About MESA

Patricia “Trish” was born in North Carolina, but has been a full-time resident of Madison for the past six years. She started on the Board in February 2022 and became our interim President in June 2022. She was later elected President of MESA in November 2022. Trish previously volunteered at The Lamb Center in Arlington, VA for two years and volunteered with D.C. Metro Church, serving the homeless with bagged lunches for two years.

She most enjoys making a difference in the lives of the people in Madison County.

“We decided to start offering weeknight and Saturday hours to help people who are currently working but still needed assistance. We added those hours in November 2022,” she shares.

“I feel like there are still people in the county that need the pantry, and we are trying to reach out to those people. We are attending fairs and community events to let the community know that we are here to assist them through the pantry or client services.”

Trish explains that MESA had gotten away from its roots as a community-run organization. It has been her pleasure to be part of getting MESA back to our roots by reaching out to the community and local churches to help us be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Jim Duszynski was born in Washington, D.C., and has lived in the D.C. Metro area, both in Maryland and Virginia, for much of his life. “We bought our property here in Madison in 2016 and moved to Madison in early 2020. This is home,” he shares.

He is the Vice President of the Board of Directors and has been on the Board since September 2022. Jim previously served two terms as a Board Director for Youth for Tomorrow, a non-profit serving children who can’t live at home or who don’t have a home — these are children in need of a stable environment to learn life skills and receive an education. He resigned from the YFT Board to serve on ours.

When asked about what he most enjoys as a Board Member, he explains, “My wife and I got involved with MESA so we could contribute to the community and to serve those individuals in the community who need it the most. I enjoy volunteering at the Food Pantry where I can meet the folks we serve. I also have responsibilities for maintaining the building and improvements. I enjoy being a good steward of MESA’s assets.”

Jim is most excited to continue expanding the reach of MESA so that everyone who needs food or emergency funds, for rent and utilities, knows about MESA and has access to our services.

Erin Nicholls joined the MESA Board of Directors in 2019 and has served as Treasurer since 2021. A real estate professional with more than 20 years of experience, Erin has called Madison County home for the past decade, where she lives with her husband and their two children. She joined the MESA Board because of her passion for serving neighbors experiencing food insecurity. In addition to her work with MESA, she is an active member of Rose Park United Methodist Church and has proudly led a Madison County Girl Scout troop for the past nine years. She is also passionate about increasing community awareness of MESA’s mission, believing that one of the organization’s greatest opportunities is simply helping more people understand the vital services it provides and the impact it has on neighbors in need.

Celene has lived in Madison for over 25 years. After traveling around the world in her youth, she now enjoys living her life within a one-mile radius! Celene has had the privilege of serving MESA for 15 years.

Since her first day driving to Trader Joe’s to load up all of the donated food for people in need in Madison County, she has fostered a love for serving others through MESA’s Food Program.

Celene is active in her Church — Mount Carmel of Haywood. She also serves on the Madison Strong Community Coalition and loves to volunteer at local community events like Madison Day.

Celene has the opportunity, through MESA and her work at Social Services, to see what makes this community special — we come together in times of need.

Robin has served as a Volunteer, Director, and Board Member at MESA over the past four years.

She is also the President and Executive Director of a non-profit called Humane Equine Aid and Rapid Transport (HEART), which provides service at horse shows, polo, and events up and down the East Coast — as far west as Omaha and south as Texas.

Robin most enjoys advancing MESA’s mission of trying to help as many in-need Madison, VA residents as possible.

“I look forward to changing the perception of MESA to the residents of Madison. I don’t think a lot of Madisonians understand what MESA does for the community or even know we are here. I’d like to get the message out that we are here to help anyone who needs our help with no questions asked,” she shares.

Robin is most excited about MESA’s revamp of our business practices that will help to better serve the Madison community, as she will play an integral role in facilitating these changes.

Loren Roberts has lived in Central Virginia for more than 25 years, including 20 years in Charlottesville and Crozet and the past five years in Madison. She worked at UVA Medical Center for 22 years in the finance division.

Loren has always had a heart for volunteerism and believes in giving back and serving her community. She has volunteered in various organizations such as Junior League and United Way, and more recently has served on the Salvation Army of Charlottesville Board for the past three years. She has served as the Finance Chair for that time and is currently the Vice Chairman. After retiring from UVA in 2025, Loren wanted to work more closely with those in need within Madison and began volunteering with MESA in August 2025. Loren recently joined the MESA Board of Directors to help support and serve the Madison County community she now calls home.

Michelle Houser is a native of Madison County. Living in Madison with her husband, Ron, and raising their two sons in Madison County is special to her. She states, “Home is the heart, and it is where you are rooted in the emotional connections and affections.”

Michelle is currently in her 38th year of teaching. She also serves on the Mt. Zion Community Women on a Mission group as secretary, as well as the Madison Athletic Boosters.

Her parents, Mike and Joyce Hale, have been MESA volunteers for many years. As they talked about the nonprofit, she became more interested. After praying about the opportunity, she decided to apply.

As a Board member since August 2025, she feels that it is important to help the citizens of Madison County with their needs. She finds fulfillment in supporting those in need and is passionate about giving back to the community. By being on the Board, she feels that it is a place to be motivated to make a positive impact on the organization.

As quoted from Mother Teresa, “Give your hands to serve, and your heart to love.” Michelle looks forward to serving the community of Madison County.