About Us
Our Team
Naomi Feil, Founder
Naomi Feil was the developer of the Validation method. She was born in Munich in 1932 and grew up in the Montefiore Home for the Aged in Cleveland Ohio, where her father was the administrator and her mother, the head of the Social Service Department. This unique background gave her insight into the world of very old people. They were her neighbors and her friends growing up.
After graduating with a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University in New York, she began working again at the Montifiore Home, where she grew up. Between 1963 and 1980 Naomi developed the Validation method as a response to her dissatisfaction with traditional methods of working with the severely disoriented old-old people who were her clients.
In 1982 she published her first book, Validation: The Feil Method. Her second book, The Validation Breakthrough, was first published in 1993. Feil and her husband have made many films and videos about aging and Validation. In her career, Naomi delivered over 1000 workshops in North America and 1000 workshops in Europe, Asia and Africa. Naomi died on December 24, 2023. Her legacy lives on in the Validation Training Institute.
Tamorra Sims, Executive Director
Vicki de Klerk-Rubin, Senior Advisor & Special Projects
Vicki is the daughter of founder, Naomi Feil, a Validation Master and serves as Senior Advisor, Special Projects for the Validation Training Institute. In this role, she provides strategic insight and leads select initiatives that support the VTI’s mission and continued growth, drawing on her years of leadership and deep expertise in validation.
Vicki lives in The Hague, The Netherlands. She has a BFA from Boston University, an MBA from Fordham University and did her nursing degree at Higher Technical School of Amsterdam.
Together with her mother, she revised the books, Validation: the Feil Method and The Validation Breakthrough. She authored Validation Techniques for Dementia Care: the Family Guide to Improving Communication and a workbook: Communicate with older adults with cognitive decline: Validation for First Responders.
Since 1989, Vicki has given Validation workshops, lectures and training programs in Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United States. She has also worked in nursing home facilities in Amsterdam, leading Validation groups and training staff. Vicki is proud of her contributions to the development of Validation certification levels, curricula, the VTI quality standards, guidelines, and the Authorized Validation Organization (AVO) structure for offering training around the world.
Nancy Brown, Deputy Director for Communications
Nancy serves as the Deputy Director for Communications, is a Certified Validation Teacher, and lives in Jerusalem, Israel. She has a M.A. from Pepperdine University and is currently a PhD candidate in dementia studies at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland).
She has over 18 years experience as a group leader in a non-profit English-speaking memory day center in Jerusalem serving all levels of cognitive impairment. In addition to conducting Validation courses, webinars, and training for a variety of audiences, Nancy is a certified NCCAP instructor and teaches the joint NCCAP/VTI course: Memory Care: Validation for Activity Professionals. She also serves as the Communication Chair for Non-Pharmacological Interventions professional interest area of the Alzheimer’s Association International.
In her position as Deputy Director for Communications, Nancy looks forward to connecting with and supporting our international Validation family including teachers, AVOs, Board members, donors, partners, health care professionals, caregivers, and anyone interested in learning more about VTI and the Validation Method. Contact Nancy:
Jana Stoddard, Manager
Jana oversees VTI’s entire web presence, the online courses, social media, as well as manages VTI’s online sales and assists with various projects when needed. She currently lives in New Mexico.
Jana has a BM in Music Therapy from Eastern New Mexico University and a MM in Music Education from East Carolina University.
Jana first began her affiliation with the VTI by managing the first U.S. Authorized Validation Organization from 1998 to 2013. During that time received her Validation Worker Certification. She has worked for the VTI since 2014.
Joanna Ata, Digital Experience Coordinator
Joanna Ata is a senior marketing strategist with more than a decade of experience helping organizations translate complex ideas into clear, effective growth strategies. Her work spans healthcare, aging and longevity, senior living, education, technology, and purpose-driven services, with a particular focus on engagement, trust, and long-term impact.
Over the course of her career, Joanna has led marketing strategy across every stage of the funnel, from positioning and messaging to campaigns, content, partnerships, and conversion. She has worked closely with founders, executive teams, and multidisciplinary stakeholders, serving as both a strategic advisor and a hands-on marketing leader. Her experience includes guiding companies through growth, repositioning, and market expansion, as well as supporting long-term client relationships that have spanned ten years or more.
Sherra Avila, Team Admin
Sherra Avila is a software development manager, engineer, and dedicated Alzheimer’s educator who brings both professional clarity and personal experience to her work. As a former caregiver for her grandmother, Sherra understands the emotional and practical challenges families face when navigating dementia.
She leads small, discussion-driven Alzheimer’s education sessions that help caregivers recognize early signs, understand disease progression, and build confidence in providing compassionate support.
With more than a decade of public-speaking experience, including briefing large groups of service members in high-stakes military environments, Sherra is known for making complex information accessible, empathetic, and actionable. Her work blends technical precision with a deep commitment to supporting families and communities affected by cognitive decline.