Board & Staff

Monica and her husband, Charlie, moved to New Canaan in 2011. Their family includes four children, ranging in ages from 17 to 5.

Monica is passionate about serving her community. She is Co-Chair of Friends of Mead Park Playground, the grassroots nonprofit group that spearheaded a fundraising campaign to transform the playgrounds at Mead Park. She is also Co-Chair of New Canaan Moms Community Collective, another nonprofit group established during the pandemic to provide assistance to individuals and nonprofit organizations in New Canaan and surrounding communities.

Monica holds a B.S. in Political Science from Purchase College. Together with her husband, she is a licensed Foster Parent with the state of Connecticut.

John Sheffield’s career spans more than 20 years focused on strategy, finance and accounting with increasing levels of responsibilities and team leadership across investment banking, corporate roles and in private equity. Now in private equity for a New Canaan-based firm he co-founded in 2018, he has acquired and helped grow multiple portfolio companies in the manufacturing and industrials sectors.

John has worked with multiple investment banks, ranging from a successful boutique to a global “bulge bracket” bank. He also led the very active corporate development effort for a Blackstone portfolio company focused on medical device manufacturing. Early in his career, he developed a strong foundation in the fundamentals of accounting as a CPA with a Big 4 public accounting firm. As the CFO for a publicly-traded medical supplies manufacturer and for a private equity backed fintech company, his experiences have included successful turn-around and early-stage situations.  Now in private equity, he is enjoying partnering with family/founders to grow the companies they created to the next level, while still preserving the founder’s legacy.

John and his wife Amy moved to New Canaan in 2003 and returned again in 2010 after a brief stint (2007-10) in Texas. They have 3 children in the NCPS system. John served on the NC Board of Finance for 6 years from 2011 to 2017, including a period as its Chairman.  He was also active for a while as a volunteer firefighter for the New Canaan Fire Company.

Erica earned a B.S.E. in Operations Research Engineering from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In her prior work, she was a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers, IBM and Bain & Company. Her non-profit experience includes roles in development for Achievement First Charter Schools and grants management for a private family foundation.

Erica and her husband, Andrew, moved to New Canaan in 2010 and have two elementary school children. Erica has volunteered for several New Canaan organizations over the years. She was a Board member for the New Canaan Newcomers for five years, the Young Women's League of New Canaan for five years and the New Canaan CARES parent Board for two years. She was most recently Co-President of the West Elementary School Parent Teacher Council, where she was also a Board member for three years. At the NCCF, Erica has co-chaired the annual appeal and the events & communications committee, and volunteered on the luncheon committee and grant review committee for three years.

Dan is a Partner at Reynolds + Rowella, a regional accounting and consulting firm — he leads R+R’s Assurance Services Group. With a professional background in assurance, Dan began working with nonprofit organizations starting in the mid-2000s, while at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Dan served in the United States Marine Corps for four years on active duty prior to being honorably discharged in 1988. He is a member of the Marine Veterans of Fairfield County which sponsors the Toys for Tots program in the Fairfield County area and Treasurer of the Building Hope Foundation, a 501c3 organization that assists families, veterans and other charitable organizations of Fairfield County with food donations, music lessons, as well as an annual scholarship.

Dan and his wife, Joann, reside in Weston where they raised their two children, Alyson, a schoolteacher in South Carolina, and Michael, an Intellectual Property Litigation Attorney in NYC. Dan proudly coached both of his children in tee ball through little league. When not reviewing financial statements, Dan can usually be found traveling with Joann, playing golf or fishing.

Jim Clayton retired from GE Capital in 2016, where he was Senior Managing Director and head of the Leveraged Finance Group, which managed GE's relationships with the 50 largest U.S. private equity firms.  Prior to joining GE, he was Senior Managing Director and co-head of the Private Equity Coverage Group at Deutsche Bank. Jim began his career at Bankers Trust Company in 1980, was promoted to Vice President in 1985, Managing Director in 1988, and Partner in 1995.  Jim earned a B.A. in Economics from Kalamazoo College and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Michigan.

He is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Kalamazoo College, and is an emeritus member of the Corporate Advisory Board of the University of Michigan Business School, the Board of Trustees of the Congregational Church of New Canaan, and the Board of Governors of the Country Club of New Canaan.

Jim and his wife Barbara are originally from Michigan, and have resided in New Canaan since 1986. They have five children and one grandchild. Barb is President of New Canaan EMS. Jim and Barb love travel and golf, and spend time when they can at their home in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Jim is also an avid skier and reader of history.

Meg Soffen joined the New Canaan Community Foundation in May 2021 as a Foundation Associate.  She graduated from New York University in 2019 with a BA in Public Policy.

As far back as she can remember, Meg has been committed to serving her community through nonprofit work. She arrived at NCCF equipped with experience from The Legal Aid Society, The Door, Pro Bono Net and the Planned Parenthood of Maryland. Though New Canaan became her new home, Meg is true to her roots and continues to serve as Chair of the Fundraising Committee for the Sierra Club, Maryland Chapter. She is excited to bring her passion for economic and environmental justice to her work in New Canaan.

Outside of work, Meg can be found hiking with the company of a good podcast and her dog, Dahlia!

Kristina Woods and her husband, Peter, moved to New Canaan in 2004. She is a former board member of HBS Community Partners of Connecticut, a 501c3 organization providing pro-bono consulting to area non-profits. As a Community Partners volunteer, she had the opportunity to work on projects for many local organizations including Arts for Healing, the New Canaan Nature Center, Person to Person and The Maritime Aquarium. She has also volunteered at the First Presbyterian Church and the New Canaan Public Schools, where both of her sons, now teenagers, have been students since kindergarten.

Prior to moving to New Canaan, Kristina worked as a strategy consultant in both the US and the UK. She has a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Kristina has served as a New Canaan Community Foundation site visit volunteer and a member of the Community Investments Committee for several years.

Karen holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and started her career as a Business Analyst for Burroughs Corporation.  At Airco Industrial Gases, a subsidiary of BOC International, she was named Manager of Capital Evaluations for the U.S. and later assumed responsibility for day-to-day operations and profitability of the Domestic Hydrogen and International Bulk Helium product lines.

She moved with her family to New Canaan in 1997 and became an active volunteer in the school system and the community.  She served on the board of the New Canaan Beautification League for many years where she variously chaired Publicity, Educational Programs and Lee House/ tenant oversite. She was also a board member of the Newcomers Club and Encore.

Karen co-chaired the 2019-20 Annual Appeal for the New Canaan Community Foundation and is currently a member of the Development Committee.  She has participated in the Site Review and Sapienza Scholarship Committees for three years each and looks forward to continued involvement with NCCF, a dynamic organization that makes a tangible impact on our town and the broader community.

Jeff enjoyed a thirty-four year career as an investment banker, during which he advised major telecoms and media companies on strategic and capital markets transactions.

He then retired to a second career as a volunteer advocate for the resolution of the important issue of climate change. IN 2015, he founded and is the Chairman of the Alliance for Market Solutions, an organization that advocates with Congress on the advisability of a carbon tax. He was the founding co-chair and still serves on the Board of Environmental Defense Fund Action and also serves on the Board of the influential think tank, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Until 2018 when they became full-time residents in New Canaan, Jeff and his family divided their time between New Canaan and New York City. During that time, he volunteered on the Board of the New Canaan Library for ten years and, from 2013 to 2015 was instrumental in negotiating a renewed relationship between the Silver Hill Hospital and the New Canaan community. He served with the New Canaan Community Foundation as a volunteer in its most recent grant-making initiative.

Aaron Cooper has been Head of School at New Canaan Country School since 2018.  He came to New Canaan after stints at The Elisabeth Morrow School (NJ), Peck School (NJ), Germantown Friends School (PA), and with the A Better Chance (PA) organization. He served on the board of The Community Chest of Englewood while in New Jersey, an organization with a similar mission to the NCCF.  Aaron and his wife, Kara, are passionate about community, education, and diversity and equity work.  They reside in New Canaan with their two daughters, Julia (14) and Charlotte (12), and their dog Baxter.

An attorney for more than 30 years, Lampert brings extensive talent and experience to the Foundation’s Board. He is a founding partner of the New Canaan Law Firm Lampert, Toohey and Rucci, whose expertise includes real estate transactions, construction litigation and Estate planning.

In addition to his law practice, Todd was a founder of the Bank of New Canaan – now Bankwell, and currently serves as a director. He has served on the board of Waveny LifeCare Network and as president of the New Canaan Connecticut Bar Association.

Todd earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and Accounting at the University of Colorado and a Law Degree from the University of Bridgeport. A longtime resident of New Canaan, Todd and his wife Antoinette have three grown children.

Eileen Boyd is presently a Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Manager with People's United Bank for the Stamford Region and a Certified General CRE Appraiser. Prior to real estate, she had spent over 20 years in financial services in various management, marketing and analytics roles with Greenwich Associates, Morgan Stanley, State Bank and Fidelity Investments. She has a BA from Stonehill College and an MBA from Babson College.

She has been a resident of New Canaan since 2000 and an active member of the community. Over the years, she has served on various boards and commissions including Young Women's League, Outback Teen Center, New Canaan Preservation Alliance, the Town's Planning and Zoning Commission and National Charity League, that includes president of the Canaan Parish Chapter. She has been an active volunteer at many non profits as well as with New Canaan Public Schools and New Canaan Community Foundation.

Dan, his wife, Penny, and their two sons moved to New Canaan in 1995. Dan earned his BA from Williams College and a JD from Harvard Law School.  After a brief career as a litigator, Dan switched into commercial real estate, holding various positions in development, asset management and portfolio management for Hines, The Yarmouth Group, Lend Lease and Rockefeller Group. While working for Lend Lease, Dan and his family lived for four years in Sydney and London.  He retired as Co-President and CEO of Rockefeller Group in 2018.

Dan is a member and past Chairman of the Association for Real Property and Infrastructure and served on the Carleton College Parents Council from 2006 - 2009.  Penny has served on the Board of Education, the Board of Trustees of the Library and various school building committees.  Both of their sons are New Canaan High School graduates.

Nicole Kolenberg joined the New Canaan Community Foundation as the Community Engagement Officer in April 2019.  She is a graduate of The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and holds her BA in Politics.

Nicole has worked in the non-profit world since her time in college. Nicole comes with experience from Mental Health America, Active Minds, and most recently the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Nicole is excited to bring her experience and passion for mental health to help the Foundation focus on behavioral health in the New Canaan community.

While not at work, you can find Nicole spending time with her golden retriever, Murphy, along with family and friends in Stamford, CT where she resides.

Elizabeth Cahill is at U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. Based in Greenwich, CT, she has more than 30 years of experience in corporate banking and wealth management. Prior to U.S. Trust, she was with Bank of Boston from 1985 until 2001. Elizabeth is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, MA. She is the recent Past President of the Estate Planning Council of Lower Fairfield County. She is a member of the Association of Corporate Growth (ACG), of Connecticut, a network of private equity providers and financial advisors. She is a member of the Exit Planning Exchange, (XPX), a multi-disciplinary community of professional advisors who work collaboratively to help owners build valuable businesses and assist them in preparing and executing a successful transition.

Hannah joined the staff of the New Canaan Community Foundation in 2018 with varied experience across nonprofit organizations. Most recently she completed two terms of service as an AmeriCorps member in Dallas, TX, where she worked to build capacity and raise awareness for Reading Partners, a literacy intervention program. She has worked extensively in education and programming, including the Public Education Department of the New York Botanical Garden. Hannah graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of North Texas, and also attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Hannah is a New York City native who has called Fairfield County home for 18 years.  She is passionate about volunteering which has included working at the New Canaan Nature Center, Earthplace in Westport, and the Norwalk Mentoring Program. Hannah is excited to serve the philanthropic community of New Canaan.

Laura earned a B.S. in Psychology, with a minor in Spanish, from Dartmouth College, and worked in New York City for 12 years as a Manager at Anderson Consulting (Accenture) and Vice President at Lehman Brothers in Derivative Products. Laura and her husband, Eric, moved to New Canaan in 1995, shortly after the birth of their first child. They now have 3 children, aged 24, 21, and 19.

Laura has volunteered extensively since moving to New Canaan. All three of her children attended the Whitby School in Greenwich, CT, where Laura served on the Board for 6 years, chairing the Governance Committee and serving on the Strategic Planning Committee during a critical phase in the school’s growth. She also was active in a wide variety of classroom, fundraising, and school functions during the 17 years that her children attended the school. Laura continued a variety of volunteer activities at each of her children’s high schools. She was a Board member of the New Canaan Young Women’s League, chairing the Charity Research Committee for three years. Laura is also a founding Board member of the Friends of Women’s Rugby at Dartmouth College.

Laura has served for four years on site visit committees for the New Canaan Community Foundation, for three years on the Sapienza Scholarship Committee, and has been active on both the Luncheon and Annual Appeal Committees.

Frank Fetchet is a full time volunteer at Voices of September 11th (VOICES) assisting with the non-profit’s strategy, business development and operations. He retired from IBM in 2005 after a career of over three decades.

Frank held a variety of sales, marketing and executive management positions while at IBM. He began as a sales trainee and advanced through numerous staff and line positions. In addition, he held a variety of executive positions with IBM in the New York tri-state area. Following his retirement from IBM, Frank established Fetchet Consulting LLC which helped firms with their route-to-market and distribution strategies.

Frank is a Eucharistic Minister at St. Aloysius Parish, established the Bradley J Fetchet Memorial Foundation and supports many local New Canaan charities. He holds a Business Administration degree from Youngstown State University and completed an IBM-sponsored Certified Client Director program through the Harvard University Business School

Lauren Patterson joined the New Canaan Community Foundation as President & CEO in October 2016. She has worked in community philanthropy for more than a decade, and is passionate about helping families and businesses meet their charitable goals.

Prior to joining NCCF, Lauren served as Director of Programs at Washington Area Women’s Foundation where she led the foundation’s grantmaking, advocacy, and research, which focused on the economic security of women and girls. Previously, she managed grantmaking and donor engagement at The Community Foundation for Montgomery County, an affiliate of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region.

Lauren has worked with or served on many coalitions, cross-sector efforts, and funders collaboratives, including the Early Care & Education Funders Collaborative, the Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative, and the Ascend Network of the Aspen Institute. She currently serves on the Board of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy.

Lauren holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the College of the Holy Cross. She lives in New Canaan with her husband.

Joe Prior moved to New Canaan with his wife Laura who grew up in nearby Weston, and their three young children in 2009.  He spent the majority of his career at the investment management firm D. E. Shaw & Co. from where he retired in 2015 after managing the firm's U.S. convertible bond business.  He earned an A.B. in Government from Cornell University.  Joe is taking a break from the corporate world and is excited to take on a role at the NCCF.  Laura, also an active NCCF volunteer, has served on the East School PTC Board and is currently working to launch KidsCare, a program designed to introduce philanthropy to kids at an early age.

Tom founded HTG Investment Advisors Inc. in 1993 and serves as CEO and Chief Investment Officer of the firm. Tom has extensive background in the theory and practice of portfolio design employing the principles of strategic asset allocation and diversification. Since founding HTG, Tom has worked with numerous clients to address a wide range of financial situations and goals. Tom brings planning and management experience from his earlier careers in the corporate world and the venture capital industry.

Prior to founding HTG, he was a general partner of three venture capital funds where he managed investments and served on the board of directors of several early-stage companies. Earlier, Tom was an executive at NCR Corporation where he directed product and strategic planning for the firm's worldwide business in the financial industry and was general manager of a major business unit. He also served for three years as an officer in the United States Air Force.

Tom earned an MBA degree with distinction at Harvard Business School. He obtained his MS degree in Engineering at UCLA; and graduated summa cum laude at Duke University, where he earned his BSEE degree.

Tom and his wife, Jeanne, moved to New Canaan in 1983. Jeanne co-founded and helps run HTG Investment Advisors Inc.. They have three children, two of whom attended Saxe and NCHS, and seven grandchildren. Tom's community activities include serving on the board of directors of the United Way of New Canaan and Staying Put in New Canaan, as well as membership in the Exchange Club of New Canaan and St. Mark's Church.

Sharon earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College in Economics and worked for ten years on Wall Street at Bankers Trust and then CS First Boston as a Vice-President in Institutional Municipal Bond Sales. Sharon and her husband, Alan, moved to New Canaan in 1994 to start their family. They now have two daughters, ages 20 and 17.

Sharon has been an active volunteer in the community since leaving Wall Street. She chaired the corporate underwriting for the Groundbreaking Celebration for the Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk and has been an avid volunteer in the New Canaan public school system since her daughters began to attend.

Sharon has been a member of the local New Canaan Chapter of National Charity League, Inc. since 2007 and has served on her chapter's board for five years, culminating in her role as President. She has also held national and district leadership positions for National Charity League, Inc. over the last four years.

Sharon is a past Co-Chair of the Annual Appeal Campaign for the New Canaan Community Foundation and has been a member of the Appeal Committee and Touch a Life Luncheon Committee in previous years.

Phil is an experienced executive and venture capitalist. Phil spent 30 years as a management consultant with Accenture, where he focused on the Life Sciences area, holding a variety of leadership positions. His consulting work focused on defining and executing strategies to create leading-edge business capabilities, working with U.S. and internationally-headquartered pharmaceutical companies, biotech, and medical product producers, as well as contract research organizations.

Since retiring from Accenture in 2010, Phil has focused on venture capital investment and consulting, and is a founding member and principal of a venture capital investing group with holdings in renewable energy, health and life sciences, and advanced materials industries. He has served in interim leadership roles as well as chairing and/or participating on the board for a number of the companies involved.

Phil is active with higher education, having served on a number of advisory committees and the Board of Trustees for Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. He is currently a member of the Executive Committee and the Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee for the board.

Phil has a B.S. in Engineering from Lehigh University. He and his wife, Kajsa, live in New Canaan, and have two college-age daughters, Morgan and Mallory.

Laura is co-founder and managing director of FraserWalbert Media LLC, which provides marketing and communications materials to professional services and financial services clients. Earlier in her career, Laura served as a staff writer for Forbes magazine, a columnist for Institutional Investor, and a freelance contributor to a range of publications.                  

Laura and her husband, Bill, have lived in New Canaan since 1990 and raised their three children here. During those years, Laura’s volunteer activities included active roles in school PFAs, Young Women’s League, National Charity League, United Way, Boys Scouts, the ABC (A Better Chance) program, and the veterans’ organization, Homes for the Brave. After serving as a Girl Scout leader for 12 years, including two as the New Canaan Service Unit Manager, Laura is currently on the board of operators for the Merrie Bee Girl Scout Cabin. Laura is also a longtime Trustee of the United Methodist Church of New Canaan. Laura is a graduate of the Syracuse University Newhouse School.

Jay and Linda Twombly moved to New Canaan, from Charlotte, NC in 1992. Jay is an Operating Partner with the New York City based Private Equity Fund, the Snow Phipps Group, where he serves as Chairman of Boyd Corporation. Jay earned a BA in Economics from St. Lawrence University and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College.

When asked why he would agree to serve on the Board of NCCF, he replied “I feel The Foundation is the highest impact Charitable Organization in Fairfield County. I am extremely impressed with the significant impact the grants and awards have on the success of local nonprofit organization and individuals, while at the same time the Foundation fosters a wonderful philanthropic education effort to ensure future generations will participate in Philanthropy.”

John, his wife, Anne-Marie, and their two children moved to New Canaan in 2007. John is a retired corporate partner from Davis Polk & Wardwell where he worked for 23 years in New York, Paris and London. He received a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University and a J.D. and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.

Since retiring, John has been actively involved in the community, including as a volunteer for the Community Foundation and as a member of the Exchange Club of New Canaan, a service organization that raises funds for local charities.His son and daughter were both participants in the Community Foundation's Young Philanthropist Program.

Michelle joined the New Canaan Community Foundation staff as Development Manager in April 2014. She earned an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Davis, and a Masters degree in Environmental Science from Yale University.

Michelle brings more than fifteen years of experience working at nonprofit environmental organizations, including most recently, the New Canaan Nature Center. Before moving to New Canaan, she worked in transportation policy and advocacy for twelve years, first at the DC-based Surface Transportation Policy Project, and then at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign in New York City. She served as director of research for both organizations, conducting data analysis and authoring reports on transportation safety, air quality, and social equity.

Michelle and her husband Dan have two children and have lived in New Canaan since 2010.

Janet is a Canadian CPA, CA (Chartered Accountant). She has owned her own professional practice since 1989, serving clients in Canada. Previous to that, she was Chief Financial Officer for a medium sized retail stock broker in Toronto. She spent the first 8 years of her career with Deloitte in Toronto. Janet and her family moved to New Canaan in 2001.

After moving to the United States, her community service has included board positions with the Connecticut Chapter of the American Red Cross, the New Canaan Red Cross, and the Carriage Barn Arts Center, the latter two where she also held the position of Treasurer. Janet has served as President of the New Canaan High School Parent Faculty Association, President of Encore Club and President of the Newcomer’s Club of New Canaan. She also volunteers with Meals on Wheels and has served on the Outreach committee for First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan. Janet is a past co-chair of the Annual Appeal Committee for the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF) and has served on distribution panels for the NCCF for the past several years.

Kathy has been a resident of New Canaan since 1995. She earned both her BA and JD degrees from Boston College and worked as a corporate transactional attorney for Chadbourne and Parke, a large international law firm and as corporate counsel to Fortune Brands, Inc., a fortune 500 company.

Kathy has also been a tireless volunteer. She currently provides pro bono legal services to a women’s shelter in Westchester County. She continues to volunteer at New Canaan High School currently co chairing the school’s Scholarship Drive. In addition, she has been a Girl Scout troop leader and has served on the board of both the New Canaan Soccer and Basketball Associations.

She is a member of the New York and Connecticut Bar Associations, and lives in New Canaan with her husband and two children.

Marjorie O’Connor Furman has been a New Canaan resident for 10 years. She lives with her husband Nat, who was raised in New Canaan, and their three children.

During her time in town Marjorie has been an active volunteer in both New Canaan and the surrounding community. Marjorie is a former board member of the New Canaan Nature Center and the New Canaan Newcomers Club. She has been a member of the Young Women’s League and a committed supporter and volunteer of Stamford Hospital.

Marjorie is also involved at West School in various capacities and at the First Presbyterian Nursery School, where she currently serves on the board.

Prior to moving to New Canaan, Marjorie worked in publishing in New York City. She received a BA in English from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, as well as a Masters of Teaching English from Fordham University. She grew up in Bronxville, NY and spends her summers on Cape Cod with her extended family.

Mr. Cronin is a native of New Canaan and a retired marketing executive. A graduate of St. Lawrence University, Tom has over 25 years of experience in consumer product marketing with multi-national companies including Nestle, Unilever and Remy Cointreau.

Tom has been an active volunteer in the community for several years. He currently serves as the Chairman of the New Canaan Public Tree Board and Treasurer of the Rotary Club of New Canaan. Tom is also a Board member of The New Canaan Land Trust and past president of The New Canaan Nature Center.

In addition to his involvement in the New Canaan community, Tom is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in Stowe, VT, and a member of the Stowe Land Trust.

A native of Chicago, Barb moved to New Canaan with her family in 2003. She has been an active volunteer, serving as President of the New Canaan High School Parent-Faculty Association, President of the Encore Club, as a Panel member for the United Way and the New Canaan Community Foundation, and as a Trustee of the Carriage Barn Arts Center.

Since 2014, Barb has been the Executive Director of Staying Put in New Canaan, a volunteer-supported non-profit agency dedicated to helping seniors stay safely in their homes and actively engaged in the community as they age. Her past professional experience includes eight years in brand management and corporate communications at the Quaker Oats Company and five years in development in the non-profit arena. Barb earned a BA from Princeton University in Comparative Literature.

Jennifer joined the New Canaan Community Foundation team in 2013. She manages the Foundation’s marketing and communications strategy, leads programs in the community, including scholarship and grantmaking, and is responsible for overseeing all foundation systems.

Jennifer is a graduate of Bucknell University with additional education from Parsons School of Design and Corcoran College of Art and Design.  She has a strong background in marketing communications, design and brand management and brings a wide range of skills to her role.

Prior to joining the Foundation Jennifer held creative and managerial roles in both corporate firms and nonprofit organizations including Hallmark Entertainment/Crown Media, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Watson Wyatt Worldwide.

Jennifer enjoys working locally and is grateful to be part of an organization that gives back to the community. Her family has resided in New Canaan since 1993 and she and her son have lived here since 2008.

Jeanette Chen joined the New Canaan Community Foundation on a part-time basis in January 2012 to lend her talents as an experienced internet professional. Jeanette is a seasoned financial services executive who turned her passion for cooking and helping others into her website and blog business at Jeanette's Healthy Living. She also works with Fortune 500 companies on health and wellness initiatives, and is actively engaged in a variety of social media platforms to stay abreast of the latest trends. She has four sons and has lived in New Canaan with her family since 1992.

Kevin and his wife Mim have been New Canaan residents since 1981. Kevin retired in 2009 after a 35-year career as a corporate attorney, the last 18 years with Merrill Lynch & Co. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and Boston College Law School.

A former board member of United Way of New Canaan, Kevin is active in New Canaan as a member of the board of Getabout, Inc. (which provides transportation to New Canaan seniors and persons with disabilities), a member of the Exchange Club of New Canaan (a service organization that raises funds for local charities), a member of the Senior Men's Club of New Canaan, and Vice Chairman of the Republican Town Committee. He also provides pro bono legal services to non-profit organizations as an Attorney Emeritus member of the New York State bar.

Kathleen Corbet, a resident of New Canaan since 1996, is a principal and co-founder of Municipal Enterprise Solutions, LLC, a consulting services firm providing financial and operational best practices and solutions to municipalities and non-profit enterprises.  Previously, Kathleen has had over 25 years in global leadership experience in the financial services industry – as founder of Cross Ridge Capital, LLC, specializing in venture capital investing and consulting; as President of Standard & Poor’s (S&P); and in investment management as Executive Vice President at AllianceBernstein, LP.

Kathleen has served on the Town of New Canaan’s Board of Finance, the Senior Healthcare and Housing Policy Development Team and is a member of the Town Hall Building Committee.  In August 2012, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy appointed Kathleen to the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority.  She also serves as a Justice of the Peace for the State of Connecticut. 

In addition to serving on the board of the New Canaan Community Foundation, Kathleen serves as a member of the Board of Directors of MassMutual and Pro Mujer and the Board of Trustees of Boston College and The Jackson Laboratory, a non-profit bio-medical research organization.

Mr. Stadler and his wife Jan have lived in New Canaan for 22 years. Tom is a retired partner from Deloitte LLP where he worked for 40 years. Tom currently serves as the Administrative Officer as well as Risk Manager for the town of New Canaan.

Tom has held several positions on the board of New Canaan Baseball/Softball, Inc. including President and Treasurer. He has also serves as Chairman of the New Canaan Family Fourth Committee and has served as a Member of the New Canaan Park and Recreation Commission and was elected Chairman of the Commission in 2007.

Mrs. Boston is a native of New Canaan and has been active in the community for many years. After graduating from Bucknell University, Susan was a Mortgage Bond Trader, Municipal bond trader and Interest Rate Swaps Trader with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith.

In addition to serving on the NCCF Board, Susan is currently a Board member of the ABC (A Better Chance) program, the New Canaan Food Pantry, and the National Charity League, New Canaan Chapter. Ms. Boston spent 14 years serving the New Canaan Service Unit of Girl Scouts of America in many key roles. Girls Scouts of America have given her numerous awards, including Outstanding Leader, Youth Community Service Award, Outstanding Volunteer and the Council Award. Working with the Veterans of Foreign Wars for nearly 10 years she has coordinated the annual program of replacing the flags on the 800 graves of veterans in New Canaan, and was instrumental in initiating the Wreaths Across New Canaan project three years ago. In 2009 Susan received New Canaan’s Asset Builder Award “Healthy Communities, Healthy Youth” and the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) awarded her with their “Community Service Award” in 2012. She has been actively involved as a volunteer in the school system, in the National Charity League, New Canaan Soccer Association, Newcomers Club and Young Women’s League.

A resident of New Canaan since 2007, Sharon Stevenson’s professional career has spanned various positions in Sales, Sales Management, Marketing and Corporate Communications positions within the technology field in both international and domestic markets for over 25 years. While living abroad in Budapest, Hungary and later Warsaw, Poland, Sharon assumed several executive board positions within nonprofit expatriate organizations devoted to children’s charities including hospitals, orphanages and schools. These initiatives cultivated and shaped her passion for philanthropy and volunteerism and inspired her continued local non-profit service.

Since 2008, Ms. Stevenson has served as co-chair of both the New Canaan Women’s Platform Tennis League in Waveny Park as well as the New Canaan Women’s Competitive Tennis League in Mead Park. Together with a partner, she championed and established a non-profit – public/private partnership dedicated to renovating the Mead Park tennis facility in New Canaan. Over the course of two years and through the support of many organizations and fund raising efforts, the organization successfully raised more than $100,000 to complete the project. Throughout this process Stevenson saw first-hand the positive impact of the New Canaan Community Foundation, and joined the NCCF Board soon thereafter in 2011. She currently serves upon several New Canaan-based non-profit boards and committees.

Rich Townsend and his wife Catherine have been residents of New Canaan Since 1986, raising their three daughters here in town. Rich is a partner at Rangeley Capital, a boutique investment partnership located here in New Canaan. Prior to joining Rangeley Capital, Mr. Townsend served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Loral Space and Communications. He spent the majority of his career with IBM where he held various positions, including Controller of Europe, Middle East, and Africa in Paris and Assistant Controller responsible for financial planning and measurement for the corporation. He began his career as a mechanical design engineer at General Electric’s Nuclear Energy Division. Mr. Townsend earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and an MBA from Stanford University.

Rich joins the NCCF as Treasurer for the Foundation and serves on the executive committee. Rich is actively involved with local and national charitable interests including the United Methodist Church of New Canaan, Habitat for Humanity, and the Rotary Club of New Canaan.

A native of California, Ms. Heron moved with her family to New Canaan in 2006. Lindsey quickly became involved in several organizations, including holding Board positions with Magical Music for Life Foundation and the South School PTC. Lindsey is involved with the Library and is a member of the Congregational Church. Before joining the NCC Board, Lindsey was a committee member for the 2008 and 2009 NCCF’s Philanthropy Luncheon held in November. Having worked for both Gap Inc. and Macy’s, Ms. Heron has over 14 years of experience in retail merchandising and financial planning. She graduated from the University of California, Davis with degrees in History and Political Science. Her family includes her husband John and two young boys Peter and Fletcher.

Leo joins the New Canaan Community Foundation board with a long history of local volunteering and an impeccable reputation for contributions to the community. Leo is currently the past President of the Rotary Club and member since 1985; a current Board Member, Executive Officer, and past President of the New York Chevrolet Dealer Association since 1996; and a current Board Member and Coach, as well as past Vice President, of the New Canaan Lacrosse Association since 2000.

Previous volunteer positions include past Board Member New Canaan Nature Center, past Board Member United Way of New Canaan, past Advisory Board Member Bank of New Canaan, past Advisory Board Member Stamford Hospital, past Board Member New Canaan Chamber of Commerce, past Board Member Stamford Chamber of Commerce, past Annual Appeal Board Chair for the New Canaan Community Foundation and past volunteer for Junior Achievement of Southwestern Connecticut.

Leo Karl is President of The Karl Chevrolet Company, a third generation family business located in New Canaan since 1927.

A resident of New Canaan for the past 9 years, Karen served as President of the New Canaan Library for three years and on the Executive Committee of the organization for seven. She is also a past board member of the League of Women Voters, Friends of New Canaan Public School Theater, and Kids Empowered by Your Support (KEYS), a non-profit program providing musical instruments and 1:1 music instruction to children in the Bridgeport Public Schools who would not otherwise have access to such opportunities. She has been an active volunteer in the community, including work with youth athletic programs and at NCHS in the College and Career Center and with the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

Professionally, after earning a B.S. in Engineering from Cornell University, Karen has held management roles at Accenture, Merck-Medco and WebMD. She currently leads Global Sales and Client Service Delivery for Vitech Systems Group, headquartered in New York. Karen has two daughters, both of whom attended the New Canaan Public Schools and are now in college.

Mr. Murphy and his family have lived in New Canaan since 1974. John is a Financial Advisor and Portfolio Manager at the Boudreau Murphy Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Previously, he was Managing Director of Nortel Networks and Advisory Marketing for IBM. John received a B.A. from Hamilton College and a M.B.A from Columbia University Business School.

John is an active leader in the community with several Connecticut-based not-for-profit organizations including the Gridiron Club, First Presbyterian Church, Connecticut Challenge and Swim Across America. Previously, John served on the boards of A Better Chance, New Canaan Republican Town Committee and New Canaan Soccer Association.

Don Smith was a member of the senior management team of Odyssey Re Holdings Corp. and its reinsurance and insurance subsidiaries for 15 years. Upon his retirement in 2010, he had served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for 13 years. Prior to joining OdysseyRe, Don was an attorney in private practice in New York City.

A graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, Don earned his B.A. from Colgate University, and was a Graduate Fellow at Cornell University for three years. He and his wife, Sue, have resided in New Canaan since 1984, and their two children are graduates of New Canaan High School. In prior years, Don has served as a Deacon in the First Presbyterian Church, and as a member of the New Canaan Town Democratic Committee.

Diane Hanauer has been an active volunteer in the New Canaan community for many years, after having a distinguished professional career in international private banking. Diane attended Boston College and then attended Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, earning an MBA in Finance and Marketing. Diane was a Vice President at American Express Company and then VP, Director of Marketing for Private Bank Asset Management and Trust and Estate Planning at JP Morgan/Chase.

Diane and her husband John and family have lived in New Canaan since 1996. Diane is a past board member of New Canaan Cares, ABC (A Better Chance) of New Canaan, National Charity League and the Young Women’s League. She is also a member of the Country Club of New Canaan and the St. Andrews Society and has been an active volunteer and fund raiser in the West School PTC, St. Luke’s School and The Hotchkiss School. Diane also served on the Board of the former United Way of New Canaan.

Dave Hunt and wife Sara have been residents of New Canaan since 1976. Dave spent thirty-six years working as an actuary for Hewitt Associates, a management consulting firm. Earning a BA in Math from the University of Iowa, he is a past Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Dave joined NCCF from the Board of the former United Way of New Canaan. Asked what makes NCCF’s process different and unique to other organizations, Dave said, “I believe in its fund distribution system as being a very effective way for us to donate money to organizations in our broader community. I also believe the local impact we have as an organizer, catalyst, etc. is very valuable to New Canaan and the surrounding area.”

Cynthia Gorey is the President and Chief Operating Officer of the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF). She was hired in 2002 as Executive Director and the first employee. Mrs. Gorey has years of experience in both not-for-profit and for-profit management, and received an undergraduate degree from Brown University in Human Biology and a graduate degree from the Harvard School of Public Health, in Health Policy and Management. Mrs. Gorey worked as the Manager of Grants and Research at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, the nation’s largest home health agency. She authored grant proposals for health and social service programs to public and private funding sources, and was successful in obtaining significant resources to support the agency’s efforts. Ms. Gorey also worked at the New York Hospital in New York and for its affiliated organizations, in program development and planning, including seeking grants and other financial support for new program initiatives.

Mrs. Gorey subsequently worked in the health insurance field at Oxford Health Plans and IntelliClaim. At Oxford, she was responsible for management of programs that measured and rewarded quality physician performance, and oversaw data management activities. She worked in product and business development at IntelliClaim, a company that provides automated analysis of medical claims for insurers, to avoid overpayment, fraud, and claims errors.

Mrs. Gorey and her husband Steven have three children, and have lived in the area for 20 years. She is an active volunteer in her children’s schools, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and her family’s church, as well as in local community organizations.

Amy sees volunteering as a way to lend her talents to help nonprofits with missions that are important to her. While living in Rowayton, she served as Treasurer of the Rowayton Civic Association for four years and as Treasurer of the Greens Farms Academy Parents Association. She joined the Rotary Club in 1999 when working in New Canaan at the Bank of New York’s office on Elm Street and served as their President in the 2007-08 year. She continues on their Board and serves on their Allocations Committee. She served for three years on the United Way Board of Directors. She has been on the Advisory Board of the New Canaan Darien Magazine since its inception in 2002. She has been an Alumni Admissions Representative for Andover interviewing kids who want to go to Andover and serves on Andover Alumni Council. She and her husband Bruce moved to New Canaan in 2010.

In 2008, Amy began planning her transition from 28 years in banking into the nonprofit world. She wanted to help those less fortunate who need another voice advocating on their behalf. She joined the AmeriCares Development office where she worked for a short time before AmeriCares began a series of major workforce reductions due to the slowing economy. She joined Domus in 2009 as their grant writer and is now their Manager of Institutional Giving, writing grants for all of Domus’ programs, to foundations, corporations, City of Stamford and the State.

Alan graduated from Wesleyan University, served in the U.S. Navy, taught at Hotchkiss School, helped start the Peace Corps Program in Micronesia and attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Alan and his family moved to New Canaan in 1971 when Alan was appointed as Principal of New Canaan High School. After four years as principal, Alan became Deputy Director General of the International School of Geneva in Switzerland. The family later moved back to New Canaan, and Alan took over as principal of Weston High School before Alan became the Corporate Director of Communications for TIE Communications. Alan then built on his experience with counseling and guidance and college admissions and formed an international advisory service for boarding school and college placement called Educational Futures. He works actively with local, domestic and international students out of his New Canaan office.

Alan’s volunteer experience includes serving as president of the board at Vitam Center in Norwalk, founding president of the Shelton Economic Development Corporation, member of the U.N. Committee of New Canaan, initiator of ABC in New Canaan and, recently, Vice President of Ethics and Professional Practice for the Independent Educational Consultants Association. Alan joined the Board of the N.C. Community Foundation in 2013.

Alan is married to Loni Elisabeth Sondergaard of Copenhagen, and they have two grown children and six grandchildren.