Our Team

Greg has been a lifelong resident of Pelham, and attended the Pelham public schools from Elementary through graduation from Pelham Memorial High School.

Greg has a son currently attending Pelham Middle School in the sixth grade. Greg is also a graduate of Iona College where he earned his degree in Accounting and a minor in Finance. Professionally, Greg serves as the Chief Financial Officer for a boutique hospitality group overseeing all financial aspects of the various properties and business ventures.

Greg would like to bring his expertise to SEPTA to act as the treasurer and give back to the system that has given him and his family so much through years.

Originally from DeLand, Florida, Beth is a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. Beth is a full time Realtor and a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson at Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty in Bronxville. Prior to embarking on a career in real estate in both Manhattan and Westchester County, Beth spent 15 years in various executive roles for several Fortune 500 health care companies such as Cigna, United Healthcare and WellPoint. Beth, a U.S. Army veteran’s wife and mother of two young children, calls Pelham home. She is an active member of the Junior League of Pelham currently serving on the Board as Vice President of Communication, active in the Huguenot Nursery School Parents Committee and Siwanoy Elementary School PTA. In addition to her volunteer work, Beth is a member of the National Association of Realtors, New York State Association of Realtors and Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors.

Beth is proud to serve as the SEPTA representative for the Siwanoy Elementary School.

Kara Weiss, born and raised in Westchester, is our newest SEPTA teacher representative. She holds a master’s of science in education with a specialization in learning and behavioral disorders. She also is a certified Wilson Language Reading instructor. Kara worked in Norwalk Public Schools before coming to Pelham.

While working in Norwalk she made great strides working with families and children on student-led IEPs. She worked hard to create a student-centered environment in which the children are aware and in charge of their goals. Kara believes that there should be no stigma attached to having an IEP or having an exceptionality. Differences are what make us unique and so special!

Kara is so excited to be a part of this wonderful team, and can’t wait for all the work to come!

Sarah has worked as the school psychologist at Prospect Hill Elementary School for 5 years. She holds a doctorate degree in school-clinical child psychology from Pace University. Prior to her start at Prospect Hill, Sarah worked with children and adolescents at Lincoln Hospital and at Mt. Sinai’s Adolescent Health Center. She holds an undergraduate degree from Boston College.

Sarah especially enjoys being in Pelham, where she grew up and also attended Prospect Hill!

During her doctoral training, Sarah interned at Prospect Hill and Pelham Middle School. She is impressed by Pelham’s commitment to civic virtue, and by the school staff who also model this commitment.

Joanne Colón has resided in Pelham for 4.5 years and counting. She lives with her husband, Carlos, and three children, Isabella (10), Cristian (6), and Alexandro (3). The two oldest attend Prospect Hill and the youngest will attend once reaching school-age. Three years into living in this amazing family oriented community, an opportunity arose that fit and felt just right. To serve her new community, Joanne was nominated and elected onto the Pelham SEPTA Executive Board where she served as Treasurer for the 2021-22 school year. She also served as a SEPTA Representative of the PTA Council [PTAC].

Joanne’s professional background includes Financial Services and Education. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Education. During her previous life in the financial sector, Joanne worked for Fortune 500 Companies until she decided to change careers and become an Educator; working in neighboring districts, the NYC DOE, and a public charter school network. She decided to obtain her M.S. Ed in Secondary Special Education because she holds the strong belief that Special Education can be described as Special Children with Special Abilities who receive Special Instruction by Special Humans, their teachers. She has served in different capacities inclusive of teaching, coaching, and leadership. Her Special Education experience extends to teaching students with moderate-to-severe disabilities in a Self-Contained setting; teaching students with disabilities in the inclusive Integrated Co-Teaching setting; facilitating intervisitations for an ICT Lab Site; coordinating the CSE process; serving as a Special Education Department Coordinator; serving as a Restorative Justice Coordinator for cases involving students with disabilities; and serving as a Network Academic Lead for Special Populations. Supporting and advocating for parents and students while liaising with District and School based staff is critical to her work in her professional career and on the SEPTA Executive Board. In keeping with her level of dedication to Special Education, Joanne lives by these words coined by Confucius that says, “If you enjoy what you do, you never work a day in your life” and is ready to serve the next two years as Co-President of the Special Education PTA.

Joanne has a passion for health and wellness and is a Certified Health Coach who volunteers to host parent engagement workshops within her school communities. In her spare time, she loves to invest quality time (QT) with family playing board games and cards, spending time in nature with her children in “the outdoor classroom,” and finally, always taking time out for music, singing, and dance.

Stephanie is a New Rochelle and North Pelham native, and now a long time Pelham resident with husband, Jared Otero, for over 17 years
She is a mom to a PMHS 9th grader and a Hutchinson 5th grader. Both are involved in Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts. Gianna is a history buff who loves to help others, and Jared Jr is a soccer player who loves to be on the water fishing as much as possible.
Community service, and community building, are important pillars of the Otero family.
Stephanie has always been a strong advocate for the special education community through her experiences with her sister Dena, and in her own parenting journey.
Current Pelham SEPTA Secretary, on the board of Project Community, Service Unit Manager of Pelham Girl Scouts, Senior Girl Scout Troop Leader, Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson Council Delegate, Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson Council Philanthropy Committee member, a catechist at OLPH/St Catharines Parish and a Girl Scouts higher awards mentor.
Stephanie is also a former Hutchinson elementary school PTA Co President, Pelham SEPTA Co President, Girl Scout recruitment chair, Junior League of Pelhams Membership VP & Community Affairs VP, President of Phi Sigma Sigma sorority and President of the CW Post Inter Fraternity and Sorority Council.
Stephanie has a BA in Criminal Justice and Forensic Science from Long Island University, CW Post.
Stephanie is currently an employee of the Pelham Public Schools at Prospect Hill Elementary School.
In her spare moments she enjoys reading as much as possible, day tripping with the kids to new fun places, going out to dinner, playing with her 2 cats, watching Housewives and cooking.

I’m Kristen Whalen. Right to the point, I have been here a long time, 41 years to be exact. My family, 75 years. I think it’s safe to say that I have seen and been around a lot. I LOVE Pelham! This small community has provided me with too many amazing memories to count. So many profound and lifelong connections were formed here throughout my life. I’ve had amazing experiences with friends growing up here, attending O.L.P.H., Girl scouts, playing Travel Soccer and CYO Basketball, Trick-or-Treating and avoiding egg barrages on Monterey in the 80s, sleigh riding at Mt. Tom and so much more.

Watching my mother, as a PTA President, dedicate her time to our school, community, and her children instilled in me, a sense of hard work and commitment to caring for others. I would go on to provide care as a babysitter, nanny, counselor at the NYAC, volunteer at New Rochelle Hospital and eventually work for the Pelham Recreation Department as a Basketball coach for Colonial and Siwanoy schools.

After graduating from The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, I found my way back to the then Sound Shore Medical Center. I spent 16 years, full-time, learning from my mentors and colleagues how to efficiently navigate the Healthcare and Insurance Systems. During my time as a Supervisor/Trainer over two hospital campuses, I worked closely with the Mental Health/Psych unit, their nurses, administrators, and community outreach programs. I served on several Teams and Management Groups as well as the Studor Initiative Communications Team as Recording Secretary, championing the American Heart Association fundraising campaign for Go Red Day, pursuing Patient Education initiatives and Insurance navigation assistance. Because of the proximity to Pelham, I have been privileged to serve and assist numerous members of our community.

Over the past 18 years, I have been a Hutchinson, PMS, and PMHS parent. I have served as a Class Parent, PTA and SEPTA member, and am currently Recording Secretary for the Hutchinson PTA Board. Each school and each of my 3 childrens’ experiences have afforded me invaluable insight into our education system. I have been honored to work with the caring and efficient CSE and CPSE boards for our own childrens’ needs. They have been a guiding light and steadfast supporters for our family.

Since making the decision to stay home to support my children further, I have resumed my passion for creating custom cakes and continue to provide my local customers with delicious and exciting creations for their events. I continue my commitment to service by providing freelance insurance and medical bill assistance to those unfamiliar with the healthcare inner workings in order to alleviate the stress and anxiety associated with numerous bills and paperwork in already difficult times. I am also a huge sucker for almost any animal and adore walking dogs most days for some fantastic families as well as my own beautiful German Shepard.

After all my time here, I have come to love and admire our small town and community and how we can come together, in good times and tragic events, to empathize with each other and work towards common goals. I am very excited to potentially serve our community and children with the SEPTA Board to continue the work and advocacy within my beloved Pelham.

Jessica Soule moved to Pelham in 2017 with her husband and two children, Avery (2nd grade at Prospect Hill) and Laurel (K at Colonial).

Jesisca has a BA in Art History from Marymount Manhattan College and an MBA in International Finance from St. John’s University. Jesisca works in Finance for Bloomberg as the Team Leader for the Customer Support CFO team, previously she was a Controller for IT and Real Estate at the investment bank Evercore.

Jessica is the SEPTA representative for both Prospect Hill and Colonial. As a parent with a child with special needs in the Pelham school system, she understands the complexity and challenges involved in finding the right support for your child. She is excited to be able to give back to the community and be a support to others.

Jessica is married to Jon Wallace, a Private Chef in Pelham. In her spare time, she enjoys going for walks around the neighborhood with her kids and her newfypoo Beaux, reading, and spending time (outdoors) with friends.

Ian Rowe, his wife Sylvia and their two children have been proud residents of Pelham since 2012. Ian was excited and honored to be elected to the Pelham School Board for a three year term beginning July 1, 2021. Ian is especially honored to be the official SEPTA liaison for the Pelham School Board. Ian was a founding board member of the Special Education Collaborative in NYC (now known as the Collaborative for Inclusive Education). For the last decade, Ian was CEO of a non-profit network of elementary and middle public charter schools in the heart of the South Bronx and Lower East Side of Manhattan. Through that experience, Ian learned the importance of engaging students with exceptional needs and to ensure that each student received a truly individualized education plan. In addition, Ian also learned the criticality of ensuring parents and guardians did not have to navigate a byzantine process to ensure their child received an exceptional education.

For the last thirty years – from his early days at Teach For America to his present work launching a new network of International Baccalaureate high schools in the Bronx – Ian has dedicated his life to ensuring young people of all backgrounds have an equal opportunity to receive an excellent education. He attended New York City public schools K-12, graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School with a major in Electrical Engineering, and then went on to earn his BS in Computer Science Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

In addition to his service on the School Board, Ian volunteered his time to serve on the Board of Session for Huguenot Memorial Church, coached little league, and lent his voice to get the 2018 Bond passed, which funded the new Hutchinson school and the capital improvements to the Middle School, High School and Prospect Hill buildings.

Ian looks forward to working with SEPTA to continue to achieve the Pelham mission: Inspiring a Standard of Excellence for All Students.

Hi Welcome to my bio!!
My name is Atasha Greene. I am a Guyanese born and Brooklyn raised creative. I immigrated to the US as a teen and throughout the years I’ve found my tribe of support, rooting me in cycle to always give back so much of what I’ve gained. I’ve lived in Pelham for the last 5 years with my College sweetheart and husband Maurice. We have two bubbly Hutchinson Elementary students (Kindergarten and 5th Grade) and enjoy our days exploring Westchester.

I’ve always been a part of community organizing for as long as I can remember, before even knowing about the field of Social Work. I graduated from Hunter’s Silberman School of Social Work with a Master’s of Science degree in Social Work specializing in Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups. I am a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., where I volunteer and serve under the mission to “…cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards”.

Pelham is my home and I cherish my time being actively involved with the needs of our community as an Executive Board Member of Progressive Women of Pelham and as a member of Pelham Together. I have spent 8 years of my career in the Social Work field working in foster care, social services, child care and currently with seniors. This full circle of experience has helped me to understand the need for a whole child approach and not using one lens to fit all. I am dedicated to person centered care, Advocacy, Social Justice, Equity and Inclusivity for all. I admire the resilience of our children and look forward to planting seeds as they bloom with grace.

I am happy to be the liaison for my heart school Hutchinson Elementary and if there is any way that I can help you please let me know and if I can’t find the answers then we’ll do it together!

Meaghan Lemos is a Pelham resident for over 3 years. She is a proud wife and mother of 6 year old twin boys, a 4 year old boy and a 3 year old daughter. Her twins are currently Kindergarteners at Siwanoy Elementary and her two younger children attend Mount Tom Day School.
Meaghan received her Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and Psychology at the University of Rhode Island. She began her teaching career at 21 years old, where she taught Kindergarten, First and Second grade. While teaching, she obtained her Masters in Reading Education at Barry University. Shortly after her twins were born, she made the decision to dedicate herself to them by being a stay at home mom. Meaghan is a proud advocate for her children. She is a firm believer of early intervention, CPSE and CSE. She is currently a member of Siwanoy’s PTA.

She looks forward to helping other parents as she continues to find her own path into success for her children and all of their continuing needs.

Jessica DeDomenico is in her fourth year on the Pelham Board of Education and she is currently the President. As a member of the BOE, Jessica has also been the Vice President and has chaired the Curriculum, Social and Emotional Wellness and Diversity Oversight, and Community Outreach committees and she has served on many more. This is Jessica’s 3rd year serving as the Board liaison to SEPTA.

Jessica has worked has worked in a few neighboring districts as a high school counselor and college advisor and additionally, she has worked as a private college consultant. Through her role as a school counselor, Jessica worked closely with students, teachers, and families as an active participant in her students’ 504 and CSE experience.

Since moving to Pelham with her husband 15 years ago, Jessica has found many ways to give back to the Pelham community. She first joined the Junior League, where she learned of the many ways she could give back to Pelham in her years after being active member in the League. Jessica was President of the JLP in 2014-2015 during the fundraising and completion of Woodland Park. In addition to the JLP and Pelham Board of Education, Jessica has been an active volunteer at Colonial School, County Harvest, Pelham Together, and The Picture House.

Jessica and her husband have four boys spanning in age from 4-13 who keep them quite busy.

Hi, I am Sarah Frei I have lived in Pelham for the past 7 years and I am a mom to two boys. I am a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker and with over 25 years of experience specializing in child, adolescent and family mental health. I have a Masters of Science and Social Work from Columbia University. I have done post graduate education at Columbia University School of Public Health and New York State Psychiatric Institute, the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, Ackerman Institute for the Family and Lehman College.

I have worked in Pediatric and Adolescent health as a mental health clinician for various programs some include, New York Children’s Center through NYC Office of Mental Health, Memorial Sloan Kettering, the Peter Kruger Clinic Beth Israel-Mount Sinai Hospital Infectious Diseases, NYC Health and Hospitals Jacobi Medical Center and North Central Bronx Hospital. I have worked within the capacities of program development, grant writing, clinical education and program administration. I have also been a consultant to other not for profit programs. In working with children and families to address their needs I have collaborated for years with various NYC agencies (Dept. of Ed., Administration for Children Services, HRA, DOHMH, etc).

I have been a Pelham SEPTA Liaison for PMS for the past 4 years. I am or have been in the past a PTA member with Hutchinson Elementary, Pelham Middle School and Pelham Memorial High School. I admire the passion and dedication that the SEPTA community has here in Pelham, I am so proud to be a part of it. I am a true believer that it takes a village to raise a child. I am excited to work together.

After living in Manhattan for over 30 years, Lori Givens moved to Pelham Manor with her family in May 2014 and fell in love with this wonderful community. A die-hard hockey family, her husband Scott has served on the board of Pelham Youth Hockey Association for the past several years and her sons, Grant (15) and Brock (10), are rarely found without a stick in their hands.

Career-wise, Lori earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing & Communications from The Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY) and has spent more than 20 years in the media industry specializing in television and digital marketing.

With two boys who have benefitted tremendously from early intervention, Lori is passionate about special education and looks forward to working with and supporting other families with exceptional children.

Joanne Colón carefully considered where to settle and raise her three children. Her family chose Pelham. Her two oldest, ages nine and five attend Prospect Hill. She also has a two year old who will attend Prospect once reaching school-age.

Three years-new to Pelham, contemplating on how to best serve her new community, Joanne decided to get involved with Pelham SEPTA and now serves as SEPTA’s Treasurer.

Her background includes Financial Services and Education. She holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and a Masters degree in Secondary Special Education. During her previous life in the financial sector, Joanne worked for Fortune 500 Companies until she decided to change careers and become an Educator, working in neighboring districts, NYC, and a charter school network. She has served in different capacities that include teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities, coordinating the CSE process, Special Education Department Chairperson, and Instructional Coach. Joanne loves nutrition and is a Certified Health Coach who volunteers to host workshops within her school communities.

In her spare time, she loves to play board games and card games with her family and sing.

Amy has lived in Pelham for 8 years with her son who is a 2nd grader at Hutchinson.

She shares the belief with many in the community that all children, regardless of physical or neurological differences, should and can be provided with a free public education that is fun, challenging and suits their individual needs. Amy is excited to be part of continuing the amazing work SEPTA has been doing to provide resources and support to families.

While in college, Amy was a Big Sister in the Big Brother/Big Sister organization. Additionally, she served as the volunteer liaison to the Board of Directors and as a Mentor for incoming volunteers. Upon moving to NYC, Amy volunteered for SafeSpace, a homeless organization that specialized in helping kids who had been ousted from their homes for being LGBTQIA. Amy also served on the Junior Board and worked in organizing large scale events for fundraising. After 9/11, Amy volunteered for Safe Horizons, The Red Cross and other collaborative non-profits at the Family/Victims Center, as well as onsite locations. These experiences allowed Amy to provide immediate assistance to those in need, especially underserved children.

Professionally, Amy was in arts administration and then became a Broadway casting director for many years. She later opened her own business as a Personal Project Manager which she has run for 15 years. Currently, Amy is in graduate school, pursuing her master’s degree in Child Development at Sarah Lawrence College. Her focus is on Environmental Education, and she plans to advocate for children to have more time outside. Amy is passionate in her belief that meaningful experiences in nature improve social/emotional well-being, certain behaviors in the classroom and even raises test scores.

Kathryn Cohen is Co-President along with Amanda Paolercio 2023-2024

More information on Kathryn will be added soon!

Amanda Paolercio is a seven year Pelham resident, and could not imagine settling in any other place. She lives with her husband Chris, who is a lifelong Pelhamite and professional firefighter within the Pelham Fire Department. Together they have three children, Charlotte (8), Michael (4), and Olivia (18mo), rescue pup Mozzie and rescue pup Mozzie. Michael and Olivia will eventually be attending Hutchinson Elementary School, just like big sister Charlotte, and following in the footsteps of their dad and generations before. Pelham is a beautiful melting pot of so many unique individuals- Some have lived here forever, yet there are always new families popping up around town. There are so many different cultures and walks of life represented here, yet it feels so tightly woven, warm, and deeply family oriented. There is a distinct pride one exudes when talking about living in Pelham, and our school district is the cornerstone of that sense of pride.

 

When the opportunity to join the SEPTA executive board presented itself, Amanda knew it would be a perfect fit. Her passions have led her to obtaining her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York. She is an accredited speech and language pathologist by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and licensed and certified to practice in the state of New York. Her professional career treating communication disorders began on a beautiful partial-residential school in Putnam County set on a working farm. The students there had significant behavioral diagnoses, ranged from ages 5-21, and majority of them came to the school after exhausting all educational supports within their home districts. The students and their families were in a significant state of crisis, and it was there that Amanda established a strong foundation of interpersonal skills, advocacy, and helping those in need achieve functional and positive outcomes. Between this setting and her years at Southern Westchester BOCES, she has serviced countless children within the school setting and navigated a multitude of CPSE and CSE meetings. She has been involved as a Hutchinson School class parent, Girl Scout troop co-leader, as well as a member of the Building Bridges community which showcases different abilities at an age appropriate level for our students.

 

After starting a family, she has taken her professional expertise a little closer to home and has embedded her roots in our Village of Pelham. She presently owns a private practice providing speech therapy here in town, making it her primary objective to service and give back to this community that has already given her own family so much. The Pelham special education system is one that she holds closely to her heart, and she firmly believes that there is a true partnership that will continue to be forged between our professionals and families. She enthusiastically looks forward to continuing her service as your SEPTA Co-President.

 

In her spare time, Amanda enjoys traveling to Disney World, taking walks around town, and having epic kitchen dance parties with her children.

Bryan Cohen has been a Pelham resident since 2022.  He and his wife Kathryn have been active in the SEPTA community, with their two sons Jack and William, since arriving in Pelham.

Bryan is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at a Private Equity firm in New York and has been in the Asset Management industry for 20+ year.

Bryan presently volunteers as a member of the Finance Committee of the Grand Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa, his fraternity’s national organization.

Bryan served over 20 years on the Board of Directors as the Treasurer for the housing corporation of his fraternity at the University of Massachusetts, a not-for-profit organization, that manages the physical property which is the residence and social space for the undergraduate members.

Bryan is a CPA and earned his BBA in Accounting and Information Systems from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

More information on Darrah will be added soon!

Ali Cox is an active parent within the Pelham community. Originally from New Rochelle, Ali has lived in Pelham with her husband Adam and two young children since July 2018. Her oldest son is now in 1st grade and her youngest son is in Pre-K. Ali has been an active member of the Pelham community for some time, having been involved in Junior League of Pelham and most recently on the Board of Huguenot Nursery School as a parent liaison and supporting the needs of the nursery school families. With an MBA in Sports & Entertainment Marketing, she has a background in marketing and sponsorships but now dedicates her time as a stay-at-home mom. Through her experiences raising her children, she has become passionate about supporting families with exceptional children like her own. As SEPTA Co-President, she is committed to raising awareness, fostering inclusion and supporting families in Pelham through collaboration with the school district.

Kristin Rhea is an active parent within the Pelham community. She has resided here with her husband Larry and two young children since December of 2022. Her daughter is now in first grade and her son is in Pre-K. Community service, leadership and giving back to the community has always been a passion of hers. While attending NYU for her master’s in occupational therapy, she was the co-chair for the executive board of her graduating class. As co-chair, she was in charge of efforts that included community outreach events such as visiting soup kitchens, philanthropy walks and fundraising efforts for various causes. After graduating from NYU, Kristin began her career as an occupational therapist working in both public and non-for-profit private schools for children with special needs. While working in the schools, she was actively involved with fundraising for her students through various events including the NYC half-marathon. As co-president for SEPTA, she hopes to utilize her professional skills and her personal passion for leadership and giving back to the community to help collaborate with teachers, administrators and other Pelham families.