Board of Directors & Leadership

Since 2010, Jeff has served as founder and owner of several successful senior care organizations from home care agencies to assisted living communities. He is passionate about creating organizations that serve seniors with extraordinary care, and he is committed to providing positive solutions for low-income seniors in need.

C. Dennis Nuckols comes to Stepping Up For Seniors from a successful career in human resource management where he effectively worked with all levels of management. His 40 years of corporate experience included working in a variety of industries including media, software development, conference and convention support, and commercial insurance.  Since retirement, Dennis founded a Human Resource Consulting company that provides human resource services and training for small and midsize companies in a diverse group of industries. Dennis’ contribution to the Stepping Up For Seniors board is enhanced through involvement with an assortment of faith-based and community organizations in the Greater Phoenix Area. In addition to his service with Stepping Up For Seniors, Dennis is currently involved as a volunteer with several ministries at Scottsdale Bible Church.

Dr. Krishnan is a board-certified cardiologist with a subspecialty in interventional cardiology. He is the founder of Pacific Heart & Vascular of Orange County. Dr. Krishnan is also co-founder and Medical Director of MD Senior Living, an assisted living organization focused on setting new higher standards for senior care within residential assisted living communities. Dr. Krishnan has a long history of philanthropy and supporting non-profit organizations like Stepping Up For Seniors.

Kathy Queen is a Certified Public Accountant at Katherine M Queen CPA. Kathy is a committed member of the Stepping Up for Senior team and shares a passion for serving seniors. 

Todd Nuckols, along with his friend and business partner, Jeff Giedt, founded Stepping Up for Seniors in 2014. For the past 27 years, Todd has proudly served as a firefighter, and currently works for the City of Scottsdale as a Fire Department Captain. In addition to his work as a first responder, Todd has helped to found and lead multiple successful senior care organizations within the Greater Phoenix area. In addition to co-founding Stepping Up For Seniors, Todd continues to have involvement with multiple non-profit organizations where he has an opportunity to engage in his passion to serve in the local community.

From 2008 to the present, Clay has served as founder of Home Matters Caregiving. Clay has championed a teaching philosophy within home care that has not only created a culture of exceptional care but has also fostered a high retention work environment. Clay is focused on giving back to the communities he serves as a contributing board member for multiple non-profits including Stepping Stones of Hope, the Alzheimer's Association, and Stepping Up For Seniors. Clay is passionate about mentoring entrepreneurs who lead purposeful companies and non-profit organizations.

Roberta Ezratty brings a rich career in serving others to her role on the board of Stepping Up for Seniors. She is currently a State Health Insurance (S.H.I.P.) Assistance Benefits Counselor and Presenter, providing individual Medicare/Medicaid counseling services at the City of Surprise Resource Center, Banner Olive Branch Senior Center and the Peoria Community Center. Ms. Ezratty facilitates group presentations for Medicare/Medicaid to seniors in healthcare environments and acts as a facilitator for Senior Medicare Fraud Patrol for the Area Agency on Aging. She assists with determining eligibility and need for applicants requesting assistance from Stepping Up for Seniors.

Rachel joined the Stepping Up For Seniors Board in 2021 to assist with the growing administrative needs of our charity. Rachel balances her non-profit work with part-time work she does for Phoenix based home care and assisted living organizations. Rachel brings a variety of administrative, tech, and marketing experience allowing her to contribute in multiple areas as a board member for Stepping Up for Seniors.

Since 1992, Shannon has held a variety of leadership positions within the healthcare industry including several years as a consultant to leading healthcare organizations. Shannon is passionate about developing leaders who will serve families through exceptional care. She has a strong commitment to training and educational excellence in senior care. Shannon has a strong passion for giving back through non-profit work. In addition to assisting Stepping Up For Seniors, Shannon contributes significantly to other non-profit organizations doing great work in the Greater Phoenix area.

Kearstin Nuckols played an important role in the development of Stepping Up For Seniors since our early days in 2014. With a Master's Degree in Social Work, Kearstin helped to guide our efforts as a non-profit organization serving low-income seniors.