LovingDeathDesign Founding Board Members

Bringing over a decade of expertise in hospice and palliative care, Kampfer previously held the position of Associate Vice President of PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) Operations at Bluegrass Care Navigators in Lexington, Kentucky. During her tenure, she served as a clinical social worker, a facilitator of the CMS demonstration Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM), Executive Director of the Hospice and Adult Day Health Care, and as a Counseling Resource Officer.

Dr. Hadley retired in 2023 from University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center after a successful career as a senior healthcare executive.  Her work spanned more than three decades in hospital pharmacy leadership, clinical operations, and healthcare consulting. She earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of California, San Francisco, followed by two post-graduate residencies in hospital pharmacy and clinical management. Her clinical practice focused on providing and monitoring specialized care for patients receiving anticoagulation therapies. For most of her career, Alise was involved in the clinical and didactic education of future pharmacists, nurses, physicians, and technicians, teaching at four major universities and several technical schools.

Alise has served as a strategic advisor and member to executive teams and Boards, guiding organizations through regulatory challenges, operational transformations, and major capital projects. Her expertise includes CMS and Joint Commission regulatory compliance, and the development of innovative, cost-effective clinical initiatives. She is known for her ability to align mission-driven goals with measurable outcomes, foster strategic partnerships, and lead high-performance teams.

With a proven track record in governance, policy development, and healthcare strategy, Alise brings visionary leadership and deep operational insight to Board service, helping the organization navigate complexity and deliver sustainable impact.

Dr. Hadley believes in the mission of the founding board of LovingDeathDesign because of the beliefs and experiences of her own mother, Alice Marie. For many years her mother served as a nurse’s assistant to hospice patients and was often at the bedside when they died. She told stories about her patients’ last days and became convinced a dying person has special needs during those last hours, which were not well understood or attended to by family and caretakers. Alise’s mother took her observations and built her practice around respecting the patient’s need for peace and introspection. Later, when Alice Marie was a hospice patient herself, she was very specific about how her own dying hours would be handled by the family and the nurses. The work of this organization aligns with Alice Marie’s love for her dying patients and her insight into their special needs.

Chris Manley brings 20 years of experience in marketing, project management, and sales operations, driving growth across nonprofits and private corporations. He has a strong record in go-to-market strategies, revenue growth, and sales operations in both B2B and B2C environments.

For the past 12 years, Chris has worked in higher education, helping colleges and universities expand access to online learning. He believes deeply in the power of education to transform lives and communities.

His commitment to Loving Death Design stems from that same belief—that education, compassion, and dignity provide a profound source of support for families, caregivers, and individuals navigating end-of-life care. 

Based in Grand Junction, CO, he enjoys life with his wonderful partner, Hannah, and their dog Cooper, exploring Colorado’s outdoors, and engaging in creative and community projects.

Adam Ellsworth brings 15+ years of experience in project and contract management, product development, and customer experience to the board. His career has been dedicated to designing strategic processes, developing new products from concept to execution, and ensuring a positive stakeholder experience. He has a proven background in building operational workflows and creating customer retention strategies, with deep expertise in managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects.

Adam is drawn to LovingDeathDesign’s mission to bring greater awareness and compassion to end-of-life care. He believes that the same principles of thoughtful design and deep understanding of individual needs that create a successful customer journey are essential in building a supportive and respectful environment for those in their final transition. His experience in creating effective, human-centered systems provides a strong foundation to support the organization's business development and strategic growth.

Based in Grand Junction, CO, Adam is a practitioner of Zen Buddhism and Qi Gong and an avid hiker, pursuits that reinforce his appreciation for the importance of being present and holding space peacefully.