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Meet the 2015
Conference Planning Committee
Jennifer Hunter & Doug Hemmings
2015 Conference Co-Chairs
(Most of ) The 2015 Conference Planning Committee
Our Vermont Representatives
Doug Hemmings: 2015 conference Co-Chair, Doug Hemmings looks forward to this year's conference in his home state of Vermont. As RSC at a 120-unit Maloney Properties' housing community in Barre, VT, Doug is proud of the innovative and unique programs he coordinates for residents. For example, he has partnered with 'Take Thee to the Funnery' - a community arts program affiliated with the Vermont Arts Council. This program has dazzled residents with creative summer activities and programs such as Circus Arts and a Shakespeare Camp. A Midsummer Night's Dream was a hit this summer, and Doug knows that the young residents have benefitted in many ways by this opportunity to participate in theatre arts. 'It's all about relationships', says Doug. Prior to finding his niche in Resident Services 9 years ago, Doug had experience in social work advocacy and Head Start programs. As conference Co-Chair, Doug is excited to 'show off the state' and his pride in Vermont, which is known for its diversity and tolerance of differences.
Jennifer Hunter: Jennifer grew up in Vermont and currently lives in Hinesburg, VT. She is married with two children, both girls, 7 & 11 years old. Jennifer has been in the RSC field for 25 years and works for Cathedral Square in South Burlington, VT. She is a Support & Services at Home (SASH) Team Leader. Jennifer attended UVM for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. This will be her third time as Conference Co-Chair at a NERSC Conference in Vermont.
Dorothy M. James: Dorothy M. James has been a Resident Services Manager for Peabody Properties, Inc. since 2000. She has been a part of the NERSC Planning Committee for over 8 years and is entering her second year on the NERSC, Inc. Board of Directors. Her goal in life is to be the best person that she can be. She often dreams about being a tall beautiful woman (but here at NERSC, we love her just the same as a petite beautiful woman)!
Nicole Reddy: Nicole is looking forward to her fourth year on the NERSC Planning Committee. She is a certified RSC for Preservation Housing Management in Rhode Island where she provides services for six properties. A Jimmy Buffet fan, Nicole has attended a number of his concerts and also attends many country concerts. Nicole is the mother of a US Marine, currently stationed at Camp Pendleton in California.
Mark Leno Jr.: Mark Leno, a New Hampshire native, has been a RSC at Dover Housing Authority for 4 years. He is a graduate of the Community College of the Air Force with a degree in Criminal Justice. Mark loves history and his hobbies include mountain climbing and traveling. Mark enjoys his job and spending time with his 10 children.
Chelsea Nunez: Chelsea has been an employee of the Brattleboro, Vermont Housing Authority for the past 3 � years and a RSC for the last 1 � years. Chelsea loves her job and the opportunity to be involved with her community. She is also a volunteer at the Women's Freedom Crisis Center in Brattleboro where she continues her passion of helping others. This is Chelsea's first year on the NERSC Conference Planning Committee.
Nancy Hale: Nancy is from New Hampshire and she has been married for 24 years with 2 beautiful children. Nancy loves to hike the White Mountains and garden. She has been a FSS Coordinator/Housing Counsel for the last 3 years. Nancy was a wonderful co-chair for the last NERSC Conference and has been with NERSC for the past 3 years. Nancy's favorite color is green. She is very excited for this year's conference.
Judy Vallari: Judy has been on the NERSC Conference Planning Committee for at least 8 years. She works as a RSC for Belknap Merrimack Community Action of New Hampshire. Judy lives with Percy, her peacock, Otis, and Paul, her person. For fun, Judy enjoys kayaking and canning mustards and relishes. She also loves to hang out with family, friends and grandson Drew.
Ellen Cyr: Ellen was born and raised in Connecticut and she has two sons, ages 11 and 20. She has been in the Social Services field for 25 years, doing geriatric social work and has been a RSC for 15 of those years. Ellen received her education at Syracuse University and currently works for Federation Homes with 100 apartments for seniors and younger people with disabilities. She enjoys having time to really make a difference for her residents. Ellen is a trained Laughter instructor and her workshops have been wildly popular at NERSC. This is Ellen's first year on the NERSC Planning Committee.
Donna Coyle: Donna has worked in the Resident Services field for over 15 years, the last eight of which have been at Appleton Corporation. She resides in Western Massachusetts with her husband, son and two dogs, Duchess and Mr. Murphy. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, jewelry making and reading. This is Donna's first year on the NERSC Conference Planning Committee.
Gaye Freed: Gaye has worked for Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly for over 30 years in a variety of Resident Services positions. She started when she was 10 years old. Gaye has been on the NERSC Planning Committee for 8 years. Her goal in life is to sit on the beach eating mint chocolate chip ice cream and reading mystery novels.
Karen Berube: Karen has worked in the field of Resident Service Coordination for 27 years. Employed by WinnCompanies of Boston, Karen is a Senior Resident Service Coordinator who serves youth, families and elderly residents at 3 Winn properties. Karen's work includes community-building, educational programming, and assisting residents with obtaining services in their local community. In her RSC work with youth and families, Karen facilitates a year-round youth drop-in program that is dynamic and includes free lunch daily in the summer. As a part of community building, Karen hosts a monthly luncheon for residents and frequently cooks the meals herself (and as of this date, has not poisoned anyone). Karen has attended 15 NERSC conferences.
Pam Niemi: Pam has worked in the housing field since 1997 and has been with Peabody Properties since 2001. She has had the opportunity during that time to work in a variety of housing experiences that include group adult foster care, elderly disabled and mixed populations in affordable housing. Pam enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter and her cats, Murray and Oliver. In her spare time, Pam enjoys Zumba, yoga, downhill skiing and scrapbooking.
Sam Falzone: Sam has been playing in the affordable housing sandbox since 1971, and is currently Director of Multifamily Programs at the Vermont Housing Finance Agency and has been active with NERSC since 2001. In the real world, Sam is a singer/songwriter and guitarist who continues to perform and was the cofounder of a Burlington-based band "MidLife Chrysler". In 1997, the band played a memorable gig in Negril Jamaica which they refer to as "7 Days and 10 Nights". Recently, Sam has been enamored with the founder of the New England Professional Development Series (PDS) and is exploring this groundbreaking program with her.
Kim Pietrorazio: Kim in the Director of Resident Service Coordination for Konover Residential Corporation and the Executive Director of TOVAH, Inc. Kim serves on the NERSC Board of Directors and has been working in the field of Resident Services for 20 years. She views resident services as an integral component to the vitality and health of a community. Kim enjoys spending time with her 2 boys and participating in all their activities during her free time.
Denise L. Creacy: Denise is a MSW graduate from Springfield College. She has worked for the Hartford Housing Authority since 2011. Denise is most proud of raising three wonderful young men. Her secret passion is scrapbooking. She continues to volunteer on the NERSC Conference Planning Committee as she finds the group a pleasure to work with and enjoys the opportunity to put her creativity to good use.
Daphne Binder: Daphne is the Lead Resident Activities Director forFirst Realty Management. She is also a member of the NERSC Board of Directors. Daphne has been working in the field of Resident Services for 17 years and views resident services as a key to community growth and sustainability. Daphne enjoys spending time with her son, Mason, and being involved in his social and educational activities.
Cathryn Conway-Dorr: Catherine has been on the NERSC Conference Planning Committee for 2 years. She works in the Granite State, but is a transplant "Maine-iac". She brings a lot of laughter to the committee. One of her favorite pastimes is communing with nature.
Vanessa Viele: Vanessa joined Hallkeen in October 2013 working as a RSC for the Fenway Properties in Boston, MA. Vanessa has a Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership with previous experience in transitional housing working with the dual diagnosis MICA. Vanessa has an outgoing personality and strives to personally help the residents in the Fenway community find services to successfully continue to live in affordable housing. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys spending time at the beaches in Glouster and shopping. She also enjoys vacationing and visiting her family in upstate New York. This is Vanessa's first year on the NERSC Conference Planning Committee.
Jean Benson Bernstein: Jean Bernstein has been with WinnCompanies for 25 years and Director of Resident Services for the last 13 years. Always a strong advocate for professional training opportunities for Resident Service Coordinators, Jean has been involved with the formation of NERSC and the NERSC Conference since the very beginning serving as a Board Member, President, member of the Planning Committee, conference volunteer and frequent training presenter. One of Jeans guiding mantras is "A little bit of positivity and creativity goes a long way!"
Loretta Sanford: Loretta Sanford is a professional consultant with over 25 years of experience in training, safety and community service programs. Her experience includes the development of specialized training programs ranging from "Violence Prevention and De-escalation" to "Multi-generational Creativity". She has provided training for thousands of organizations throughout the US, and is a qualified training specialist for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Mass Housing.
Claudia L. Owumi: Claudia, is a well-seasoned RSC having worked for 24 years in the profession. She has a background in educational administration and relocated to Nigeria, off the coast of West Africa, where she focused all of her attention for a decade in education. She also held a post at the American International School in Lagos, Nigeria, under the US Embassy. In 2005, Claudia joined the MB Management Company with more than 15 years' experience in resident and community service programs, where she serves as the Resident Service Coordinator/Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator at the Joseph T. Cefalo Memorial Complex in Melrose, MA. She has a direct experience in other areas such as development and grant writing, social work, commercial and residential development, public relations, residential case management and neighborhood development. Claudia is the North Shore/Merrimack Valley Regional Representative for the Massachusetts Association of Resident Service Coordinators in Housing (MARSCH). -
Jodi Brazal, MSW: Jodi enjoys being a member of the NERSC conference planning committee. Jodi works part-time for the East Hampton Housing Authority in Connecticut. When not at work she volunteers her time and talents for a variety of organizations. Jodi is a Pittsburg girl at heart who loves to ski, the bench and horseback riding! She is an amazing person and the mother of three wonderful and talented children.
Denise Green: Denise has been working at MassHousing for the last 20+ years in the Community Services Department. She oversees and coordinates the TAP Resident Programs, which services over 10,000 residents who live in developments that are enrolled in the TAP program. Denise has had the pleasure of servicing on the planning committee for number of years working with great individuals in planning many great conferences.
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