The Roots & Wings Team
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
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.
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.
Kayla Gross
Development Director
Kayla joins the Roots & Wings team with a career-long history in non-profit fundraising and community engagement. She has worked for various-sized non-profits throughout the Tri-State area in roles responsible for fundraising, grant writing, event planning, marketing, and media relations. Kayla prides herself on using her writing and storytelling skills to best represent an organization…and doing so with her one-of-a-kind flair! She is most excited to work for Roots & Wings as our mission is unique and will allow her to work closely with our youth. Kayla holds a Bachelor of Arts from The College of New Jersey in both History and Women & Gender Studies.
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.
Sharon Tether
Marketing Volunteer
Sharon joined Roots & Wings in 2021 as a volunteer. With an undergraduate degree and M.B.A. from New York University, she held various positions in the financial services industry in Manhattan before moving to Chatham, NJ with her husband and two young sons. She has since worked locally with non-profits and small businesses. Having raised her sons to be (mostly) self-sufficient young adults, she is thrilled to be part of the Roots & Wings team helping the young people in our program grow and thrive.
Our Supportive Board
Paul Heroux
Board President – Retired
Federal Home Bank of NY
Karna Cestero
Vice President – Consultant, Affordable Housing & Social Services
KGC Consulting
Sadrack Belony
Treasurer – Head of Investor Services
Aztec Group
Leanne Blair
Secretary – Executive Director, Sr. Marketing Specialist
Novartis Pharmaceutical
Andrea Chasin
Executive Director
Optum/United Health Group
Chadara Hall
Director, Separately Managed Accounts
BlackRock
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
Marisol Peters
Vice President, IT
Out & Equal
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
