Leadership

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Debra A. Greenwood, President/CEO

Debra A. Greenwood, President and CEO has spent more than 35 years in non-profit management, with extensive experience in strategic planning, fundraising, community mobilization and leadership and program development. Prior to joining The Center for Family Justice in 2007, she served as a CEO at various YMCAs in the region, leading four successful Capital Campaigns that resulted in the creation of a new YMCA, two renovations at different Ys, and most recently remodeling The Center for Family Justice. Her tenure on the Town of Monroe’s Youth Commission in the 1990s led to her passion for strengthening youth programs that focused on after-school activities, in addition to implementing physical and well-being initiatives into these programs through the national YMCA. For a decade, she served as a faculty advisor with the national YMCA, writing curriculum and mainstreaming children with disabilities into physical educations programs in public schools throughout Connecticut. MORE

 

Mark Antonini, CFO/ CAO

Mark Antonini, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Administrative Officer provides overall leadership for managing financial resources, tracking and monitoring financial expenditures, and ensuring that financial spending is in line with agency budgets. In conjunction with the President/CEO and management team, he is responsible for implementing short- and long-term strategies for managing and improving the overall financial health and systems of The Center. More

 

Kayte Cwikla-Masas, Director of Youth & Adult Services

Kayte began her career at CFJ in 2007, working at Bridgeport’s Golden Hill Courthouse as a Family Violence Victim Advocate supporting family violence victims engaged with the criminal justice system. Kayte then supervised the criminal and civil court Family Violence Victim Advocates for four years before being chosen to lead CFJ’s Multidisciplinary Team. In her current role, Kayte coordinates the forensic interviews and other team activities related to child abuse investigations. Kayte is also CFJ’s Lethality Assessment Program coordinator and has sat on the Task Force to Study the State’s Response to Minors Exposed to Domestic Violence. She also teaches law enforcement professionals about the dynamics of domestic violence and frequently teaches cadets in the Bridgeport Police Academy. Kayte co-chairs the Executive Committee of the Greater Bridgeport Multidisciplinary Team. Kayte also supervises the Domestic and Sexual Violence Community Advocates, the Crisis and Housing Advocates, as well as the LatinX Community Services Unit. Kayte earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Criminal Justice from the University of New Haven. She has presented to a diverse array of audiences on topics such as domestic violence, sexual violence, the court system’s response to domestic violence, strangulation, and child abuse. In 2017, Kayte was chosen as one of Westfair Communication’s “40 Under 40” honors recipients in Fairfield County.

 

Marissa Donnelly, Director of Philanthropy and Impact

Marissa Donnelly, Director of Philanthropy and Impact, began her career at CFJ in the development department. After a brief stint away, she is back in a new capacity – now focused on measuring the impact of the work of CFJ on clients, staff, stakeholders and by extension, the community we serve. For the first time, CFJ is conducting an Impact Study, designed, and executed by Marissa. Through the impact and evaluation process, Marissa is collecting data to help steer the direction of programs and ensure CFJ is meeting the needs of clients. Additionally, she is tasked with seeking out and establishing new relationships for CFJ, strategizing for the future! Marissa initially joined CFJ after honing her leadership and fundraising skills in the tumultuous world of politics as the Finance Director first for Diane Farrell in her bid for U.S. Congress and then for former Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch. Marissa received her B.A in Sociology and Women’s Studies and master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She is also graduate of Leadership Greater Bridgeport (27th class) and recipient of Westfair Communication’s “40 Under 40” award (2016).

 

Amanda Posila, Director of Education & Community Engagement

Amanda Posila, Director of Programs provides expertise, leadership and support to the agency’s intervention and prevention services. In her current role, Amanda promotes social change and justice through advocacy, collaboration and community organizing. She has worked with victims of domestic and sexual violence as well as diverse communities for more than 15 years, raising awareness about the impact of these issues through outreach and education. MORE

 

Paul Santos, Chief Information & Operations Officer

Paul Santos, Chief Information & Operations Officer has been working with The Center since 2003 as the lead technical expert on staff implementing solutions that helps The Center drive its mission forward.  MORE

 

Angela Schlingheyde, Director of Civil Legal & Court Advocacy Services 

Angela is a former prosecutor in Miami Dade County, Florida, who specialized in prosecuting cases involving domestic and sexual violence. She brings that background to her work leading a team at CFJ that is dedicated to help bridging the justice gap for clients who have been impacted by abuse and trauma. She leads CFJ’s Court Advocacy Team and also helped launch the Justice Legal Center, Connecticut’s first legal incubator. She oversees the JLC Team and is also leading a new initiative at CFJ which began with the hiring of its first staff attorney dedicated to supporting impacted clients.