Our Team

Staff

Donna Palomba Founder & President

Donna Palomba
Founder & President

Carol Wilton Program & Accounts Manager

Carol Wilton
Program & Accounts Manager

Brooke Whipple
Social Media Manager


Rachelle Behuniak
Administrative Coordinator


Board of Directors | Officers

Ann Feinberg SecretaryEducator, Attorney, Non-profit Advisor  (retired)

Ann Feinberg
Chairman

Educator, Attorney, Non-profit Advisor
(retired)

Scott Semple Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Correction, (Retired)

Scott Semple
Secretary

President, Semple Consulting
Commissioner, Connecticut Department
of Correction, (Retired)

Diana Altobelli TreasurerCommercial Systems & Services Aftermarket Finance Manager,  Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company

Diana Altobelli
Treasurer

Commercial Systems & Services Aftermarket Finance Manager,
Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company


Board of Directors

Lori Turmel-Kecskes Owner  Employers Reference Source

Lori Kecskes
Owner
Employers Reference Source

Anna Bower Richardson
Administrative & Information Coordinator
DirectWomen

NYU CAS Class of 2020
Presidential Honors Scholar

Chloe Langer
Partner
Henry & Giardina, LLP

Armando Paolino
Principal
Levin, Paolino & Christ

LaVerne Campbell
Department of Social Services

James Higgins, MBA, CUDE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Skyline Financial Federal Credit Union


Directors Emeritus

Kathy Brochhausen
Senior Vice President
Community Relations Officer, Ion Bank
Executive Director, Ion Bank Foundation

Grace Linhard
Chief Development Officer
Nuvance Health


Survivors Speak Workshop Facilitators

Tracey Blackman

Letamarie Highsmith

Sue Blasavage

Barb Jenkins

Meghan Charette

Michelle Giorno

Tara Flynn

Patti Ieraci


Sue Blasavage

Survivors Speak Advisory Board

Sue Blasavage

Tracey Blackman

Business Owner and Marketing Advisor

Tara Flynn

Philanthropy Coordinator, Hartford Healthcare

Letamarie Highsmith Education Co-ChairCLH Holdings Company, Hamden, CT

Letamarie Highsmith

CLH Holdings Company, Hamden, CT

Patti Ieraci, LPC

Psychotherapist

Carmelita Rifkin Education Co-ChairPhysical Therapist, Reiki Master/Teacher

Barb Jenkins

Office Manager & Customer Advocate/Producer

Carmelita Rifkin

Physical Therapist, Reiki Master/Teacher

Troy Schinkel

Educator


Survivors Speak Outreach Team


Advisory Board

 

Rebecca Abbott
Professor of Communications, Quinnipiac University

Robert A. Alvine
President, Premier Automotive Group

Tim Banker
Solution Principal, Slalom Consulting

Karen Brand
Director of Communications for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority

Kathy Brochhausen
Senior Vice President,
Community Relations Officer, Ion Bank
Executive Director, Ion Bank Foundation

John Buturla
Chief of Police and Government Administrator, Retired

Maria Cappella
Sales & Customer Service Administrator, Design-2-Part

Rick Caswell
Faculty Director, Forensic Accounting Certificate Program, Wake Forest University

Daisy Cocco De Filippis
Interim President, Hostos Community College; President, Naugatuck Valley Community College, Retired

Peg Cohen
The Star Supply, Retired

Laura Daley
Founding Partner, Insight Learning Partners; co-author, Talk Your Way to the Top

Tracy DiGiovancarlo
Financial Analyst, The Hartford

Bill Dreska
Senior Vice President, Black Diamond Media

Micheal Eck
Author, Coach, Entrepreneur

Thomas Flaherty
Executive Director, Police Officers Standards and Training, Retired

Jeanette Horan
Chief Information Officer, IBM, Retired

Carson Jacobi, MPH
Vice President, Corporate Giving, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Peter J. Jacoby, MD, FACEP Chairman, Department of Emergency Services, St. Mary's Hospital, Waterbury, CT

David Read Johnson, PhD
Director, Post Traumatic Stress Center, LLC; Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine 

Dr. Henry C. Lee
Internationally renowned forensic scientist; Chief Emeritus, CT State Police; Founder, Henry C. Lee Forensic Institute, University of New Haven, Retired

Grace Linhard Chief Development Officer, Nuvance Health 

Gary MacNamara
Exec. Dir. Public Safety & Gov't. Affairs, Sacred Heart University; Police Chief for town of Fairfield CT, Retired 

Graham Main VP of Financial Planning & Analysis, Communications Systems, L3Harris

Jocelyn Maminta Director of Communications,
Fairfield Region

Sarah Man
Second Vice President, Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Wendy Marx
President, Marx Communications, Inc. 

Edward F. Moore
Chief of Police, Saratoga Springs, NY, Retired

John Murray
Publisher and Editor, The Waterbury Observer, Waterbury, CT

Joe Natarelli
Partner, Marcum, LLP

Neil O'Leary
Mayor, City of Waterbury, CT  

Elaine Pagliaro
Forensic Science Consultant 

Peggy Panagrossi Executive Director, Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury, Retired

Hilary Pearl
Founder & Partner, Pearl Associates

Johanna Petit Chapman Petit Family Foundation

Dr. William A. Petit, Jr. President, Petit Family Foundation, CT State Representative, 22nd District

David R. Polgar
Associate Professor, Lincoln College of New England

Inga Lee Puentes Corporate Responsibility - Supply Chain, Raytheon Technologies

Santo Sampino, DC, RD
President, Armonk Nutrition 

Daniele Serrano
Vice President, East Coast Training Systems 

Drew Serrano
President, East Coast Training Systems 

Dan Sherr
Database marketing consultant; mentor to non-profits; community activist; Vice President, Integrated Media, Valassis, Retired 

Joe Sudol
Consultant, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; Henry C. Lee Forensic Institute, Retired

Nick Torello
President and Owner, Torello Tire Company LLC, East Haven, CT 

Jim Van Hoof
CFO/CSO, Electriq Power Inc.

Doug Veillette
Financial Advisor-Managing Director, Veillette, Donato & Associates, Ameriprise Financial 

Lynn G. Ward
President and CEO, Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce 

Lisa Wexler
Author, Host, The Lisa Wexler Show; Probate Judge, Westport/Weston

Maureen Norris Wilkas Attorneys at Law, Norris Law Firm 1960-2018

Rob Kane
Connecticut State Auditor
1967-2021