MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ms. Lisa Behr serves as the current board chair for The Village at Orchard Ridge. Previously, Ms. Behr was chair of National Lutheran Communities & Services' (NLCS) Board of Trustees. Ms. Behr was owner/manager of both residential and commercial real estate with Greenfield & Behr Residential located in Winchester, Virginia from 2017-2022. Currently Ms. Behr serves as a REALTOR with Hunt Country Sotheby’s International Realty. Ms. Behr has earned the BRAR President’s Award and ERA Leadership Team Award. In 2009, she was named First in Service by ERA Real Estate, earning the prestigious Jim Jackson Memorial Award. Her certifications include, Accredited Buyers Representative, Cartus/Affinity Certification and Senior Real Estate Specialist.

She is a member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Women’s Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO), supporter of the Winchester Royals Baseball Team and the Blue Ridge Association of Realtors.

Ms. Behr received a B.A. in Administration Management from the University of Northern Iowa in 1980.

Miles K. Davis has built a diverse and dynamic career, spanning military service, venture capital management and leadership in higher education. He played a key role in launching the management consulting arm of a Fortune 100 company, served as the dean of a business school and later became the president of a U.S. university. One of the most profound experiences of his career was being asked to establish and lead a university in Nigeria, founded by a visionary leader whose impact and dreams were tragically cut short.

Throughout his life, Davis has been driven by a passion for growth, innovation and leadership, contributing to transformative projects across multiple fields. While his professional journey has been rich and varied, he now finds himself in a deeper conversation with his spirit. Compelled to listen to the call of humanity, he seeks to be an instrument of change, embodying the values of service and leadership to create meaningful impact and inspire positive transformation.

Davis is committed to partnering with organizations and individuals who share his dedication to making the world a better place. He believes that when institutions unite their resources, creativity and influence to address societal challenges, they become powerful agents of change. By fostering collaboration and championing the well-being of individuals and communities, he aims to help shape a more sustainable, just and equitable future.

 

Retired Lt. Col. Matt Ballard is a former U.S. Army intelligence officer and a current Coast Guard Auxiliary boating safety instructor in Alexandria, Virginia. He is the chief executive officer and owner of MEDTAC-6 L.L.C. in northern Virginia, where he teaches Basic Life Support, CPR, AED, first aid for professional rescuers and other medical emergency trauma specialties through The American Red Cross. Ballard also serves his community as a substitute teacher in Fairfax County and as a sound engineer and musician at Bethany Lutheran Church in Alexandria.

Ballard earned a bachelor's degree in sociology and criminology from Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College), a Master of Education from Long Island University, and a Master of Military Art and Science from the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. A longtime music enthusiast, he was trained in recording, sound engineering and live sound reinforcement at Clear Tracks Studios in Tampa, Florida, and Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is also a former CEO of Songbox Studio 4 and a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, as well as the American Disc Jockey Association.

An active member of his community, Ballard has served on numerous boards and is committed to supporting the residents, staff and community members at The Village at Orchard Ridge. He is a devoted husband, father and advocate for his father, Peter Ballard, who resides at Orchard Ridge.

The Rev. Shelby DePriest is a retired Lutheran pastor who served in the Virginia Synod of the ELCA for 16 years until her retirement. Prior to her call to ministry, she had a career as a licensed professional counselor in private practice in Oregon. She also worked as an accountant in various businesses. Shelby is married to the Rev. Dr. J. Balas and is the current resident representative on The Village at Orchard Ridge Board of Directors.

The Rev. Jonathan Boynton is a pastor at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Winchester, Virginia. Ordained in 2012, he has served in a variety of parish settings throughout the Shenandoah Valley and completed his internship in South Dakota.

Boynton has been a member of the Virginia Synod (ELCA) Synod Council for six years. Committed to service and outreach in Winchester and Frederick County, he volunteers at Highland Food Pantry and CCAP. Before pursuing his call to ministry, he earned a degree in business management from North Carolina State University and developed his entrepreneurial skills in management at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, area.

With experience in church leadership, business management and community engagement, Boynton is dedicated to fostering connections on personal, local and state levels.

Cyndi Walters was named president and chief executive officer (CEO) of National Lutheran Communities and Services (NLCS) in May 2021, assuming the position full-time in August 2021. Prior to this role, she served as chief operating officer (COO) since 2016. Cyndi has served at NLCS in varying capacities for nine years; first as a consultant before joining as chief operating officer in 2016.

Cumulatively, Walters has over 30 years of experience in the senior living industry including a strong background in strategically growing and diversifying the organization and an enhanced focus on operating as a senior-living system and leveraging its benefits and efficiencies. Prior to joining NLCS, she provided project management and advisory services to senior living organizations through Walters Advisors, LLC. She has also served in a leadership role at Presbyterian Senior Living in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, and during her 19 years at KPMG (a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax and advisory services), spent significant time as a partner and leader of their National Senior Living Advisory Practice.

As president and CEO, Cyndi’s focus is strategically growing and furthering NLCS’ mission to honor, inspire and support choice and opportunity in partnership with older adults. Cyndi is an advocate for “aging with choice,” which means supporting older adults in making their own choices in aging, whether it means moving to a senior living community or bringing in supportive services to their home. She is also an advocate for team members across the organization and leads a team dedicated to ensuring NLCS remains a Great Place to Work® and an employer of choice for those who have a heart to serve older adults.

Cyndi is a native of the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area and holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from York College of Pennsylvania.