Mark Shepherd is the owner of Shepherd Financial Partners, which is a full-service pension/401(k) advisory firm that also provides comprehensive wealth management services. Previously he worked as a Tax Accountant at KPMG (Peat Marwick) and IDS American Express, where he managed 401(k) plans and used innovative strategies to implement the best solution for each of the Plan Sponsors and their participants.
Mark's team has been a leader in and an advocate for innovative strategies for 401(k) management for over 20 years. His interests include dynamic portfolio management, fiduciary best practices, and ethics within the financial service industry. He has written articles on family foundation best practices, endowment spending limits, and target funds vs. dynamic asset allocation, to name a few.
In addition, Mark has spoken at a number of national conferences on topics of fiduciary best practices, managing and building legacy assets and 401(k) Plan participant education, including a presentation in August titled "Are You Prepared for a DOL Audit?" Mark is considered an industry expert in fiduciary best practices.

Jon Erickson is an entrepreneur and technology executive who pioneered online services for people with special needs. Jon and his wife Kristin co-founded Parlerai Inc., the world's first Augmentative Collaboration service. The web-based service provides online collaboration technology services, social networking and assistive communication services for families with children having special needs. He is the managing partner of Big Yak Technologies LLC, offering business and technology development to clients in the commercial real estate, financial services, insurance, aerospace and information security industries. He also co-founded and serves on the advisory board of OnCorps LLC, a community of technology veterans committed to bringing innovative technologies into the mainstream. Prior to starting his own companies, Jon was a Venture Partner of Fidelity Ventures. He has also served in various IT executive roles including chief network architect of Fidelity Investments in and chief technology officer of COLT Telecom's European Internet business.

Vicki Bancroft works as a pediatric physical therapist in the New Bedford, MA Public Schools. She has specialized in assisting special needs children and young adults adapt to the challenges of their lives both in and out of the public school setting. As a lifetime skier, Vicki found the perfect match of her skills and passion when she starting volunteering with AbilityPLUS in adaptive sports and recreation five years ago. In addition to skiing, Vicki enjoys sailing, swimming and kayaking the coastal waters of southeastern Massachusetts. Vicki is also a freelance writer and member of the North American Snowsports Journalist Association. She is a graduate of Simmons College and the University of Massachusetts. 

Larry Geller has been an adaptive sports volunteer for more than 15 years, and has been with AbilityPLUS at Mount Snow, VT since 2005. Larry holds PSIA Adaptive certification, is an active adaptive sports trainer and is a supervisor in the AbilityPLUS program at Mount Snow, VT.  He has been a member of the AbilityPLUS board of directors since 2009.

Larry’s passion for Adaptive Sports was fostered by being the parent of a person with a disability.  Watching his son grow and overcome the obstacles that face many people with disabilities amplified his passion to work towards breaking down those barriers for all people with disabilities.

Larry’s wife Nancy is a middle school science teacher in Bellingham, MA. Together, Larry and Nancy Geller have 2 sons, Josh, a web development manager for EPSCO of Ipswich, MA, and Jake, of Tempe, Arizona. Jake is coordinator of the National Center for Disability & Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University in Tempe,and is the Head Coach of the ASU Sailing Club.

A native of Bronx, NY, and graduate of American International College, Larry relocated to New England in the 1970’s.  He is a Manufacturer's Representative for Jordan Kahn, Co. of Newton, MA, and The Fulham Group of Newton, MA.  Larry’s favorite activities include skiing, soccer, kayaking, and scuba. He resides with his wife Nancy in Narragansett, RI.

Richard Staples, a long-time volunteer for AbilityPLUS in the Mount Washington region of NH, is a foreclosure prevention representative at Fannie Mae, and is based in Pawtucket, RI.  He works within the company’s National Servicing Organization as a member of the company’s national Borrower Outreach Team, undertaking a variety of roles that support Fannie Mae’s foreclosure prevention initiatives.

Prior to joining Fannie Mae in 2002, Richard was senior vice president at Peoples Savings Bank of Brockton, MA, responsible for the bank’s compliance with all consumer banking regulations and the Community Reinvestment Act.  He was also the bank’s primary contact with area nonprofit organizations supporting affordable housing and community development initiatives.  Earlier in his career, Richard worked for Fleet and Bank of New England.

Richard is involved with several local housing and community development organizations, including the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Rhode Island Community Housing Land Trust, HousingWorks Rhode Island, Brockton Housing Partnership, and the Barrington (RI) Affordable Housing Trust. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from The Colorado College and lives in Barrington, RI. 

Stephen Terpak has been a member of the AbilityPLUS Board for Directors since 2010, and is a volunteer with our Mount Snow, VT program.  Stephen’s dedicated service to AbilityPLUS is very personal. He sustained serious injuries in a 2005 automobile accident that resulted in the amputation of his left leg and a traumatic brain injury. “I know first hand the incredible freedom and life enriching programs AbilityPLUS brings to people with disabilities,” said Terpak. “My outlook on life with a disability is that we focus on what we can do versus what we can’t do and that makes for a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life for anyone, disabled or not!”

Stephen has owned and operated a retail business, served with Berkshire Transit Management and is currently a Professional Golf Association (PGA) instructor and adjunct teacher at Berkshire Community College.

Linda Walsh began her involvement with AbilityPLUS in 2005, after a chance meeting with a program participant and her mother. “I knew nothing about adaptive sports until meeting Lauren and her mom that day - they really inspired me to learn more and to get involved. Volunteering with AbilityPLUS has been an amazing experience, I have learned so much, and have certainly become a more informed, more patient, more thoughtful person becuase of my involvment with AbilityPLUS. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of this wonderful organization."

Prior to relocating to Vermont, Linda's career was spent at Warner Bros. Records as Director of Marketing and Promotion, where she worked with many of the industry’s leading recording artists. She started her decades long career in the music business as a strategic marketing manager with Atlantic Records in New York and Los Angeles.

Since relocating to Vermont, Linda has served as marketing director for an area resort, and is currently the managing partner of Dillon Walsh Creative, a marketing consulting company. She holds a BA in economics and an advanced degree in fine art photography. Linda is an avid skier and cyclist.