Staff

Jane MacLaren - executive director

Jane grew up in Ridgefield, CT but now calls the Northwest Corner home where she resides with her family.  She began her experience working with non-profits while employed by IBM and supporting a program which granted equipment and monetary donations to requesting non-profit organizations. Her experience also includes volunteering as a certified domestic violence crisis hotline counselor for battered women and children within the community. Additionally, Jane has worked as a full-time in-house substitute teacher supporting both teachers and students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Jane holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and continues to further her education in the field of social work with a focus on the elderly. Jane joined the Chore Service in January, 2015 and looks forward to continuing to support both Chore clients and members of the Chore team.

Stacey Marcin - bookkeeper

Stacey moved to Cornwall, CT with her husband and two children in 2004 after purchasing the Cornwall Inn. Prior to her life as a New England innkeeper, Stacey was a CPA and worked for eleven years as the Controller and Director of Administration for The Pew Charitable Trusts. Stacey also spent five years in public accounting with Ernst & Young where her interest in nonprofit organizations first began. Stacey has served on many local boards as Treasurer and currently works with The Cornwall Foundation, as well as Chore Services, Inc.

KRISTEN ORR - PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Kristen moved to Connecticut in 1987 and found the hamlet of Milton in Litchfield to raise her four children and call home for the past 26 years.  She holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from Concordia College.

Kristen inherited her father’s love and compassion for people and has realized her desire to work with the older population over the years.  She is a committed community member with dedicated experience across various care-related and mission-driven efforts.  Community volunteering includes the Food Rescue and the Litchfield Social Service Commission, serving on the Litchfield Community Service Fund Board of Directors as the Milton Public Hall Association president.

Over the past few years, Kristen has focused her time and talents on helping the elderly members of her community by becoming a care assistant with All About You Home Care, then joining the team at Brandywine Assisted Living in Litchfield, and on to becoming a registered in-home caregiver through Washington Home Care.  In June 2022, she became the part-time Program Coordinator of the Litchfield Hills Chore Service before joining Chore Service full-time in 2024.  Kristen continues volunteering in her community whenever needed.

Board of Directors

DOLORES PEROTTi - North canaan
board president

Dolores was born in Canaan and attended Housatonic Valley Regional High School.  She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Design and Horticulture.  She has operated a successful landscaping and garden business in Canaan for over 25 years.  Dolores has been on the North Canaan Board of Education for 14 years and Chair for the past 6 years.  In addition to being a soccer coach, she has served on various school committees including the PTO.  Dolores is a volunteer gardener at the North Canaan library and elementary school and at the rectory for St. Joseph's Catholic Church.  Dolores and her husband, Champ, built their home on land that Champ's great grandparents purchased in the 1920's.  Dolores and Champ have three children who are fifth generation Canaanites.

David Becker - Salisbury

David, a seasoned marketing innovator and C-suite executive with 20+ years of experience, has a track record of driving strategic growth for organizations large and small. As Time Magazine's Brand Development Director, he helped pioneer digital media, including introducing Marc Andreessen to brands and ad agencies. As President and COO of Uproar.com, he achieved a top 20 audience rank and a $1.1 billion valuation. David transformed Beliefnet.com post-bankruptcy, securing $7.0 million in funding and tripling site traffic, leading to a $35MM acquisition by News Corp. In 2019, he ventured into CBD and hemp, co-founding Scotch Valley Ranch Hemp.

Patricia Chamberlain - sharon
secretary

Patricia, the former Superintendent for Region One and Supervising Principal for the Sharon Center School is a long term Sharon resident.  She has a Bachelor of Science from George Mason University in Virginia and a Master of Education from Colorado State University.  She is a member of the Sharon EMT and represents the Town of Sharon on the Transfer Station project.

ANNE Gray - WARREN

Anne has been coming to Northwest Connecticut during the summer for several decades, and she and her husband have owned a home in Warren since 2018.  Anne is a trained lawyer who has worked in the nonprofit field in volunteer and full-time paid positions for over 25 years.  In 2016, she earned a certificate in nonprofit management from Arizona State University and then became the Director of Advancement for a large nonprofit in Scottsdale, Arizona, that serves adults with developmental disabilities.  Anne began as a chore worker for the Litchfield Hills Chore Service in 2022 and joined the board of LHCS in 2023. She has a passion for serving the needs of older adults in our community and is delighted to join the board of Chore Service following the consolidation of Litchfield Hills Chore Service with Chore Service, Inc.  

Diana (Dinny) Greene - cornwall

Dinny, a Cornwall resident for over thirty years, practiced public interest law for many years in New York and Washington, D.C. before moving overseas to Japan and then England for eighteen years. In England, she was a member and vice-president of the board of the American School in London and volunteered with the British charity, Seeing Eyes for the Blind. Returning to the United States eight years ago, Dinny served on the board and was president of the Cornwall Historical Society and is a member of the boards of the Cornwall Foundation and Audubon Sharon. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Fordham University Law School. Cornwall and the Northwest Corner have been home to the Greene family wherever they have lived.

Carla Herman - cornwall
vice president

Carla has been a full-time Cornwall resident for over 20 years after being a weekender for many years. Carla has a Master’s of Public Health and Business Administration from Columbia, as well as Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Registered Professional Nurse degrees from Lehman College. Her working career has included VP for Integrated Clinical Strategies at Westchester Medical Center, Sr. VP for Administration and Strategic Business Development at The Jewish Home and Hospital Lifecare System, Director of Operations September 11 Recovery Program for the American Red Cross and COO, VP for Strategic Planning and Managed Care and Sr. VP for Clinical Resources at Catholic Health Care System. Carla is a board member of Children’s Rehab Center and the Visiting Nurse Association of Hudson Valley and was the former Vice-Chair of the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center board.

Priscilla McCord - lakeville

Priscilla is well-known for her extraordinary fund development work at the Northwest Center for Family Services and Mental Health (Division of Community Mental Health Affiliates). Her seven year career at the Center focused on working closely with the President and Board of Directors to create long term marketing and development strategies and plans, including direct mail campaigns, special events, major gift planning and website development. Previous to working at the Northwest Center, Priscilla had been Assistant to the Headmaster of Town Hill Campus of Indian Mountain School, Assistant to the Director of Alumni and Community Relations for The Hotchkiss School, Director of Volunteer/Special Events for the Sharon Hospital and Executive Assistant to William vanden Heuvel, a former US Ambassador. Priscilla is an active community volunteer at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Geer Nursing and Women’s Support Services. She has been a member of the Salisbury Family Services and Sharon Country Club boards and is currently on the TriArts Board.

janell mullen

Born and raised in Connecticut, Janell graduated as the salutatorian from Housatonic Valley Regional High School before attending the University of Connecticut as an honors student on a merit scholarship.  She studied International Relations with a minor in French at UConn, and after graduating with her Bachelor of Arts, left the East coast for California. 

 In California, she worked in a legal firm as an economic analyst before attending the University of Southern California in Los Angeles to obtain her Master of Urban Planning.  Ms. Mullen continued working for the City of Los Angeles as a Deputy Planner upon graduating.  During the remainder of her time in Los Angeles, she served a non-profit called the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative as a project manager, overseeing grant awards and the planning process for the construction of pocket parks and transportation corridors in underserved communities in South Los Angeles. 

 In 2015, Ms. Mullen returned to Connecticut to be closer to her family.  She recently served as a regional planner at the Northwest Hills Council of Governments before creating her own Limited Liability Company.  Fully self-employed, she currently advises area towns on zoning matters, construction and project oversight, and planning & zoning statutory processes.  She is an avid runner and golfer. 

Patrick Roy - roxbury

Growing up in central Connecticut, Patrick dedicated himself to his community.  He was active in many organizations, including the Boy Scouts, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at an early age.  Full of ambition, Patrick started his first company installing real estate signs at the age of fifteen.  In addition to running several companies, including his own building company, his professional experience includes management roles with Walt Disney, Home Depot, and, most recently, store manager for Lowe’s Home Improvement.  At Lowe’s, he was known for his volunteer work in the community, including with Veterans and schools and several episodes of home improvement segments on the local news. 

The abundant landscape and small-town charm drew Patrick to Roxbury, sharing kinship with Roxbury residents’ desire to preserve the countryside and rural lifestyle.  Turning passion into action, Patrick served on the Roxbury Land Trust, Christ Church vestry, Board of Finance, and Town Historian before serving in his current role as First Selectman. 

Along with his sidekick bulldog Roxy, Patrick’s enthusiasm and drive give Roxbury its roots on which its residents can flourish as a community, preserving the land and a lifestyle for our future.   

JUDY SHERIDAN - kent

Judy, who has recently retired, moved to Kent in 1974 and was a founding member of the Kent Community Fund.  She was previously on the Chore Board, leaving in 2005 when she took a job in Fairfield County as Program Director working with the elderly homeless population.  Judy has a Masters in Social Work and is a licensed clinical social worker.  Former positions include the Director of Social Service and Admissions at Noble Horizons and the Executive Director of Women’s Support Services.

MICHAEL VOLDSTAd - Salisbury
TREASURER

Mike Voldstad, a lawyer for more than forty years, has lived and worked in New York,
San Francisco and London.  He has practiced primarily in the field of public finance.
Mike is a graduate of Holy Cross and the University of Virginia Law School.  Mike and his wife Kathy have had a home in Salisbury for more than twenty years.  He is a trustee
at the Salisbury Congregational Church.

LEA DAVIES - president emeritus

Lea retired in April 2004 from Verizon Communications after a 27 year career in telecommunications.  His last position was Executive Vice President of Human Resources.  Lea has previously been on the boards of the Sharon Historical Society, The Foundation for Community Health and The Sharon Housing Authority. He is a 1976 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia.  He has had a home in the Northwest Corner for over 35 years. Lea served as Chore’s Board President from 2004 through 2019.