
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.