STAFF
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lea Davies, President
Dianne Heiny, Vice President
Geoff Drury, Secretary
John Green, Treasurer
Molly Ackerly
Laurie Batchelor
Sally Greco
Louisa LaFontan
Patrice McGrath
Phyllis Nauts
Steve Szalewicz
Ella Clark Executive Director, West Cornwall, CT
Ella Clark has worked for the town of Sharon since 1989 as their Social Service Agent. In this position she also serves as Municipal Agent for the Elderly, representative of the Salvation Army and administrator of food and fuel assistance. Ella has been involved with the Older Women’s League’s Kitchen, a food pantry serving both NY and CT residents, since its inception in 1990. She started the Sharon Fuel Bank in 1990, and a regional fuel bank in 1991. In 1992 she founded the Chore Service to help elderly and disabled people at home. Ella is on the Board of the Foundation for Community Health and the Cornwall Housing Corporation. Ella took courses in social work from 1989-1991 at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, Saint Joseph’s College and the University of Southern Connecticut. She received her MAT from Columbia Teacher’s College in New York in 1966 and her BA from Radcliffe College in Cambridge in 1962.
Heather Dinneen (Coordinator), Cornwall, CT
Heather grew up in Cornwall and while in college worked with the Chore Service
painting, gardening and visiting with clients throughout Northwest CT. Heather’s
background is in international social work -- working with children and families in
Africa, Thailand, Mexico and various parts of the United States as a counselor. More
recently, Heather shifted her career goals to focus on fundraising and worked with
organizations about the globe writing grants and raising money. She joined the Chore
Service in the Fall of 2008. Heather and her partner Nick have a baby daughter named
Willa.
Beri Greenwald (Program Coordinator), Sharon, CT
Beri lives in Sharon and is a transplanted New Yorker who made the transition from
weekender to full-timer in 1981. A book and graphic designer by profession, she has
worked for major publishers and many non-profits in New York and well as here in the
northwest corner. As an entrepreneur, she has worn many hats while running her
graphics business in the city and, ultimately, a bookstore in the northwest corner. Beri's
interest in community and connecting people for the greater good has played a major role
in her volunteering activities. She is thrilled to be able to bring both her skills and
interests to her role as Program Coordinator for the Friendly Visitors/Garden Angels
program.
Molly Ackerly, Norfolk, CT
Molly Ackerly has lived in Norfolk for over 40 years. She has a legal practice in Bantam, CT specializing in estate planning, probate, estate and trust administration, elder law and real estate. Molly is currently on the board of the Norfolk Land Trust and served for 10 years on the board of the CT chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Molly is a member of the CT and American Bar Associations and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. She has served as Probate Judge for the District of Norfolk and has been a member of the Probate Advisory Committee, CT Law Revision Commission and Council on Probate Judicial Conduct. Molly has a Grammy certificate for singing back-up on Pete Seeger’s Grammy award winning album “Pete.” She received her BA, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Barnard College in 1970 and her JD from Yale University in 1977.
Laurie lives in Lakeville and is a retired educator. She worked for Technical Education Research Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As a Project Director for them, she was involved with numerous state and federal research projects in the areas of educational planning and policy, interagency collaboration, equity, college admissions and postsecondary education. She also worked for Grolier Electronic Publishing in New York City as Director of Educational Software. Laurie has taught at various educational institutions, served on numerous federal, state and local committees involved in educational planning and policy and authored many professional books and articles. She is very active in a variety of professional and civic organizations. Laurie has been on the boards of the Scoville Memorial Library (she co-founded Friends of the Scoville Library), Indian Mountain School Parent Faculty Association, Salisbury Center School PTO, Noble Horizons Auxiliary, and the Salisbury Association. Currently, she serves on the Berkshire Theater Festival board. Laurie received a B.S. in Special Education from the University of Oklahoma and a Masters (along with extensive doctorate programs) in Education focusing on Educational Research and Development from the University of Illinois.
Lea Davies, Sharon, CT
Lea Davies retired in April 2004 from Verizon Communications after a 27 year career in
telecommunications. His last position was Executive Vice President of Human
Resources for Verizon reporting to the Chairman. As EVP of Human Resources, Lea
was accountable for providing all HR related services to over 230,000 employees and
190,000 retirees. His organization provided healthcare benefits to approximately one
million employees and retirees and their dependents at a cost of approximately $2.5
billion dollars annually. During his years at Verizon, Lea served on the BACCI, Inc.
Board (a subsidiary of Verizon) and the New York City Board of InRoads which
arranged for corporate internships for minority students and employment upon college
graduation. Lea is currently on the Sharon Historical Society Board of Trustees, Vice-
Chair of both The Foundation for Community Health and Sharon Housing Authority
boards and a member of the Town of Sharon Economic Development Study Group. Lea
is a 1976 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. He
has had a home in Sharon for over 20 years.
Geoffrey Drury,, Canaan, CT
Geoff Drury is an attorney with Drury & Patz, LLP in Canaan, specializing in estate and
probate, real estate and elder law, with a substantial portion of his real estate practice
devoted to work for The Nature Conservancy, National Audubon, and various local land
trusts. Educated at St. Paul’s School, Amherst College and Yale Law School, he
practiced for ten years with Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City before coming to
the Northwest Corner in 1978 to help develop AgrowNautics, Inc., a commercial
hydroponics operation for which he worked as chief engineer and general counsel. He
returned to the law 16 years ago, and finds the intensely personal nature of small-town
law practice a gratifying change from the relatively impersonal corporate finance work he
did in New York. He has served on the North Canaan and Region One Boards of
Education, and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Canaan Fire
District.
Sally Greco, Canaan, CT
Sally had worked up until Dec. 2008 for the Chore Service, serving clients in Lakeville,
Sharon, and Canaan. Wanting to ease back into the workplace after being a stay-at-home
mom, the Chore Service seemed an excellent fit for someone looking for flexibility and
who has had a life-long passion to serve the elderly in whatever capacity called upon.
Prior to raising a family in Canaan, where she has lived for 20 years, she lived in Athens,
GA. There she worked with the organization Action, helping the elderly maintain their
homes to weather the seasons. (Yes, this included insulating attics in the August summer
heat!) Prior to moving back north, she worked in the graphics field, subcontracting with
publishing companies to take raw manuscripts to camera-ready copy. While raising her
family she served on the Falls Village Day Care Board, volunteered at Geer visiting
patients, served on the Canaan Beautification Committee and the North Canaan
Elementary School Wellness Committee. Currently she volunteers with the Friendly
Visitor program and is an active member of the North Canaan Congregational Church.
Sally holds a psychology degree from University of Connecticut. Her latest artistic
endeavor was the completion, completely by hand, of a five circuit labyrinth.
John Green, West Cornwall, CT
John Green is a retired partner of KPMG LLP, where he spent 37 years in the field of
accounting and auditing, specializing in international accounting (with four years spent in
Europe and two in Canada) and accounting for the information, communications and
entertainment industries. During his career, he served as managing partner of the Rome,
Italy Office, partner-in-charge of the firm’s communications and entertainment specialty
practice and as an SEC Reviewing Partner, one of the firm’s senior quality control
compliance officials. Following his retirement in 2001, he was elected treasurer of the
Town of Cornwall. He is a trustee and treasurer of the Cornwall Free Library and has
served as a director and treasurer of the Cornwall Association. He is a graduate of the
University of Richmond and did post-graduate work at the Graduate School of Business
of New York University. He has owned a home in Cornwall since 1977.
Dianne Heiny,, West Cornwall, CT
Dianne Heiny works for the StaleyRobeson Fundraising Counsel as Senior Counsel. She
currently serves as a Board member on the Tri-State Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Dianne has served on the Boards of the Cornwall Child Center and the Cornwall Housing
Corporation. She has been a Girl Scout Leader, co-founded the Housatonic Regional
High School PTA, served on the Cornwall Consolidated School Board of Education as
member and chairman, as well as its Regional Services Committee and the Regional
Strategic Planning Committee. Dianne was the Director of Volunteers, Director of the
Friendly Visitor Program and Director of the Vista Reading Program for Northwest
Center for Family Service and Mental Health. She served as Director of Development
for the Geer Senior Living Community and Director of Development for the Special
Olympics, Northwest Region. She co-founded the Northwest Coalition of Agencies for
Elder Services, an advocacy group. Dianne has lived in West Cornwall for 33 years.
Louisa Mattoon LaFontan, Kent, CT
Louisa Mattoon LaFontan is currently coordinator of Hospice Volunteers of Northwest
Connecticut, a program affiliated with Sharon Health Care Center. She has worked in the
northwest corner since 1963, primarily at Sharon Hospital as head nurse of the Intensive
Care Unit and director of Nursing Staff Development. She has also served as coordinator
of the Primary Health Care Network, a program providing health care to medically
uninsured people living in the area served by the hospital. She left health care for 10
years to work as Dean of Girls at the Kent School. She serves on the boards of
Northwest CT Older Women’s League (OWL), Kent Nursing Association and Kent
Affordable Housing. She Graduated from Emma Willard School, Middlebury College
and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in New York. She has lived in
Kent for 64 years.
Patrice DeMarco McGrath, Falls Village, CT
Patrice DeMarco McGrath works as the Social Service Director for the town of Salisbury
and Salisbury Family Services. Prior to taking this position she served as the Social
Service Agent and Municipal Agent for Falls Village and the town of North Canaan and
as the Falls Village Senior Center Director. Patrice’s interest in social services grew out
of her involvement with constituent issues while she was working as a legislative
assistant in the New York State Assembly. Patrice attended the University of Madrid and
received a BA in International Relations from Stonehill College.
Phyllis Nauts, West Cornwall, CT
Phyllis Nauts was a psychotherapist for 25 years, doing individual, couples and family
therapy in New York City, San Francisco, and the Northwest Corner. During that time
she taught and supervised graduate students at the University of Connecticut Medical
School, the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, the Veterans’ Administration Hospital
in San Francisco, and gave numerous workshops in Northern California. She worked in
the Inpatient Unit at Creedmore Hospital and the Psychiatric Walk-In Clinic and the
Alcoholism Unit at Bellevue Hospital in New York. She has translated three books on
Africa from French. Since moving full-time to Cornwall, she helped found the Cornwall
Friends of the Library, and served on the Cornwall Library Board, the Library Building
Committee, Cornwall Extras for Kids and the Zoning Board of Appeals for a number of
years. She was the first President of the Chore Service Board. She graduated from the
Brearley School, received her BA with honors from Smith College, attended the Institut
d’Etudes Politiques in Paris, and received her MSW from the University of Connecticut
School of Social Work. She is currently a painter who has exhibited throughout the
Northwest Corner.
Steve Szalewicz, Sharon, CT
Steve Szalewicz retired October 2000 after 32 years with IBM Corporation. His career at
IBM covered various technical and management positions with a primary focus on the
exploitation of Supercomputing for addressing Grand Challenge problems. This included
World Wide responsibility for Performance Modeling of Super Computer software; site
general manger for the IBM Super Computing Center at Cornell University Theory
Center; and customer relationship manager for numerous Academic and Corporate
research organizations. Steve is currently the Marketing Director for The National
Society of Compliance Professionals located in Cornwall Bridge. Steve graduated from
St. Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. in 1968. He completed IBM System’s Research
Institute, a graduate technical program; has Project Management certification from The
University of Pennsylvania; and completed The Babson College Executive Marketing
Program. He is a veteran of the Army where he served in the Military Police Corps.
Steve has been a resident of Sharon since 1998 and is on the Sharon Historical Society
Board of Trustees and is Chairman of the Sharon Sewer and Water Commission.
