Community Advisory Board
Community Advisory Board
Meet the Community Advisory Board
The Community Advisory Board (CAB) helps the CADRC engage the community and support participant recruitment, especially among at-risk populations. CAB members are experts by experience who use their skills to ensure Northeast Ohio is accurately represented in CADRC studies.
The CAB is led by Chair Edna Fuentes-Casiano and Co-Chair Darlene Walker, with Dr. Martha Sajatovic, leader of the Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core (OREC), serving as advisor.
Leaders
Edna Fuentes-Casiano
Chair
Edna fuentes casiano
Edna Fuentes-Casiano was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a Licensed Social Worker, fully bilingual in Spanish and has master’s degree from Mandel School of Social Administration.
Fuentes-Casiano currently works at Case Western Reserve University/School of Medicine in the department of Psychiatry as a Research Assistant IIII/Interventionist/Outreach Coordinator. She has been doing research in mental health for the past 18 years on medication adherence and working for the Cleveland Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center with Outreach and Recruitment Engagement Core for the past 4 years with Dr. Martha Sajatovic.
As the the former Program Director of the Hispanic Senior Center, she developed an intergenerational popular theater program, diabetes health education programs, cultural events, older adults’ day programing, diabetes health education and established an intergenerational computer lab for the Hispanic seniors and youth in the community. Additionally, as the former Executive Director of Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center, she organized cultural after school programs, cultural events, children’s theater, dance groups and summer programs for the Hispanic Youth in the Cleveland Community.
Fuentes-Casiano sits on the advisory board member of finance for La Sagrada Familia Church, LatinUS Theater Company, and a member of Alianza Latina at CWRU.
Darlene Walker
Co-Chair
Darlene Walker
Darlene embodies the spirit of caregiving. A retired nurse and lactation consultant, she has dedicated her life to helping others. Currently, Darlene cares for her 101-year-old mother, who resides in a memory care facility due to dementia and moderate stage Alzheimer’s disease—a journey spanning 31 years. Unfortunately, this is not the first family member she’s supported through dementia; Darlene also cared for her husband and father during their battles with Alzheimer’s, witnessing their eventual passings at ages 68 and 95. Her grandmother’s struggle with dementia at 87 in a crowded, long-term care facility also fueled Darlene’s commitment to championing those affected by ADRD and supporting their families.
Darlene actively participates in initiatives such as Dementia Friends USA and serves on the Church of the Saviour UMC Dementia Friends Committee. She advocates for dementia-friendly public spaces and educates communities about ADRD. Darlene practices what she preaches, actively participating in several research studies dedicated to advancing understanding and treatment of these conditions.
Beyond her advocacy work, Darlene enjoys meeting new people and learning their stories. In her free time, you can find her reading, enjoying nature, or spending quality time with family and friends. She is also a lifelong “Trekkie” and is learning the art of bird-watching.
We are privileged to have Darlene as co-chair of the Community Advisory Board, alongside Edna Fuentes-Casiano. Together, they enhance community outreach efforts aimed at recruiting at-risk populations in research.
Members
Martha Sajatovic, MD
OREC Lead, CAB Advisor
Jackie Adams
Roopa Anmolsingh, MD
Tanya Phipps
Heidi Barnham
Erma Boykin
Margie Colón
Annie Glover
Doretha Grant
Devon Jones
Rev. Fredrick Knuckles
Rochelle Long
Nancy Mercado
Kylie Meyer, PhD
Ann Nguyen
Angelica Pozo
Denise Rucker-Burton
Giohoa Ryan
Aquel Seals
Steven Slaughter
Carolyn H. Still, PhD
Angela Vannoy
Ambassador Committee
Annie Glover
Steven Slaughter
Anita Williams
David Fincher
Ambassador Committee
Annie Glover
Steven Slaughter
Anita Williams
David Fincher
Get the Latest News & Research Updates with the Mind Matters Newsletter
Get the latest news, research updates, and community events from the Cleveland Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
Get the Latest News & Research Updates with the Mind Matters Newsletter
Get the latest news, research updates, and community events from the Cleveland Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Our quarterly newsletter Mind Matters shares stories of progress, education, and hope – keeping you informed and involved in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
