Who we are:
Naperville Seniors in Action d/b/a Ride Assist Naperville (RAN) is an Illinois 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, with the mission of providing affordable and dependable transportation to medical appointments for Naperville seniors and their caregivers.
A carefully screened and trained RAN volunteer driver will pick up the senior (minimum age 60) at home, drive them to their medical appointment, wait with them, and drive them back home again. All of our insured drivers are volunteers who use their own vehicles to provide rides. Rides are available by appointment only, seven days a week, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and are scheduled at least seven days in advance of each appointment.
We suggest a $15 donation for each round-trip ride, with no extra cost for an extra passenger. No money is given to the driver and no tipping is allowed – an invoice will be sent the following month. If a senior is financially challenged, we ask them to pay what they can afford. We cover the greater Naperville area and include major hospitals.
Visit our Riders page to learn more on becoming a rider. Visit our Drivers page to learn more about becoming a driver.
A special Thank You to our founders: Karen Courney, Jane French, Bev Frier, and Sue Shanahan. We are eternally grateful for your hard work and dedication that led to Ride Assist Naperville!
Our Mission:
Providing safe, affordable and dependable transportation to medical appointments for Naperville area senior citizens
Our Vision:
We strive to be the most trusted transportation resource for community seniors to preserve and support their health
Our Values
Care: We listen with understanding and act with kindness, ensuring every rider, volunteer, and staff member feels valued and respected.
Trust: We earn confidence through reliability, transparency, and a steadfast commitment to our mission.
Professional: We hold ourselves to the highest standards, delivering safe and dependable service with integrity.
Accessible: By committing to equitable access, we adapt how we work to meet the unique needs of everyone we serve, ensuring that everyone feels included and supported.
Connection: We foster meaningful relationships that strengthen community and bring people together.
Meet the RAN Team
Ashley Abraham
Ashley Abraham
Ashley Abraham
Executive Director
Ashley joined RAN in 2017 and became the Executive Director in 2021. She continues to use her experience working with non-profits to grow RAN in order to help more seniors of Naperville. Ashley has worked with small businesses and non-profits for over 10 years. With a background in art and marketing, Ashley also volunte
Executive Director
Ashley joined RAN in 2017 and became the Executive Director in 2021. She continues to use her experience working with non-profits to grow RAN in order to help more seniors of Naperville. Ashley has worked with small businesses and non-profits for over 10 years. With a background in art and marketing, Ashley also volunteers with Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana. A former Naperville resident, she lives in Warrenville with her family.
Lyn Smith
Ashley Abraham
Ashley Abraham
Program Coordinator
Lyn joined RAN in September 2022 as the Program Assistant. She has over nineteen years of volunteer and work experience in the nonprofit field. She is very passionate about this work because nonprofit organizations can have an immense impact on the community. Her education is in Family Services and Psychology from East
Program Coordinator
Lyn joined RAN in September 2022 as the Program Assistant. She has over nineteen years of volunteer and work experience in the nonprofit field. She is very passionate about this work because nonprofit organizations can have an immense impact on the community. Her education is in Family Services and Psychology from Eastern Illinois University. She also worked in the hospitality industry for ten years as a corporate travel agent and trainer. Lyn and her husband Bruce have been Naperville residents since 1995 and have a son, daughter/son-in-law, and granddaughter. She enjoys biking, gardening, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Jocelyn Kim
Ashley Abraham
Jocelyn Kim
Program Assistant
Jocelyn joined RAN in 2025 and brings with her a diverse background in business management, event coordination, client relations, and more. She holds a degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Over the course of her career, she has worked with high-end clients across various industries,
Program Assistant
Jocelyn joined RAN in 2025 and brings with her a diverse background in business management, event coordination, client relations, and more. She holds a degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Over the course of her career, she has worked with high-end clients across various industries, including retail, hospitality, and education. Outside of her professional life, Jocelyn resides in Naperville with her family where she coaches her daughter’s soccer team and volunteers at the school. She enjoys traveling, sports, and seeking out unique adventurous experiences.
Meet the Board of Directors
Tim Ells
Doreen Booth
Doreen Booth
Board President
Tim works with a Midwestern-oriented consulting team, helping fund and manage emerging companies in the information technology and consumer sales arena. He has over 35 years of executive management experience in the computer reselling industry, including serving as chief executive officer of Mobility Concepts and Active Li
Board President
Tim works with a Midwestern-oriented consulting team, helping fund and manage emerging companies in the information technology and consumer sales arena. He has over 35 years of executive management experience in the computer reselling industry, including serving as chief executive officer of Mobility Concepts and Active Link Communications, Inc. Before founding Mobility Concepts, Tim was the VP of PC Solutions, Inc., a $90M computer reseller. Prior to this, he was the managing director of operations for Entre Computer Centers, where he oversaw a $600 million sales organization. Tim has served as a consultant to several technology companies, including Xybernaut, Noesis, and Verizon Wireless. He was active as a little league and basketball league coach for many years and is also active in various philanthropic endeavors. Raised in Wisconsin, Tim graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a Bachelor of Arts and lives in Naperville with his wife Tamara. They have two children.
Doreen Booth
Doreen Booth
Doreen Booth
Vice President
Doreen and her family moved to Naperville from Washington State in 2017. With a background in public policy in the Seattle area, she spent most of her career working for local governments in land use planning, city administration, and public policy. Doreen changed careers after moving to Naperville, obtaining her real estat
Vice President
Doreen and her family moved to Naperville from Washington State in 2017. With a background in public policy in the Seattle area, she spent most of her career working for local governments in land use planning, city administration, and public policy. Doreen changed careers after moving to Naperville, obtaining her real estate license in 2019. She is the owner of Doreen Booth Homes at Baird & Warner Real Estate. Having served on several boards and committees, including Operation Nightwatch (Seattle, WA) and Eastside Baby Corner (Issaquah, WA), she participates locally in Be Smart for Kids, an organization that promotes safe gun storage and serves on her HOA board. Doreen and her husband Mike have two teenagers, 3 dogs and 2 cats and live in south Naperville.
Tim Ford
Doreen Booth
Sue Shanahan
Treasurer
Tim and his family moved to Naperville in 1998 and in the early years he was very active as a youth sports coach. With over 38 years of private and public company business experience, he is currently an independent consultant and coach of strategic and financial planning and execution. Until 2016, he was president and a co-owner
Treasurer
Tim and his family moved to Naperville in 1998 and in the early years he was very active as a youth sports coach. With over 38 years of private and public company business experience, he is currently an independent consultant and coach of strategic and financial planning and execution. Until 2016, he was president and a co-owner of Cook’s Direct, Inc., a leader in the commercial food service equipment and supplies market. Prior to this, he was the president and CEO of The Whitney Automotive Group, a $200 million direct marketer of automotive accessories and supplies. Tim has also held financial and operational leadership roles at Gander Mountain, Inc. and McMaster Carr Supply Company. He has served on several corporate and not-for-profit boards and holds a MBA in accounting from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Arts in management from Western Illinois University.
Sue Shanahan
Doreen Booth
Sue Shanahan
Secretary
Sue first moved to Naperville in 1969, and except for living elsewhere for a 6-year period, has enjoyed living in Naperville to this day. She has been an active volunteer in the community since she “retired” as a programming manager from Mid America Bank in 1991 to raise her two children. Some of Sue’s volunteer work includes 18
Secretary
Sue first moved to Naperville in 1969, and except for living elsewhere for a 6-year period, has enjoyed living in Naperville to this day. She has been an active volunteer in the community since she “retired” as a programming manager from Mid America Bank in 1991 to raise her two children. Some of Sue’s volunteer work includes 18 years at her children’s’ schools, 13 years with the Girl Scouts, 18 years with the Boy Scouts, chairing fundraising events for charities, such as Families Helping Families and the Oncology Fund at Edward Hospital. She currently sits on several non-profit boards and joined the Naperville Senior Task Force in 2014 and RAN in 2016. Sue is a Benet Academy graduate and has a B.A. in Business from St. Norbert College.
Jennifer Blair
Jennifer Blair
Jennifer Blair
Board Member
Jennifer Blair is a long-time resident of Naperville. She graduated from Naperville Central High School and went on to receive her BA degree from NIU in DeKalb, IL. After some fits and starts, she began her illustrious 32-year career in various management positions with Levi Strauss & Co. In April 2024, she found herself unex
Board Member
Jennifer Blair is a long-time resident of Naperville. She graduated from Naperville Central High School and went on to receive her BA degree from NIU in DeKalb, IL. After some fits and starts, she began her illustrious 32-year career in various management positions with Levi Strauss & Co. In April 2024, she found herself unexpectedly retired.
Giving back to the community was ingrained in Jennifer from her years at LS&Co., as well as her own moral code. With more time on her hands, she was anxious to find volunteer opportunities that spoke to her. Her brother put her in touch with Tim Ford, a fellow church member and a RAN Board Member, and the rest is history!
Jennifer’s parents are in their mid-90s and blessed. She recognizes that not every senior shares their privilege, which is why she became a volunteer driver in June 2024. She loves what RAN offers to both senior riders and volunteers, and she is thrilled to have been given the opportunity to expand her involvement as a RAN Board Member.
Mike Cooper
Jennifer Blair
Jennifer Blair
Board Member
Mike is business director and co-founder of Naperville Senior Center, an adult day services facility dedicated to providing quality care to older adults, including those with cognitive or physical challenges. He is also founder, head chef and chief sales officer, at Sales Kitchen, a sales training and consulting company, begu
Board Member
Mike is business director and co-founder of Naperville Senior Center, an adult day services facility dedicated to providing quality care to older adults, including those with cognitive or physical challenges. He is also founder, head chef and chief sales officer, at Sales Kitchen, a sales training and consulting company, begun in 2008, specializing in cooking up selling solutions to improve results. Mike is a Certified Caregiver Coach, Certified Sales Trainer, past chair of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce Speakers Bureau, and team leader for American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. Mike earned a degree in business administration, focusing on marketing, as well as an MBA from Northeastern University in Boston. He and his wife, Pam, have been residents of Naperville since 1994, where their two children attended Ranchview Elementary, Kennedy Junior High, and Naperville Central High School.
Sheela Jaiswal
Jennifer Blair
Sheela Jaiswal
Board Member
Sheela Jaiswal is a long-time resident of Naperville, living in the community for the past 15+ years. She is one of the founders of Salome Foundation, a non-profit specializing in education and empowerment for the underprivileged. Sheela serves on the board of Ride Assist Naperville (RAN), is a charity lead with Indian Women o
Board Member
Sheela Jaiswal is a long-time resident of Naperville, living in the community for the past 15+ years. She is one of the founders of Salome Foundation, a non-profit specializing in education and empowerment for the underprivileged. Sheela serves on the board of Ride Assist Naperville (RAN), is a charity lead with Indian Women of Naperville (IWON), volunteers at Hesed House, Mutual Grounds, Fishes & Loaves, Sewa, Feed My Starving Children, Akshayapatra, and ISKCON Naperville.
As the founder of Core Business Software P. Ltd, India, Sheela was instrumental in the design and development of CoreCRM software. Sheela holds a Master’s degree in Arts from Osmania University, India. An avid traveler, Sheela lives with her husband and 3 children. Her personal interests include community service, travel, and gardening.
Sheela is multilingual, proficient in English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam Languages and moderate proficiency in Punjabi and Gujarati languages.
Rushi Kothari
Jennifer Blair
Sheela Jaiswal
Board Member
Rushi, a graduate of Naperville North, brings his passion for teamwork to every endeavor. After earning a BS in Electrical & Computer Engineering from UIUC (Go Illini!) and an MBA from Chicago Booth, he began his career at Accenture, partnering with Fortune 100 clients to shape business strategy and deliver technical solutions
Board Member
Rushi, a graduate of Naperville North, brings his passion for teamwork to every endeavor. After earning a BS in Electrical & Computer Engineering from UIUC (Go Illini!) and an MBA from Chicago Booth, he began his career at Accenture, partnering with Fortune 100 clients to shape business strategy and deliver technical solutions. Today, he serves as a Business Development and Product Executive at Amazon, supporting underserved communities worldwide by expanding internet connectivity and helping close the digital divide.
A RAN volunteer since 2024, Rushi is inspired by his own family’s experiences and driven by his belief in the power of neighbors supporting one another. He is honored to join the board and looks forward to helping grow RAN’s reach and impact, ensuring more residents can rely on this vital service. Rushi and his wife, both Chicago-area natives, live in Naperville with their playful puppy. They enjoy traveling, exploring new restaurants, spending time with family and friends, and spoiling their pup every chance they get.