Really Awesome Times, Inc.
Board of Directors

Angie Kiger, President
Angie Kiger began volunteering with Really Awesome Times, Inc. sponsored Camp events in 2000 and has participated in over 10 camp weekends since her affiliation began.  She has been a member of the Really Awesome Times, Inc. Board of Directors since the organization’s inception and currently serves as the President.  Angie volunteers her time year-round to planning camp.  

Angie has an extensive background in working with individuals with a variety of special needs dating back to her teenage years when she volunteered at a day camp for individuals with developmental disabilities.  Based on her personal and volunteer experiences with individuals with special needs, Angie elected to pursue her undergraduate degree in Recreation Therapy.   She began working as a Recreation Therapist at The HSC Pediatric Center (HSC), a rehabilitation and transitional care hospital, in Washington, D.C., in May 2000.  Angie is currently is the Senior Recreation Therapist and Assistive Technology Team Coordinator at HSC.  In August 2006 Angie earned her Master’s of Education in Assistive Technology.  Angie dedicates her personal and professional life to enhancing the overall quality life of the individuals she serves.

Kim Jappell, Vice-President
Kim Jappell originally attended Camp as a camper with her family at the inaugural weekend in 1993.  After the death of her sister Bernie who was HIV-positive, Ms. Jappell and her family returned to Camp as staff members.  She has been a member of the Really Awesome Times, Inc. Board of Directors since the organization’s inception and currently serves as the Vice President.  Ms. Jappell coordinates the craft activities for each camp weekend and volunteers her time year-round to planning craft and other camp activities.

Ms. Jappell recently graduated from Shippensburg University with a Bachelors degree in social work.  At Shippensburg University, Ms. Jappell participated in the marching band as a color guard captain and she played on the intramural softball team.  A member of the Theta Phi Alpha, Ms. Jappell was also her sorority president.

In addition to her affiliation with Really Awesome Times, Inc., Ms. Jappell is a summer camp staff member of Camp Heartland and is a speaker with their Journey of Hope program. This program travels across the country providing HIV/AIDS prevention education, facts about the disease and important information for those who are HIV positive and their families.  Ms. Jappell has been a part of the Journey of Hope since eighth grade and continues to participate regularly.  Ms. Jappell recently took a job with the Northern Virginia AIDS Ministries serving as the Youth Speak Program Coordinator.

Kathleen Bergin, Secretary
Kathleen Bergin has been volunteering with Camp since 1994.  She has been a member of the Really Awesome Times, Inc. Board of Directors since 2007 and currently serves as the Secretary.  Ms. Bergin is a first grade teacher at Murch Elementary School in Washington, D.C.  Before teaching first grade, she taught special education at Murch and at two private special education schools. She has a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from George Washington University and a B.A. in Social Work from the Catholic University of America.

Andrea Samari, Treasurer
Andrea Samari began volunteering with Camp in 1997 and has participated in every camp weekend since her first.  She has been a member of the Really Awesome Times, Inc. Board of Directors since the organization’s inception and currently serves as the Treasurer.  Ms. Samari coordinates the programming for each camp weekend and volunteers her time year-round to planning camp activities.  

Since the age of 13, Ms. Samari has participated in a variety of settings: day camp programs, summer camp programs, sleep-away camp programs, Camp Heartland, and Really Awesome Times, Inc. sponsored Camp events.   From February 1992 until December 2004, Ms. Samari was a regular volunteer at the Children’s Inn at NIH.  She began her tenure there as a volunteer one night a week and by the time she left, she was a part-time employee of the Children’s Inn, serving as a Weekend Manager, occasional translator, and occasional fill-in for staff and volunteers unable to fulfill their assigned shift.  She continues to maintain her status as a volunteer on the Substitute List. 

Ms. Samari began her career at the National Cancer Institute in 1990 and for the past seven years has been working in the Technology Transfer Center at the National Cancer Institute, as a Technology Development Coordinator.  She negotiates intellectual property agreements for many scientists, serving four of the NIH Institutes.

Charles Butler, At-Large Board Member
Charles Butler has been a member of the Really Awesome Times, Inc. Board of Directors since 2008.  He recently retired from civil service, after having served as supervisor of Recreation Therapy at the Clinical Center NIH for twenty-seven years. Mr. Butler has over 30 years of experience in the non profit sector, serving as president of the NIH R&W board for two terms, American Camp Association board development committee, Chesapeake section of American Camp Association conflict resolution chair, Special Love Inc./Camp Fantastic, and Friends of the Clinical Center.  Mr. Butler volunteers for various children's and special needs programs. He currently serves as chair person of the District of Columbia commission on Persons with Disabilities.

Amanda Kelley, At-Large Board Member
Amanda Kelley originally attended Camp in the fall of 2000 at the invitation of a colleague.  Since that time, she has participated in over 10 camp weekends.  She became a member of the Really Awesome Times, Inc. Board of Directors in 2007.  In addition to her responsibilities as a board member, Amanda coordinates the volunteers for our organization and dedicates her time year-round to planning camp. 

Ms. Kelley earned her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Shenandoah University in 1997.  Immediately following graduation she began working as a licensed Occupational Therapist at the HSC Pediatric Center in Washington, DC where she spent 10 years, serving children with a wide medical diagnosis and disabilities. Recently, Amanda decided to further develop her skills by working in a public school system; she is currently an Occupational Therapist in the Alexandria City Pubic School system in Alexandria, VA. 

Jan Bresch Mahrer, At-Large Board Member
Jan Mahrer has been an At-Large member of the Really Awesome Times, Inc. Board of Directors since April 2008.  She is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Prevent Cancer Foundation.   Ms. Mahrer has over 25 years of management experience in management, marketing, fundraising, program development, special events and public relations.  Before going to the Foundation, Ms. Mahrer was at The Children’s Inn at NIH and spent 15 years in public broadcasting.  Ms. Mahrer volunteers for various children’s programs and she currently serves on the Board of Directors of America’s Charities – Health First.

E. Grant Marsh, At-Large Board Member
E. Grant Marsh earned his MBA from Troy University in 1998 and bachelor degrees in both Finance and Economics from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock in 1994.  Immediately following his undergraduate studies, Grant served our country for four years as a Special-Op’s (Ranger) Army Officer.  During his 10 year career as an accredited Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch in Vienna, VA, Grant developed a very close relationship with the Jappell family and was asked to serve on the Board of Really Awesome Times in August of 2008. 

Patty McGinley, At-Large Board Member
Nurse Patty McGinley has been volunteering with Camp since the beginning.  She has been an At-Large member of the Really Awesome Times, Inc. Board of Directors since October 2006.  Ms. McGinley co-coordinates the transportation from NIH for local families for each camp weekend.  

Ms. McGinley was born in Washington D.C. and has lived in Kensington, Maryland since the age of five.  She graduated from the Academy of the Holy Cross in 1971, went to two years of school at Montgomery College, then she transferred and graduated from Suburban's Hospital School of Practical Nursing in 1974.  Ms. McGinley has worked in Pediatrics for the last 32 years, serving the community at various locations such as Holy Cross Hospital, Children’s Hospital, National Naval Medical Center, and most recently, the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.  Ms. McGinley had two beautiful sons, each of whom died in 2005.  Currently, Ms. McGinley lives in Rockville with a cocker spaniel named Tux.

In addition to her affiliation with Really Awesome Times, Inc. sponsored Camp events, Ms. McGinley is an active volunteer for Special Love’s Camp Fantastic, a camp for children with cancer and their families. 

Gregg Roby, R.N., At-Large Board Member
Gregg Roby has been volunteering with Camp since 2000. He has been a member of the Really Awesome Times, Inc. Board of Directors since 2007. Mr. Roby received his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and his diploma in Nursing from Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. While attending nursing school he worked full time in a research setting at a prestigious Psychiatric Institute. After receiving his nursing license in 1996 he stepped into the role of research nurse with the greatest of ease. From there he relocated to the DC Metropolitan area in 1998 with hopes of reaching his career goal of working with Pediatric HIV patients in a research capacity. He spent his first few years in the DC area building a strong knowledge base in clinical research, first as a Study Coordinator of both inpatient and outpatient trials and later as a Clinical Trials Specialist working on the development of clinical protocols for use in the extramural arena of yet another world renowned research facility. In 200 he found himself situated in the job of his dreams. Sadly after only 4 years he was forced to move on to yet another career adventure, only this time working with Adults with HIV, where he continues today. Outside of work he has been actively involved in volunteering at camps for children and their families infected/affected with HIV/AIDS over the last eight years. The camps are situated in the DC metropolitan area as well as the state of New York.

Lauren Wood, At-Large Board Member
Dr. Lauren V. Wood, M.D. has been involved with Really Awesome Times, Inc. sponsored Camp events since its original inception in 1993 as a recreational weekend camp for HIV-infected children and their families.   As Medical Director since 1993, Dr. Wood has participated in every camp weekend since it began.  She has been an At-Large member of the Really Awesome Times, Inc. Board of Directors since the organization’s inception. 

Dr. Wood is a Senior Clinical Investigator at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, M.D.  A graduate of the Duke University School of Medicine, Dr. Wood completed residency training in internal medicine and pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals in Houston, Texas.  She received further subspecialty training in allergy and immunology at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and subsequently became board certified in allergy and immunology, in addition to board certification in pediatrics and internal medicine.   Dr. Wood joined the Pediatric Working Group of the NCI in 1992, where she conducted studies of novel drugs, immune-based therapies and vaccines for children and adolescents with HIV and AIDS.  In 2005, Dr. Wood joined the NCI Vaccine Branch where she continues to conduct clinical research studies investigating vaccines and immune-based therapies for both cancer and HIV disease in adolescents and adults.