Get to know us
Tamara & Brian
The loss of their daughter Grace to a rare cancerous brain tumor compelled Tamara and Brian Ekis to found the Reflections Of Grace Foundation. Helping families in similar situations and finding a cure for DIPG is what drives them today.
Tamara is a kindergarten teacher with the McKeesport Area School District while Brian is a Senior Underwriting Analyst for First National Bank. They share their home in North Huntingdon, PA with Grace’s siblings – brothers Colin & Garrett and sister Claire.
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Ashley
Reflections of Grace would not be the organization it has become without the immense contributions of Ashley Metz Leax. A member of the Board from the beginning, she is also Race Director for the Foundation’s largest event, the annual Race For Grace. Ashley coordinates the efforts of hundreds in making Race For Grace one of the largest and most successful 5K events in western Pennsylvania.
Ashley is a human resources executive with Westinghouse Corp., based in their Waltz Mill facility. She lives in North Huntingdon with her husband Jimmy and daughters Brenna Grace and Maeve Ellen.
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Dan
A longtime friend and neighbor of the Ekis family, Dan Dodaro has been a key member of the Board since its inception, focusing on marketing, social media and public relations.
Dan, a Senior Auditor with the Pennsylvania Turnpike, lives in North Huntingdon with his wife Milissa and two children, Emily and John.
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Tricia
Crucial to the founding of Reflections Of Grace and its ongoing success, Tricia Mahlstedt manages the legal facets of the organization.
Tricia resides in the Forest Hills community of Pittsburgh with husband David, son Eddie and daughter Megan. She is an attorney with Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC in Pittsburgh.
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