Melissa Betts brings nearly two decades of nonprofit leadership experience to her role as Executive Director. She is passionate about building relationships, expanding impact, and aligning teams around mission-driven goals. Throughout her career, Melissa has led strategic fundraising efforts, developed major donor programs, secured grant funding, and increased public awareness to strengthen the organizations she’s served.

Her nonprofit experience includes leadership and development roles with The Salvation Army, Friendship Animal Protective League, and other mission-focused organizations, where she helped grow philanthropic support and deepen community engagement.

Melissa holds a Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Bachelor of Music Education from The University of Akron.

She and her husband are proud Bay Village residents who enjoy cooking together and spending time with their three grown children—Andrew, Philip, and Emma—and their pets.

Kira is our Culinary Director and oversees our kitchen program, designing menus that are both nourishing and delicious. Having a passion for functional and nutritional health, Kira knows the value and potential impact of wholesome, healthy meals.

She is also a Registered Nurse and was a labor and delivery nurse at Cleveland Clinic’s Fairview Birthing Center for nearly 15 years, helping women assume the mantle of motherhood. Growing up with parents who loved to experiment in the kitchen, her zeal for food is deeply rooted. From preparation to feast, breaking bread with loved ones has always been important to her. Being the Culinary Director at Village Project gives Kira an opportunity to give guidance to young adults in the kitchen and share her love and giving spirit with her community. Continuing her interest in functional health, she also works as a nurse at a wellness center helping clients navigate their health journey.

Kira and her husband Mike live in Bay Village and she is trying hard to pass her love for cooking onto at least one of her four children.

As the Kitchen Leader, Cheryl brings over 25 years of experience in the catering business and 7 years of volunteering in the kitchen at the Village Project. Her journey in the culinary world has equipped her with a wealth of knowledge and skills that will be applied in assisting kitchen volunteers as they cook and understanding weekly meal preparation. With the team of volunteers, she will ensure we deliver high-quality meals and continue to support our community through her culinary efforts. Together, we will create delicious, nutritious, and memorable meals that bring comfort and joy during difficult times.

Outside of the Village Project kitchen, Cheryl continues to work catered events, but in her free time, she likes to exercise with her friends or travel to visit her three daughters and nine energetic grandchildren. She cherishes the moments spent with family and attending all their sporting events!

As Village Project’s Client Intake and Delivery Coordinator, Julie oversees all our clients, bringing them on board, pairing them with an Intake Volunteer, and keeping in touch throughout their cancer journey. She also coordinates all aspects of delivery to our clients by assigning routes to the Delivery Angels, packaging the food, and finding subs when a Delivery Angel needs one.

Julie is a retired preschool teacher who volunteered at Village Project for nearly three years before joining our staff. She enjoys the love, joy and care in the Village Project atmosphere. One of her favorite things about being part of the Village Project family is interacting with the Delivery Angels and getting to know them. She is encouraged every week by their caring hearts, as they interact with the clients.  Julie also likes talking to clients, answering their questions, and helping them through their difficult journey.

Julie and her husband, Dan, raised their three children in Bay Village. She enjoys spending time playing the piano, walking, reading, and cooking, and her greatest joy is spending time with her family, especially her five grandchildren.

Heather is the Marketing and Communications Director at Village Project. She brings several years of marketing specialist experience in print and web design, social media advertising, and branding. Her creative work has stemmed from entrepreneurial, small businesses in the commercial real estate field, to large corporations, such as Sherwin-Williams. Her success through visionary thinking and strategic planning has resulted in numerous marketing achievements throughout Northeast Ohio.

Heather likes to work in the community and provide the innovative support needed to advance those around her. She lives in Avon with her husband, daughter, and their dog.  She enjoys being outdoors and playing several sports.

Tery Kennedy is the Finance Director for Village Project, where he oversees all aspects of the organization’s finances. He is a proud Westside native who pursued his undergraduate studies at Xavier University before earning his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. After graduation, Tery joined Ernst & Young LLP’s Cleveland office, where he advanced to Managing Director in the National Exempt Organization Tax Services practice. Tery and his wife, Cris, have four grown children and currently live in Westlake with their beloved dog, Tia.