TANGO 2022 Building Bridges Conference Presenters

David Connell
President & CEO
Central MA YMCA

David Connell assumed the position of President and CEO of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts in the spring of 2019. In his current role, he leads the non-profit organization covering a footprint of almost 70 cities and towns in Worcester County. He is responsible of leading more than 800 full and part time staff in the day-to-day operations of six branches, three camps, childcare and family centers with a budget of over $23M. David has been active in leading critical initiatives including management agreement, mergers, expansion and Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices in Central MA.

The Y is one of the most well-known and trusted brands in the nation and under David’s leadership partnerships have been formed with local non-profits and private organizations to deliver critical programs. David has been a leader within multiple communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. He served on various committees, focus groups and guest speaker as the YMCA demonstrated intentional leadership in Emergency Childcare, Remote Learning and Feeding Programs. He is active on local and national boards and served on one of the State’s Reopening Taskforce and the Worcester Public School’s Reopening Committee and YUSA Diversity Equity and Inclusion Leadership Council. He serves as an officer of the Board of Directors on the Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs.

He previously held the executive leadership position of Vice President and Chief Human Resources and served as interim Executive Director/CEO of the Montachusett Regional YMCA in Fitchburg, MA. Prior to the Y, David worked in banking, holding positions of Senior Vice President with Citizens Financial Group in Cambridge, MA; and with Fleet Boston Financial in Boston, MA.

Benjamin Freedman
CEO
Weiser Innovations

To know someone, I believe it vital to understand where they come from. In my case, that starts with my grandmother. She taught me a lot about integrity, equity and kindness through her words and actions. One story that sticks with me from her childhood during the Great Depression is about her family leaving cups of pennies at their door for their neighbors. In the ritual of telling this story, she stressed that while she and her family were also in need it was important to share what they had so everyone could survive.

The imperative to share my resources, talents and skills, and foster environments where my teams, organizations and clients could do the same has been the foundation of my career. Finding the right balance of skills and resources, of passion and opportunity, of tools and needs is what drives me to do this work at levels of engagement that are appropriate and accessible for one person shops and multinational organizations.

William Green
President & CEO
CW Resources

Bill Green has 37 years of experience with CW Resources and has dedicated his career to supporting and employing people with disabilities. Bill reports to the Board of Directors and directly oversees the development and progress of CW Group and its affiliates. Bill designed and implemented business strategies, plans, and procedures that brought CW from business only in the state of Connecticut to currently employing people in 26 states across the nation. Under Bill’s leadership, CW has over 1200 employees with disabilities. His goals for CW include growing federal and commercial contracts so that we may continue to hire those with disabilities and support the individuals we serve.

Bill began his career with CW as a Job Coach. In this role, he worked with people with disabilities finding each individual’s unique skills, wants, and needs. He provided guidance and devised job coaching strategies. Bill later joined the Contract Services Division and was then promoted to Senior Vice President. As SVP, he had direct oversight of $80 million in service contracts with an annual growth of 15%. Bill was instrumental in CW receiving a prestigious Award of Merit from the Connecticut Green Building Council for extraordinary efforts in green cleaning and maintenance of customer buildings.

CW is an award-winning organization providing meaningful and prestigious employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, veterans, wounded warriors, and the economically disadvantaged. CW is recognized as a national organization and provides exceptional products and services to federal, state, and commercial customers. CW pursues best practices, state-of-the-art management, quality control systems, relevant professional certifications, and continuing education and training.

Certifications

• Individual Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) Expert (ICE) – ISSA
• Six Sigma – Green Belt certified
• OSHA 40hr Safety Course 2010
• Member: ISSA and USGBC
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified — USGBC

Fred Jenoure
Director of TANGO’s Board Diversity Initiative
The Alliance for Nonprofit Growth and Opportunity

Frederick Jenoure, is director of TANGO’s Board Diversity Initiative and Consulting Practice. He is also Founder and President of FEJ Consulting.  Fred has more than 30 years of experience in leadership positions with several prestigious institutions and community organizations, focusing on management and organizational structures, diversity and inclusion, supervisory training, property management, conflict resolution, and union negotiations. He was named Volunteer of the Year by the Urban League of Greater Hartford, and the Adult of the Year Award from the YMCA of Central Mass.

Fred is the current Chairman of the Board of Ascentria Care and a member of the The Village for Families & Children board. He has also served as Chairman of the board of the Massachusetts YMCA Central Branch, Vice President of the Connecticut Council for the Advancement of Diversity, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Urban League of Greater Hartford, and in similar senior positions on several nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Christina Kazanas
Principal
Kazanas Development Strategies

Christina Kazanas brings over 20 years of grant writing, grants administration, public policy, and organizational management experience to KDS. She co-founded the company in 2010 after a career in legislative and budget advocacy, non-profit administration, fundraising, and project management. Her career has taken her into the fields of health care, public health, domestic violence and sexual assault, and municipal government.

She is a generalist who understands the art of collaboration and storytelling in creating persuasive approaches to grant-based fundraising, utilizing organizations’ strongest assets to win grant awards. Her grant writing successes have helped to launch and support initiatives related to brownfields clean-up and redevelopment, economic development, transit-oriented development, public health, environmental conservation, open space preservation, health and human services, and public safety improvements.

Christina holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!), and a Master of Science degree in Social Work from Columbia University in the City of New York (Go Lions!). She previously served on the board of directors of Community Capital Fund, a non-profit lender to high-risk small businesses. In 2019, she was elected to serve as Planning Commissioner in Stratford, CT, where she has lived for 7 years and serves on the Stratford Democratic Town Committee.

Ryan Lawless
Senior Consultant
NFP

Ryan Lawless is a Senior Consultant with NFP. His primary role is overseeing all aspects of the client relationship. Ryan represents his clients and is responsible for the delivery of services provided by NFP. Ryan is involved in all processes from the onset of the client relationship through to the implementation and delivery of services to employees. Prior to joining NFP, Ryan worked for Prudential Financial for 7 years. He is involved with Allied Rehabilitation in Enfield, CT as a Board Member.

Dr. Pierre Morton
Chief Diversity Officer and Adjunct Professor
Franklin Pierce University

The son of a small business owner and political activist, Pierre witnessed the struggles his parents and grandparents overcome while growing up in Arizona, Illinois and Washington states. As the grandson of a Southern Baptist Minister, Pierre’s purpose sprung from his spiritual foundation – to serve God, clean house and help others! This purpose has been evident in his commitment to personal development and to the development of those around him.

Most recently, Pierre served as the Executive Director of Career Services at Franklin Pierce University. He was the Assistant Director of Human Resources and Administration for the Yale Young Global Scholars Program and the Yale Young African Scholars Program administering the budgeting, HR, and compensation services. Prior to joining the Yale University Global Scholars team, Pierre worked in various positions of increasing responsibility at the Yale University Health Center as an Ambassador Coordinator, Sr. Administrative Assistant, to Call Center Manager and finally as the Chief of Staff to the President of Yale Health. Pierre graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Albertus Magnus College, a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Haven, and is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership & Policy at Wilmington University.

Pierre is currently Chair of the Monadnock Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Coalition, a board member of the Manchester NAACP Education Committee, a board member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, a committee member on the City of Keene Racial Justice & Safety Committee and serves on the Keene YMCA Social Justice Committee. Pierre also serves on the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation Steering Committee. Past board memberships include the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Human Resource Steering Committee and a voting board member of SistaHood Support Services Inc. in New Haven, Connecticut. His work has been featured in the New England Journal of Higher Education, USA Today and the Keene Sentinel.

Happily residing in Keene, New Hampshire with his husband, Michael Giuliano and son, Christopher Garcia since July of 2019.

Anne Ruwet
Senior Consultant
The Alliance for Nonprofit Growth and Opportunity

Anne’s unique set of skills and experience offer keen insights for those considering joining a nonprofit board. As the Chief Executive Officer (1994-2021) of a leading agency providing services for people with intellectual disabilities, over the years, she collaborated with scores of business and community leaders who served on the Board of Directors. While she is well-versed in the fiduciary and legal implications of Board service, Anne realizes that a passion for helping others is what truly inspires people to devote their time and talent to accomplish great things.

Serving as a State Representative on the CT Legislature for six years, as well as ongoing public service in her local community as an elected City Councilwoman, has afforded Anne with a well-rounded perspective on the interface between government and the private sector. She fully understands the importance of working in partnership for the greater good. Anne has served in various capacities on multiple boards and committees, and as a member of the Executive Board of the CT Nonprofit Alliance, she helped define and represent the challenges faced by nonprofits statewide. Approachable, insightful, and kind, Anne is a well-respected leader with incredible heart, compassion, and wisdom.

Rollin Schuster
Managing Director, NFP
President & Founder, TANGO

Rollin Schuster is a Managing Director at NFP one of the country’s largest insurance and financial services advisory firms. In 2020 Rollin’s prior firm The Schuster Group was acquired by NFP.

For the last 30 years he has focused on providing clients with innovative employee benefits and insurance strategies.

Rollin’s involvement in NFP dates back to 2005 when his firm became an NFP Benefits Partner. He has served on the NFP Benefits Partner Broker Advisory Board as well as numerous insurance carrier advisory boards. He is also a member of Connecticut Benefit Brokers and the National Association of Health Underwriters. He is a frequent speaker on industry related topics.

Rollin’s affinity for serving the non-profit sector inspired him to create a non-profit; The Alliance for Non-Profit Growth and Opportunity, Inc. (TANGO) which he now serves as President. This organization provides resources to over 1400 non-profits helping them further their mission and create positive change in the sector. www.tangoalliance.org.

Rollin’s nonprofit involvement also includes serving as President of the TANGO Foundation, Chair of The Board of Directors of CW Resources, Inc., The Past Chairman of The Board of Directors of Qualidigm, member of the Franklin Pierce University College of Business Advisory Board, participant on the Compensation and Benefits Committee of Renbrook School, Corporator of CCARC and Connecticut Community Care, Inc.

Rollin is a graduate of Franklin Pierce University and holds numerous insurance licenses and is a registered representative with Kestra Securities, Inc. He is also an Investment Advisory Representative (IAR). He lives in Simsbury, CT and Martha’s Vineyard, MA with his wife, has three children and loves fly fishing and the outdoors.

Richard E. Sebastian Jr.
President/CEO
The Kennedy Center, Inc.

Educated at Utica College of Syracuse University and receiving a BS Degree in Psychology and Loyola Maryland with an MS in Pastoral Counseling, Rick has dedicated his professional life to working with and supporting people who have disabilities and/or chronic & life-threatening medical conditions.

Rick’s life’s purpose is creating connection with and empowerment of people who have disabilities to live vibrant and relevant lives.  As the parent of an adult daughter who has multiple disabilities and as The President of The Kennedy Center, headquartered in Trumbull, CT, Rick is present to the Power of Purpose, and he is a pragmatic visionary who leads and creates environments where people make an impact and the work they do transforms communities.  Rick is a change maker and committed to being an influencer in building Communities and Economies on Purpose.

Rick is passionate about creating environments where all people excel, explore, and live their aspirations and dreams.  He advocates for collaboration, self-determination, self-sufficiency, and community engagement through the alignment of policy, provision of appropriate services & supports, and the creation of meaningful and dignified employment.  Rick advocates for the alignment of public policy to meet the needs of the disenfranchised people and public/private partnerships are vehicles for that alignment.  Rick seeks opportunities to collaborate with other organizations to collectively scale the impact of employing people who have the greatest challenges.

Rick has 4 children and 5 grandchildren and shares with them his love of fishing, adventure travel, backpacking, gardening, skiing and hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Morgan Tuck
Director of Franchise Development
Connecticut Sun

A native of Bolingbrook, IL, Morgan Tuck is the Director of Franchise Development for the Connecticut Sun. Morgan’s main responsibilities involve the Sun’s social justice initiative, Change Can’t Wait, the Sun’s youth basketball strategy, community relations and overall fan development for the organization.

Prior to her role with the Connecticut Sun, Morgan was a four-time National Champion with the University of Connecticut’s Women’s Basketball team (2012-2016). Where she graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Business Management.  She then went on to be the third overall pick in the 2016 WNBA draft to the Connecticut Sun. After 4 seasons with the Sun she played her final season with the Seattle Storm, which ended with winning the 2020 WNBA Championship. Morgan is a five-time gold medalist with USA Basketball (U17, U19, U18, U19, and the National Team). During her professional basketball career, she also played overseas in China and Turkey.

Morgan has recently made her transition from a player to front-office executive and is excited about where her second career will take her. She believes that women are the future and has a passion for creating positive change and inspiring the next generation of young women to make a lasting impact on their community.

Jeanette Wade
COO
Ascentria

Jeanette Wade joined Ascentria in March 2019 as chief financial officer and later accepted the additional role of chief operations officer. She directs the organization’s financial strategy, technology, business development, and facilities functions.

Jeanette’s business philosophy is that every organization can improve in terms of being efficient, accountable and sustainable. She brings a record of defining and delivering high-level results during periods requiring significant change, business maturity and bottom line improvements.

Prior to joining Ascentria, Jeanette held several executive positions, most recently as chief financial officer and internal control officer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Technology Services and Security. Among her accomplishments were the restructuring of funding paradigms to reduce cost burdens, and establishing profit-and-loss protocols to evaluate operational cost reduction opportunities and expansion of services. She served as finance technology liaison to all entities in the Commonwealth, providing financial transparency.

Jeanette holds two degrees from Harvard University – a Master of Liberal Arts in Business Management and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Strategic Management.