Who We Are

Abide Village is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Abide Village will be governed by a Board of Directors, responsible for overall strategy, financial oversight, and ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission and vision.

Abide Village Board of Directors

Erika Rogers

Founder & President

Erika is the visionary behind Abide Village, a nonprofit organization committed to creating a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable housing community for low-income individuals and people with disabilities.

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Erika Rogers

Founder & President

Erika Rogers is the visionary behind Abide Village, a nonprofit organization committed to creating a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable housing community for low-income individuals and people with disabilities.

A lifelong advocate and devoted mother of ten—four of whom have Down syndrome, and eight who have had IEPs—Erika brings a deeply personal understanding of the challenges and triumphs faced by individuals with disabilities and their families. Her journey navigating support systems has shaped her unwavering passion for accessibility, equity, and community. Through both lived experience and professional dedication, Erika leads Abide Village with compassion, purpose, and a powerful vision for change.

Erika currently serves on the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities and is a Family and Genetic Navigator for the Center for Family Involvement at VCU. She’s also served as a State and Regional Council Member for the Individual and Family Support Community Coordination Program (IFSP) and a Parent Mentor for the Virginia Down Syndrome Association, where she’s supported many families on their own journeys.

Abide Village is the culmination of Erika’s dedication to building a world where everyone belongs. Abide Village will offer not just housing, but a place to truly call home.

Erika’s mission is simple yet profound: to create a safe, inclusive community where individuals of all abilities can live, work, and thrive—with dignity, purpose, and connection at the core.

Email:info@abidevillage.com

Bonnie Morales

Board Secretary

My name is Bonnie and I have been involved in the special needs community since 1983 when I became a tutor in elementary school for a student who was blind.

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Bonnie Morales

Board Secretary

My name is Bonnie and I have been involved in the special needs community since 1983 when I became a tutor in elementary school for a student who was blind.

I am married with 6 children, 4 biological and 2 adopted; 3 of our children have significant multiple disabilities that cover a wide spectrum of different issues with 2 on Medicaid Waivers and one waiting. I am currently heavily involved in the Deaf/HH community with my youngest daughter at VSDB and as a Family Navigator with VCU's Center for Family Involvement project as well as supporting and advocating with our local and state ARC programs.

I have a passion for gardening and animals of all types, but birds are my specialty... my family calls my critters "the menagerie". I also enjoy different arts and crafts.

My purpose at Abide Village is to help build the vision of a community that embraces all aspects of disabilities and creates a place where there are no boundaries. I want to make a lasting impact on this world knowing that my children have someplace they can go to live, work, gather with friends and relax that is safe and supports their independence with a diverse range of people and abilities.

Katelyn Nelson

Board Treasurer

Katelyn Nelson

Board Treasurer

As the Treasurer of Abide, I bring over 15 years of experience in banking and financial management, currently serving as a bank manager. But my true passion lies in advocating for families with special needs—a passion rooted deeply in my own story.

I’m a proud single mom to my son Gabriel, who is 15 and lives with autism and epilepsy. He is the heartbeat behind my involvement with Abide. Through him, I’ve come to understand both the beauty and the challenges that come with raising a child with disabilities.

When I was invited to serve as Treasurer, it felt like a natural fit—not only because of my financial background, but because I wholeheartedly believe in Abide’s mission: to create a community where families like mine can find support, rest, and belonging.

I’m honored to be part of building something that will offer disabled families a place to truly call home.

Marsha Key

Board Member

Marsha Key

Board Member

My passion for supporting individuals with special needs has been deeply personal and profoundly meaningful. When my third daughter was born with a birth defect and exposed to cocaine in utero, her early years were incredibly challenging. She was diagnosed with "failure to thrive," which only added to the complexities of her care. Learning how to meet her unique needs was a transformative experience—difficult at times, but filled with joy because of her sweet and resilient spirit.

Her life—and her loss at the age of 16 due to a tragic accident—shaped the path I chose. She was a significant part of the reason I became a Special Education teacher. In the nearly 14 years since her passing, my commitment to serving children and adults with special needs has only grown stronger, in her memory.

My years teaching in Louisa County have been the most rewarding of my life. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue advocating for this community as a board member of Abide Village, where I can help create inclusive and supportive environments for those who need it most.

Kristie Cooke

Board Vice President

Kristie is the owner and operator of Lake Anna Property Management & Real Estate. A dedicated mother to two adult sons and a daughter, Jacey—who was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome at age one—.

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Kristie Cooke

Board Vice President

Kristie Cooke is the owner and operator of Lake Anna Property Management & Real Estate. A dedicated mother to two adult sons and a daughter, Jacey—who was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome at age one—Kristie has channeled her personal journey into a lifelong commitment to advocacy and inclusion. For over a decade, she has organized the only Williams Syndrome Awareness event in Virginia, raising awareness and building community support. Kristie also serves as Vice President on the board of Abide Village, where she continues to bring her passion for empowering individuals with special needs and different abilities to the forefront. Her volunteer work reflects her deep belief in creating inclusive opportunities and meaningful change.

Jennifer B Ford

Board Member

Jennifer B Ford

Board Member

I have spent my life working alongside individuals with disabilities, beginning as a young girl helping my father and uncle in their work. What began as a family effort quickly grew into a lifelong purpose, one that became deeply personal when I became a mother. My son, Andrew Michael Ford (“Drew”), was born with a rare condition called Menkes Kinky Hair Disease.

At the time of his diagnosis, only four people in the U.S. and 100 worldwide were known to have it. Most children with Menkes live only a few years—but Drew was a fighter and a miracle.

He lived to be sixteen years old, and every moment of his life taught me more about strength, love, and advocacy than any book or job ever could.

His younger brother, Alex, was also diagnosed with Menkes, but through early intervention and an experimental treatment using copper histidine, he became the first success case in the world. For the first year of his life, Alex received injections twice a day, then twice a year for the following two years—an intensive journey that changed not only his life but the future for others with the disease.

Throughout my sons' lives, I worked with organizations like AIM (Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities) and the TRAID Project (Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities), helping families access adaptive equipment and support services. I assessed needs, trained individuals and caregivers, and helped secure funding for technology that could empower independence.

Drew received physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech services, and special education—so I’ve lived both the professional and personal side of this work.I truly believe God created me to stand in the gap for those who cannot stand for themselves.

So, when Erika shared the vision of Abide, and asked me to serve on the board, it felt like a divine next step. I’m passionate about helping build a community that embraces individuals of all abilities—through education, integration, and love.It’s an honor to be part of something so deeply meaningful, and I look forward to seeing the lives Abide will touch.

Julia Nalle

Board Member

Julia Nalle

Board Member

Julia Nalle is a history teacher, a curriculum author, a former nurse, and a mother of five. Three of the five are adopted from special-needs institutions in Ukraine, where Julia experienced the plight of people with disabilities in ways she can never forget.

Since her first adoption in 2010, she has spent endless hours raising money for adoption and special needs care. She sees Abide Village as a place of acceptance, affirmation and hope for people who struggle to find all three.

Rob Nalle

Board Member

Rob Nalle

Board Member

Julia's husband Rob Nalle is another curriculum author, a former builder, and a future farmer. Since their first adoption, Rob has supported all Julia's efforts in the special needs realm. He has also worked on adaptive equipment for people with disabilities, which has given him a deeper understanding of the challenges they often face.

He hopes his experience as a builder will be a practical help in the planning and building of Abide Village.

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Who We Are

Abide Village Board of Directors

Erika Rogers

Bonnie Morales

Katelyn Nelson

Marsha Key

Kristie Cooke

Jennifer B Ford

Julia Nalle

Rob Nalle

Abide Village

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Who We Are

Abide Village Board of Directors

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