Meet the Team
Founder & Executive DirectorAnn Marie Mohr
Ann Marie Mohr has been a distinguished member of the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis since 2006, where she teaches Acting, Improvisation, and Embodied Communication. Her teaching blends performance and communication theory to develop dynamic, empathetic, and collaborative communicators.
Mohr is the Executive Director of Project Present, a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of older adults, caregivers, and individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Through innovative programming—including improvisation sessions, immersive caregiver interventions, communication training, and support groups—Project Present fosters meaningful connection, reduces stress, combats isolation, and cultivates joy and creativity. Its evidence-based approach has earned partnerships with healthcare professionals, organizations, and communities across the country.
She was the founder of Mohr Improv, a consulting organization that delivers applied improvisation and communication training to corporations and institutions. Her work empowers teams to collaborate more effectively, communicate with greater clarity, and innovate creatively. Her clients include Channel 5 News, Purina, Abbott Pharmaceuticals, Husch Blackwell, the Pritzker Group, and numerous divisions of Washington University, including the School of Medicine, the Business School, and the Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education.
Previously, Mohr founded and served as the Artistic Director of OnSite Theater Company, St. Louis’s premier site-specific theater company, which she led for a decade, producing original, immersive theatrical works in nontraditional spaces.
Mohr holds an M.A. in Drama and brings deep interdisciplinary training to her work. She is a Professional Applied Improvisation Practitioner, a Certified Dementia Practitioner, a Master Interprofessional Educator, and a graduate of the Clinician Partner’s Program at Washington University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. She has studied both improvisational and drama therapy and has taught, directed, and performed both nationally and internationally.
Improv SpecialistTara O’Nay
Tara is a community arts practitioner, improviser, and dementia care professional who, for the past 14 years, has incorporated arts experiences into work with clients. Tara believes the arts give freedom and agency, and community and companionship can create the safety and motivation for exploration, spontaneity, play, and genuine expression.
Tara holds a BA in English from Truman State University and has completed the Regional Arts Commission's Community Arts Training Institute, The Improv Shop's training program, and programs in facilitation of Theater of the Oppressed, Hatha yoga, and laughter yoga.
Director of Business DevelopmentRachel Antone
Rachel is a visionary and natural problem-solver. She offers a thoughtful, systems-aware, solutions-based, and people-centered approach to organizational growth.
A jill-of-all-trades and mom of two teen boys, she is accustomed to wearing many hats. She thrives on efficiency and loves a good checklist! But, she’s not all business. She loves laughing, napping, Pilates, traveling, and being in nature, particularly by the ocean (though she resides in Michigan).
Rachel holds a BGS from the University of Michigan, where she studied Organizational Behavior.
Board PresidentAndrea Denny, JD, LSMW
Andrea leads the Outreach, Recruitment, and Education Core of the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (Knight ADRC). She is also a social worker for Washington University School of Medicine’s Memory Diagnostic Center.
Ms. Denny earned her BS in Psychology at the University of Virginia and her MSSW and JD at the University of Texas in Austin. She has worked as a case manager at a rehabilitation hospital, a clerk for the Travis County Probate Court in Austin, Texas, an agent of the Public Guardian in San Francisco, and as an attorney at an elder law firm in New York City.
She joined the Knight ADRC in October 2011. She has served as an active volunteer at the Saint Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association since 2009, when she joined as a Helpline Volunteer, providing information and support for care partners and people with early memory loss. She later became a co-facilitator of a caregiver support group in 2012. Andrea applies her expertise on Alzheimer’s disease and the affected population to facilitate the growth of Project Present.
Board SecretaryHelen Chesnut
Helen served as Executive Director of Susan G. Komen Missouri from 2008 to 2017. In this role, she provided visionary leadership. She worked with the Komen Missouri Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers to fulfill the Komen mission of meeting the most critical breast health needs in the community. She continued her work with Susan G. Komen from 2018 to 2020 as Regional Director.
She joined the Project Present Board in 2022, recognizing the importance of its mission of improving the quality of life for individuals living with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and/or Memory loss as she navigates the role of a caregiver of 3 aging parents. When she isn’t volunteering, Helen loves books, music and drinking a good cup of coffee, especially if it involves good friends.
Board MemberAndy Rachelski
Andy is a dynamic caregiver of his wife, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease, and a father of four wonderful children who live all over the world. Besides having a prolific business career, Andy has spent decades volunteering in the prison system with his beauiful wife of 59 years working to make a positive difference in the lives of those around him.
Andy is now sharing the message of hope with people who are facing Alzheimer’s or other dementias. He believes in being proactive and living one’s best life with grace and humor. Get to know Andy a little more through this link: https://www.lssliving.org/news/resources/living-with-the-long-goodbye/
Board MemberDotti McDowell
Dotti is a distinguished Clinical Research Specialist at the Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, where she leads innovative outreach, recruitment, and engagement initiatives across five counties in two states. With a passion for addressing health disparities and promoting equity in Alzheimer’s disease research, she has successfully spearheaded projects that streamline participant data management and enhance research efficiency.
With a career spanning over 27 years in government, nonprofits, and private sectors, Dotti has honed her expertise in data analysis, community engagement, and operational management. She holds a Master of Arts in Urban Planning and Real Estate Development and a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Studies, both from Saint Louis University. Her professional accomplishments include leading transformative initiatives at organizations such as Rung for Women, the City of St. Louis, and the Ujamaa Community Development Corporation.
Dotti is married to Earl McDowell, Jr., and together they have an adult daughter, Deja. In all her endeavors, Dotti exemplifies a profound dedication to uplifting her community and advancing meaningful change.
Board MemberMichelle Abounder
A St. Louis native, Michelle Abounader brings a diverse professional background to the board of Project Present. She is an alumna of the University of Missouri - Columbia where she earned her undergraduate degree. Her career journey began in education, teaching middle school science, before transitioning into pharmaceutical sales, and eventually founding her own successful yoga business.
Now retired, Michelle is concurrently concluding her ninth and final year serving on the board of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis (DSAGSL). She and her husband of 24 years have three sons in college and an 8th-grade daughter. Her daughter, who has Down syndrome, has been a driving inspiration for her work with the DSAGSL.
Michelle's decision to join the board of Project Present is motivated by two deeply personal "whys." First, she is passionate about supporting the Down syndrome community, as Alzheimer's disease impacts most individuals with Down syndrome. Second, her 82-year-old father is currently living with Alzheimer's. She is committed to leveraging her experience and passion to contribute to the organization's mission.
Board MemberEd Reggi
Ed Reggi is a lifelong storyteller who has the stories to prove it. Growing up in the Big Apple, Ed honed his acting career by sneaking into the NBC studios across the street from his Brooklyn home. He earned his BA in Communications and BFA in Studio Art at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Missouri. He moved to Chicago, where he continued studying at The Second City with its founder, Paul Sills. Ed returned to campus in 2020 to obtain his MFA in Theatre Education from the nationally recognized Mississippi University in Columbus, Mississippi.
He serves as an adjunct Professor at Lindenwood University and Southern Illinois University. Ed is also a drama teacher at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) in University City, where he served as its first Director of Theatre. He's a proud Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist, specializing in arts integration, media literacy, and character education.
Ed is the Past-President of the international professional association, Applied Improvisation Network (AIN), with facilitators worldwide. Reggi's clients include Sony PlayStation, Wells Fargo, Mastercard, Southwest Airlines, Nestlé Purina, Saint Louis Zoo, BJC Health, and the St. Louis Jewish Federation. He continues to ghostwrite for stand-up comedians, television hosts, and internet personalities. You can even watch Ed Reggi (portraying himself) teaching improv on Oprah Winfrey's nationally syndicated TV show (filmed in St Louis), WELCOME TO SWEETIE PIE'S.
Ed's husband, Scott Emanuel, is a social worker specializing in crisis intervention, and in 2021, they moved into a 1940s farmhouse in Florissant with their dogs, Ollie and Phoenix. The 4-acre historic property came with several barn cats who continue to bring humor and joy to their lives.