Board of Directors
The role of the Board is to ensure that WIHD acts in accordance with its mission through meaningful oversight of operations and policy guidance in a way that assures integrity and effective management without leading to board involvement in WIHD’s day-to-day activities. Board members are elected for three-year terms, with officer elections held annually. The Board meets at least every other month, with several special focus meetings during the year.
MONICA SGANGA
CHAIR
Monica Sganga is Director of a privately owned property management company. A resident of Westchester since 1990, Ms. Sganga has a strong volunteer history in the community and schools in her home community of Edgemont and in neighboring Yonkers. She is currently serving on the Edgemont School Board. Ms. Sganga earned a BS in Business Administration from Miami University.
TRACI F. GARDNER, MD
VICE-CHAIR
Dr. Gardner made history in 2019 as the first woman and African American Medical Director at the Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry, NY. Dr. Gardner is also the Chief Medical Officer for their Division of Immigration Services. She serves as the Director of Community Engagement at New York Medical College where she is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics and on the Advisory Council for the Attorneys for Children; NY State Court System. Dr. Gardner is passionate about her work advocating for better access to healthcare for vulnerable populations, children and families.
VERA HALPENNY, LCSW
SECRETARY
Vera Halpenny has been an advocate and supporter of individuals with various levels of ability for over 30 years. She has been actively involved with WIHD for over 12 years as an Advisory Committee member and as consumer of its services for many more. She has served on the Community Services Board of Westchester county since 2007 advocating for services for individuals with I/DD. She was an adjunct professor at Iona College, teaching social work. As Chief Program Officer at YAI, Ms. Halpenny spearheaded a Diversity and Inclusion process and worked with an Emerging Leadership Team to manage the succession plans for the executive level.
FERN JUSTER, MD
TREASURER
Dr. Fern Juster is Associate Dean Emeritus at New York Medical College School of Medicine. She was the Senior Associate Dean and Chair of the Admissions Committee at NYMC School of Medicine for 23 years where she spearheaded major changes in the admissions process resulting in a significant increase in racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity within the medical student population. She has presented nationally and published in peer-reviewed journals on admissions and diversity and inclusion. Dr. Juster was Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at NYMC for over 30 years. Her focus was on the needs of underserved children, especially those with chronic medical and psychiatric disorders. She remains deeply committed to improving access to comprehensive medical and mental health care for individuals with chronic disease through advocacy and the education of professionals and the general community.
JENNIFER CHAN, DDS
Dr. Jennifer Chan is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Dental Medicine at the Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM) and an Assistant Clinical Practice Leader at Touro Dental Health, the college’s 115-chair dental teaching practice. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at TCDM, she practices at an urgent care dental facility in Scarsdale, New York. She is an active member of Agape Belize Cure, a non-profit group providing medical/dental relief through annual missions. Outside of dentistry, Dr. Chan has completed the New York and Chicago Marathon as well as the Jarden Westchester Triathlon raising funds for several charities. In addition she holds a patent for breast pads which retails at Game Shapers, a company she founded, and its proceeds support breast cancer research. She is a graduate of Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago. She has a Bachelors degree from UC Berkeley and completed her General Practice Residency from Seton Hall University at Jersey City Medical Center.
JENNIFER DEMARRAIS
Jennifer DeMarrais practiced law until retiring to raise her two children. A resident of Westchester since 2004, Ms. DeMarrais has been an active volunteer in her community, where she is currently serving on the Edgemont School Board. She is deeply committed to WIHD’s mission of improving the lives of people with disabilities and vulnerable children. Ms. DeMarrais holds a B.A. in History from Williams College and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
WALTER FOWLER
Walt Fowler is a lifelong resident of Westchester County, and a small business owner who has been a long-time volunteer for several non-profit organizations dedicated to individuals with disabilities. Prior to serving on the Board of Directors, he was a member of the WIHD Community Advisory Committee for approximately twelve years. When WIHD became independent in July 2005, Mr. Fowler was a founding member of the board and Treasurer during the transition to independence.
MARIE HOUSTON
Marie Houston is a graduate of Pace University where she attained her Master’s Degrees in 1999 and Bachelor’s Degree in 1985, both in Management Information Systems.
Marie is currently employed by New York City Health + Hospitals as a SharePoint Administrator.
A brief mention of her affiliations; include, serving on the City of White Plains Community Development Citizens Advisory Board (CDCAC), District Leader for the White Pains Democratic Committee, Publicity/Technology Chair for White Plains/Greenburgh NAACP. A member Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Pi Iota Omega Chapter and Executive Director of AKA/PIO’s Charitable of Arm, The Ivy Enrichment Fund, Inc.
She has been an active and dedicated member of Calvary Baptist Church in White Plains, New York for over 50 years. Marie serves in several ministries which include the Sunday School, Youth Advisory Board and the Women’s Christian Fellowship. Marie comes from a family of spiritual leaders where she has learned to be rooted and grounded in the Lord. Giving back to her community in service, ranks high on Marie’s list of priorities. She credits her successes to her mother’s guidance and her grandmother’s wisdom.
BARBARA KESTENBAUM
Barbara Kestenbaum has been in the field of special education for over 40 years, serving in leadership roles such as Principal, Director of Special Education Services, Supervisor, Professional Development Specialist, and Parent Trainer. During her career as a special education classroom teacher, she worked with students of all ability levels and took pride in assisting her students to learn, increase their independence and improve their ability to succeed in the community.
Barbara currently works as an adjunct professor and educational consultant, providing training and assisting schools in planning initiatives to improve their programs and the outcomes for their students. She has graduate degrees and certifications in special education, general education, and school administration.
In recent years, Ms. Kestenbaum worked for WIHD supporting its fundraising initiatives and as a staff member of the Community Support Network, working primarily with families and early childhood school programs. Additionally, she has served as a volunteer for the Allen Women’s Resource Center, a housing alternative for families seeking safety from domestic violence.
JEAN LUCASEY
Jean Lucasey is an attorney who has been helping children in public schools since 2006. She has been certified by the New York State Education Department as an Impartial Hearing Officer for Special Education matters since August 2010. In that capacity, she has presided over more than 100 due process hearings, deciding disputes between families and their school districts. Jean also represents families of children with special needs in New York City and serves as a trial judge of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court in Connecticut.
As a volunteer, she currently serves on the Executive Council of the Lower Hudson Special Education Task Force and helps out at the local food pantry. She has served as a Board of Education trustee in her local school district since 2014, where she steered policy development and helped to draft a roadmap for a district-wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan.
Before earning her J.D. at the University of Connecticut School of Law, Jean worked as a journalist and taught newswriting and copy-editing as an adjunct professor at Iona College.
FRANCES RAO
Frances Rao is an executive with nearly 20 years of experience directing privacy, compliance, and audit programs for large healthcare enterprises. Her background and education is in telecommunications and computer sciences. She has proven expertise in establishing high quality, practical and scalable compliance programs that support business strategies and operations. A collaborative and decisive leader with ability to influence all levels of organization, Rao will be a great asset to WIHD’s Board of Directors.
AARON VELEZ
Aaron C. Velez is a former WIHD intern and employee working in the Child Welfare Department and later as the Institute’s Health IT Manager. Aaron is a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) graduate and has remained connected to WIHD as an advocate and fundraiser. Aaron is committed to helping the organization continue in its mission of advocacy and education. Aaron obtained a Master’s Degree from Columbia University School of Social Work and currently manages two Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate Offices in Somers and Brewster.
WILLIAM H. FRISHMAN, MD
EMERITUS
Dr. Frishman serves as Chairman and Professor of Medicine Emeritus at New York Medical College, and is currently a co-principal investigator of the federally-funded Women’s Health Initiative. He has served as an investigator in multiple NIH studies, and been the recipient of many national awards for excellence in teaching, as well as the Medical Humanism Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges.