Board Members

Purcie has been a resident of Glen Echo Heights since 2015. She has been President of GEHCA since 2020 and was VP for the two years prior. She is set to pass the GEHCA Presidential torch in June of 2024! She is an environmental lawyer and policy expert and has worked in environmental conservation and science since 2006. For the past ten years her focus has been on environmental oceans and fisheries policy, marine ecosystems, endangered marine species, and coastal habitat protections. She holds a BA from Goucher College, a JD from Washington and Lee University, and an MA in Environmental and Resource Policy from The George Washington University. In her spare time Purcie spends as much time outside as possible - she hikes, skis, kayaks, climbs, SUPs, bikes, plays tennis and golf, and surfs. Purcie is deeply committed to creating community around her and loves to host friends, neighbors, and family. She lives on River Hill Road with her husband, Patrick, her two wild young boys, Van and Ben, and their rescue pup, Timber.

Adrienne moved to Mohican Hills in the Fall of 2019. She currently serves as the Associate Publisher at the Chronicle of Higher Education, where she oversees the Careers vertical. She has worked in higher education for her whole career, having spent fifteen years in various business leadership roles at EAB and in admissions at Georgetown and GW.  She attended Dartmouth College for bachelor’s degree in government and George Washington University for her master’s degree in Higher Education Administration. In her spare time, Adrienne enjoys staying active – running, traveling, skiing, or trying her hand at tennis, golf, and pickleball. She is also deeply engaged in the community, volunteering with the Wood Acres PTA, Girl Scouts, and coaching softball. She lives on Wiscasset Road with her husband, Mark, and their two daughters, Elizabeth and Nora. 

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​Susan has been a Glen Echo Heights resident since 2001.  She and her husband, Arnie Brooks, raised their family on Wyoming Court, and then decided to build their "dream home" - a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired "prairie home" on Winnebago Road, where they now reside.  Susan has been a real estate agent since 2004.  When not out selling homes, Susan loves walking in the woods with her crazy foxhound, reading novels, swimming and socializing at Mohican Pool, working out, dining out, dancing, attending concerts and entertaining.  Susan is originally from Colorado and attended The Colorado College and then the University of Missouri School of Journalism.  She is excited to continue working on events for Glen Echo Heights.

Ryan is new to the GEHCA board, he and his wife, Kara moved to Glen Echo in the summer of 2021 with their two kids, Elsa & Finn.  He is originally from the Shenandoah Valley but has been in the DMV since 2000.  He spent 20 years managing a local ski shop and currently consults with small businesses in the Outdoor industry and is a full time Stay at Home Father while continuing his education at Georgetown University. Ryan spends his free time outside working on the yard, playing with the kids, cycling, hiking, and skiing in the winter. He loves helping people and hopes to do as much as possible for the members of our community! 

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Kara Sasse has called Glen Echo Heights home for the past 3 years, where she lives with her husband, Ryan, and their two adventurous kids. With 25 years of experience partnering with entrepreneurs to build and scale education tech startups, she currently serves as Chief Product Officer at Ripple Operations and also advises and mentors startups as a Venture Partner with Emerge Education.  Beyond her professional life, Kara has a passion for genealogy and is an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Her family’s roots in Washington, D.C. run deep—her father is a native Washingtonian, and her grandfather was an early resident of Glen Echo and Carderock in the 1940s, working at the David Taylor Model Basin, one of the world’s largest and most advanced ship design testing facilities, quietly tucked along the banks of the Potomac River.

Joe Kopanski has been a resident of Glen Echo heights for 14 years with his wife, Carmiña Londoño. He worked for 38 years as an Electrical Engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology where he was Group Leader of the Advanced Electronics Group. He has been retired since 2023. He is interested in native plants in landscape.