The Roots & Wings Team

Edith Villacampa Fiato headshot

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

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 Laurenzi

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

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

photo of the Roots and Wings 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