Our Team

If you're here, you're probably familiar with Jenn Andrews, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Move For Jenn Foundation.  With a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communications from UNC Charlotte, Jenn has been self-employed since January 2015 as a health and wellness coach, leading others to better health and serving as a key leader for her team.  Combined with several years of sales and customer service experience in the insurance industry, Jenn has a proven track record of managing large blocks of business and handling both employees and customers with care and respect.  Her role in the Move For Jenn Foundation as Executive Director and head of the events committee is a perfect fit to showcase her management and event planning skills, relationship building, and her passion of helping others going through what she experienced first-hand, battling cancer and learning to walk again.

In her spare time, Jenn enjoys fitness classes, running, cooking, event planning and spending time with friends and family including her two amazing children and loving dogs.

Email Jenn at jenn@moveforjenn.org.

  

Kelsey Ruocco (pronounced rock-o) joined the team in 2022 as the Social Media & Marketing Coordinator and is currently our Marketing and Communications Manager. Born and raised in the Northern VA/DC area, Kelsey is a 2013 graduate of West Virginia University. There, she majored in Sport Management, which ultimately brought her to Charlotte to start a career with the Charlotte Checkers. During her time with the Checkers, Kelsey was able to work with a myriad of non-profits, leading her to want to dedicate her time, personally and professionally, to Charlotte-area non-profit organizations.

Kelsey lives in Charlotte with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs, Petty and Tally - named for Richard Petty and the Talladega Speedway. In her free time, she obsesses over her daughter Hayden, stalks Kacey Musgraves, watches Bravo, cheers for her Mountaineers and her husband’s NC State Wolfpack, plans out her next tattoos, and loves to enjoy a hazy IPA - especially the Hops on One Leg NE IPA!

Email Kelsey at kelsey@moveforjenn.org.

Ryan Hawley joined the board in 2020.  He currently serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors and is Assistant Vice President, Regional Manager at Lincoln Financial Group. In his role, he oversees distribution of Group Protection Solutions to help provide employees and their families with financial well-being and peace of mind, providing benefits when they need them the most. His team of Senior Account Executives, are dedicated to customer retention and expanding Lincoln Financial Group presence with employer groups of all sizes. His mission is simple: To make a meaningful impact in the lives of others.

For the past 18 years Ryan has served as a leader in the non-medical insurance industry with an operations background. He joined Lincoln Financial Group in 2008 and has served in various roles over the past 12 years. Ryan has served as senior account executive, sales manager, and executive leader. He brings additional knowledge and experience in various industries including outsourcing solution business development, real estate portfolio operations and enterprise system consulting.

Ryan graduated from the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University with a B.B.A degree in business administration and management. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife Holly and daughter Grace. They enjoy skiing (water and snow), golfing and hiking together.

Alexandria Johnson is a passionate advocate for creating access and opportunities for all athletes to experience the joy of movement and special education, Alexandria has spent over a decade working to support individuals with diverse needs. She holds a BA in Psychology and an MEd in Special Education from UNC Charlotte and has dedicated 11 years to teaching Special Education in CMS and Atlanta Public Schools.

Alexandria’s professional journey also includes three years as a new teacher coach with the Learning Disabilities Association of Minnesota and a leadership role as Race Director at Start 2 Finish Event Management for three years. She currently serves as the Director of Event Management for S2F, where she coordinates events that bring communities together through shared goals and a love of movement, including the annual Move For Jenn Pajamas All Day 5K. Additionally, Alexandria is part of the leadership team at Mad Miles Run Club and works as a Run Coach with Forward Motion.

In her free time (if she has any), Alexandria is an active participant in annual fundraisers with the Parkinson's Foundation Endurance Team, raising awareness for causes close to her heart. She’s a proud dog mom to Garnett and is an avid runner. When she's not organizing events or coaching, you can find her catching up on sleep and enjoying the simple joys of life.

Alexandria is committed to building communities through movement, shared purpose, and inclusivity, and she brings this same passion and drive to her work with Move For Jenn.

 

Andrew Larach joined the board in 2022. He lives in Charlotte with his wife Katie and daughter Lennon.  Jenn and Katie have been long time friends dating back to freshman year of college. He met Jenn in 2016 and they have remained close friends ever since. In his spare time Andrew enjoys all things music, travel, and cooking.

Since its inception, Andrew has leveraged his network to provide donations, sponsorships, and volunteerism to support the Move For Jenn Foundation.  He attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington and graduated with a degree in Economics.  Andrew has spent the last 15 years in the commercial construction industry focused on a wide array of project types ranging from corporate, civil, automotive, multifamily, and mixed use.  Currently, Andrew is a Senior Project Manager for Choate Construction Company servicing projects both locally and nationally with a portfolio heavily weighted in commercial, industrial, and manufacturing facilities.

 

Dr. Josh Patt joined as a founding board member in 2018 and is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sarcoma and spine tumor surgery at the Levine Cancer Institute. He is originally from Denver, Colorado and obtained his BA from Brown University. He then received his MD and MPH degrees from Tulane University before coming to Charlotte for his orthopaedic surgery residency. Josh and his wife Rhonda (a local pediatrician) then spent two years in Seattle where Josh completed fellowship training in orthopaedic oncology and sarcoma care, followed by an additional year of training in spine surgery at the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. They then returned to Charlotte for Josh to join the CMC Department of Orthopaedics and begin caring for sarcoma patients in the Charlotte region. Professionally Josh also stays busy in his role as the Vice Chair of Education for the Atrium Musculoskeletal Institute. He also serves as the Division Chief for Orthopaedic Oncology and Sarcoma Section Chief for Levine Cancer Institute and is a member of a fantastic team of doctors and others caring for sarcoma patients as well as other cancer patients suffering from skeletal complications of cancer and other benign bone conditions. Josh is strongly vested in the work of the Move For Jenn Foundation and is excited for the opportunity to serve sarcoma patients and families in a new capacity.

With 21 years of sales experience and various titles, Jenny Sage, the MFJ Board President, has proven herself as a leader in the adult beverage industry.  She has spent the last 15 years with Rodney Strong Wine Estates where she is currently the Vice President of National Accounts Off Premise. Her team is responsible for handling the national and regional sales across all major grocery, club and drug store chains throughout the US.

Jenny graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Science and was a member of the Swimming and Diving team.  Jenny’s daughter was diagnosed with undifferentiated sarcoma in June of 2022 and has been in remission since December.  Her daughter's recent battle has fueled her passion for creating greater awareness for pediatric cancer patients, especially those who have been diagnosed with sarcoma.  She is committed to raising funds for research as well as more effective and less invasive treatment for sarcoma patients.  Jenny currently lives in Wesley Chapel with her husband, Chris, and her three children, Gracie, Jackson and Isabella.

 

 

Penny joined the team in November 2020.  She immediately began her education at MIT (Mascot-In-Training) under the leadership of head Mascot, Hazel.  She has dreams of becoming a therapy service dog for cancer patients one day, but currently can be found eating sticks or keeping Hazel awake during nap time.  Loves long walks and cuddles, as well as waking the entire team up at 5am.