OUR 2021-2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
We are honored to be led by the following amazing and resourceful women.
Chinira Lovick
Board Co-President
Chinira is the Development Coordinator at Schenectady Community Ministries (SiCM). She first got involved with WGGS when she served as a panelist for the Pushout Documentary Event in 2021. She helped run a Girls' Circle as a Muse at the high school during the 2021-2022 school year.
Monique Wade
Board Co-President
Monique's first experience with WGGS was in a high school Girls' Circle. Later, she served as a Muse. After working as an EMT at Mohawk Ambulance Services, Monique took a position as one of two Peer Mediation Coordinators for SCSD middle schoolers. Monique explains, "I help students with conflict resolution and weighing their options aside from verbal or physical altercations. I think helping is worthwhile because I vowed to myself to be the person for others that I needed when I was their age. If I can be that shining light of guidance for others, I'm willing to do so."
Pam Carter
Immediate Past President
Pam was a previous Muse at Central Park Middle School and at Oneida Middle School. Pam is active at her church and in the community. She volunteers with the SICM Food Pantry, serves as a Board Member with Safe Inc. of Schenectady County and with the YWCA in Schenectady.
Cathy Lewis
Board Treasurer
Mary Lynn Olbrych
Board Secretary
Mary Lynn retired from NYS after working over 35 years as a computer programmer and business analyst. After retirement she became a mentor in the Promises Program at the Boys and Girls Club of Schenectady. A couple of years ago Mary Lynn got involved with WGGS as a volunteer for Girls Day Out, the Celebration Dinner and serves on the Fundraising Committee.
Laura LaFontaine
Program Coordinator
Laura began her journey with WGGS in 2014 as a volunteer. She later went on to become the WGGS Program Coordinator and continues to run Girls' Circles as a Muse. She is very passionate about working with and supporting the youth of Schenectady.
Eileen Berlanti
Board Member
Eileen is an SCSD school social worker who began facilitating girls circles in 2015. She is currently facilitating two girls' circles at the high school level, an experience she says has been extremely rewarding.
Lakeia Allen Bowman
Board Member /Former Muse
Lakeia served as a Muse at Central Park Middle School and currently works as a mental health counselor for SEAT (Social Enterprise and Training for 16-24 year old out-of-school youth). Lakeia grew up in Schenectady, and her dad was Schenectady City Councilman Joe Allen.
Teresa Casullo
Board Member
Known throughout the galaxy as the Condom Lady or more affectionately- Mamma Tre. Teresa “Tre” Casullo has been a staunch advocate for equality and reproductive rights for many years. Professionally, Tre has worked for the Utica YWCA and became an Americorps volunteer for 2 years. Tre is currently at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York for 24 years as an Educator and CAPP Director. She has served for 2 years on the Friends of Schenectady Child Advocacy Center as board president. Tre loves to camp, hike, ski, play music and belongs to a fencing club in Troy. She is extremely humbled to have been chosen to serve on the WGGS board and will uphold her responsibilities to the best of her capacity.
Rachel Curtis
Board Member
Rachel has been a School Social Worker for SCSD since 2017. She has held a host of positions within the City of Schenectady community. These positions include work with crises, housing, foster care, food insecurity and homelessness and were housed at Schenectady Community Action Program, Northeast Parent & Child Society, the Salvation Army, and Schenectady Inner City Ministry (SiCM). She now serves on the board for SiCM. She served as a Muse and continued her involvement with WGGS as the school clinician connected with Girls Circles. She is passionate about living within the community she is serving, and her NYC experiences give her an additional scope of understanding marginalized communities of color in urban spaces. In her free time, Rachel enjoys learning Spanish, visiting New York City, travelling, sharing her love of fitness with others, and showing up to daily life through an anti-racist lens.
Cynthia Farmer
Board Member
Cynthia has served as a Muse and is very passionate about working with the youth of Schenectady. She believes strongly in serving her community and is very involved, serving as Treasurer: Schenectady NAACP Branch; Chairperson: Schenectady NAACP Branch Education Committee; Chairperson: Reactivation of the Schenectady NAACP Branch; Chairperson: Higher Education Services Corporation Affirmative Action Advisory Committee; Staff Representative: Higher Education Services Cooperation Bureau of Collection Control Advisory Committee; President of the BOD: Chocolate Thunder Marching & Dancing Band Youth Development Program, Inc.; Council Leader: Division 355 PEF.
Carol Lotano
Board Member
Carol graduated from Linton HS as well as SUNY Brockport. She taught health at Mont Pleasant High School, then special education for more than two decades at Duanesburg Central School. At Duanesburg CSD, she served on the scholarship committee and others while supporting her three sons in the Schenectady City School District and beyond.
Bernice Rivera
Board Member
