Jean has been employed by Energizer Personal Care for 12 years.  Currently she is the Sales Planning Manager for Playtex Infant Products.  Jean has her B.S. in Business Administration from the University of New Haven.  She has been involved in many community activities, and currently serves as the Chairperson for the United Way Campaign at Energizer’s Shelton facility.  Jean has served on several Boards at St. Gabriel School in Milford and is active in many of their fundraising events.

Bill Bubbico is Vice President of Business Transformation with Pitney Bowes Inc.  Bill has a B.S. in accounting from Nichols College and has been with Pitney Bowes for 32 years.  His focus is on operational excellence through technology and process improvements.  He served as Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC) Co-Chair from 2006-2008 and continues to lead the Pitney Bowes volunteer initiative. 
 

Jennifer Bull is responsible for the planning, supervision, and evaluation of engagements in various industries.  She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants. 

Adrienne Cabral has been employed by Iroquois Gas for the past 18 years and is the Public Relations Representative.  She has been a past board member at Birmingham Group Health Services and the Connecticut Association of Paralegals, Inc.  Adrienne has been a company representative on the VUW Corporate Volunteer Council for over ten years and served as CVC co-chair of from 2006-2008.  She currently serves on the Valley United Way’s Allocation and Nomination Committees and is also an active volunteer with other Valley agencies.

Robert Casagrande is Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Rexel and a lifetime resident of the Valley.  Rob has been involved with numerous volunteer activities, including the renovation of The Recreation Camp in Derby.

John DeGray is the former president of The Kerite Company and spent 21 years with the company.  He received his Bachelors of Science from Bryant University before completing a Masters at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Gregory P. DeStefano, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), is a principal of the firm who serves as the firm's chief financial officer and oversees its technology planning function.
Greg earned his Bachelor's degree in accounting from Southern Connecticut State University. He has been practicing accounting for more than 20 years and serves clients in many industries.
Active in several community outreach initiatives, Greg is a member of the Shelton-Derby Lions Club, treasurer for the Connecticut Lions Eye Research Foundation (CLERF), and a finance committee member for the Valley United Way in Shelton, Connecticut.

Michael M. Gnibus

Mike has been with GE since 2002 and has been the Director of the company’s Global Patent Operation since 2007. Mike earned a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology and earned his JD from the Widener University School of Law.

Johanne Henderson
 

Johanne Henderson has been employed with BIC Corporation for 15 years.  In her role as Manager for Training and Organizational Development, she has broad responsibilities in organizational effectiveness including training design and delivery. Her professional affiliations include the Human Capital Institute, American Society of Training & Development, and Society for Human Resource Management.  Johanne has chaired and/or participated in the United Way Fund Raising Campaigns at BIC for the last 9 years.

Eileen was elected to the Board at the Annual Meeting held on April 28, 2009.

Joseph LoPresti is the Senior Agency Sales Director at Barnum Financial Group and leads a team of over 100 representatives.  In 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, Joe has been recognized as the number one Sales Director in the country.

Michael Marcinek is Chief Financial Officer and Managing Partner for Fletcher Thompson and Chair of the Board of Directors for Valley United Way.  He is Treasurer of the Dan Orlovsky Foundation, an active Board member for the Valley Chamber of Commerce, Parent Child Resource Center, Shelton Economic Development Corp., and Chairman of the Junior Achievement of Western Connecticut Valley Chapter.

Carol Merlone is a life-long Ansonia resident and is Ansonia’s Superintendent of Schools. A graduate of Ansonia High School, Class of 1976, she obtained several education degrees from SCSU. A teacher for 14 years, administrator for nine, she has led Ansonia Public Schools since August 2007. Mrs. Merlone is a member of the Ansonia Rotary Club, the Ansonia Lions Club, and several national and state education organizations. She and her husband, Gary, are the parents of two grown children, Tara Merlone Huzi and Ryan Merlone.

Ned Miller is President of Ned Miller Associates in Ansonia. Ned had a previous stint on the Board of Directors and was Board Chair in 1998. He also chaired the Annual Community Campaigns in 1995 and 1996. Ned is very active in the community and is currently President of the Housatonic Council Boy Scouts of America as well as President of the Ansonia Rotary Club. He resides in Shelton with his wife Marianne and has two grown children.

Fred Ortoli is the Valley's "Community Photographer" who shares his time and talents with a variety of Valley nonprofit organizations. He recently received the Charles H. Flynn Humanitarian Award. He has long been active with Valley United Way and will be serving as the Chair of the Annual Community Fund Raising Campaign for 2009-2010.

Joseph Pagliaro Jr. joined United Way Board of Directors in 2004 and worked on the campaign for the past four years.  He is a member of the Valley Community Foundation Board and the Boys and Girls Club of Lower Naugatuck Valley.

William Partington is Vice President of Naugatuck Valley Savings and Loan and has been in the banking industry for 40 years.  He is a member of the financial advisory board at Good Shepherd Church, Corporator for Derby Shelton Boys and Girls Club and Treasurer for the SEDC board.

Melissa Pucci is the Director of Admission at the Yale School of Nursing.  She serves as the secretary of the Board of Directors, co-advises the Youth Leadership Program, and serves as Chair of the Volunteer Action Center’s advisory committee.

William Purcell is the President of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce.  He has also been involved in many community services and programs, including Special Olympics of Connecticut, Junior Achievement, Boys and Girls Club, and The Workplace Inc.

Rich returns to the board after having served two previous terms  and continues to chair the Marketing Committee. Rich is CEO of The RH Rosen Group which works with businesses to reduce cost, improve customer communications and Go Green, by replacing paper based communications and invoices with electronic delivery and payment solutions.

Webster Bank
Vice President of Business & Professional Banking

Janice Sheehy is Vice President, Business and Professional Banking at Webster Bank.  She is currently a member of the Board with the Birmingham Group Health Services, The Birmingham Foundation, The Hewitt Foundation, Ansonia Economic Dev. Corp, and Shelton Economic Dev. Corp.

Thomas Sutnik is a Shelton attorney who practices in trusts, estates and probate.  He is currently a director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley and Pomperaug Woods, a non-profit retirement community in Southbury.  He is a past president of the Valley United Way and the Boys and Girls Club.  Tom is a recipient of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce Gold Seal Award.

Jimmy Tickey is a past President of our Youth Leadership Program and a former Leadership Greater Valley participant. He operates his own marketing and consulting business in the Naugatuck Valley serving both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Jimmy has been involved in many community activities such as Junior Achievement, the Chamber of Commerce's Young Emerging Professionals and serves on the Board of Advisers for Connecticut's Future Business Leaders of America. Jimmy graduated from Fordham University in New York City where he received a bachelors degree in Business Administration and Economics.

Dominick Thomas is an attorney and owner of Cohen and Thomas Law Firm.  He has served the Boys and Girls Club of Lower Naugatuck Valley for over 28 years and the Birmingham Group Health Services for over 25 years.  Dominick has also been affiliated with numerous volunteer activities throughout the Valley.


 

Robert VanEgghen has worked for PerkinElmer for 34 years and is currently a Senior Quality Engineer.  He has dedicated fourteen years of volunteer work to Americares HomeFront and the CVC as well as serving as the CVC Co-chair from 2004-2006.

Ron is currently Executive in Residence and Adjunct Professor of Management at the University of New Haven.  He has served Valley United Way as a Board member, Vice Chair, and Chairman over the past nine years.

Phil White has been the President and CEO for Better Packages, Inc. since 2003.  He was previously the General Manager of Better Packages and Vice President of Ascom Hasler Mailing Company where he was also the Director of Financial Services from 1991 to 1997.