The Extended Family Board of Directors

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As the parent of an exceptional individual Laurie brings her combined  experience at the Spaulding Youth Center for Autistic individuals, five years as an early education teacher and more than 20 years as a  publishing/marketing executive to create groundbreaking solutions for adults with developmental disabilities. She was featured in a NY Times OPED and appeared in The Shriver Report, and has authored

The Lambdoodle Café children's book series.

Susan is the parent of an exceptional individual, a psychiatric nurse specialist and practicing psychotherapist with many years of experience  in the health care field and in health care education. She is utilizing  her wealth of experience and knowledge to create innovative models of well-being for developmentally challenged individuals. 

A former Fortune 500 Creative Operations executive, Lisa is a Professional Development Coach & Creative Operations Consultant. She also facilitates empowerment workshops designed to maximize individual and collective talent, based upon the core teachings of her co-authored book, What I Know to Be True. Her not-for-profit experience includes serving on the advisory board of Connecticut based buildOn. 

As a parent of a child with special needs, Elizabeth’s focus has been working for organizations that understand the importance of individualizing environments and experiences to address the needs and goals of every person. A position at Westchester Institute for Human Development in Valhalla, NY, was her first opportunity to assist families with the necessary tools to make informed choices for their young children with developmental delays and disabilities. 

Elizabeth’s 14 years at Arc Mid-Hudson, which provides support services to 1800 individuals and their families, gave her the opportunity to work across all departments including as a Direct Support Professional in the Residential and Day Habilitation departments. With this unique combination of life and work experiences, Elizabeth brings critical insights and perspectives to her role on the TEF board. 

Author of the Stuck on You book series which Elizabeth originally created to foster communication skills for her then non-verbal son, she continues to be a fierce advocate for her son, Joey. Her husband Joseph, and two other children, Gabriella and Jessica, have also witnessed Joseph’s progress and stand committed to helping individuals and families by sharing their own experiences and resources. 

Denise Moore is a seasoned Media/Community relations specialist with over 25 years in the field.  She has extensive experience with all media monitoring, as well as performing qualitative evaluations to assess effectiveness of social/radio/print campaigns. Denise has held positions at Sullivan Communications, Trusted Media Group and is currently employed by Waterview Hills Rehabilitation and Nursing Center located in Purdys, NY, as their Assistant to the Administrator/Community/Media Relations associate.  Denise graduated from Berkeley with a concentration in business.
 

In addition to her duties within her current position, Denise is also active in many organizations within her community. She is part of Ann’s Place, which provides comfort, support, and resources to people living with cancer and their loved ones.  She has also supported/participated in fundraisers for AVEDA Corps Earth Day, Ann’s Place, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and most recently the Alzheimer’s Associations ‘virtual walk’ where Team Waterview significantly surpassed their fundraising goal!
 

Denise resides in Connecticut with her husband of 30 years. She has two children and a grand-puppy named Harley. While not working, Denise enjoys shopping days, gardening and cooking meals for family and friends.

Diane is the parent of an exceptional individual with autism. She and her husband have dedicated their lives to helping their son and  others with development disabilities. She has deep knowledge of  educational techniques and services available to developmentally challenged individuals. 

Diane is a former senior direct  at S&P Global and has 34 years of experience in capital markets. She  has expertise in research due diligence, determining levels of risk,  and financial modeling. She frequently spoke to CEO’s and CFO’s of  Fortune 500, and private companies. Her opinion on the creditworthiness  of companies was frequently sought by investors. In addition, she has  experience managing people and teaching credit training classes.  

Diane  holds an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University, Stern School of  Business and a B.S. in Community Social Services from the State  University College of New York at Buffalo. As a social worker, she  worked on independent living skills with consumers that resided in  United Cerebral Palsy’s group homes.