Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Echoing Hope Ranch understands that the strength of ongoing support and oversight for the organization resides in a dedicated board members and committee members. Board members are responsible for setting the direction of Echoing Hope Ranch and providing guidelines for quality of services, financial oversight, and continual reinvigoration of the organization. As such the recruitment of board members and committee members is a continual priority.

Jennifer Lakosil RN, MSN, PNP, President
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Jennifer graduated from the University of Arizona earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.  She was employed as a Registered Nurse for two years in New Mexico prior to attending the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston Texas to earn her Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certification in 1982.

Jennifer was employed as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for more than twenty years, first in New Mexico then in Sierra Vista Arizona for Arizona Family Care Associates. Jennifer then returned to school earning a Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis on administration and education in 2000.  She began her career in education at Cochise College first as the Director of Nursing and Allied Health from 2006 until 2015. She then was promoted to the positon of Dean of Nursing and Allied Health in 2015 until her recent retirement in March 2020. Jennifer enjoys hiking, cooking, reading and volunteering for indigent, vulnerable families in Aqua Prieta and Naco Sonora, Mexico.  She has served on the Southeastern Arizona Area Education Center (SEAHEC) Board for eleven years, the Arizona State Board of Nursing (AzBN) Education committee for four years and has also volunteered as a site visitor for Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) since 2010. She is also on the Board of the Copper Queen Foundation Board since 2019. Jennifer served on the Echoing Hope Ranch Board from 2013 until 2015 and is excited to be part of this dynamic community dedicated to improving the lives of adults with disabilities.


Marla Davidson, President 2009-2012


Della Thompson, Vice President
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Della is the Preschool Director and a teacher with Palominas School District in Hereford, AZ.  Della graduated from the University of Arizona and has been an educator for 20 years. Over the years, she has been extensively trained in working with students with autism and creating successful, inclusive classrooms.  Della has three outstanding grown children. Her son, John, was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. 

Lane Dorenbusch, Treasurer
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Lane lives in the Las Vegas, NV, area where he teaches at the US Air Force Weapons School as a member of the United States Space Force. He originally enlisted in the Air Force as a Space Systems Operator in 2007, then transferred to the Space Force in 2020 to continue his service.

Lane has an extensive history volunteering with philanthropic organizations that help different populations including the blind and homeless demographics. Lane is a graduate of Northern Arizona University with a Master of Administration degree and an emphasis in Project Management. He enjoys education and is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Business Administration. When he is not working or studying for a degree, certification, or language, Lane and his family spend their time with their animals. Lane has been married for four years to his wife, Grace, who is an occupational therapist that has worked with the school-based population and many children with ASD. Lane and Grace have two young children, two dogs, four cats, four horses, and five chickens.

Eleanor Williams, Secretary
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Eleanor moved to Vail, AZ from the Boston area in 2007. She was a Practice Manager for a 13 physician multi-specialty surgical practice for 14 years and has worked in the health care field for over 35 years. Since moving to Arizona, she has become involved in a philanthropic sorority (Sigma Phi Gamma) that supports several non-profits in the Tucson area. In addition, she helped to start a Special Needs Parent Teacher Organization in the Vail school district which is still active. Eleanor has been married for 36 years to her husband Dexter who owns Accounting and Tax Solutions doing accounting and tax preparation for small businesses and individuals. Their son Cory was diagnosed with ASD in 1995 at the age of 4 ½. In addition they have another son still living in the Boston area. He is a Paramedic, married and has beautiful twin daughters.

Mark Fister
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Mark Fister is a father, executive, snowboarder, technologist, trail runner, speaker, canyoneer, author, investor, and terrible chess player.

Mark loves to see business and technology from as many perspectives as possible. To wit, he has held 20 different roles in the software industry at companies like Dell, IBM, eBay, PayPal, and even his own company, making him a jack of a trade and a master of none. He has even tried his hand at product management, sales engineering, straight up sales, and unfortunately, Dad jokes. When not geeking out on tech, Mark is geeking out on something. Recently, it has been learning the ways of the servant leader. Having interviewed more than 100 people on the topic of servant leadership, Mark was researching mindsets for a series of books when he learned that he was on the autism spectrum. What a relief it was, for Mark’s entire life suddenly made sense to him! While soul searching (stay in tech? write books?), he was serendipitously introduced to auticon, where he works as a Practice Director.   At auticon, his mission is to do his part to end joblessness and inappropriate jobfulness for autistic people with a proclivity for tech.

Harlie Garcia
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Harlie served as Echoing Hope Ranch’s Board of Directors President from 2012 to 2021. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona and works as a financial advisor. Harlie is happily married to her husband Jose and they have three amazing children between the two of them. Harlie’s son, Jonathan, was diagnosed with autism when he was 27 months old.

Chanse Frenette, MBA
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Chanse is currently a Grants Coordinator for the City of Douglas and a graduate of Arizona State University.

He obtained his Masters of Business Administration in 2018 from Howard Payne University where he also served as the Director of Athletic Business Operations and NCAA compliance. A finance professional with over 20 years of proven success, Chanse and his family relocated to Hereford, Arizona to be closer to the mountains, sunshine, and family in March of 2020. Chanse and his wife Janell have been married for over 10 years and they have two handsome and funny little boys, ages 8 and 5 who attend local public schools and love Legos and superheroes. 

Lynn Kennington
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Lynn started his professional career in public accounting, auditing publicly and privately held banks, manufacturers and governmental and healthcare organizations. Before moving to Arizona he served as the CFO for hospitals in Alaska and Nevada. After moving to Arizona, Lynn became the CFO at Canyon Vista Medical Center in 2018. Lynn’s former Board of Directors experience includes Special Olympics Alaska, Blood Bank of Alaska and the Nevada Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Lynn is also a CPA (Utah License) with Master’s Degrees in Accounting and Business Administration, as well as a Bachelor’s in Accounting. Lynn’s wife is a speech therapist and mother to their five wonderful daughters ranging in age from 9 to 20. Lynn’s family thoroughly enjoys southern Arizona and all the high desert has to offer in the form of natural beauty and recreational opportunities.

Leslie Sansone
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Kiral “Tom” Thompson
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Tom was born in Nassau, Bahamas.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and International Studies from Towson University, Towson, Maryland, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Advanced Public Management from Syracuse University, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.  He is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute.  Tom is a government employee and serves as the Regional Director of a large, national level organization in the security field.  Tom has lived in Southern Arizona off and on since 1984 having worked in Texas, Washington DC, and Germany during his 33-year government career.  He has lived continuously in Arizona since 2002.  Tom has served on several Boards of Directors to include the Arizona Bicycle Racing Association; Look Save A Life Arizona; as well as Echoing Hope Ranch.  Tom is an avid cyclist and has won four Arizona State Championships on the road and track.  He resides in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife Sarah and their two children.