board of directors
Officers
Lauren Baynes
Board ChairVice President of Operations
Bounce Imaging
Erin M. Moss, LMHC
Vice ChairOwner
Erin M. Moss Mental Health Counseling Private Practice
Alexander J. Vandenbergh, CPA
TreasurerSupervisor, Assurance Services
Dopkins and Company, LLP
Christina Pearl
SecretaryDirector of Corporate Communication
Horizon Corporations
Members
Melinda DuBois
Executive DirectorMental Health Advocates of WNY
Donna Gatti, R.N.
Jericho Road Community Health Center
Kelly Dumas
Healing Hub of New York
Laura Hunt
Barrantys, LLC
Christine Langenfeld
Director of Marketing & OperationsAmherst Chamber of Commerce
Mark Laurrie
Superintendent of SchoolsNiagara Falls City School District
Kyle W. Mack, J.D., Pharm.D.
Special Counsel
Robert McDonnell
Hunt Real Estate
Jennifer Picone
Corporate Wellness ManagerIndependent Health
Anne Reif
YMCA Buffalo Niagara
Pete Rizzo
Vice PresidentGEICO
Melissa Spikes-Archer
Project CoordinatorBuffalo Urban League
Stephen Tyrpak
Director, Quality, Clinical & Regulatory AffairsGarwood Medical Devices LLC
Jun Wang-Tiedemann
PresidentChinese Club of Western New York
Farrah Zidehsarai
Ingram Micro
Agency Staff
Administrative Staff
Melinda DuBois
Executive Director(716) 886-1242 x314
mdubois@mhawny.org
Ted Zientek
Director of Finance and Administration(716) 886-1242 x317
tzientek@mhawny.org
Margaret Silvestri
Accountant(716) 886-1242 x315
msilvestri@mhawny.org
Amy Szefel-Starck
Director of Development(716) 886-1242 x334
astarck@mhawny.org
Holt Ryals
Development and Marketing Coordinator(716) 886-1242
hryals@mhawny.org
Kelly Miskovski
Director of Operations(716) 886-1242 x326
kmiskovski@mhawny.org
Melissa Bellanca
Office Manager(716) 886-1242 x311
mbellanca@mhawny.org
Pearl Bellanca
Paw-ffice Support Animal
BEST (Basic Emotional Skills Training)
Mary Lou Montanari
Director(716) 886-1242 x338
montanari@mhawny.org
Brandi Harvey
Education Specialist(716) 886-1242
bharvey@mhawny.org
Sara Perdue
Education Specialist(716) 886-1242 x339
sperdue@mhawny.org
Child & Family Support Program
Stacie Dziwulski
Director of Family Peer Advocates(716) 886-1242 x337
sdziwulski@mhawny.org
Jan Ables-Register
Family Support Partner-ECMC
jables-register@mhawny.org
Cynthia Brauer
Family Peer Advocate(716) 884-1242 x316
cbrauer@mhawny.org
Susan Fleming
Family Support Partner-ECMC
sfleming@mhawny.org
Tyrone Goodson
Family Support Partner-ECMC
tgoodson@mhawny.org
Ljupka Palavestra
Family Support Partner- ECMC
lpalavestra@mhawny.org
Naomi Taylor
Family Peer Advocate
ntaylor@mhawny.org
Toddie Rogers
Family Support Partner- Outreach(716) 886-1242 x319
trogers@mhawny.org
Sabrina Timm
Family Support Partner- Intake(716) 884-1242 x346
Dawn Tisdale
Family Peer Advocate(716) 886-1242 x321
dtisdale@mhawny.org
Milton Williams
Family Peer Advocate(716) 884-1242 x332
mwilliams@mhawny.org
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Jodi Johnson
Director(716) 886-1242 x318
johnson@mhawny.org
Adrienne Linger
Volunteer Supervisor(716) 886-1242 x328
alinger@mhawny.org
Bridget McNally
Case Manager(716) 886-1242 x347
bmcnally@mhawny.org
Information & Referral and Adult Support Groups
Sophie Reese
Information & Referral and Adult Support Group Coordinator(716) 886-1242 x323
sreese@mhawny.org
Bridget McNally
Adult Support Group Facilitator(716) 886-1242 x347
bmcnally@mhawny.org
Legal Services
Ed Martnshin
Director(716) 886-1242 x324
emartnshin@mhawny.org
Nicole Blackwell
Lead Paralegal(716) 886-1242 x330
nblackwell@mhawny.org
Jo Evelyn Smith
Paralegal(716) 886-1242 x320
jesmith@mhawny.org
Operation COM (Children Of the Military)
Robin Shipman
Event Coordinator(716) 886-1242 x310
rshipman@mhawny.org
Sara Applin
Facilitator(716) 886-1242 x310
sapplin@mhawny.org
Youth Programs
Karl Shallowhorn
Director of Youth Programs(716) 886-1242 x315
kshallowhorn@mhawny.org
Peg Barrett
School Advocate(716) 886-1242 x345
pbarrett@mhawny.org
Doug Hahn
Youth Peer Advocate Coordinator(716) 886-1242 x345
dhahn@mhawny.org
Julianna Hill
Youth Peer Advocate Coordinator(716) 886-1242 x 345
jhill@mhawny.org
Katie Bernard
Youth Peer Advocate(716) 886-1242 x345
kbernard@mhawny.org
Joshua Cuillo
Youth Peer Advocate(716) 886-1242 x345
jcuillo@mhawny.org
Jack Licata
Youth Peer Advocate(716) 886-1242 x345
jlicata@mhawny.org
Renata Peiffer
Youth Peer Advocate(716) 886-1242 x345
rpeiffer@mhawny.org
Jillian McDowell
Youth Peer Advocate(716) 886-1242 x345
jmcdowell@mhawny.org
Lexington Zeigler
Youth Peer Advocate(716) 886-1242 x345
lzeigler@mhawny.org
Do You Need Help?
Information & referral specialists are available M-F, 8:30am-4:30pm to help link you to community resources, providers, or treatment services.
Call (716) 886-1242.