Caritas Award
2025 Caritas Award Winner
Jennifer Kumari-Adams Tucker ’15
Jennifer Kumari-Adams Tucker lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her husband Darryl and their four children, Sydney, Darryl Jr., Danyelle, and Dominique. When Darryl and Jennifer were faced with the challenge of raising three Autistic children, they knew the road would not be easy; through faith, love, and dedication, the Tuckers found ways to embrace these challenges. Jennifer authored Autistic Angels – The Story of a Mother to Her Children, which details the Tuckers’ journey raising children with autism and provides encouragement for families facing similar challenges. She – and her husband, Darryl, and daughter, Sydney – published Up to Bat, a children’s book also promoting autism awareness.
Jennifer has been employed at Humana Inc. for 18 years and is a Senior Provider Data Management & Contract Load Professional for National Providers. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Louisville in 2006, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix in 2009, and a Master of Science in Business Communication degree from Spalding University in 2015.
In her tireless advocacy efforts for autism awareness and the special needs community, Jennifer has served on numerous boards and commissions. She was appointed by Governor Steve Beshear to the State Advisory Board for Exceptional Children and the Kentucky Early Intervention System Interagency Coordinating Council in 2012 and reappointed in 2024. Jennifer was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear to the Kentucky Applied Behavior Analysis Licensing Board. She was appointed by Mayor Greg Fisher to the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission Advocacy and Enforcement boards. Mayor Fisher also placed Jennifer on the Healing Possible Quorum to define ways to fight racism and discrimination in our communities. Jennifer served on the Board of Directors for the Families of Early Autism Treatment (FEAT) from 2011-2019 and was reappointed in 2025. She served on the Exceptional Teens and Adults (ETA) Board dedicated to working with special needs families.
Jennifer has received the Business First Magazine Forty Under 40 Award and the Salute To Women Entrepreneurs and Emergent Leaders Award (2014), The Woman of the Year Award from Community Missionary Baptist Church (2006), the Today’s Woman Magazine “Way to Go Woman” Award (2013), featured in Business First Magazine’s “People on the Move” profiles (2012), and featured in Louisville Magazine for advocating autism awareness (2012) and as a Louisvillian who makes Louisville a better place to live (2013). In 2017, she was inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame for her work with the special needs community throughout Kentucky.
“Give Thanks to the Lord. For He is good. His love endures forever!”
2024 Winner: Dr. Nancy Shataun Ferrell Jones ’08
Dr. Jones’s professional career started as a certified nurse aide (CNA) on a skilled unit at Parkway Medical Center and Rehabilitation in Louisville. She dedicated nearly a decade to nursing as a CNA while pursuing her undergraduate degrees, demonstrating unwavering commitment and resilience. Dr. Jones spearheaded eviCore Healthcare startup’s care coordination, utilization management, and medical director review department. She served as the founding nurse of the medical determination review team and was an expert in introducing the initial care coordination framework for a utilization management and home health program—training and consulting with numerous teams nationwide. Cigna later acquired eviCore via Express Scripts with an emphasis on care coordination and medical utilization for $54 billion, cementing the success of the programs led by Dr. Jones and establishing her as a credible and inspiring leader in the field.
During her tenure at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, VHAN Population Health Department, Dr. Jones’s leadership was instrumental in the development of an NCQA-guided platform workflow for medically complex patients with increased medical utilization for the care coordination team. Nursing interventions increased by 30% per month across all populations. Dr. Jones also spearheaded Vanderbilt Health’s regional Annual Wellness Visit campaign, which achieved national benchmarks. In the fall of 2023, Dr. Jones launched her own leadership and health consulting business, beePrestige, further extending her influence in the healthcare sector.
Dr. Jones inspires others and fosters a deep sense of community by volunteering and launching community-focused events that center around the well-being of children and families.
Family is everything to Dr. Jones. Her loving husband and three boys share her passion for creating community. This personal value of family and community is deeply ingrained in her professional work, influencing her leadership and health consulting approach. Dr. Jones commented on receiving the Caritas Award: “Our journey to success is not our own, but by the service and sacrifices of those bestowed upon us; therefore, it is our duty to pay it forward with grace and gratitude.
2023 Winner: Barbara Kremer Schmall, BSN ’69
Barbara Kremer Schmall is a 1969 graduate of Spalding’s BSN program. She also became a certified a Legal Nurse Consultant from Bellarmine University in 2006. For over 35 years, Barbara was Director of Nursing at Parkway Medical Center in Louisville- one of the largest facilities in the state, providing long-term care and rehabilitation services to geriatric patients.
Barbara demonstrates respect and compassion for the poor, the environment, and those who are disenfranchised or marginalized. She is a certified tree farmer and serves as a member of Citizens of Louisville Organized and United Together, where she serves on a committee focused on social equity and more just policing in Louisville and a second committee attempting to provide older adults with better resources to age in place.
Barbara’s contributions working over 35 years as Director of Nursing at Parkway Medical Center and her spirit of service are consistent with the mission and tradition of Spalding.
2022 Winner: Dr. Kathryn Dowd, BA ’75
After working on behalf of patients with hearing loss for over 41 years, Dr. Kathryn Dowd has been named as Spalding University’s 2022 Caritas Medalist as the university’s alumna of the year.
The Caritas Medal is the highest award bestowed by Spalding University. Dowd’s work empowering patients and providers in the field of audiology has been a long and fruitful cause.
As the founder of The Audiology Project, Dowd continues to influence healthcare policies on a state and national level. The Audiology Project is dedicated to increasing awareness within healthcare settings of hearing impairments and links to other diseases.
2021 Winner: Dr. Vicki Hines Martin, BSN ’75, MA, Ed. ’83
Dr. Vicki Hines-Martin, who earned the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (1975) and Master of Arts in Education (1983) from Spalding, is an educator and researcher who is acclaimed for her work focused on health disparities, access to care and healthcare needs of minority populations.
An author of dozens of scholarly publications and the founder of the KYANNA Black Nurses Association of Louisville, Hines-Martin serves as Associate Dean for the University of Louisville School of Nursing’s Office of Community Engagement and Diversity Inclusion. She is also Director of Community Outreach for the U of L Health Sciences Center’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
