Executive Board
Kari-Ann Melendez
Current President
& Founder
Kari-Ann served in the US Navy and retired from Civil Service with the Federal Aviation Administration in an Air Traffic Control Executive management position in 2014. During her career, while raising her family, she earned her BS from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Professional Aeronautics and her Private Pilot License. Utilizing her management skills she co-founded an Aviation Explorer Post for youth age 14-20; helped to create and teach an Aviation Science Course for the local Lakota Sioux Reservation, and served as a mentor to youth in several Inner City Science/Technology Career Development Programs throughout the central US.
After her retirement, Kari-Ann had a chance to live out a childhood dream of learning to Scuba dive. She earned her first certification in 2017, and is now a Master Scuba Diver and Divemaster. Her continued desire to serve led her to pursue advanced training in Adaptive Scuba and start assisting others to experience the wonders of Scuba and the excitement of doing what they might not ever had thought possible! She earned her Diveheart Advanced Adaptive Dive Buddy, Handicapped Scuba Association Professional Buddy, and PADI Adaptive Techniques Specialty to support her desire to serve others.
Kari-Ann’s 25 years of management experience, focus on service, as well as, her sense of adventure and curiosity has put her in a unique position to serve as President and co-founder of Adapt-Able Foundation.
Kyle Davie
Vice President
Kyle is an information technology leader with over thirty years of experience spanning the corporate and public sectors. His career has been marked by a commitment to positive and collaborative leadership, particularly in environments undergoing rapid growth and transformation. Notably, during his tenure in the public sector, Kyle spearheaded technology-centric solutions tailored for students with special needs. This work was profoundly influenced by his personal connection to the community, rooted in his experiences growing up with a best friend who had spina bifida.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Kyle has a deep passion for Scuba diving, which has served as a cherished escape into the underwater world. While living in Guam in the 90’s, he advanced his professional development by becoming a dive professional. In 2022, a pivotal encounter with a member of the Adapt-Able Scuba team led him to join the Adapt-Able Foundation in 2023 as a Handicapped Scuba Association Instructor. Since then, he has dedicated himself to expanding his training to better support participants and their families, earning certifications as a PADI Master Instructor, PADI Adaptive Techniques Instructor, and SDI Scubility Instructor.
Drawing on the values instilled by his family and faith, Kyle leverages his extensive leadership experience and passion for making a positive impact through Scuba. He is honored to contribute to the Adapt-Able Foundation as the Vice President, where he looks forward to creating more transformative opportunities for people with physical, emotional, and developmental disabilities. Always remember – big bubbles… no troubles…
Lisa Selmer
Secretary
Lisa began volunteering with Adapt-Able Foundation in 2019, initially as surface support at Adapt-Able Scuba experiences (ASE). She progressed to in-water interaction with ASE participants after completing her Adaptive Buddy training in June 2020. Lisa has furthered her involvement with the Foundation by joining the Board of Directors as Secretary effective February 1, 2021. When asked why she likes scuba, her answer generally always includes “It’s the single best thing I’ve done for myself in my adult life. It’s great for my mental health”. Lisa wanted to share the benefit of scuba with others, and that’s how she found the Adapt-Able Foundation family. On a personal note, Lisa is the proud mother of two college-aged children, Emily and Nathan, as well as two fur babies. She works as a physical therapist at Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, LA where she has been proudly serving Veterans for just over twenty-six years. Becoming involved with the Adapt-Able Foundation feels like a natural extension of her chosen profession, particularly being able to share the many benefits of Adapt-Able Scuba with our Veteran population.
Laura Jeanne
Current & Founding Member at Large
Laura is a U.S. Army Aviator veteran. Starting her Army career as a crew chief in 1982, she set her sights on becoming a helicopter pilot. In 1983 Laura was accepted to the U.S. Army Rotary Wing Flight School receiving her Aviator wings in August 1984. As one of the U.S. Army’s pioneer female Army Aviators, Laura went on in 1990 to serve in the Desert Storm conflict. As a combat EH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot Laura piloted many missions in both Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Laura served her country with distinction for 10 years as an accomplished rotary wing aviator rising to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3. She never stopped studying and by the end of her Army Aviation career she earned a BS Degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Aeronautics.
2009 was a life changing year, as she became a paraplegic following a horseback-riding accident. She was a scuba diver prior to her injury, but following her injury she thought it to be a thing of the past. In 2018 she was introduced to Kari-Ann and Dale, and life changed once again. In the following three years, she re-certified her scuba card, dove in Cozumel, and participated in a once-in-a-lifetime weeklong adventure with the national park service diving the USS Arizona over Pearl Harbor week.
She is a founding board member of Adapt-Able Scuba and recently became the leader of our media committee.
Stephen Collins
Treasurer
