Staff and Board of Directors
We believe the end of life deserves as much beauty, care, and respect as the beginning.
Our Staff
We may be biased, but we have the best staff! They want Bampa's House to be a place they would want their loved ones to experience if the time comes.
Executive Director
Tish Miller, LPN
Tish was born and raised in Northern California but has spent the last 20 years in Corning. A desire to help people and gain a greater sense of personal fulfillment led her to leave restaurant management and return to school to earn her LPN. Since then, Tish has worked in a series of progressively more responsible roles focusing on individual care, site development and management, and elderly care. Tish places value in a leadership role ensuring patients as well as families are well cared for, accommodated, and treated with dignity and respect.
Tish enjoys spending her free time with her family, which includes her husband, Rob, her four children, Eric, Hailey, Nolan, and Anna, as well as her granddaughter Amelia. She also enjoys camping trips with her two Yorkie-poos, Millie and Charlie.
Fundraising Coordinator
Alene Goodman
Alene joined Bampa's House as their Fundraising Coordinator in November of 2022. Prior to joining the Bampa's House family, she was the Director of Children's Miracle Network at Arnot Health for over twelve years. She holds a B.A. degree in Religious Studies and a M.A. in Theology/Pastoral Studies. Alene brings over 35 years of fundraising experience back to her previous home of Corning/Painted Post, where she was the Director of Faith Formation for All Saints Parish for 22 years. She now enjoys her new home in Hammondsport, living four blocks from two of her four grandchildren. Here she loves to cook, garden, and of course, babysit.
Raised in Oswego, NY, on the shores of Lake Ontario, Alene continues to enjoy the spectacular sunsets at her family's summer home on the lake with her other two nearby grandchildren. "I am so grateful to have this opportunity to serve and raise funds for a comfort care home in our community. Having a home where residents and their loved ones can find peace and comfort during end-of-life is what makes this community such an exceptional place to live. It is an honor and privilege to be part of this beautiful, loving home."
Volunteer Coordinator
Lindsay Butler
Lindsay joined Bampa's House in September of 2022. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a minor in Business. Straight out of college, Lindsay went to work as a social worker. When she got pregnant with her son, she then took the next five years to be a stay-at-home mother. She is very excited for the changes in life with her son starting school and returning to the workforce.
Lindsay has worked with the Special Olympics volunteering and helping to put together sporting events, competitions, and other fun activities for athletes and volunteers alike. She enjoys spending time with family, going to the gym, crocheting and crafting various projects, and taking long walks with her dog. Lindsay is delighted to be part of Bampa's House. She is excited to be working with all of the amazing people who put their hearts and souls into this home.
Our Board of Directors
The Board of Directors and Staff at Bampa's House are a dedicated group of individuals whose first priority is to fulfill the mission of Bampa's House. Therefore, every decision they make is rooted in love and care. The individuals on our board are all volunteers who are not compensated for their time or effort.
President
Joan Wilson
Joan, Jim’s sister, is driven to improve the end-of-life care for residents of Corning and the surrounding area. Along with family, she realized that her brother’s options toward the end of his life were limited, and the need for a Comfort Care Home in Corning became apparent. She is a Corning native. Joan retired from the Marine Office of America Insurance Corporation where she served as President & COO. Prior to that, she was President of Continental Insurance HealthCare in New York City. During her career, she also held other positions including Vice President of Information Systems, overseeing systems development/maintenance for the corporation. She earned her AS degree from Corning Community College and received their Distinguished Alumni award. She received her BS degree from SUNY Albany. Following her retirement from corporate life, Joan started her own sole proprietorship as Joan of Art creating decorative art/design for homes, and today still works with homeowners providing guidance on the building and remodeling of their homes.
Vice President
Patrick Dugan
Patrick, Jim’s son, has over 20 years of professional Information Technology (IT) experience managing large teams, projects, and budgets. He began his career at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in Charlotte, North Carolina, starting as a Helpdesk Administrator and working his way up to the Executive Director of IT Infrastructure Services. After 14 years at the college, he decided to join his brother-in-law at his IT Services company, Reverus, assuming the role of CEO. In his free time, he follows in his father’s footsteps as an avid runner, outdoorsman, and beer enthusiast. His mission for Bampa’s House is to add comfort to people’s lives at a time when they most need it.
Treasurer
Charlotte Dugan
Charlotte, a native of Corning, is Jim’s wife of 46 years. Together, they raised two children and were active participants in the upbringing of their three grandsons. She spent four years helping him fight prostate cancer and ensured his final days were spent in comfort and peace with his family by his side, despite their limited care options. The Dugan family’s dream is to give others what they could not find for Jim - an alternative choice for end-of-life care. Charlotte holds an AB degree from Corning Community College and attended Elmira College. She spent her entire career at Ingersoll Rand/Dresser-Rand, serving in several different managerial positions in all facets of manufacturing. She retired with 45 years of active service. After retirement, she joined the Corning Area Women’s Club where she held the offices of Vice President and President. She also volunteers for the Painted Post Food Pantry. An expert at the sewing machine, Charlotte participates in a quilting group that, among other things, makes quilts and donates them to the Quilts for Kids organization for children with cancer.
Chief Technical Officer
Joe Carey
Joe was a very close friend of Jim’s for many years, sharing common interests in computers, building/construction, and fine beer tasting. He feels strongly about improving the end-of-life care options in Corning. He worked for over 35 years in the medical industry, both at Strong Memorial and for the Guthrie Healthcare System. He was a Certified Emergency Nurse, a Registered NYS Nurse, and a Department of Health Emergency Volunteer in Steuben County. He also served as the Network Administrator/Systems Engineer at Guthrie Corning Hospital. Clearly a multi-skilled individual, Joe started his own company and is currently President/CEO of the successful Carey’s Cyber, Inc. in Corning, New York. Joe’s leadership and community involvement are apparent in the roles he has served in the community, including President of the Northside Business Association, President of the Gaffer District Business Association, Secretary and Board of Directors member of the Corning Lions Club, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Corning Chamber of Commerce.
Secretary
Cory Dugan
Cory holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Russell Sage College. She has over 25 years of experience in healthcare, specializing in geriatric long-term care. She volunteers with Maddie's Mark Foundation, Equinox, her sons' PTA, and her neighborhood civic association. She is proud to be Jim's daughter, the namesake of Bampa's House. She and her husband Rich and their two sons live in Clifton Park, New York. Her dream is for Bampa's House to be a home away from home for the residents who need it.
Medical Director
Dr. Kim Kaffenbarger
Kimberly Kaffenbarger, MD, completed both her residency in Internal Medicine and her Fellowship in Geriatrics at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine. Dr. Kaffenbarger has been in practice in her home town of Elmira since 2000. Over the course of practicing primary care for over 22 years, Dr. Kaffenbarger has developed a passion for taking care of patients with chronic, life-limiting illnesses. She is transitioning her practice into full-time Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine in order to pursue this passion. Dr. Kaffenbarger feels strongly that it is an honor to care for people at the end of life and is excited to be a part of the Bampa's House mission.
Financial Advisor
Patty Wahba
Patty grew up in the Rochester, NY, area where her love of order, structure, and numbers led her to St. Bonaventure University. While there, she earned a Bachelors of Business Administration, and then she returned to Rochester to earn an MBA from the University of Rochester Simon School of Business. Patty worked in a series of finance leadership positions at Sara Lee, Xerox, and EDS. She also spent several years in Dallas, TX, as a Senior Finance Director for a range of operations and sales functions while working for Hewlett Packard. She relocated back to NY in 2018, and is currently a Division Vice President of Finance with Corning, Inc.
Patty became passionate about end-of-life care through the experience of losing her own mother to pancreatic cancer - a process made much easier for her family because of the generosity of others in the Rochester comfort care network. When the opportunity to aid our community in developing similar resources presented itself, she did not hesitate to leverage her business and leadership experience to help Bampa's House.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and running with her husband, Brent.
Maintenance Director
Harrie Stevens
Harrie, a native of Syracuse, NY, came to Corning by way of Alfred, NY, where he taught Glass Engineering and Science for twenty-five years. While at Alfred, he spent several summers building houses and managing construction projects. Harrie has spent his life attending to three somewhat different tracts. First and foremost is as a husband, father, and grandfather. He has been married to his wife, Beverly, for fifty-five years, and they pride themselves with three children and seven grandchildren. Second is as a professional educator and corporate Project Manager. Third is as a volunteer; he has worked with several not-for-profits. In many of those organizations, he has served in positions including President, Board Member, Executive Committee Member, Commissioner, and Ambulance Captain. Harrie most recently served as the volunteer project manager for the remodeling/reconstruction of Bampa's House. As such, he developed a strong commitment to the purpose and mission of Bampa's House and is looking forward to serving on its Board of Directors.
Resource Management Director
Ann Nordman
Ann is a Corning native and was educated at Corning Community College and SUNY Buffalo State where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Forensic Chemistry. She then returned to Corning to join Corning Incorporated, enjoying roles in process engineering for Corning’s Environmental Technology and Life Sciences divisions before taking on quality engineering roles in Information Technology and Manufacturing Technology and Engineering. Ann is currently a Manager of Quality and Programs for Human Resources with Corning Incorporated and serves as a Six Sigma Master Black Belt for the company. She supports People, Strategy, and Technology through program and project management as well as Performance Excellence leadership.
Ann became passionate about end-of-life care through the experience of losing her own mom and dad. After her mother, Barbara, passed away, her father, Andy Jackson, was blessed to be a resident of Bampa’s House. Ann cherishes the days and weeks spent at Bampa’s House with her father, husband, siblings, and three children. She appreciated the opportunity to spend quality time with her father and was overwhelmed by the love and support of Bampa’s house staff, volunteers, and board members, which made the process much easier. Her goal for Bampa’s House is to assure that residents, family, and friends continue to have a positive experience.
As Andy would often say, “This really is a happy place.”
Former Board Members
The following people were an integral part of the team that founded Bampa's House. They are still involved in the project, though have stepped down from the Board of Directors to make room for more community involvement.
Communications Officer & Founding Board Member
Erin Dugan
Words and languages have always been a passion for Erin, who has a Master’s degree in English with a concentration in composition and rhetoric. She began her career as a Technical Writer, but soon transitioned into Business Analyst and Technical Product Director roles on software development teams in both the healthcare and insurance industries. Outside of work, you can find her chasing after her son or making plans for her family’s next traveling adventure. Erin, Jim’s daughter-in-law, hopes to bring her organization and communication skills to the Bampa’s House team with the goal of making Bampa’s House a great resource to the Corning-Painted Post community.
Board Advisor & Founding Board Member
Patricia Ernst Dugan
Pat (or Patty as Jim called her) is the oldest of the six Dugan children and Jim’s sister. She graduated from Corning area schools, including St. Mary’s and Corning Free Academy. She received her BA from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where she worked as a social worker for a short time. Returning to Corning, she taught French at Addison High School and substituted in area schools while raising her two girls, Stephanie and Stacy. After successfully running a catering business in the Corning area, Pat retired from Culinary Services at Corning Incorporated. For a number of years, Pat hosted a local talk radio program and a food column for the Star Gazette in Elmira. Her wish is for Bampa’s House to provide compassionate care for those suffering the pain of cancer and other illnesses, in Jim’s memory.
Founding Board Member
Patrick Dubendorfer
Pat, a close friend of the Dugan family and a Corning native, knew, respected, and learned many things from Jim, as Jim always had knowledge to offer on any topic. Pat, who has a Master’s Degree in Education, started his career as a middle school and high school math teacher. However, as a resident of New Orleans, he transformed his project management skills and love of architecture into a career doing residential remodeling and real estate development after hurricane Katrina, eventually starting his own successful contracting firm. Pat was there with Jim’s family in the final days and recognized what a lack of options can be like for families in this situation. His goal for Bampa’s House is for it to help provide a quality, end-of-life passage for those who need it, making it a positive experience for the resident and their family and friends.