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.
Stephanie Tansey
Operations Director
Stephanie earned a Bachelor’s degree in marketing from The Fashion Institute of Technology. She has worked in the fashion industry in sales management and buying and has years of experience in office management in the real estate industry. Stephanie has decided to join the Roots & Wings team to be part of an organization that aids in the empowerment of young people and has the ability to impact the course of their lives in a positive way.
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.
Ashley Salmon
Fund Development Manager
Ashley started with the agency in May of 2021 as the Fund Development Manager. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Monmouth University, and has spent the last ten years of her career in the nonprofit sector. The majority of that time was spent in health organizations, most recently as the Executive Director of the New Jersey chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Ashley has joined the Roots & Wings team with a passion for supporting donors and volunteers as they strive to achieve their goal of impacting our clients. She is excited to help others realize their potential to make such a positive impact on young people’s lives through their generosity and support!
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
June Toth
Board President, Finance Committee
Paul Heroux
Vice President, Fund Development Committee Chair, Governance Committee
Scott Kraemer
Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair
Lisa Adams
Secretary, Program Committee
Andrea Chasin
Program Committee Chair
Lisa Smith
Program Committee
Karna Gerich Cestero
Program Committee
Dr. Dina Lundy
Program Committee
Ilene Patasnik
Governance Committee Chair, Fund Development Committee
Marisol Peters
Governance Committee
Debra Shannon Gibbons
Governance Committee
Peter Nadeau
Fund Development Committee, Finance Committee
