Staff
Blue Ridge AHEC:
(Telephone) 540-568-6052
(Fax) 540-568-6374
Community Health Interpreter Service:
(Telephone) 540-568-3011
(Fax) 540-568-3172
Promotores de Salud:
(Telephone) 540-568-8029
(Fax) 540-568-6374
Christopher Nye has been Executive Director of the Blue Ridge AHEC since June 1992. Prior to his employment with the Blue Ridge AHEC, he worked for the Virginia Hospital Association, the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Primary Care Association. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Health Service Administration and a Masters Degree in Health Administration and Planning, both from the University of Cincinnati.
Natalia Alvarez joined Blue Ridge AHEC in February, 2006 as an Assistant Coordinator for the Community Health Interpreter Service program. She is bi-lingual in Spanish and English. In 2004, Ms. Alvarez successfully completed the Bridging the Gap course, and joined Blue Ridge AHEC as a professional and trained Community Health Interpreter. Before coming to Blue Ridge AHEC, Natalia was employed at Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg, and PT-1 Communications in New York.
Ryan Branum has been fiscal technician for Blue Ridge AHEC since March 2007. Prior to his employment with the Blue Ridge AHEC, he worked as a legal assistant and ad hoc firm accountant for Garofalo Goerlich Hainbach PC, an aviation law firm located in Washington D.C. He holds a Bachelors in Business Administration from Strayer University and is currently working on a Masters in Business Administration at James Madison University.
Marcia Chamberlin has been Administrative Coordinator for Blue Ridge AHEC and Virginia Center for Health Outreach at James Madison University since July, 2003. Prior to her employment at Blue Ridge AHEC, she was a Grants Specialist at James Madison University's Office of Sponsored Programs, after working 19 years in the banking industry. She holds Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts, majoring in English Literature, from the State University College of New York at New Paltz.
Julie Gochenour has been affiliated with the Blue Ridge AHEC since May, 2000, and is currently Communications Director for the Virginia Center for Health Outreach at James Madison University. A veteran editor and journalist, Julie holds Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in English, Journalism and Religion from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, and is an Interdisciplinary Studies Ph.D. candidate in communication and religion at Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She and her husband Gary live on the family farm in Shenandoah County.
Joyce Sanchez joined Blue Ridge AHEC in October 2006 as an Interpreter and later acquired the position of Director of the Promotores de Salud Program, a Hispanic Lay Health Program within BRAHEC. She brings 10 years of Human Resource Management and Training experience. She previously worked for Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation. Joyce is bilingual, fluent in Spanish and English and is studying Hebrew. She is pursuing a B.S degree in Christian Education at Life Christian University.
Svetlana Shulgan (Lana) joined Blue Ridge AHEC in August of 2004 as Community Health Interpreter Service Coordinator, and is currently the Language Services Coordinator. She brings nine years of experience in administrative work from Perdue Farms, Inc. where she worked in Human Resources and Research & Development. She is fluent in Russian/English and is currently working to improve her Spanish. Svetlana is a trained community health interpreter and a trainer for the “Bridging the Gap” medical interpreter course. She has attended Eastern Mennonite University, Blue Ridge Community College and is pursuing a B.S. degree in Business Administration at James Madison University.
Dawn Williams has been a fiscal technician with Blue Ridge AHEC since February, 2007. A 1989 graduate of Dominion Business School with a concentration in accounting, she has been in the financial services field since 2004 and was an administrative assistant with MassMutual Financial Group before coming to Blue Ridge AHEC. She and her husband, Kerry, were married in 1988 and have two children.
