Directors
Diane Rosenthal
Executive Director
Read Diane’s Bio
Diane Rosenthal
Diane Rosenthal
Executive Director
Diane Rosenthal joins Student Advocacy as the Interim Executive Director bringing 30 plus years of experience in non-profit management and a life-long belief in the power of education to transform lives. Her passion for education and serving diverse communities began as a graduate student at Fordham University where she was part of Teacher Corps, a federally funded program developed to train a new generation of educators to work with children with special needs. Upon graduation, Diane joined the Yonkers Public Schools as a middle school English teacher bringing her enthusiasm for teaching and learning, coupled with a commitment to developing curriculum and programs that engaged the whole child.
Diane’s career in non-profit management started when she joined The New York Public Library Centers for Reading and Writing as the Executive Director. She remained at NYPL for ten years transforming the program into one of the top ten library-based adult literacy programs in the US. Diane’s commitment to access and equity in education continued with her appointment as the Executive Director for Literacy Volunteers, Stamford / Greenwich and in her positions as the Deputy Executive Director for Latino U College Access and the Executive Director for the Westchester / Fairfield County Chapter of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a global non-profit that provides entrepreneurship and career awareness education to students in under-resourced school districts. Under Diane’s leadership in these organizations, partnerships strengthened, programs expanded, and revenues increased.
Dedicated to her community, Diane serves on the Board of Trustees at Temple Shalom, Norwalk, CT where she co-chairs the Development Committee and has been a religious school teacher for twenty years. She was also a founding Board member of Building One Community, The Center for Immigrant Opportunity.
Diane holds an MAT from Fordham University, completed her doctoral studies in dance history at New York University, and received her BA from Hunter College. When not at work Diane enjoys practicing yoga, reading history books, attending dance performances, and most importantly, spending time with family and friends. Diane lives in Ossining, NY with her husband Mark Deitch and is proud of her children Ariel and Josh who are making their careers in education and social work.
Stefanie Shabman
Legal Director
Read Stefanie’s Bio
Stefanie Shabman
Stefanie Shabman
Legal Director
Stefanie Shabman is the Legal Director at Student Advocacy, Inc. since 2014. Stefanie is deeply committed to Student Advocacy’s mission and to the representation of Student Advocacy’s client. She also participates in policy advocacy on behalf of Student Advocacy and is the chief architect of Student Advocacy’s robust and ongoing professional development program and responsible for all aspects of Student Advocacy’s Programing; including supervision of the advocacy staff. Prior to becoming the legal director, Stefanie was an attorney/educational advocate at Student Advocacy from 2009-2014.
In addition to her work at Student Advocacy, Stefanie serves on the Appellate Division, Second Department Attorney for the Child Panel, representing children in Family Court proceedings; including Art 10, Juvenile Delinquency Proceedings, PINS and SIDJ cases.
Prior to working in Westchester, Stefanie Served in various courts in Kings County, New York as a Court Attorney for 11 years. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School, class of 85.
Stefanie and her husband are the proud parents of three grown children and their beloved dog. They are the extremely proud grandparents to their 1 ½ year old grandson and 2 grand dogs.
Advocates
Carole Boccumini
Senior Education Advocate/Attorney
Read Carole’s Bio
Carole Boccumini
Carole Boccumini
Senior Education Advocate/Attorney
After earning a B. A. at Hunter College and a M. S. in Education at Lehman College, Carole Boccumini taught for 25 years in the Yonkers School District. She is a Pace University Law School graduate and, in her private practice, represents children in family court. Joining the Student Advocacy (SA) staff in 1991, Carole has special expertise on a broad spectrum of disabilities including the needs of students with autism and emotional disabilities. In 2001, she received the Dennison Ray Award from the NYSBA for her legal representation of children and contributions to the community. Carole also served as Legal Director for SA from November 2003 through August 2014.
Judith Callan
Education Advocate/Attorney
Read Judith’s Bio
Judith Callan
Judith Callan
Education Advocate/Attorney
Judith Callan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hofstra University and a Juris Doctorate from New York Law School. Her legal career began as an intern for a New York State Supreme Court Judge in the Bronx. She then headed the Talent Agency Department at Screen Actors Guild before taking a hiatus to raise her four children. During this time, she became a leader in her community and developed a passion for children’s education. She is a native Spanish speaker and is honored to be with Student Advocacy, as a bilingual Education Advocate serving the Latinx community in culturally relevant terms, since 2016.
Alan Liebowitz
Education Advocate/Attorney
Read Alan’s Bio
Alan Liebowitz
Alan Liebowitz
Education Advocate/Attorney
Prior to his retirement in 2017, Alan Liebowitz’ legal career was in banking, investments and insurance. Among his other accomplishments, he twice testified before the Senate banking committee. Married to a middle school math teacher, he had great interest in helping children and their families to resolve issues that affect their learning. To this end, he identified Student Advocacy’s mission as consistent with his decision to offer pro bono legal services. Alan received his JD from SUNY Buffalo School of Law and NYU School of Law with an LLM in taxation.
Janine Montoni
Education Advocate/Attorney
Read Janine’s Bio
Janine Montoni
Janine Montoni
Education Advocate/Attorney
Janine Montoni, Esq. has been an education advocate and attorney at Student Advocacy, Inc. since 2016, providing legally based education advocacy addressing a wide range of education issues for parents and students across Westchester and Putnam Counties. Janine chose this work as her second legal career after independently pursuing an interest in legal education in the area of special education law that was inspired by her children and volunteer service to school and local community organizations. Prior to joining Student Advocacy, Janine spent several years practicing complex commercial litigation at Long Island and Manhattan law firms. She represented financial institutions, other corporations and insurance companies in a broad spectrum of active litigation matters in federal and state court and in an advisory capacity, involving contract disputes, consumer protection regulation and fraud issues, environmental insurance coverage, toxic tort and general liability. In addition, Janine’s earlier practice of law included pro bono work with emphasis on civil rights, co-counseling in a prisoners’ rights matter from inception to jury selection and settlement, providing assistance to pro se litigants in uncontested divorces in connection with Queens Legal Services, and mentoring at risk high school students.
Janine received her law degree from St. John’s School of Law, where she served as Notes and Comments Editor for the Journal of Legal Commentary (now known as the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development (“JCRED”)) and Senior Board Member of the Moot Court Honor Society. Janine received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences.
Edith Rosenbaum
Education Advocate/Attorney
Read Edith’s Bio
Edith Rosenbaum
Edith Rosenbaum
Senior Education Advocate/Attorney
Attorney and educator Edith Rosenbaum joined Student Advocacy in 1999 after a career as a public school teacher and administrator in New York City. Edith’s service as Educational Advocate and attorney connects her educational experience and legal knowledge with her deep commitment to every child’s right to an excellent education. As the grateful beneficiary of a public education and as the parent of three daughters who also received public school educations, Edith is dedicated to her advocacy on behalf of the children she serves through Student Advocacy. In addition to her advocacy work Edith enjoys traveling, hiking and tap dancing.
Meryl Rosenblatt
Education Advocate/Attorney
Read Meryl’s Bio
Meryl Rosenblatt
Meryl Rosenblatt
Education Advocate/Attorney
Meryl Rosenblatt earned a law degree from New York University School of Law and an undergraduate degree in business administration from SUNY Albany. She is a seasoned corporate attorney with more than twenty years of experience in corporate law representing some of the world’s most well know businesses in multiple industries. Prior to coming to Student Advocacy, Meryl was a partner at Friedman Kaplan Seiler and Adelman, a prominent NYC law firm, and served on the Education Committee and the Children and the Law Committee of the New York County Bar Association. When moving to Westchester, she decided to pursue her passion for helping families in education matters by volunteering with Student Advocacy in 2015 and thereafter becoming an educational advocate.
Alana Steinberg
Education Advocate/Attorney
Read Alana’s Bio
Alana Steinberg
Alana Steinberg
Education Advocate/Attorney
Alana Steinberg earned a law degree from Emory University School of Law after completing a BA at Brandeis University. After law school, she practiced general civil litigation. While taking time off from her legal practice to raise her three children, she moved with her family to Japan for two years, where she headed a committee at the American School in Japan responsible for bringing in speakers from around the world to help connect families, faculty and other community members from diverse backgrounds and cultures. After moving back to the States, Alana became interested in special education law and became certified as a special education mediator, mediating cases in Westchester, Rockland and New York County. She joined Student Advocacy in 2009 and for the past 11 years has tirelessly, passionately and compassionately advocated for students in special education meetings, disciplinary hearings, manifestation determination reviews and residency cases, ensuring that the rights of all students are protected under the law.
Maria Suchy-Kozak
Education Advocate
Read Maria’s Bio
Maria Suchy-Kozak
Maria Suchy-Kozak
Education Advocate
Maria Suchy-Kozak joined Student Advocacy in 2006 as an Education Advocate bringing with her many years of special education advocacy experience and professional training including participating in the first class of COPAA SEAT trainees (Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates Special Education Advocate Training), now a nationally recognized training program. Her entry into this field after years in Consumer Marketing was due to her personal experience of raising and advocating on behalf of her autistic children. She has extensive knowledge in adult disability systems such as ACCES-VR, SSI, OPWDD, SEMP, and Self Direction which has been an asset both to families and school districts when providing guidance in Transition Planning. She is an active member of NYS IEP Facilitators, since the inception of the program in 2016, and has facilitated multiple meetings. She currently serves on the NY State Family Advisory Committee, whose function is to advise OPWDD of local needs for disabled individuals, having been appointed in 2019 after many years of serving in various capacities on the local Board of the Family Support Services Advisory Committee. Maria maintains her level of knowledge by participating in professional development opportunities and over the years has attended programs at William and Mary Law School ISEA Program, Practicing Law Institute, Pace Law School Special Education Updates, NYSBA, and COPAA Conferences.
Associates
Zac Rozenblat
IT and Data Associate
Read Zac’s Bio
Zac Rozenblat
Zac Rozenblat
Information Technology and Date Associate
Zac Rozenblat leads Student Advocacy’s Information Technology and Data operations. In this role, he has helped facilitate the implementation of case and donor database management systems, unified communications platforms, and network administration infrastructure. He also assists in analyzing and utilizing organizational data for integration in policy projects and in guiding procedures. He oversees the software and hardware needs and maintenance in the organization and cultivates working relationships with external technology partners and vendors.
Zac Rozenblat’s degrees: BA, Franklin & Marshall College.
Peggy Quinlan
Advocate Associate
Read Peggy’s Bio
Peggy Quinlan
Peggy Quinlan
Advocate Associate
Peggy Quinlan is an Advocate Associate for Student Advocacy, Inc. She provides technical support by maintaining electronic client files, collects data for projects and interacts with clients for the legal director and senior educational advocates.
Throughout her career she has supported initiatives that encourage student empowerment through educational opportunities. She comes from a business and education background. After college, she worked in the financial district as an accountant for a large corporation and moved up the corporate ladder. She noticed how educational inequality prevented many in our society from enjoying the same opportunities. She decided to leave the corporate world to teach job preparedness to high school students in the Bronx. She also taught Team Building, Dignity for All Students and Antibullying programs for BOCES. She was also an adjunct professor teaching business preparedness to students at a local community college.
She also comes from a background of supporting parents of students that struggle in school. She has been a Parent Network educational advisor for NYU Langone Hospital, FACES organization for the past 10 years and has written published articles for parents of children with epilepsy. She has also been a guest speaker at their annual conference in NYC. http://faces.med.nyu.edu/the-parent-network.
Peggy holds a Master’s degree in Education from Lehman College, a Bachelor’s degree from Mercy College in Business Administration and an Associate’s degree in Business from Seton College.
Peggy also enjoys jogging, camping, kayaking and hiking in the Rockefeller Nature Preserve with her adorable rescue dog, Harley. She also belongs to 3 book clubs.
Peggy grew up in the Bronx and Yonkers. She now resides in Pleasantville New York with her husband and is the proud parent of a daughter and son.
Lois Solomon-Neal
Administrative Assistant
Read Lois’s Bio
Lois Solomon-Neal
Lois Solomon-Neal
Administrative Assistant
Lois Solomon-Neal has been a member of the Student Advocacy staff since 2000. Lois manages the office and is the first point of contact for most of our client cases. She provides casework support to the advocacy staff. Committed to the organization’s advocacy work, Lois has strong compassion for the children and families she speaks with helping them feel comfortable during the registration process.
Jamie Stone
Development Associate
Read Jamie’s Bio
Jamie Stone
Jamie Stone
Development Associate
Jamie works to support and expand the organization’s fundraising projects. A recent graduate of Marist College, Jamie feels deeply privileged to be part of an organization doing such important work in the Westchester community in which she was raised. While in school, Jamie nurtured her passion for non-profit work through extensive volunteer work at the Pawling Resource Center, and discovered her interest in development work through an internship with Danosky & Associates, which provides guidance and consulting to a wide variety of non-profit organizations including the Candlewood Valley Regional Land Trust and the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra. Jamie lives in the town of Pawling in Dutchess County. When she’s not working, Jamie loves to read and enjoys baking for herself and her family.
Board of Directors
Jill Bernstein
President
Read Jill’s Bio
Jill Bernstein
Jill Bernstein
President
Jill Bernstein has been a member of Student Advocacy’s Board for 7 years and is completing her fourth year as board chair. In addition to her extensive experience working with children with language-based learning needs, Jill brings to Student Advocacy her consumer marketing expertise, specifically in driving strategic growth through branding and new product development. She demonstrated its relevance to nonprofits through her pro bono work for New York Cares, creating a targeted marketing program with print ads and billboards as a means of expanding program awareness. Jill continues to consult for nonprofits and small businesses in this vein, helping them grow through differentiated products and services. She is also a college admissions advisor, helping students manage their applications and find their voices in their essays. Jill’s other community involvement includes a long tenure as Director of After School Programs for Greenacres Elementary School in Scarsdale.
Jill’s degrees: BA, University of Wisconsin, Madison (Summa Cum Laude); MBA, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University.
Tim Adler
Vice President
Read Tim’s Bio
Tim Adler
Tim Adler
Vice President
Tim Adler is an experienced investment professional who now conducts independent portfolio assessments for high net worth individuals. Prior to his current role, Tim helped to turn around and recapitalize a hedge fund, Emerson Capital. He also spent close to 10 years at JP Morgan Asset Management as a small cap specialist and portfolio manager, founding and overseeing the firm’s small cap value investment strategy. Tim brings his knowledge of successful business models and best practices, based on both his direct experience and his unique access to hundreds of company managements, to his service on Student Advocacy’s Board, Finance Committee, and Executive Committee. Additional community service includes a term on Edgemont’s school board nominating committee. He sees Student Advocacy as crucial to enabling all students to realize their potential, and he is dedicated to securing the resources the Agency needs.
Tim’s degrees: BA, Haverford College; MPPM, Yale School of Management.
Karen Blumenthal
Vice President
Read Karen’s Bio
Karen Blumenthal
Karen Blumenthal
Karen Blumenthal brings to the board a long history of support for Student Advocacy, vast knowledge of the educational advocacy field, and a distinguished record of leadership and service to the Westchester community. Prior to joining the board, Karen spent 27 years on Student Advocacy’s staff, first as director of the agency’s Homeless Student Project, next as the Assistant Director and later as the Policy Advocate. As Policy Advocate, she spearheaded “Solutions not Suspensions” and “Attendance Matters,” initiatives that influenced education policy in Westchester and beyond. Karen has also worked at WestCOP, Children’s Village, and Family Services of Westchester.
Karen serves on the board, executive committee and children, youth and families committee of Westchester Jewish Community Services, and is a former member and chair of the Westchester County Youth Board. Beyond her board work, Karen helped to establish Project SEED, a mental health and early education consultation program in Jewish nursery schools in Westchester. With her husband David, she sponsored the Cornell Blumenthal Summer Internship program for twenty years, placing 200 undergraduates interested in community service at 13 nonprofits primarily located in Westchester.
Karen’s degrees: BS, Cornell University; MSW, Columbia School of Social Work (concentration in community organizing and planning).
Alan Meister
Treasurer
Read Alan’s Bio
Alan Meister
Alan Meister
Alan Meister, a new board member, is a CPA and tax specialist, bringing 35 years of experience as an accountant for individuals and corporations. Alan has held senior, executive positions at a Big 4 accounting firm, and successfully built his own firm. The Board welcomes his financial stewardship as Student Advocacy grows and evolves. Alan also brings a record of volunteerism and concern for the least advantaged, having acted as financial advisor to a local church and volunteered at the Westchester homeless shelter.
Jeanne Kennedy
Secretary
Read Jeanne’s Bio
Jeanne Kennedy
Jeanne Kennedy
Jeanne Kennedy is a long-time Board member and member of the Executive Committee, for whom service is an extension of her professional work promoting literacy. Currently, Jeanne teaches an after school literacy curriculum for Southern Westchester BOCES’ Homeless Student Program in Tarrytown, New York. She is a former classroom teacher and a remedial reading teacher/Reading Recovery teacher in Mount Vernon. In addition to serving on the Executive Committee, Jeanne is serving her third term as Board Secretary, and she co-chairs the Engagement, Development, Governance Committees. As a leader of Student Advocacy’s annual special recognition event, she is responsible for honoring student achievers on the Board’s behalf.
Jeanne’s Degrees: BA, Harpur College of Arts and Sciences; MS, College of New Rochelle.
Rachel Berkey
Read Rachel’s Bio
Rachel Berkey
Rachel Berkey
Rachel Berkey brings to the Board over 20 years of combined experience in education, special education, and library science. Most recently, Rachel was head librarian at the Churchill School and Center in New York City, a K-12 school for students with language-based learning disabilities. There, she created and managed the school’s Library Media Center, designed specifically to address these students’ needs. Prior to Churchill, she was a librarian in two Westchester County elementary schools. For several years while at Churchill, Rachel was also a reading specialist in the school’s outreach program for special needs students from other City schools. As a graduate student in reading education at Syracuse University, Rachel received a Graduate Assistantship to work at the university’s Center for Human Policy. The Center supports research, teaching, and advocacy to promote the rights of people with disabilities. For over 30 years she had been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Harrison Children’s Center, a day-care center which serves the Harrison community.
Rachel’s degrees: BA, American University; MS, Syracuse University; MLS, Palmer School of Library Science and Media Studies, Long Island University; JD, Cardozo School of Law.
Carole Chaimowitz
Read Carole’s Bio
Carole Chaimowitz
Carole Chaimowitz
Carole Chaimowitz has served on the board for 11 years, including 4 as Board President. She currently chairs the Board Advisory Council. She is a former assistant director of admissions at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in Manhattan, as well as a teacher and community facilitator for EPIC. She previously served on the Board of Directors for Groundwork Hudson Valley. Carole has also chaired the Edgemont Community Committee on Education and the Education Committee of Scarsdale Synagogue-Tremont Temple. Currently Carole is the principal of Garden Designs, a Westchester based landscape firm.
Carole’s degrees: BS (The Child and the Individualized Curriculum), MS, Education, C.C.N.Y. Has also completed two Certificate Programs at The New York Botanical Gardens.
Gail Dobosh
Read Gail’s Bio
Gail Dobosh
Gail Dobosh
Gail Dobosh brings substantial experience working and serving the community in the spirit of Student Advocacy’s mission. Currently, she serves as co-leader of Amazing Readers, a volunteer organization that focuses on reading remediation through phonics in underserved public elementary schools. Additionally, she is active in YPIE (Yonkers Partners in Education) where she serves as a graduation coach to high school students. She is a former special education elementary classroom teacher at the Windward School and a general education teacher at Carmel Academy. She has also worked as marketing manager at American Express.
Gail’s degrees: AB, Princeton University; MBA., Columbia University; MPS, Manhattanville College (certification in childhood and special education).
André G. Early
Read André’s Bio
André G. Early
André G. Early
André Early is a community leader with a long record of engagement with young people and agency oversight. Since 2013, he has served as Deputy Commissioner, and then Commissioner, of the Town of Greenburgh’s Department of Community Resources. For the 13 years prior to that, André was director of undergraduate and University affairs for Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. André’s management experience and community ties broaden and deepen the support the Board is able to provide to the entire organization.
André’s additional community service is also formidable. He is a former officer of Bethel Baptist Church, White Plains; a member of the White Plains-Greenburgh Chapter of the NAACP; a member of the New York Hampton Alumni Association Club, a member of Bright Hope Lodge #62; Vice Chairman of the Lower Hudson Valley Diamond Foundation; a member of the Dream Builder’s Foundation; a member of Westchester County’s Human Rights Commission, and a mentor with the local chapter of the Kappa League (NRWP Alumni Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.)
André’s degrees: BS, Hampton University; MBA, Mercy College
Debra Goldfarb
Read Debra’s Bio
Debra Goldfarb
Debra Goldfarb
Until recently, Debra was a Senior Account Executive at AIA Imprint Experts, as well as a certified waterfront director and swim team coach, She still teaches swimming to special needs children and adults, and is a certified life coach. Her community involvement over the years includes: co-chair, fundraiser for The Northern Westchester Center for the Arts; co-chair, fundraiser for The American Cancer Society; volunteer, School for the Deaf, Leake & Watts, Puppies Behind Bars at The Bedford Correctional Center. Debra has also been a teachers assistant for, and graduated from, Volunteer New Yorks Leadership Westchester program. A new Board Member, Debra was attracted to Student Advocacy, and motivated by its mission, because of her personal experience with learning challenges.
Debra’s degrees: B.F.A., Tisch School of The Arts.
Diane Hirschberg
Read Diane’s Bio
Diane Hirschberg
Diane Hirschberg
Diane Hirschberg serves on the Board’s Executive Committee and chairs the Finance Committee. She is a Director of Non-Profits for investment advisor PRB Wealth Management. Prior to that she was a Director of Fixed Income, Currencies, and Commodities for BMO Capital Markets, focused on products and solutions for corporations and institutions. In addition to Student Advocacy’s board, Diane serves on the board of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), Westchester/Fairfield Chapter. She also is a member of the Women’s Bond Club in NYC, co-chairing the Charitable Giving Committee.
Diane’s degrees: BS/BA, Georgetown University; MA, Non-profit Leadership, Fordham University.
Carolyn Kay
Read Carolyn’s Bio
Carolyn Kay
Carolyn Kay
Carolyn Kay co-chairs the Board’s Development and Governance Committees, and is a member of the OTO, Board Engagement, and Ad Hoc Search Committees. She is a Scarsdale native and residential real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty in Westchester. Previously, Carolyn co-owned and operated The Write Impression, a personalized stationery and invitations business. She brings to the board her business knowledge and the experience of her daughters’ mild learning challenges, for which they received additional services and advocacy throughout their education.
Carolyn’s degrees: BA, University of Hartford; AA (Associate of Arts), Tobe-Coburn School of Fashion Careers.
Barbara R. Kutcher
Read Barbara’s Bio
Barbara R. Kutcher
Barbara R. Kutcher
Barbara Kutcher is a New York State Certified School Psychologist who has served as a consultant in numerous public schools, working with students with challenging conditions and advising administration and staff. During her tenure at the Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry, she evaluated special needs youths and led individual and small group counseling sessions. In coordination with the Syracuse University Center for Research on Aggression, Dr. Kutcher helped develop a social skills counseling curriculum used for high-risk elementary school aged students. As an adjunct instructor at Pace University, Dr. Kutcher has taught undergraduate courses in Psychology and Child Development, as well as a variety of courses in the Master’s in Counseling Program. She has also led supervisory groups and provided ethical guidance to graduate students in field placements. Dr. Kutcher is a member of the Parent and Family Advisory Board at Boston University and has written for its family blog.
Barbara’s degrees: MA, Psy.D, Pace University; BS, SUNY Oneonta.
Michele Landry
Read Michele’s Bio
Michele Landry
Michele Landry
Michele Landry is an experienced social worker, dedicated to helping children with serious mental health challenges. Since 2015, Michele has been the Children’s Single Point of Access Coordinator for the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health. In that role, she is responsible for allocation, integration and oversight of the children’s mental health resources available in Westchester. Previously, Michele was a children’s mental health case worker, and then care coordinator, for Westchester Jewish Community Services. She has also led multiple programs at these organizations and within the community, on a volunteer basis.
Michele brings to the board a deep understanding of the mental health issues which can affect children’s ability to perform in the classroom.
Avra Mark
Board Member Emerita
Tracy Teicher Nathanson
Read Tracy’s Bio
Tracy Teicher Nathanson
Tracy Teicher Nathanson
Tracy Nathanson is a psychotherapist and clinical social worker with training in multiple therapeutic approaches. She operates her own mental health practice, Pace of Mind Therapy. Prior to that, she was on the staff at Washington Square Institute, which provides affordable mental health services to individuals and families. Tracy has also been a social worker at the Pelham Guidance Council, and a therapist at Four Winds Hospital. Prior to becoming a therapist, Tracy worked in broadcast Journalism in a variety of roles. Tracy is an active member of Impact100 Westchester, a former member of the board of the Scarsdale Task Force on Drugs and Alcohol, and the Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee. Tracy was drawn to Student Advocacy because she knows firsthand the importance of advocating for educational accommodations, and she believes deeply that all students deserve to maximize their potential.
Tracy’s degrees: MSW, Fordham Graduate School of Social Service; MA (Journalism), New York University; BA, Barnard College.
Andrea Potash
Board Board Member Emerita
Richard Rosenberg
Read Richard’s Bio
Richard Rosenberg
Richard Rosenberg
Rich Rosenberg joins the board with a record of building successful financial services businesses. He has direct experience managing operations, teams, and client relationships. He brings to Student Advocacy a full range of best practices for achieving growth with maximum efficiency. Rich is the managing partner for the Tax and Insurance advisory practice of Mariner Wealth Advisors, a New York-based wealth advisory firm. He is also a CPA and the founder of RR Advisory Group, now part of Mariner. Prior to this, from 1996 to 2001, Rich was a tax manager for high net worth clients with Arthur Andersen.
Rich has also served as a volunteer for the Community Center of Northern Westchester.
Rich’s degrees: BS, University of Vermont; MBA, New York University
Elana Rothschild
Read Elana’s Bio
Elana Rothschild
Elana Rothschild
Elana Rothschild is a social worker with a breadth of experience working with children in urban environments. She directed Mayor Daley’s YouthNet for the Northside of Chicago, organizing children’s after school services in coordination with community partners. In New York City, she was a program supervisor in the corporate mentoring program Big Brothers and Big Sisters. She also interned with Advocates for Children of New York City. In addition to her social work, Elana has worked as a special events coordinator in the development department of the Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester. Currently, she is the office manager at RF Investment Partners.
Elana’s degrees: MSW Bryn Mawr School of Social Service (fellowship, Yale Psychiatric Hospital); BA, Rutgers University (with honors).
William Schecter
Read William’s Bio
William Schecter
William Schecter
William Schecter heads Student Advocacy’s Audit Committee and is an attorney and labor arbitrator. He is a contract arbitrator named in several private and public sector collective bargaining agreements and is listed on many national arbitration panels. He has been a vice president at two multinational corporations and served on the boards of directors of two joint labor-management nonprofit training organizations.
William’s degrees: BA, Lafayette College; JD, Fordham Law School.
Linda Wetchler
Read Linda’s Bio
Linda Wetchler
Linda Wetchler
Linda Wetchler has served on Student Advocacy’s board for 5 years. She was a past member of the Executive Committee and currently co-chairs the Governance Committee. She is a consultant for BMW Management, a Westchester accounting and business management firm. Prior to this, Linda spent 16 years on Wall Street in equity research, becoming a highly ranked forest products analyst and senior managing director for Bear Stearns. She brings to Student Advocacy expertise in marketing, financial analysis, and website design.
Linda’s degrees: BS, SUNY Albany
Patricia D. White
Read Patricia’s Bio
Patricia D. White
Patricia D. White
Pat White has spent her career at the intersection of Westchester’s child welfare resources, and the local population which relies on them. She worked for the county for 30 years in the area of human services, including 19 years with the County’s Department of Community Mental Health, in the Children’s Division. In 2016 she became the department’s Coordinator / Program Administrator, serving as a single point of contact for area schools and families. Among her accomplishments, Pat helped to organize Westchester County’s System of Care, for children with emotional, social, and behavioral challenges, and their families. Her primary role was to introduce the community network model to communities across the county.
Pat’s presence on the Board ensures that the communities Student Advocacy serves have a strong voice in the Board’s dialogue and deliberations.
Pat’s degrees: BS, Hofstra University School of Education; coursework, SUNY Albany School of Social Work; MPA, Marist College.
Rajeev Wudali
Read Rajeev’s Bio
Rajeev Wudali
Rajeev Wudali
Rajeev brings to the Board a record of achievement in multiple spheres, as well as the vitality and drive that can help to propel Student Advocacy forward.
Following years of training, in 2006 Rajeev began work as a research scientist in ophthalmology at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals. He has worked for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in this capacity since 2008.
Rajeev’s volunteer and nonprofit activities are a substantial ongoing commitment. In 2007 he co-founded the Khaleel Memorial Society, which provides financial support to high achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds in India, so that they can pursue their educational ambitions.In Spring 2015, through NYU, Rajeev was a consultant for the Clinton Foundation’s Haiti Initiative, providing a Port-au-Prince company, Papillon Enterprise, with strategic advice. Through Regeneron, Rajeev has also been a mentor to high school and undergraduate students.
Rajeev’s degrees: BS, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, 1998; MS, University of Hyderabad, 2000; MS, University of Hartford, 2002; MS, Boston College, 2006; MBA, New York University, 2016.
Board Advisory Council
Co-Chair-Carole Chaimowitz
Co-Chair-Janice Feldman
Lucille Accetta
David Alpert
Lois Baldwin
Elizabeth Berman
David Blumenthal
Adrianne Bonifacio
Denise Chin
Susan Gilbert
Meri Hilton
Barbara Kessler
Steve Kessler
Adam Kintish
Tatiana Leltchouk
Avra Mark
Sandy Proner
Joanne Ruckel
Eileen Santiago
Michelle Shepard-Jellinek
Allison Stahl
Emily Waldman
Lindsey Willis