Secretary, Linda Bemiss, was born and raised in Columbia County, NY. She and her late husband were snow birds for ten years prior to relocating to Citrus County in 2010. Linda's professional life included bookkeeping, legal secretary, and as a part-time bank teller after retirement. Most of her life she has been dedicated to providing care for the sick and elderly, including family members with dementia.
Treasurer, Lee Cooper, is a recently retired Citrus County CPA. having worked in Great Britain, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Southeast Asia. Originally from Florida's panhandle, he holds degrees from Florida State University, the University of Hawaii, and the University of Oklahoma. His late wife, Janna DeMarta, lived with dementia for seven years, during which Lee states that he grasped at every hope to find a path to stop the progression of her disease. He says, "I found hopelessness, confusion, and a feeling of abandonment, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as Treasurer on the board of Dementia Education, Inc. and make others’ care-partnering experiences more rewarding and compassionate."
President, David DeCarlo, is a long-time resident of Citrus County who recently retired from the Citrus County Sheriff's Office where he served as Director of Emergency Management. However, his retirement did not last long as he was soon recruited to a key position in Hernando County to which he commutes from Inverness. He was a family care partner for his mother who passed from dementia. With the help of family, he was able to manage her care at home with father. David served the citizens of Citrus County for more than thirty-three years, holding a variety leadership positions during his law enforcement career.
Vice-President, Debbie Selsavage, was introduced to dementia when she became a care partner for her husband in 2005., finding it almost impossible to locate information, support, and resources to deal with her exhausting task. She believed caregivers deserved better., and she entered the field of memory care in 2012. Within 18 months, she became a Certified Administrator, earning a Deficiency-Free rating for her memory care facility in Crystal River, Florida. She became a Certified Independent Trainer and Consultant in Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care, and in 2014 launched her own company, Coping with Dementia LLC. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a columnist on Alzheimer’s and dementia for the Citrus County Chronicle and other publications. In 2017, she was named a Citrus County Health Care Hero for her work in public outreach.
Director, Ed Youngblood, had a 30-year career with a national nonprofit member service organization, serving 19 years as its President and CEO. He served 25 years on the management council of an international motorsport organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, retiring in 1996. He has helped form charitable nonprofits and served on nonprofit boards. In 1999, he founded his own consulting and communications company, writing seven published histories and biographies, and consulting for 13 museums and galleries, including the Guggenheim Museums in New York and Bilbao, Spain. His mother died from Alzheimer's disease in 2008, and in 2014 helped Debbie Selsavage create Coping with Dementia LLC, serving on a voluntary basis in communications, marketing, branding, and business strategy. He has a Master’s Degree in English literature and is a Certified Dementia Practitioner.
With gratitude to our previous Directors
Click on report cover below to read our most current Annual Report below.
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Dementia Education Inc. relies entirely on grants and donations to support of better dementia education and care.
We receive no State or Federal funds. Please help us continue to make life better for individuals and families living with dementia.
Please click below to help.
"Promoting Compassionate dementia care
through education."
Contact us at:
P.O. Box 434, Inverness, Fl 34451-0434
614-519-2843 dementiaed@aol.com
A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the State 1-800-Help-FLA (435-7352) (website FDACS.gov). Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the State.