Stephanie McNamara, Board President

stephaniemcnamara@connectingforkids.org

/STE-fuh-nee MAK-nuh-MAIR-uh/

Stephanie McNamara has a BA in International Relations from Boston University and a JD from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. She is a Guardian Ad Litem with Voices for Children, Lorain County’s CASA program. She lives in Bay Village with her husband and has two mostly grown children, Molly and Daniel. She enjoys reading, playing pickleball and spending time with friends and family.

Beth Phillips Synk, Vice President

/bEHth FIL-ips SINK/
Pronouns: She/Her

Beth is the Internal Communications Lead for the Provider Solutions & Operations team at Cigna. She received her Bachelor's degree in Journalism from The University of Western Ontario. After college, she spent several years living and working in Washington, DC before returning to her hometown of Cleveland. She lives in Rocky River with her husband, Mike, and their two young daughters, Annabelle and Imogen. Connecting for Kids has been an invaluable resource for Beth's family as they navigate raising a child with Angelman Syndrome, a rare neurogenetic condition.

Susie M. Akers, RDN, LD, CLC

/Su-Se AI-Kerz/
Pronouns: She/Her

Susie is a pediatric dietitian working with specialty medical teams in the Cleveland area for over 20 years. She recently became certified as a lactation counselor and hopes to educate families on healthy feeding habits to benefit their health today and tomorrow. In her free time, she loves cooking, gardening, being physically active and spending time with friends and family.

Anne Fleming Anderson, MA, CCC-SLP

/Aen FlEH-ming AEN-der-suhn/
Pronouns: She/Her

Anne Fleming Anderson has worked as a Clinical Speech Pathologist for over 10 years. She holds a BA from the University of Toledo and an MA from the University of Akron. She works for the Cleveland Clinic, specializing in the use Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices with patients across the lifespan. She lives in Westlake with her husband, Mike, and her dog, Nick.

Lynda Appel

/LIHN-duh A-puhl/
Pronouns: She/Her

Lynda is a retired Data Manager for Westlake Schools as well as a former Production Planning Associate for PPG Industries. She was honored to serve on the Westlake City Council as the representative for Ward 1 for 8 years, 2014-2021.

Lynda enjoys spending her free time with family, especially her grandchildren. She is newly retired, hopes to improve her golf game and is looking forward to exploring the world of pickleball. Lynda and Jeff live in Westlake; their three children are all married and they have two grandchildren with more on the way. She is excited to contribute to the excellent work of Connecting for Kids.

Christine Chambers, MEd, OTR/L

/KRIS-teen CHAYM-berz/
Pronouns: She/Her

My passion is working with children. I have been a Pediatric Occupational Therapist for over 30 years. I treat from a Sensory Integrative, play-based approach which means my "work day" is all about being creative and having fun. The children that I work are exciting and energetic; they keep me hopping and teach me something new every day. I am never bored! I am also blessed to have a wonderful husband and two amazing adult daughters. We like to be outdoors as much as possible: taking walks, bike rides, hiking, swimming, camping, having campfires and just enjoying our life together. I am so excited to be a part of Connecting for Kids. They do such a wonderful job of helping families meet new friends and find fun community activities, as well as connect with much needed therapy/medical services.

Alaka Chandurkar, MD

/UH-LAH-kuh CHAN-durr-karr/
Pronouns: She/Her

Dr. Chandurkar has been a general pediatrician on the west side of Cleveland since 1986 and is interested in parent education as well as teaching children importance of healthy body and healthy mind. She and her husband of 45 years, Dr. Sudhakar Chandurkar, have one son, Dr. Rohit Chandurkar, one daughter, Menaka Chandurkar, and three grandchildren.

Kenneth Dix

/kEH-nith DIHKS/
Pronouns: He/Him

I have had the honor of working with children and some adults in a clinical setting at the Silver Lining Group for the last 11 years. I began my career as a Behavior Technician in a direct care role and have since worked in a variety of other supervisory roles, including my current one of Training Coordinator. I received Bachelor's Degrees in History and Psychology from Cleveland State University and have lived in the greater Cleveland area all my life. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family and watching live music. I am thrilled to join the board of Connecting for Kids, which is a fantastic organization I have long admired.

Leslie Dorsey, MBA, PMP, SPHR

/les-LEE DOR-see/
Pronouns: She/Her

Leslie Dorsey has 20 years of experience in the HR field and has degrees in business and holds certifications in project management and HR. In addition to Connecting for Kids, she also supports local organizations such as Rec2Connect, Bay Presbyterian Church, Night to Shine, VeloSano, and Engage! Cleveland.

Leslie resides in Fairview Park with her husband Derek, children Cailyn and Rylan, and golden retrievers, Maple and Pancakes. Their family is nicknamed “The Outdorseys” because they love outdoor adventures!

Leslie has had close ties to Connecting for Kids since about 2013 when she and her husband learned that Cailyn wasn't developing like neurotypical children. They began attending CFK's coffee chats, seminars, and Teach Me to Play classes (now called Share & Support, speaker series and Adapted Playgroups). Having the CFK community during these early years was incredibly helpful for Leslie’s family. They were able to learn from the staff and lean on other parents for support as they navigated the complexities of their situation.

Now that Cailyn is a teenager, Leslie is thrilled to spend time giving back to an organization that has been so supportive during her journey of parenting.

Marty Flynn

/Mahr-tee FLinn/
Pronouns: He/Him

Marty Flynn is retired from Dominion Energy where he spent 30 years providing natural gas service to large new construction projects. He and his wife Kate live in Shaker Heights. They have 4 adult children; the youngest, who is deaf, was adopted from overseas. They have 7 grandchildren, and are extremely fortunate that 5 of them live nearby. Marty and Kate volunteer at a women’s shelter in Cleveland where they help the staff care for babies, toddlers and young children. Marty and Kate also work out year round in order to maintain enough flexibility to enjoy summertime back-road trips in their little sports car.

Lois Leonard, MEd

/LOE-iss LEN-erd/
Pronouns: She/Her

Lois is a retired educator who taught in the elementary grades for 33 years, most of them at Hilliard Elementary in Westlake. She received her BA from Allegheny College and MEd from Cleveland State University. Additionally she is certified in gifted education. Lois’s favorite pastime is traveling with her husband Mark, and spending time with family and friends. She loves being outdoors either hiking, biking, or practicing her newest hobby disc golf. She is thrilled to have more time to read since her retirement in 2018. Lois and Mark live in Westlake and have two sons.

Veronica Liebchen, RDN, LD

/veer-ON-ih-ka LEEB-shen/
Pronouns: She/Her

Veronica is the Midwest Metabolic and Ketogenic formula Territory Manager for Nutricia (Danone North America). Veronica earned a bachelor’s degrees in Dietetics and in Sociology from the University of Akron, and is currently working on the completion of her Master’s degree in Public Health. Veronica has spent the last decade working in community-based nutrition, focusing on access to quality healthcare, which includes family and caregiver support and education. She is very passionate about empowering families and caregivers to advocate for and find the best quality of life for their children. Prior to working as a dietitian, Veronica was a daycare director and is attributed with creating inclusion programs for children with disabilities. Veronica resides in Strongsville in an empty nest full of too many houseplants. Veronica is very proud of her son, who attends Baldwin Wallace College, and her daughter, who is attends Ohio State University.

Bryan McManus

/brAY-uhn mihk-MAEN-uhs/
Pronouns: He/Him

Bryan is a Business and Finance Director at Avnet, Inc. He manages the financial, administrative and other aspects of several business units at Avnet. As a foster parent, he has experience raising children with various needs and he has seen how difficult finding resources to support those needs can be for families. Bryan and his family like to go camping, travel and try new things. Bryan is excited to contribute to an already-great organization.

Santosh Mishra, PhD

/SUN-tosh MISH-rah/
Pronouns: He/Him

Dr. Santosh Mishra is a banking executive with 15+ years of combined experience in banking sector and academia and is currently the Head of Credit Modeling and Analytics at KeyCorp. Santosh resides in Avon, Ohio with his wonderful wife (Trupti) and adorable son (Bidwat). He is passionate about literature and philanthropy and his desire to contribute to the future of the next generation aligns perfectly with the vision of Connecting for Kids.

Julia M. Pritchard

/JOO-lee-uh Prih-churd/
Pronouns: She/Her

Julia is the owner of Fortitude Fitness, a personal training gym in Indianapolis, where she moved from in 2018. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach, and Behavior Change Specialist and has expanded her business to virtual and private training here in Cleveland. She also serves as Board Chair for Storefront Theatre of Indianapolis. Julia grew up in North Ridgeville, and after living out of state for 13 years, she is excited to get involved in the nonprofit world in Cleveland, starting with Connecting for Kids. Julia recently moved from downtown Cleveland to Bay Village with her husband (Tom), young daughter (Avery), and dog (Jax).

Mackenzie Rini, JD

/muhk-EHn-zee rEE-nee/
Pronouns: She/Her

Mackenzie is a labor and employment attorney. She received her BA from the Ohio State University and her JD from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Mackenzie is a born-and-raised Clevelander. She lives in Solon with her husband (Tony) and two dogs (Ted and Buzz). In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, DIY projects and traveling.

Joanne M. Smallwood, MBA

/Jo-aen smAWI-wUUd/
Pronouns: She/Her

Joanne works for KeyBank Wealth Management as Director of Strategy Implementation. In this role, she serves as Editorial Chair for Key’s Wealth Institute and manages firm initiatives aimed to improve client experience and streamline internal processes. Joanne has a BA from Ohio State University and an MBA with a finance concentration from Ashland University. As a parent of two children with varying needs, Joanne has personally felt Connecting for Kids' impact over the last 10 years. Joanne lives in Lakewood with her husband and two children and enjoys running, biking and playing the saxophone.

Ebony Spano

/eh-buh-nee spaa-noh/
Pronouns: She/Her

Ebony Spano, a Navy Veteran and dedicated mother of a child with autism, is actively involved in community service, particularly focusing on autism awareness and support. She served as an ambassador for Autism Speaks Northeast Ohio, advocating for improved access to information and health services for African American families. Her efforts extend to initiatives like "Babies and Brunch," a program she co-launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver meals and hand sanitizers to families in need, ensuring children out of school still received nutritious meals. This initiative raised over $2,000 in just five days and helped over 70 children in the community. Ebony's work showcases her commitment to both her local community and the broader mission of supporting families affected by autism.

Kristi Stolarski

/KRIS-tee STOH-larr-skee/
Pronouns: She/Her

Kristi is an Associate Vice President at Falls & Co., a Marketing, Communications and Digital firm located in downtown Cleveland. She received her bachelor's degree in Speech Communication and Marketing Promotion from Miami University. Kristi lives in Avon with her husband Patrick and sons, Ryan and Aidan. During the winter months, you'll find Kristi and her family either playing or watching sports; while summers their time is spent at Catawba boating on Lake Erie. "Being a parent is overwhelming - especially navigating the pressures and influences of today's society. I was so excited to find Connecting for Kids to help unite with other parents to learn and share experiences and resources to do what's best for our kids and our families."

Shavaun Tucker, LISW

/shiv-ON tUH-ker/
Pronouns: She/Her