Karen Carr
Karen Carr joined HomePorts as Executive Director in November 2024.
Reporting to HomePorts President John Murphy, Karen brings 30 years’ experience delivering healthcare information, services and tools to people who need them — regardless of their age, race, background or ability to pay.
A seasoned marketing and communications professional, Carr partners closely with the Board of Directors, staff and volunteers to raise awareness of the HomePorts brand and service offerings while also focusing on growing the donor- and volunteer base and expanding the organization’s reach across Kent County.
Among Karen’s key priorities are building on the strong foundation that the organization’s leadership has created, while helping to shape the future of HomePorts through the development of donors and volunteers, and to expanding its outreach with the greater Kent County non-profit community. She is also committed to working with HomePorts’ current and future members to create new programs that will enhance their health and ability to age gracefully and remain in their homes.
Karen worked for more than three decades in the advertising, communications and public relations fields supporting healthcare, pharmaceutical and wellness brands in their efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of people everywhere. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh with dual majors in English Writing/ Communications and French.
Karen resides in Chestertown where HomePorts’ headquarters are located.
Jan Massey
Jan Massey joined HomePorts in January 2025 as our new Programs & Services coordinator. Prior to joining HomePorts, Jan held numerous positions supporting both “front end” customer experiences as well as more backend administrative functions, including 12 years as Front Desk Associate with the Comfort Inn here in Chestertown.
In her capacity as Programs & Services coordinator, Jan works tirelessly day in and day out as a key point of contact between our leadership team, members and volunteers to connect them and us with the critical services and programs HomePorts provides to the community. Along with being the bright and energetic personality on the other end of the HomePorts scheduling line, she’s a core team player in helping us to spread the word about our educational and social programs.
Jan is a long-time supporter of HomePorts and resident of Chestertown where she lives with her husband John, an active and super-dedicated HP volunteer!
Heather Benson
In her role as Services Coordinator, Heather serves as an important connection between HomePorts members and volunteers, helping to ensure members receive the assistance they need to remain independent and engaged in their community. She works closely with volunteers to understand their interests and availability, coordinates service requests and transportation needs, and provides thoughtful follow-up to help create positive experiences for both members and volunteers.
Prior to joining HomePorts, Heather spent more than a decade as an independent Career Counselor, helping individuals identify career goals, strengthen their employment strategies, and successfully navigate professional transitions. She also brings experience in vocational research, human resources, and administrative support, including her time at Wellesley College where she also attended school and afterward supported employees and staff through the Human Resources and Payroll offices.
Heather brings a strong commitment to helping others along with excellent organizational and problem-solving skills to the HomePorts team. She loves supporting the mission of HomePorts by building meaningful connections and strengthening the network of services available to older adults throughout Kent County.
Heather resides in Chestertown with her husband David, 3 children and their “extended family” of pets – one dog, three cats and two birds! She’s proud to be part of the HomePorts community and is making a real difference for our members and volunteers every single day.
Stephanie Turner
Stephanie brings more than 15 years of experience supporting individuals, building connections, and helping people navigate important transitions. Prior to joining HomePorts, Stephanie worked in higher education at the University of Pennsylvania, where she advised and mentored students, coordinated programs, supported residential communities and helped individuals connect with resources to achieve their goals.
In her role as Services Coordinator, Stephanie serves as a key connection between HomePorts members and volunteers, helping coordinate services and match members with the assistance they need to remain independent and engaged in their community. Her background in advising, crisis support, and program coordination allows her to bring a thoughtful and compassionate approach to supporting members and volunteers.
Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Vocal Music Performance from McKendree University and a Master of Science in Community School Psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She lives in Annapolis with her family.
John Murphy, President
John Murphy spent most of his career taking care of patients directly and promoting health and wellness among populations of people. After finishing his residency in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, John joined the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as part of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS). He then completed a Preventive Medicine Residency with CDC and spent a total of 6 years there. Much of the work there was related to researching the causes of and preventing transmission of AIDS.
John left CDC in 1991 to practice at the VA Medical Center in Atlanta and ended up practicing in the VA for the rest of his career. For most of that time, he practiced and managed physicians delivering Primary Care services at the Asheville, NC VA Medical Center and then the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. In each of these 3 facilities, he held academic appointments with the affiliated medical school (Emory, Duke, and Penn) and actively trained medical students and residents.
Throughout his career, John was very interested in using computers and information systems to improve the practice of medicine and augment the ability of health care providers to connect with their patients. He spent more and more of my time helping his organization in Philadelphia to develop their informatics capabilities and eventually became board certified in Clinical Informatics. When he joined the New Orleans VA in 2016, John was the Chief of Clinical Informatics as they built and opened a brand new $1.2 billion facility. Subsequently, he took a position with VA Central Office in Washington DC in the Office of Connected Care. Their mission was to develop capabilities for delivering virtual care, including Telehealth. John joined this group just before the COVID pandemic hit, so their work was very important in delivering healthcare during the pandemic.
Gale Drenning, Vice President
Gale is originally from Germantown, a small town in Wisconsin, and is the last surviving of three children. She is a rabid Packer fan and proud to be a Cheesehead!
As a registered nurse by profession, Gale recently retired and is exploring new ways to utilize her nursing background. She attended college in Milwaukee, Madison and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
She and husband Jim moved from Annapolis 4 ½ years ago and love living in Chestertown. Gale recently ventured into acting and was excited and gratified to be cast in The Laramie Project at The Garfield. She loves gardening, cooking, and entertaining, which she and her husband do often. Jim is a native of the area and is mostly retired from the commercial fire protection industry. He loves to sing and is a member of the Chester River Chorale, the Chester Chamber Singers, and River Voices. Jim is also a techie – very adept at computers – and is a wonderful help to those who do not have the technical gene. Jim also serves as a volunteer for HomePorts. They have a 14-year-old Malti-poo (dog) named Gracie who they love like a daughter!
Gale is proud to be involved in HomePorts, contributing all that she can to the already amazing work that is being done by the organization. She is eager, energetic, and full of ideas. Her friends say that she has a great sense of humor and doesn’t take herself too seriously. She is not afraid of hard work and looks forward to helping build HomePorts back to its original robust organization.
Christine (Christy) Walker, Treasurer
Christy joined the HomePorts board of directors in January 2025. She also serves as our Treasurer. Since 2007, Christy has been providing accounting and financial advisory services for small business owners and non-profit organizations. She brings to HomePorts a wealth of knowledge and experience gained over 25 years in roles that have ranged from sole practitioner to the CFO of several privately-held companies and small businesses. Christy is a Certified Public Accountant, and we look to her for her financial leadership and stewardship on a daily basis. She, her husband Jono and their 2 cats Goodie and Jasper recently joined the Chestertown community from Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Michael S. Connor, Secretary
Mike Connor retired in April of 2021 with more than 40 combined years of experience in the legal and health care professions. He established his elder law and estate planning practice in May of 2001 in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania. The practice focused on providing effective, affordable legal services that assisted aging adults and their families plan for the future. He emphasized to prospective clients that it was essential to prepare for elder law and estate planning issues before a crisis arises. His firm offered legal counseling in the areas of wills, trusts, estate planning, special needs trusts, estate administration, and long-term care matters, including Medicaid planning.
Before starting his solo law practice, Mike was Executive Director of Trinity Health Care Alliance, a joint venture of Doylestown, Grand View and North Penn Hospitals in the suburbs of Philadelphia, a position that utilized his extensive background in the hospital and healthcare management field. Prior to that position, Mike formerly worked for two Philadelphia law firms representing business clients in the areas of employment and labor relations. Before entering law school, from 1974 to 1994 Mike served as the chief human resources executive at North Penn Hospital in Lansdale, PA, Mercer Medical Center in Trenton, NJ, and Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, PA.
Mike earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree, with honors, at Temple University School of Law where he had also earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
Since his retirement, Mike and his wife, Joanne, (and our adopted dogs, Maggie and Skylar) have moved to Chestertown, Maryland.
Robert Busler
Robert Busler joined the HomePorts board of directors in March of 2026. He is an accomplished renewable energy and commercial development professional with more than three decades of experience spanning architecture, business development, and large-scale solar project delivery. Prior to retiring in 2021, Rob most recently served as Director of Business Development at Standard Solar where he played a pivotal role in expanding the company’s commercial solar market presence over more than a decade, including leading the successful development of numerous public- and private-sector projects throughout Maryland. His experience includes managing and developing over 32 MW of commercial solar installations for clients such as county governments, public school systems, utilities, municipalities, and higher education institutions, with individual projects ranging from community-scale arrays to multi-megawatt installations. Locally based in Maryland, he specializes in developing large solar arrays for public-sector clients, combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of market-driven project delivery.
Prior to his tenure at Standard Solar, Mr. Busler built a distinguished career as a senior leader in award-winning architecture and design firms in New York City and Washington, DC. His background includes executive and principal-level roles where he led strategic planning, marketing transformation, organizational restructuring, and firm-wide quality control initiatives, consistently delivering significant growth in revenue, profitability, and staff development. His design leadership portfolio includes prominent, complex projects such as the Washington Nationals’ Ballpark and the DC Convention Center.
Rob holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University, and he is a registered architect in multiple U.S. jurisdictions as well as internationally. His career reflects a unique blend of design excellence, organizational leadership, and a long-standing commitment to advancing renewable energy in the built environment. A full-time resident of Chestertown, Maryland for the past 15 years, Rob brings strong local ties and a deep understanding of public sector collaboration to his new role with HomePorts.
Nensi Fiorenini
Nensi Fiorenini joined the HomePorts board of directors in September 2025. She is a community builder and accomplished strategist who, over the course of a dynamic career, has demonstrated a rare ability to bring new organizations and programs to life, expertly navigating the delicate balance of participant needs and project criteria. With a proven history in event development and planning, Nensi has stewarded projects through every stage, from initial concept and agenda development to speaker coordination, implementation, and post-event debriefs.
Nensi’s leadership style is marked by an infectious enthusiasm for motivating volunteers, building coalitions, and forging strong, lasting partnerships. Recognized for an innate ability to generate consensus among diverse groups of stakeholders, Nensi excels in sales and consensus-building, ensuring that projects gain the active support required for success.
Most recently, Nensi has served as Chairman of the Board for the Senior Citizens Lobby in Washington, DC. In this role, Nensi continues to drive impactful change, representing the interests and advocating for the well-being of senior citizens at the policy level, while shifting the organizational focus to social security reform.
Nensi resides in Rock Hall, Maryland with her husband Matt, her high school-aged daughter Zoey, and three dogs.
Fannie Hobba Shenk
Fannie Hobba Shenk joined the HomePorts board of directors in August 2025, having recently retired from Washington College where she worked for more than 15 years in roles that included Alumni Engagement Director, Associate Director of Advancement, Major Gift Officer, Reunion Giving Officer and Administrative Assistant for Advancement.
Throughout the course of her long career with the College, Fannie applied her deep professionalism, creativity, strategic thinking and drive to raise significant donations for WC.
These included campaigns and initiatives in partnership with alumni, parents and friends of the College via annual gifts, legacy gifts and major gifts. She brings to HomePorts a wealth of experience and proven success in building long-term relationships with key individuals and constituencies, as well as a broad professional network that spans the eastern United States.
Fannie is a member of the 1782 Society and George Washington Legacy Society at Washington College, and was a member of the Hall of Fame Committee at Washington College. She is an active member of the Washington College and Chestertown community, where she has resided for over 16 years.
Lee Hunley
Olythea “Lee” Hunley was born and raised in the Kent County, Maryland Community of Coleman’s Corner, graduated from Henry Highland Garnet High School, and attended Bowie State University for two years. She worked as an Instructional Assistant for Kent County Public Schools for 23 years as well as Chesterfield County, South Carolina Public Schools for 5 years. Lee also worked with the Bell Telephone Company of Philadelphia, PA for 13 years.
Lee is an active member in numerous rolls in her church including choir member, usher, Lay Servant, Worship Committee secretary, Administrative Council chairperson, Membership Committee member. She is also an active member of the Chestertown Lions Club, Kent County Commission on Aging, Kent County Retired School Personnel, and HomePorts Board of Directors.
Lee says, “I like working with HomePorts because this organization serves the Senior Citizens of Kent County. As a caregiver for an elderly family member myself, I understand first hand the needs of seniors and appreciate the services offered by HomePorts as a way for them to remain comfortably in their homes during a time when familiarity is so important to their well being. Serving with HomePorts gives me an opportunity to accomplish something useful in our county for the people who need the kind of help that HomePorts offer.”
CB Lovell
CB has been a resident of Kent County since 2005 and lives in Kennedyville with her husband, Burr. Before retiring she was a Professor at Howard Community College in Columbia, MD and taught English. In addition to her love of books, CB loves mothering, grandmothering, and being a good neighbor, good friend, and good citizen of our ever-shrinking world. Serving on the HomePorts Board is an opportunity to continue a life dedicated to service of others.
Missy Yachup
Missy joined HomePorts in the summer of 2024 as a volunteer, helping our members make their journeys to the places they need to be. Driving members to their doctors’ appointments and to weekly trips to the Kent County Library, volunteering at our booth at the Chestertown Farmers’ Market, and shepherding members to our monthly luncheons — Missy brings a passion to HomePorts that is emblematic of the “best of the best” in a HomePorts volunteer. Always at the ready to dive in and help, Missy raised her hand in late 2024 and will begin serving as the Volunteers Committee Lead for HomePorts in 2025. Having retired from Marriott International where she worked for more than 30 years in many HR roles, Missy, her husband Ted and dog Emma now call Chestertown home.
Jan Massey, Programs & Services Coordinator
Jan Massey joined HomePorts in January 2025 as our new Programs & Services coordinator. Prior to joining HomePorts, Jan held numerous positions supporting both “front end” customer experiences as well as more backend administrative functions, including 12 years as Front Desk Associate with the Comfort Inn here in Chestertown.
In her capacity as Programs & Services coordinator, Jan works tirelessly day in and day out as a key point of contact between our leadership team, members and volunteers to connect them and us with the critical services and programs HomePorts provides to the community. Along with being the bright and energetic personality on the other end of the HomePorts scheduling line, she’s a core team player in helping us to spread the word about our educational and social programs.
Jan is a long-time supporter of HomePorts and resident of Chestertown where she lives with her husband John, an active and super-dedicated HP volunteer!
Jeanette Jeffrey
Jeanette Jeffrey was named Executive Director in January 2023, following the retirement of Karen Wright who provided 11 years of dedicated service. The year prior, Jeanette served as the vice president of HomePorts’ board of directors.
As a professor of public health for over 30 years, Jeanette’s research focused on stress, depression and suicide among older adults and farmers. Her initial move to Chestertown in 2022 was to serve as the Rural Health Care Transformation Health Educator with University of Maryland Shore Medical Center Chestertown. Jeanette also serves as Alumni Career Fellow for The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where she provides career counseling to Master of Public Health students on a part-time basis.
Jeanette’s educational credentials include a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health from Towson University, a Master of Science degree in Education and a certificate in Teaching in Higher Education from The Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Public Health and a certificate in Humanitarian Assistance from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a certificate in International Health: Clinical and Community Care from the University of Arizona, and a Master Certified Health Education Specialist certification through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.