Our Board consists of an experienced and motivated management team.
Jennifer Avery
Advocating for mental health developed from personal experiences watching and supporting family with life long mental health challenges. As an investment management professional working in corporate environments including Voya Investment Management, Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers, Barings, and Hartford Investment Management Company (HIMCO), Ms. Avery brings strong business acumen, problem solving, strategic planning and collaboration skills to the board.
Dulcie Giadone
Treasurer
Many years of experience on the Boards of nonprofits in Hartford. Founder, President and Executive Director of an after-school program called, “Organized Parents Make A Difference” and served many years on the Board of the Hartford Children’s Theatre. Twenty-five years of experience in community organizing as a volunteer, staff or board member of several community agencies and groups in Hartford. Longtime owner of a women’s workout center in West Hartford until 2016. Since 2017, Dulcie has been volunteering at the CT Trolley Museum in East Windsor as their grants administrator.
Francine Stier, RN, BSN, MA
Chair
Parent of an adult child with mental health challenges. Experience working in an adult Med/Surg ICU, Pediatric Med/Surg and Maternal/Child health; 10 years of teaching nursing at the college level and 15 years teaching Childbirth classes in Hartford. Actively volunteering for various non-profit organizations.
A Special Tribute to Barbara Checknoff
Barbara was a wife, mother, sister, friend – – a person of loyalty and scruples. Barbara got interested in this Clubhouse for mental health and became devoted to helping it launch in Hartford County. Barbara faithfully attended all our monthly Board meetings. She always asked the kinds of questions that helped us clarify whatever decisions we needed to make. While working on our Strategic Plan, she helped us adhere to the crux of the plan. Her ideas were consistently centered and focused. She made lots of suggestions which were always valuable.
Her protective love and dedication to her children, their safety and well-being was an example for us to follow: the mama bear, always protective and thinking about her cubs. This love extended seamlessly to the job of nursery school teacher that she held for many years
We will miss her monthly minutes of our Board meetings: the care she took in having all the names spelled correctly and all the decisions, voting, circumstances and events inscribed with accuracy.
We will miss her unrestrained laughter and her gracious invitations to meet at her home. We will miss her willingness to travel anywhere for meetings. We will especially miss her enthusiasm and devotion to helping people with mental health challenges navigate this world.
