About Us
meet our team
After miraculously surviving a massive stroke at the age of 39, Mrs. Orrico took time off from teaching to recover and support her family during their move to Knoxville. Mrs. Orrico’s passion is for God, her family, and all children. She has a masters degree in Education Administration, has volunteered as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for children in Knoxville, served as a Rotarian in Roswell, GA, and has over 6 years experience in working charity events with Givesmart, a fundraising technology company. Her favorite past time is playing games with and being out on the water with her four children and husband.
As a lifetime entrepreneur, Mr. Orrico made a career out of helping others, including raising billions of dollars for over 5,000 charities as an Equity Partner at GiveSmart. Mr. Orrico currently serves in his role as a Principal at Greater Sum Ventures. After supporting his wife, Co-Founder, Kelly, through miraculously surviving and eventually recovering fully from a massive stroke at the age of 39, he often thought how blessed he was and couldn’t imagine how he would have carried on as a widower. Mr. Orrico is excited for the opportunity to impact as many widows’ lives as possible going forward and hopes that many of those he has encountered throughout his life are prepared to join him.
Has a Bachelor of Science in Sales & Marketing from Ball State University. She spent 29 years in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry working for Procter & Gamble and Bush Brothers & Company, Ellen’s experience spans the sales, forecasting & analytics disciplines, and managing internal and external partner work teams. In 2016, she left the CPG industry to pursue new interests, start a residential property management company with her husband, Martin, and volunteer in the community. They live in Knoxville, TN, and have one son. The biblical call to care for widows and orphans is the inspiration for her work with WPRP.
Is a Family Medicine Physician who works at Cherokee Health Systems. She has served as the Medical Director of the Hope Clinic for Women Maternity Home in Nashville, TN, Co-Medical Director and board member of Choices Resource Center in Oak Ridge, TN, and volunteer at InterFaith Clinic in Knoxville. She has also volunteered extensively in all 4 of the Farragut schools. Dr. Liske has seen first hand the challenges that widows endure, and how a community who shows love has the ability to support, encourage, and empower widows and their children. She is happily married to Dr. Mike Liske, a pediatric cardiologist, and has 4 children. Her greatest joys are found in spending time with her family and friends, her walk with Jesus, and her passion for helping others.
Received his MBA from Northwestern University and has spent most of his career in finance and entrepreneurship. He has served as CFO of multiple startup and growth stage technology-focused companies, including GiveSmart, where he had the pleasure of working with Mr. and Mrs.Orrico, with whom he has been friends for over 20 years. Mr. Tuchband lives in Barrington, IL , with his wife and three children and is a firm believer in investing his time and energy into net positive impact endeavors, such as the Widowed Parent Relief Project. Most recently, Mr. Tuchband founded TipQwik, a mobile tipping platform facilitating gratuity payments to people in the service industry directly from a mobile device.
Is a full-time attorney at TriAmicus Law, PLLC. Inspired by the struggles her mother-in-law faced as a widowed parent, Julie is committed to offering support to families who experienced loss and have to navigate grief. She carries a deep appreciation for family values, dedicating her time to making a meaningful impact on the lives of those around her. Julie has served on the Knox County Council PTA, sub-committee for the Knoxville City Council, and currently serves as a board member of the Arc of Knox County, a judge advocate for the Lt. Bonneyman Young Marines Unit, and a committee member for the Knoxville Bar Association Lawyer Referral Information Services. Julie and her husband, Matthew, manager for Norfolk Southern Railway and a retired Master Sergeant for the Marine Corps, have a beautiful son and daughter.
Is the Executive Vice President, CIO, and CTO of Clario, a prominent global life sciences company. Jay has been awarded numerous CIO awards in his lifetime and most recently was named 2023 Executive Leader of the Year by Atlanta Technology Professionals. He worked as the Global CIO of American Cancer Society and serve(s/d) on boards such as TechBridge, InspirEdu, Catholic Charities of Atlanta, Kate's Club, & United Way of Greater Atlanta. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Jay is a devoted father of three and a Georgia Bulldog. Jay faced the tragic loss of his wife, Priscilla, to cervical cancer when their sons were just 9, 6, and 3-years old. For 17 years, Jay has admirably navigated the challenges of being an only parent, and dedicated himself to alleviating the stressors experienced by other widowed parents.
Jason entered retirement in July 2023 and is embracing this new chapter to the fullest. Before retiring, he led worldwide sales (exceeding $20 billion), service, and marketing for Caterpillar Inc.’s Earthmoving, Paving, Excavation, and Load & Haul machinery divisions. As a third-generation Caterpillar employee, Jason built a dynamic career with extensive roles in marketing, sales, product support, project management, and product management. He also served as the Presiding Managing Officer and Director of CSARL.
Now, Jason is channeling his passion and energy into his faith, family, friends, community, and health. Jason “believes strongly in the WPRP mission and vision and feels called to live out James 1:27.” He loves staying active with pickleball, volleyball, water and snow skiing, and hiking, all of which fuel his adventurous spirit in retirement.
Deborah holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a J.D. from the University of Georgia. Licensed to practice law in Georgia and Tennessee, she specialized in education law, dedicating her career to representing school boards in employment and special education matters. After stepping away from her legal practice, Deborah devoted herself to raising her two children and embraced the role of a “professional volunteer” for over 20 years.
Deborah’s greatest joys come from time spent with family and friends, leading in women’s ministry, and enjoying long walks and travels with her husband of 24 years. She is thrilled to support the Widowed Parent Relief Project (WPRP) and help raise awareness of its mission in the community.
Dana approaches her work with compassion and a strong focus on achieving results as a dedicated advocate for individuals and families in need. A University of Tennessee, Knoxville graduate, Dana has a deep commitment to her community, particularly to those facing substantial challenges. Her passion for service is evident through her involvement with local nonprofits like Catholic Charities of East Tennessee and St. Christopher’s Truckers Relief Fund, as well as in her roles as a Regional Case Manager for the State of Tennessee and Independent Support Coordinator for Arm’s Reach. Dana has provided crucial support to individuals and secured over $1 million in funding through her effective grant writing, positively impacting numerous agencies across East Tennessee.
Outside her professional life, Dana remains actively involved in numerous volunteer projects and enjoys writing a blog. She also cherishes time spent with her three adult children, her husband, and their dog, Rico.
Serves part-time with the Widowed Parent Relief Project (WPRP), overseeing the onboarding of new parent applicants and Family Friends. In this role, she helps recruit, onboard, and match Family Friends with parents, while also working to secure valuable community resources tailored to meet unique family needs. Stephanie balances her commitment to WPRP with a full-time role as Registrar and Student Information Services at Farragut High School. Previously, she spent five years as Director of Welcome and Connect at First Baptist Concord, and she has volunteered extensively at her church and her children’s schools, devoting many of their growing-up years to being a hands-on mom.
As a widow raising two incredible teenagers (and two furry companions) on her own, Stephanie deeply understands the challenges families face after losing a spouse. Her greatest joy is connecting with others and sharing the comfort, peace, and blessings that faith can bring to a grieving heart.
Has a masters degree in Counseling Psychology and worked for 14 years as an outpatient mental health counselor. One of the most rewarding aspects of her job was to partner with individuals on their journey towards emotional health and wholeness. Her passion to encourage and provide support to others during a time of need is what drew her to be a part of the Widowed Parent Relief Project. “We are called to care for widows and orphans and I am so excited to step alongside the courageous individuals that this organization serves.” Ms. Stuart lives in Knoxville, TN, with her husband of almost 20 years and their two children. Ms. Stuart is active in volunteering at her children’s schools and at her church. Some of her favorite pastimes are spending time with family and friends, enjoying nature any way she can and attending her kids sporting and school activities.
