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.
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
Marketing and Events Specialist
Diana brings more than 15 years of marketing and communications experience to her role at Roots & Wings, with a background spanning energy efficiency, public relations, color cosmetics, and the nonprofit sector. Since joining the Roots & Wings team, she has helped lead marketing, communications, events, and fundraising initiatives that raise awareness of the organization’s mission and amplify the voices and experiences of the young adults it serves. A lifelong New Jerseyan, Diana is especially excited to combine her marketing expertise with her passion for mission-driven work. Earlier in her career, she worked in public relations with clients including The Horizon Foundation and Intensive Therapeutics. Diana is a Montclair State University alumna with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
Jennifer Scherer
Development Manager
Jennifer Scherer joined Roots & Wings in 2026. As the founder of Magnified Events, Jennifer specializes in creating experiences that connect people to a common mission and inspire meaningful engagement, helping organizations expand their impact. She is passionate about building strategic partnerships and connecting donors, sponsors, foundations, and community members to causes that create lasting change. Jennifer holds a degree in Psychology and Philosophy from Le Moyne College.
Our Supportive Board
Paul Heroux
Board President
Retired
Federal Home Bank of NY
Karna Cestero
Vice President
Consultant, Affordable Housing & Social Services KGC ConsultingSadrack 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
Andrea Chasin
Executive Director
Optum/United Health Group
Jason Freund
Partner, Advisor
KPMG LLP
Jocelyn de Grandpre
Senior Director, Managing Group Counsel
Intel Corp.
Chadara Hall
Director, Separately Managed Accounts
BlackRock
Michelle Kastin
Director, Marketing Strategy & Integrated Planning Marketing, Communications & Experience
PwC US Group LLP
Joan McGeough
Chief Marketing Officer
The DAK Group
Ilene Patasnik
Principal
Ilene Patasnik & Associates, LLC Leadership Team & Organization Development Consulting
Hilda Polanco
Market Managing Partner
BDO USA
Dylan Roberts
Partner
South Star Advisors
Suzane Thomas, D.S.W., L.M.S.W.
Director of Field Education / Therapist
Kean University / Imara Counseling
Kathleen Weber
Retired, Former Chief Product Officer
OrasureTechnologies, Inc