Robin Hamon, MSW
studied under Virginia and David as the Best Friends Approach was being developed, while managing the Best Friends Day Center (formally known as the Helping Hand Respite Program) for the Alzheimer's Association. She brings a special interest in providing opportunities for art expression to persons with Alzheimer's disease. She has developed a full day arts training program for caregivers, called Hands & Hearts for Arts, to teach the "knack" of providing art experiences to persons with dementia. Robin also enjoys training in Communication, Activities and Related Disorders. She has published an article on creative clay and scrap wood sculpture in the Activity Director's Quarterly (2003), and has co-authored The Best Friends Book of Alzheimer's Activities with Virginia Bell, David Troxel, and Tonya Cox.

Robin is the Caregiver Support Counselor for the Alzheimer's Disease Center at the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. She earned a Masters degree in Social Work at the University of Kentucky in 1991. She is currently working on a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree at U.K.

Tonya M. Cox, MSW
began working in dementia care in 1995 at the Best Friends Day Center (formerly Helping Hand Respite program) developing and leading activities for persons with memory loss. In 2004, she co-authored The Best Friend's Book of Alzheimer's Activities with Virginia Bell, David Troxel and Robin Hamon. Tonya has presented at numerous local and national conferences on activity programming, Alzheimer's disease and caregiving.

Tonya is currently the Vice President for Education and Programs for the Alzheimer's Association — Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter where she develops programs and services for persons with dementia, their caregivers, and professionals throughout Kentucky and southern Indiana. She earned her Masters in Social Work from the University of Kentucky. Tonya currently serves on the Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Council and is a part-time faculty member of the Louisville Kent School of Social Work.