Pomeroy grew up living in Canada, England, Australia and the US. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University he worked for the USDA before entering the private sector in the seeds business and earning an MBA from Purdue. Over the next 40 years he held many technical and senior management positions for a global agricultural firm (Syngenta) before retiring in 2023. He brings a diverse background, business acumen and unique perspectives to the Heartfelt Haywood board and feels honored to be able to give back to the community by working to support those who are struggling with end-of-life transitions.

BOARD DIRECTOR

Dr. Michael Pass is a retired family physician and hospice medical director. He finished his residency training at UVA in Charlottesville, Virginia. He started Waynesville Family Practice in 1982 and retired in 2021. He helped establish Haywood Hospice in 1984. In retirement, Dr. Pass enjoys family activities with his 6 kids and 10 grandkids. He loves volunteering at church, Heartfelt Haywood, Habitat for Humanity, and Pigeon Community Multicultural Resource Center.

BOARD DIRECTOR

Tom DeFloria has over 18 years of executive leadership and strategy experience. He is a data and marketing expert who is well versed in traditional Direct and Digital data-driven marketing solutions. Tom is currently the US Country Manager for Tenerity.  He holds an undergrad in Business Administration from Westminster College and MBA.

BOARD DIRECTOR

Debbie Knox is a retired social worker who spent her career working as a crisis counselor for children and families in the Austin, TX area prior to relocating to Haywood County in 2011. She is currently a bereavement volunteer with Haywood Hospice & Palliative Care and a facilitator for inner healing ministries at her church. Life experience has led to the desire to support and encourage caregivers and to offer comfort and compassion to the bereaved with a heart for children, widows and veterans. She enjoys spending time in nature, creating comfort quilts, and sharing life with family and friends. 

BOARD DIRECTOR

Joslyn Ogden Schaefer has served as rector of Grace Church in the Mountains (Episcopal) in Haywood County for eight years. Originally from Atlanta, she attended Davidson College and spent most of her adult life in North Carolina. In addition to serving as a priest, she brings experience of perinatal loss and is a practicing Spiritual Director.

CONSULTANT

Maureen Hunt is a retired psychotherapist, retreat facilitator, and has been a spiritual companion for over 30 years.  She is presently active in the ministries to the unsheltered, those grieving, and the marginalized.

CONSULTANT

Emily Dobberstein (she/her) is a writer, community organizer, and grief facilitator based in Canton, NC. She is the author of the recently-published spiritual adventure memoir, The Courage to Go, which highlights a personal story of grief and discovery. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a B.A. in psychology, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work. As a result of her own cancer journey, Emily plans to become a therapist specializing in grief and working with people affected by cancer. She feels most herself when cooking an exquisite dinner for a large group of friends, tending to her vegetable garden, or foraging for gourmet edible mushrooms while hiking on a remote trail in the wilderness . Emily is an advocate of radical vulnerability and authenticity, and she is dedicated to fostering spaces where everyone belongs and all are welcome at the table.

CONSULTANT

DeLisa Ensley has served as the Patient Care Liaison for Haywood Hospice & Palliative Care for seven years, providing education and support to healthcare providers and patients on end-of-life care. She is a native of WNC and has worked in medical marketing for over 26 years.