Althea Westis a retired Gerontologist and a founding force behind the iTN Gateway affiliate in St. Charles County, where she currently serves as a board member and has been a volunteer driver since 2010. Her professional expertise spans roles as a Certified Geriatric Care Manager, Medicare specialist, home care Director, and adjunct professor at Webster University and UMSL. Dedicated to helping older adults maintain independence and quality of life, Althea brings decades of advocacy and hands-on experience to her community work. She lives in St. Charles with her husband, Denny, a retired airline captain, and loves traveling and spending time with their children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Alec Moen is a St. Louis native and principal attorney at Doster Nations Ullom & Boyle, LLC, and concentrates his practice in the areas of business law, estate planning, and real estate. Alec advises small business and non-profit clients on corporate, contractual, and transactional matters. He assists families and individuals in developing their estate plans. Alec also advises landlords on leasing matters, and buyers and sellers on real estate transactions and financing. He supports ITN Gateway’s role in helping seniors maintain independence and mobility within the community.
Jack Bailey is a Loan Officer at Southern Bank and a dedicated advocate for senior mobility and inclusion at ITNGateway. With a strong background in banking, including commercial and residential lending, he oversees strategic efforts to provide dignified, safe transportation for older and visually impaired individuals in our community. Jack joined ITNGateway out of a deep belief that losing the ability to drive should never mean losing one’s independence or connection to the world. He leverages his banking expertise to ensure every rider has a reliable, respectful journey. Outside of his work with ITNGateway, Jack enjoys spending time with his family and his dog, Ace. Jack is a passionate St. Louis Blues fan (2019 Cup winners) who also enjoys running, golf, and hockey.
Phedra Nelson, a St. Louis native and former City of Ferguson councilwoman, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services/Social Work from Fontbonne University and Trinity High School Graduate. She has also lived in Ferguson for 23 years with pride.
She attends Westside Missionary Baptist Church and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, Gamma Omega Chapter. Phedra is a firm believer in putting your passion into action; her mother taught her that at a young age. Therefore, whatever that passion may be, the key is to “Just do it”.
Being a resident of North County for 20 years and having such grand respect and loyalty to her community is key because it’s where she Lives, Works, Learns and Plays. Therefore, it is only right that Phedra helps to advance her community. She is a hard worker and strongly believes in Education, Justice, and Social Action. She believes in advocating for the elder community and ensuring that they have the same opportunities as anywhere else to move forward when it comes to their health and the well-being.
Ms. Nelson has worked for the Gateway Region YMCA for 25 years. During her first 10 years there, she developed and oversaw a $690,000 yearly operating budget for three departments while also acting as the Emerson Family YMCA Membership & Marketing Director. Phedra now works as a Senior Program Director and is responsible for developing and overseeing a $950,000 annual operational budget. In her position, Ms. Nelson advocates for changes that will improve access to healthy food and physical exercise in the areas where our children and families live, learn, and play. She does this by tapping into her enthusiasm for and knowledge of the North County Communities.
Erik Pemberton is a healthcare executive with over 30 years of experience in critical care, healthcare technology, clinical leadership, and operational strategy. Erik began his career in the U.S. Army, later transitioning to senior leadership roles in the civilian sector. He currently serves as Principal Solutions Architect, for a Houston-based Technology and AI enablement company. His areas of expertise include Lean process methodology, data informatics and analytics, and cross-functional team leadership. Erik earned his Master of Business Administration from Webster University and his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northeast Missouri State University.
Erik lives in Wildwood with his wife, Elizabeth, who is a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, and has three children. Throughout his many years in healthcare, Erik has witnessed first-hand the positive impact that reliable, and affordable transportation can have on the lives of people.
Jake Buganski is a St. Louis native and a graduate of the University of Dayton, where he earned his degree in Finance. He currently works as a Credit Analyst with Central Bank of St. Louis where he has spent the past three years growing his career in commercial banking.
Jake became involved with ITNGateway after attending events and getting to know many of the organization’s board members and volunteers over the past several years. The mission of ITNGateway resonates with him on a personal level, having watched his own grandparents navigate the challenges that come with losing the ability to drive. He is proud to support an organization that helps older adults remain active, connected, and engaged in their communities.
In addition to serving on the ITNGateway Board of Directors, Jake serves on the board of the Friends of Fathers and Families Support Center and regularly volunteers with Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis, where he supports programs focused on strengthening families, education, and community engagement.
Jake lives in the Dogtown neighborhood of St. Louis. Outside of work and volunteer service, he enjoys playing indoor soccer, golfing, and spending time playing guitar and piano.
Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa in 2010, Mary and her family have been active with national and local agencies that support the vision loss community. She believes in building relationships, educating the community and spreading awareness about what vision loss is – and what it isn’t. She encourages those affected by vision loss to share their personal journeys, as these stories need to be heard and valued.
An active learner, Mary holds two master’s degrees in the areas of Special Education and Elementary Administration. Prior to her undergrad and graduate studies, she received an associate degree in Deaf Communications studying American Sign Language. Mary also taught in the public-school setting for 20 years.
Mary is honored to have this opportunity with ITN to serve on the board and is excited to build upon the strong foundation that has been established through the leadership team. Through communication, collaboration & networking, Mary will help to promote ITN’s continued growth and success, while keeping its vision and mission at the forefront.
Tray Jacobs began his job at ITNGateway in December 2019 and describes himself as “a professional who maintains a flair for multitasking and fostering positive relations with stakeholders.” His background in nonprofit work has afforded him a host of opportunities in relationship management, budget management, team building and supervision, all of which should be helpful as he transitions into the ED role following Susan Kallash-Bailey’s move to ITNAmerica.
Tray was born in the South Central area of Los Angeles, CA. He says that in dealing with many of the area’s issues both in his home as well as in school, he found safety and comfort within the YMCA. With the YMCA as a driving force for education and other opportunities outside of his community, Tray became a leader within his community, ultimately being elected Youth Governor of the State of California.
Then, as a YMCA professional, he worked extensively for years on community based programming, stakeholder development and involvement and financial development. He has been responsible for the creation, development, expansion, and evaluation of struggling YMCA (and other nonprofit) programs around the country.
Tray comes to ITNGateway hoping to enhance communication of the mission of both ITNAmerica and ITNGateway, thus allowing both organizations to thrive. Trayvond is a team player who he says “works cheerfully and effectively, understanding the only path forward is doing so as a team.” His plans for ITNGateway include working with riders to enhance the ride experience and to honor the hard work the volunteers do day in and day out and grow their numbers.
