BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Pam Koner, Founder/Board President

Pam Koner is the founder and executive director of Family-to-Family, as well as Chairman of its Board of Directors, and she manages Family-to-Family full time. In December 2015 she launched and now manages The Marvin Koner Archive, a collection of photographs taken by her late father, renowned photojournalist Marvin Koner. A former entrepreneur in Hastings on Hudson, New York, Pam developed and ran The Homework Club Programs, a group of creative arts based childcare programs (click here for a New York Times article on The Homework Club). Pam was formerly a fashion stylist and producer, and is the mother of two grown daughters, Olivia and Chloe.

Natalie Barry, Vice President & Treasurer

Natalie Barry is a marketing consultant, specializing in competitive analysis and the assessment of new business opportunities.  Previously, she spent 18 years working on strategic planning and business development for a major telecommunications company. She is the Co-President of the Hastings Historical Society, which is dedicated to preserving the history of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY.  She has a BA in English from Georgetown University and an MBA in Marketing from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Nicole Hazard, Vice President

Nicole Hazard, of Rye, New York, has over 20 years experience in the non-profit field. She is currently the Head of HR Strategy, Analytics and Innovation at AXA US, and was formerly the Executive Director of the Red Ribbon Foundation, an organization that funds domestic and international HIV/AIDS programs. As a program manager, planner, and policy analyst, Nicole has worked in diverse non-profit and government settings in her career, ranging from the community-based child welfare/mental health arena, to the legal services and legislative advocacy field. Nicole has two daughters and is active in several community and professional groups. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College and holds her JD and MSW from the University of Connecticut.

Jim O’Shea, Secretary

Jim O’Shea was born in Ireland and has lived in New York since 1977. He works for Skanska USA Inc., a construction company, in Queens, N.Y., where he is the Chief Ethics, Compliance and Administrative Officer. Previously he has worked in HR for over 20 years, with companies such as Olympus America Inc., Cunard Line and the Walt Disney Company. Jim is married and has two adult children, Janna and Justin, and one grandson, Desmond. His wife, Julie, is a Doctor of Audiology at a private practice in White Plains, N.Y. Jim has collaborated with Pam on Family-to-Family since September 2003, when he launched the Rye Neck, New York chapter of F-to-F, which supported families in Pembroke, Illinois.

Inara de Leon

Inara has worked in television news for more than 30 years as a writer and producer at the network, local and syndicated levels.  She worked as a producer at Consumer Reports TV for twelve years where she focused on stories concerning money, health and safety issues. She currently works as a freelance tv producer and as a media trainer for corporate and non-profit clients. In her free time, she is on the board of the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program, and also assists the Rivertown Dance Academy of Tarrytown with fundraising and public awareness. She and her husband Todd Norbitz live in Chappaqua and have two grown children, Chiara and Ben. She is a graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. One of her proudest and longest standing connections is with Pam Koner, the founder of this program. They have been friends since they were fifth graders at PS 69 in Manhattan.

MANAGEMENT

Nancy Hennessee, Program Director

Nancy Hennessee oversees the day-to-day operations of Family-to-Family, supervises staff, coordinates the family sponsorship program and writes and edits the Family-to-Family website.  In her spare time, she works as a freelance editor.  Nancy was formerly a writer and television news producer for CBS News, reporting on economics and general news events. She is a graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, and lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York with her children, dog and cat.

Sharon Wunderlich, Director of Development

ASSOCIATES

Joy Grenci, Administrative Assistant

Joy joined Family-to-Family in 2010 to provide much needed administrative support to the program, and she currently keeps track of everything from sponsors to on-line payments. She worked for 21 years for Kraft Foods, where her last job was as a buyer in the procurement department. More recently Joy was the Program Coordinator for a not-for-profit music and art therapy program which served children with special needs. In Joy’s “spare time” she enjoys caring for her two grandchildren.

Nell Meruelo, Projects Coordinator

Nell Meruelo has worked for Family-to-Family on and off since 2013. She works matching sponsors, as well as assisting with special yearly donation drives and other administrative tasks. In her spare time she enjoys pet sitting, gardening and playing video games. Nell has a BA in Sociology from the University of Connecticut, and lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband and animals.

Katie Wisz, Donations Assistant

Katie Wisz has been with Family-to-Family since 2019. She primarily works on donor support and matching families with sponsors. She has a B.A. in Psychology and Special/Elementary Education from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, and taught elementary school in New Jersey for 12 years before taking time off when her son was born. She currently lives in Hastings-on-Hudson with her husband and son and in her spare time she enjoys photography and hiking.

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Dr. Ed Beglane, former Principal, Thomas Cornell Academy
Paul Feiner, Town Supervisor, Greenburgh, NY
John Fountain, Prof. of Journalism, Roosevelt Univ. and Columnist, Chicago Sun-Times
Kevin Hartnett, former Managing Dir., Brynwood Partners
Joanne Hogan, Sr. Marketing Director, PepsiCo
Edie Magnus, Executive Director, Media, Mercy College
Kathy Sommerich, Dir. of Health Services, Good Shepherd Foster Services
Peter Swiderski, former Mayor of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Josh Witz, Principal, J3 Real Estate Advisors

ASSOCIATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Elizabeth Adinolfi, Partner, Phillips Nizer LLP
Jennifer Holiday, Marketing Director, 744 Creative
Susan Kangas
Sarah Nix, Director, Global Data Governance, Viacom Media Networks