Janill Sharma, Board Chair
Jennifer Leahy, Vice Chair
Kelly Symons, Secretary
Billie Gastic-Rosado
Vasso Gyftopoulos
Natalie Martin
Kirsten Meadow
Vince Morelli
Jennifer Servedio
Camy Sleeman
Suzanne Adam, CEO
Board of Director Bios
Janill Sharma, Board Chair
Janill Sharma has been an integral part of the Domestic Violence Crisis Center (DVCC) for nine years, including serving on the Board of Directors in various roles for eight years prior to becoming Board Chair. She brings the experience and knowledge of her professional background in law, coupled with a heartfelt dedication to DVCC’s mission to her leadership role.
Outside of DVCC, Janill’s passion for cultural preservation is palpable. She founded the Network of Asian Moms (NETAM) in Stamford, CT, creating a platform for mothers to immerse their children in South Asian traditions and values. Through NETAM, Janill has not only raised significant funds but also fostered a tight-knit community centered on mutual support and respect. She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Avon Theatre and is a member of the Indian Culture Center (ICC) of Greenwich.
Janill lives in Stamford where she enjoys spending quality time with her husband, two teenage daughters and their beloved Havanese. She is an avid tennis fan and plays in a women’s league. Janill earned her bachelor’s degree in politics from Ithaca College and her juris doctor from New England School of Law.
Jennifer Leahy, Vice Chair
Jennifer Leahy is one of the region’s top-producing realtors. As founder of the Jennifer Leahy Team at Douglas Elliman, she leads its #1 team in Connecticut and New York suburbs. Jennifer’s superior client service, strategic marketing and vast connections consistently deliver results for her clients. She’s been featured in major news outlets including the Wall Street Journal and NYTimes. With accolades as Elliman’s #1 Team from 2020-2022 and Connecticut’s top agent from 2016-2019, she’s a powerhouse in her field. Starting in real estate in 2002, Jennifer skyrocketed in the mortgage industry, securing nearly half a billion in loans.
Jennifer began her career as a Family Violence Victim Advocate for DVCC before transitioning to real estate. Beyond business, Jennifer’s dedication extends to community service and helping others. She teaches meditation for Elliman agents, co-founded Cambodia’s Children Education Fund, and previously served on the board of the David Lynch Foundation. She holds a master’s from Bank Street College of Education and a degree from Fordham University. Jennifer resides in Fairfield County with her family.
Kelly Symons, Secretary
Kelly is an esteemed senior executive with an impressive background in operational excellence, governance, and risk management. With a dynamic career at Mastercard, she led transformative initiatives, from establishing the company’s Information Governance function to designing global data strategies. Kelly’s commitment extends beyond the corporate world. As a Board Member of Extreme Kids & Crew, she was pivotal in devising a robust 3-year strategic plan and launching the organization’s first DEI plan. She further championed gender diversity through mentorship at the 30% Club. Kelly blends meticulous strategy, collaborative leadership, and a deep passion for community service. Her appointment to the Domestic Violence Crisis Center board is a testament to her dedication to fostering equity, inclusivity, and community enrichment.
Billie Gastic Rosado
Billie Gastic Rosado, Ph.D. is the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, LaGuardia Community College, CUNY. Previously, she served as Associate Dean of Liberal Arts, Languages, & Post-Traditional Undergraduate Studies at the NYU School of Professional Studies. In 2019, Dr. Gastic Rosado was named as one of 25 Minority-Serving Institutions Aspiring Leaders by the Penn Center for Minority-Serving Institutions. Her areas of publication include Latinx student outcomes, school violence, and educator and school leader preparation. Billie earned a Ph.D. in the Sociology of Education and an M.A. in Sociology from Stanford, an Ed.M. from Harvard, and a B.A. in Economics from Yale.
Vasso Gyftopoulos
Vasso Gyftopoulos has worked and volunteered as a registered nurse who at the Americares Free Clinic in Norwalk for 13 years. She splits her time now as a part time employee at Americares and also works at the Aesthetic Surgery Center in Darien. Additionally, Vasso serves as a board member for Norwalk Community College as well as alumni boards at Bowdoin College. Vasso is an accomplished triathlete who has completed 10 full Ironman competitions. She enjoys endurance cycling, playing bridge, travel and cooking.
Natalie E. Martin
Natalie E. Martin is a seasoned professional with over 15 years in the digital media landscape and a passionate leader with a flair for building client relationships, developing growth strategies and uncovering new opportunities. Currently, she serves as the Director of Retail Media at InMobi, where she is transforming the business landscape by spearheading brand growth across sectors like CPG, Fashion, and Electronics. In her previous role at NBCUniversal Digital Entertainment, she consistently surpassed sales goals, championing strategies that yielded over $90M annually. Natalie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola University in Chicago. Natalie is a mother of two daughters, ages 7 and 5. When she is not working you can find her on the tennis courts or reading a good book.
Kirsten Meadow
Kirsten is a seasoned Strategic Communications & Advocacy Leader with over 25 years of experience. She has worked with high-profile clients like Citi®, Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s US Senate campaign, and the YWCA of New York. She planned and facilitated the YWCA of New York’s 29th Annual Salute to Women Achievers Luncheon, raising over $750K. As one of the three principals at Lanier Law Firm’s NYC branch, Kirsten was instrumental in its growth, scaling operations from 5 to 20+ employees in just three years. Kirsten has served as Legislative Counsel to members of the US Senate, worked on behalf of sustainable development initiatives abroad as a political appointee at USAID and passionately led a significant public awareness campaign on domestic abuse prevention for the Association of Junior Leagues International. She has recently launched a new career as a licensed real estate sales professional with Corcoran Centric Realty in Greenwich.
In addition to her extensive professional achievements, Kirsten has served on the boards of several organizations including Guatemala SANA in Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala, My Sister’s Place Domestic Violence Shelter in White Plains, NY, The Learning Center for Women in Prison, New York, NY where she served as Board President, and the Junior League of the City of New York.
Outside of work, Kirsten can be found seeking adventures with children Ruby and Josh and Golden Retriever, Clarice.
Jennifer Servedio
Jennifer’s passion lies in helping organizations find efficient and effective ways to design programs and systems, both internally and for sales and client services. Jennifer spent much of her early career in Event Planning and Design for Goldman, Sachs & Co. She then moved on to manage projects at a small nonprofit, which gave her the desire to help smaller businesses and nonprofit organizations. She brought that interest to Columbia University’s Institute for Not for Profit Management, where she was a grant writer and managed residential programs for non-profit executives seeking to learn and develop business management skills. In recent years, Jennifer has continued to gravitate towards organizational roles and projects. Currently, as the Events Board Chair for Impact Fairfield County, she brings her knowledge and experience to her part in the grant making process. Jennifer also sits on the Mission Advancement Committee of her high school alma mater, Notre Dame Academy. Most recently, Jennifer joined The Acceleration Project as a pro-bono consultant. In this role she donates her time and expertise to work with small business owners to help them grow and strengthen their businesses. Jennifer lives in Greenwich, CT with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. When she’s not busy with her work or her family, you can be sure to find her curled up with a book.
Camy Sleeman
Camy Sleeman serves as Director of Marketing for Stamford Health. Her 30+ year career in Marketing and Communications began in public relations for large scale agencies in NYC, representing multinationals. She then served as VP for a Reuters subsidiary, Instinet Corporation, and from that point went on to be a consultant for NYU Langone and the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, while raising her family. Prior to joining Stamford Health, Camy served as Director of Marketing for UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Care where she was instrumental in rebranding the Tri-State’s three leading physician groups, ProHealth, CareMount Medical and Riverside Medical Group to Optum. Camy graduated from Dartmouth College, cum laude, and continues to be active as an alumni admissions ambassador. She lives in Pound Ridge, NY, and has three children. She enjoys traveling, cooking, music, and cultural activities.