Our Board - Hand in Hand of Glynn

Board of Directors

Hand in Hand of Glynn’s Board is composed of community leaders who volunteer their time and talents to help steward resources and activities toward accomplishing their vision: Providing housing and support to neighbors experiencing homelessness in Glynn County.

Anne Stembler, Founder

Anne Stembler is the strategist and founder of our organization. It was Anne’s vision to do something to help the Homeless population of Brunswick that started Hand in Hand of Glynn in 2018. Along with her years as a member of the Session of the St. Simons Presbyterian Church. Anne’s philanthropic work in Atlanta as well as in Brunswick laid the foundation for her current leadership of Hand in Hand. Years ago her experience hearing Ron Hall (co-author of Same Kind of Different as Me) speaking about the homeless, colored her views of what could be done. Her subsequent visits to Moore Place in Charlotte as well as visits to tiny homes in Savannah and Detroit fleshed out her vision of what Hand in Hand might do for Brunswick. Anne is the guiding light of this organization.

Linda Heagy, Treasurer

Linda Heagy is the Treasurer of Hand in Hand, handling the financials for the organization. Her 23 years in Banking as an Executive Vice President of the LaSalle Banks, her 19 years as a Trustee of the Van Kampen American Capital Mutual Fund complex ( now Invesco), and her MBA from the University of Chicago, give her a solid background for this role. Seventeen years as Vice Chairman of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago (the largest owner of SRO’s in the state of Illinois,) and as a board member of The University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics created a fertile ground for the idea of helping the homeless of Brunswick.

Deborah Dalton Melnyk, Secretary

Debby Melnyk serves as Secretary to the Board of Hand in Hand of Glynn. Her degree in Journalism came in handy when, after graduation from the University of Florida, she opened her own advertising agency, primarily in support of the efforts of her husband Steve, whose company was building and managing golf courses. Debby became interested in the inner workings of the Episcopal Church after attending one of their conventions while she headed the Board of St. Marks Episcopal Church in Jacksonville, Florida, one of the largest congregations in that city.. She was the first woman Senior Warden of that church and led the Board through many impactful changes during her 15-year tenure. Debbys other volunteer activities included the Jacksonville Junior League, Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, and Jacksonville Wolfson Childrens Hospital. Debby has an ongoing involvement with National Garden Club of America having served on the Executive Committee for many years including as Chairman and Vice chairman of various chapters. Debby brings to the Golden Isles her heart for volunteerism which stems from her faith and her continuing belief that those who are able have a responsibility to “give back. Hand in Hand of Glynn appealed to her because of our goal of changing lives, and we were lucky enough to engage her fund-raising and event-planning talents when Ron Hall, ( co author of “Same Kind of Different as Me”) came back to St. Simons Island and Brunswick to speak about homelessness.

Jennifer Alston Euart, Board Member

Jennifer and Pat, her husband of 19 years, are the proud parents of four girls. Jennifer is a former teacher and outdoor education instructor. She also worked extensively with children who are wards of the state, many of whom have learning and developmental disabilities, such that Jennifer often found herself in the role of advocate. An entrepreneur at heart, Jennifer has started and run a number of businesses, including event planning and floral design. Her interest, initiative and enthusiasm for working with our population of formerly homeless individuals, extended to planning our first-ever annual fundraising event! The theme, “Home for the Holidays”. allowed our friends and donors to visit our campus, The Grove at Correll Commons, to see firsthand how it works. Jennifer is a strong advocate for those who may not always have a voice. We welcome her energy and engagement in our efforts to transform the lives of our residents. Jennifer has lived and worked in California, Wyoming, Montana and now calls Georgia home. Her other volunteer activities have included extensive work with cancer patients, planning an event to support pediatric hospice care, and serving as a Trustee at the Goddard Foundation.

Allan E. Kamensky, Board Member

Allan Kamensky is Executive Vice President and General Counsel and is a member of the Synovus Executive Management Team, and is responsible for all legal affairs including bank, corporate and securities regulatory issues, human resources (employment, compensation, and benefits), litigation, compliance, Governmental Relations, regulatory relations and identifying potential risk factors for the company.

Dr. Kenyon Meadows, Board Member

Originally hailing from Youngstown Ohio, Dr. Kenyon Meadows has made the Golden Isles a second home having been on staff for nearly 20 years at Southeast Georgia Health System as a radiation oncologist. While providing dedicated and holistic cancer care to the individual, he regularly speaks at various church and civic groups promoting general health awareness to the community. Additionally, Dr Meadows is an active real estate investor for the past 10 years with a focus on affordable workforce housing. He views his involvement in Hand-in-Hand of Glynn as a seamless way to blend his dual interests in health and housing.

Martha Merritt, Board Member

Marti Merritt is a doctor of Psychology and a psychotherapist who works primarily in Tennessee. Her academic grounding, including degrees from the Univ. of Colorado and James Madison University in Virginia, has led her into challenging positions in clinical healthcare and behavioral health for both juvenile and adult populations including Director of Mental Health for the Morgan County Maximum Security Correctional Facility. Marti takes a balanced but engaged eye toward wellness of our population and is particularly interested in the reengagement of our residents in Community activity. Her clinical background will prove invaluable to us as we establish our community of the formerly homeless.

Betty Moore, Board Member

Betty Moore is a Memphis, Tennessee native who has a second home in Glynn County and has become interested in the work of Hand in Hand. Her philanthropic roles have included building homes for the indigent in Mexico and chairing the Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation in Memphis which was founded by her parents in 1960.
Betty has a strong commitment to civic and religious organizations and has had an on-going interest in affordable housing. Her former roles as a school teacher and a mentor of young women and a founder of the Memphis Emmaus Community demonstrate her lifelong commitment to serving others.