The Roots & Wings Team

Edith Villacampa Fiato headshot Portrait employee of Roots & wings

Edith Villacampa Fiato

Executive Director

Edith Villacampa Fiato is the Executive Director of Roots & Wings, joining the team in April of 2023. Edith brings a wealth of nonprofit management and fundraising experience, as well as business acumen, to her new role. Edith joins Roots and Wings from Children’s Aid and Family Services, one of Northern New Jersey’s oldest and largest nonprofits serving vulnerable children and families. At Children’s Aid, Edith served as Vice President of Development, and, most recently, also had management responsibility for the agency’s mentoring program for young adults who have aged out of foster care. Edith holds an undergraduate degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Tisha Mender

Tisha Mender

Senior Program Director

Tisha Mender is the Senior Program Director at Roots & Wings. Tisha has dedicated her career to improving the lives of at-risk children and youth. She comes to Roots & Wings with a deep understanding and extensive training in trauma-informed care. A recognized expert in economic mobility coaching practices, Tisha has focused on helping young adults who have aged out of foster care attain the skills and training necessary to embark on a path to self-sufficiency and financial independence since 2016. Tisha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work with a concentration in Women’s Studies from Muhlenberg College.

Jaclyn Robinson Portrait

Allison Mirabelli

Program Director

Allison Mirabelli is the Program Director at Roots & Wings. She started her career at the agency as an intern, and was then hired as a Program Assistant, then promoted to Case Manager and is now the director of the RISE and FLY programs. Allison is a Licensed Associate Counselor in New Jersey and a National Certified Counselor. She has earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Allison has a deep passion for helping young adults work towards their goals and independence.

Erin Witherspoon, Roots and Development Manager

Erin Witherspoon

Development Manager

Erin joined Roots & Wings as our Development Manager in December of 2025. Erin brings experience in fundraising, marketing, events, and community engagement to our development team. Prior to joining Roots & Wings, Erin worked at America’s Grow-a-Row, a nonprofit farm dedicated to growing fresh produce for food banks. Her nonprofit career started at the Affinity Foundation, philanthropic arm of Affinity Federal Credit Union. During her time at Affinity, she was introduced to Roots & Wings through the grants program as a community partner. Erin holds her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a marketing concentration from Ramapo College of New Jersey.

 

Jaclyn Robinson Portrait

Jaclyn Robinson

Business Manager

Jaclyn Robinson is the Business Manager at Roots & Wings.  She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. Jaclyn spent her career in corporate finance roles at large public companies focusing on compliance, financial, and operational auditing. Jaclyn joined the Roots & Wings team to apply her business experience to an organization with a mission that is impactful to our underserved youth and important to our community. 

Diana Meneses, Roots and Wings Marketing and Events Specialist

Diana Meneses

Marketing and Events Specialist

Diana recently joined the Roots & Wings team, with over 15 years of marketing experience in energy efficiency, public relations, and color cosmetics industries. Career highlights include creating nail polish collections for prestige brands, organizing a blimp race, and being recognized as a 2024 Marketing Maverick by NJ Ad Club. A lifelong New Jerseyan, she’s excited to be back in the nonprofit sector, having previously worked in public relations with clients like The Horizon Foundation and Intensive Therapeutics. Diana is a Montclair State University alumnus, holding a Bachelor of Arts in English.

Our Supportive Board

Paul Heroux

Board President

Retired

Federal Home Bank of NY

Karna Cestero

Board Vice President

Consultant, Affordable Housing & Social Services

KGC Consulting

Sadrack Belony

Board Treasurer

Head of Investor Services

Aztec Group

Leanne Blair

Board Secretary

Executive Director, Sr. Marketing Specialist

Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Edith Villacampa Fiato

Ex-Officio

Executive Director

Roots & Wings

Chadara Hall

Vice President, Separately Managed Markets

BlackRock

Andrea Chasin

Executive Director

Optum/United Health Group

Jocelyn deGrandpre

Senior Director, Managing Group Counsel

Intel Corp.

Joan McGeough

Chief Marketing Officer

The DAK Group

Peter Nadeau

Partner and Senior Consultant

Fiducient Advisors, LLC 

Ilene Patasnik

Principal

Ilene Patasnik & Associates, LLC Leadership Team & Organization Development Consulting 

Hilda Polanco

Market Managing Partner

BDO USA 

Suzane Thomas, D.S.W., L.M.S.W.

Director of Field Education / Therapist

Kean University / Imara Counseling