Meet Our Team

Rev. Philippe E. C. Andal, Ph.D.

Community Baptist Church and the Hananiah Community Foundation Corporation

Rev. Philippe E. C. Andal, Ph.D., serves as the senior pastor of the Community Baptist Church and as President of the Hananiah Community Foundation Corporation in New Haven, Connecticut. Under his leadership, several ministries have been developed and re-organized to meet the needs of a changing intergenerational and hybrid faith community in the heart of the Newhallville neighborhood. Leading beyond the church, Dr. Andal serves as the Co-Chair of Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut, an interfaith collective of 37 congregations representing over 30,000 people who work together through building relational power to effect change for the common good on the local, state, and national levels. Additionally, Dr. Andal serves as a member of Agora Strategy Council of the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Dr. Andal earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Fisk University, a M. Div. from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Southern University and A & M College. Additionally, he is a 2017 Fellow of Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics and completed a Certificate in Executive Church Leadership from the Howard University School of Business. Dr. Andal holds appointments at Yale Divinity School as Lecturer in Pastoral Leadership and Church Administration, founding member of the Black Church Study Certificate Program Faculty Committee, and as a member of the Alumni Board.

Beth Bye

Former Commissioner of the CT Office of Early Childhood

Beth Bye was appointed as Commissioner for the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood by Governor Ned Lamont in January 2019 and retired from the position in 2025.

Bye, who served in the Senate from 2011 to the present and in the House from 2007 through 2010, will lead an office created in 2013 to coordinate and enhance various early childhood development programs and create a cohesive early care system.

In 2013, Senator Bye led the effort to create The Office of Early Childhood (OEC), one of the first such offices in the country. Her work as champion for the creation of the office is informed by her own, long-term experience since 1980 as an early childhood professional.

Beth’s experience includes leadership positions at Auerfarm/Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School, Great by 8, the Capitol Region Education Council, and she also helped to open two early childhood magnet schools. Beth was the director at both the Trinity College Community Child Center and the University of St. Joseph School for Young Children, which was named a State of Connecticut model pre-school.

Commissioner Bye received her BA and MA in Child Development from the University of New Hampshire.

Shenae Draughn, Treasurer

Elm City Communities and The Glendower Group

Shenae Draughn, M.S., is the President of Elm City Communities and The Glendower Group, an instrumentality of the Housing Authority of the City of New Haven.  She joined the Housing Authority in 2009 and was promoted to Executive Vice President of The Glendower Group in  October 2021.  As the Executive Vice President of The Glendower Group, Ms. Draughn is responsible for developing and executing long-term real estate strategic plans and asset management.  In her capacity as Executive Vice President, she plays an instrumental role in determining the feasibility of specific projects, while also helping to coordinate city-wide development plans. Additionally, Ms. Draughn was responsible for ensuring compliance with investors and program requirements, including CHFA (Connecticut Housing Finance Authority), HUD (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development), State Department of Housing, and various other government agencies.

Prior to working for The Glendower Group, Inc, Ms. Draughn was a Senior Vice President with primary responsibility of planning, directing and managing the full scope of projects – from feasibility analyses, to control of related expenditures and tax credits. Ms. Draughn also worked at the Mutual Housing Association of South Central Connecticut, Inc. for many years – most recently as the Deputy Executive Director where she identified affordable housing needs, promoted the development and implementation of affordable housing measures, and supervised and directed all related real estate transactions.

Ms. Draughn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Real Estate Studies from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA and received a Master of Science in Management from Albertus Magnus in New Haven, CT.

Paula S. Gilberto

Retired Nonprofit Leader

Paula S. Gilberto, M.S., has 44 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She capped a 24 year career with United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, retiring in March 2022 as its President and CEO. Prior to that, she served in various management positions with the American Red Cross, Connecticut Region. Paula’s career has included building public/private partnerships to further student achievement, economic mobility, and workforce development. She also held leadership roles in strategic planning, fundraising, and organizational development, as well as developing and replicating education and financial security initiatives regionally and nationally. Paula is a founding member of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut’s Women United and Women of Tocqueville, two diverse networks committed to ensuring economic mobility for women and families. She serves on the board of directors of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, the American Savings Foundation, and the YWCA New Britain. She is also a member of the National Organization for Italian American Women and United Way NEXT.

Paula holds a Master of Science in Organizational Behavior from University of Hartford and a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Psychology from University of Bridgeport. She is also a Family Strengthening for Success Fellow from Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Hector Glynn, Past Chair

The Village for Families and Children, Inc.

Hector Glynn, M.S.W., is President of The Village for Families and Children. He previously served as the Vice President of Community, Family and Clinical Services at the Village.  Mr. Glynn has extensive experience with the juvenile justice system and the needs of urban youth. Prior to coming to the Village, he was Executive Director of the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance, where he led the way for major reforms in the Connecticut juvenile justice system’s policies and procedures. The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) appointed Mr. Glynn to the CGA’s Juvenile Jurisdiction Planning and Implementation Committee. He also worked for Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Hartford for ten years in the Youth Services Division, providing direct services, program coordination, and staff supervision. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and a Master in School Work from the University of Connecticut.

Derrick M. Gordon, Ph.D., Secretary

Yale University School of Medicine and Child Study Center

Derrick M. Gordon, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry (Psychology Section) at Yale University School of Medicine and Child Study Center. He directs the Program on Male Development in the Division of Prevention and Community Research and is a scientist in the Community Research Core of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA). Dr. Gordon’s research, consultation, and clinical efforts are focused on those factors that either support or undermine men transitioning from prison back to the community; the engagement of low-income, non-custodial fathers; the identification and service of adolescent fathers committed to child protection services; and men mandated to batterer intervention groups in the community. As a licensed clinical-community psychologist, his work also focuses on bringing clinical care to community contexts that increases the acceptability and engagement in that care. Overall, Dr. Gordon’s work has and continues to focus on increasing community and family health through attention to segments of the community often ignored in those considerations.

Dale Patricia Merrill, Ed.D.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation & Foxwoods Resort Casino

Dale Patricia Merrill, Ed.D., is the Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Administration, for The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation & Foxwoods Resort Casino. In her current role, she is responsible for providing strategy and direction for all of the Human Resources, Ethics, Guest Experience and Native American Relations activities of the organization. This includes talent acquisition, labor & employee relations, organizational development, employee wellness, engagement, communications, inclusion, Native American affairs, as well as all organizational policies and procedures on ethics. As a result of Dale’s leadership, MPTN/Foxwoods’ Human Resources Department has received multiple performance awards and accolades by both industry and community organizations. Dale has been named one of the Great Women in Gaming by the Global Gaming Women, for her leadership in elevating the experience of team members and customers alike.

Dale is a graduate of University of Connecticut (B.G.S), holds a Masters in Human Resources Development from Villanova University (M.S.) and a Doctorate in Education from Vanderbilt University. Dale completed Columbia University’s Internal Coaching Intensive Program, and is acknowledged by the Society of Human Resource Management as a “Certified Professional in Human Resources.” Her commitment to continuous development enables her to bring strategy, innovation, facilitation and leadership to every table at which she is seated. Outside of her work with the Tribal nation, Dale spends her time volunteering at Plan4Health in Providence, RI, and serving as a board member for Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, Connecticut. Dale’s hobbies include spending time with her family, practicing yoga and plant-based cooking.

Aimee Monroy-Smith

Fairfield County Center for Housing Opportunity

Aimee Monroy-Smith is the Director of the Center for Housing Opportunity at The Housing Collective, where she oversees the development and implementation of a region wide strategy to advance housing stability in Fairfield County. In this role, she leads programmatic initiatives, stakeholder engagement, peer learning networks, and targeted technical assistance and systems-level change efforts.

Aimee most recently served as Senior Vice President of Government Relations and External Affairs at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, where she was a member of the executive management team. In this role, she directed state and federal advocacy strategies, helped secure public funding for the pediatric healthcare system, and led efforts to advance legislation supporting children’s behavioral health. Her leadership also extended to community investment strategy and regional volunteer program expansion.

Earlier in her career, Aimee held senior government and community relations roles at The Jackson Laboratory and Pitney Bowes, where she managed legislative and regulatory strategy, grassroots advocacy, political compliance, and cross-sector partnerships. She began her career in public affairs and advocacy roles with organizations including the American Cancer Society and the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans’ Association. Aimee holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from Trinity College and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communications from the University of Rhode Island. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of Connecticut Voices for Children, she is active in civic and nonprofit leadership across Connecticut.

Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, Chair

Yale School of Medicine

Dr. Nunez-Smith, M.D., M.H.S., is an Associate Professor at the Yale School of Medicine, Associate Professor at the Yale School of Public Health, Director of the Equity Research and Innovation Center, Director of the Center for Research Engagement, Core Faculty in the National Clinician Scholars Program, and Deputy Director at the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation. Dr. Nunez-Smith’s research focuses on promoting healthcare equity for vulnerable populations with an emphasis on healthcare workforce development, patient assessment of healthcare experiences, and healthcare system strengthening to address chronic disease in low and middle resource settings.

Enid Mercedes Rey, J.D.

BRAVE Consulting Solutions, LLC

Enid Mercedes Rey, J.D., is the President and CEO of BRAVE Consulting Solutions LLC., a firm working at the local and national levels to transform systems that affect and impact the wellbeing of children, youth and families. Most recently, Rey was invited by the National Administration for Children and Families as part of a specialized team of consultant partners supporting the rapid unification of unaccompanied children and youth crossing into borderlands of the United States. Rey is known both locally and nationally for her work in the fields of positive youth development, education, civic leadership, community-building and school integration. Her expertise and experiences span various sectors, including Philanthropy, Education, Youth Development, Juvenile Justice, Workforce Development and Immigration. A lawyer and advocate by training and vocation, Rey has held various leadership roles including CEO of Our Piece of the Pie, Inc, Director of Hartford Public Schools’ Office of School Choice, Director of the City of Hartford’s Office for Youth Services and Program Officer at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. A graduate of Hartford Public High School, she earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and her law degree from UCONN School of Law. Among other affiliations, Rey was recognized as the Center for Children’s 2021 Advocacy Champion, serves on the newly created University of Connecticut School of Law, Community Safety, Policing and Inequality in Law Community Advisory Council and is an Annie E. Casey Foundation Children Youth and Families Fellow.

Kimberley Russo

The Fund for Greater Hartford

Kimberley Russo is the executive director of The Fund for Greater Hartford and has served in this position since 2015. Previously she served as the director of community investment for United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut for more than 10 years. Prior to joining the philanthropic field, Kimberley served as the program manager for Meriden-Wallingford Chrysalis and worked as a residential services coordinator for the Domestic Violence Resource Center of South County in Rhode Island. In recent years, Kimberley has served as chair of the board of directors of the CT After School Network, chaired the Coalition for New Britain’s Youth as well as co-chaired the CT Early Childhood Funders Collaborative.

Dr. Laine Taylor, Vice Chair

The Village for Families and Children, Inc.

Dr. Laine Taylor, D.O., M.B.A., is Medical Director at The Village for Families and Children. Prior to joining the Village, Dr. Taylor was an Assistant Professor at the Yale Child Study Center and worked on the child psychiatric inpatient service for seven years; she was also the Associate Medical Director of the Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital’s Children’s Psychiatric Inpatient Service. Dr. Taylor completed medical school at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, her Psychiatry residency at the University of Arizona and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center-Riverview track. She has a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Leadership from Rockburst University, Kansas City, Missouri. Her areas of interest are organizational development, culture in medicine, and healthcare policy. She is an advocate for children and families as a clinician and on the state level working to develop programs and legislation in the state of Connecticut. Her areas of specialty include medical education, interdisciplinary collaboration, emergency psychiatry, structural family therapy, and inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry.

Pedro Zayas

Hartford Public Schools

Pedro Zayas is a Puerto Rican bilingual content creator with decades of experience in journalism, research production, public relations and U.S. Hispanic strategic communications. He has worked in leadership editorial positions at ESPN, The Associated Press, SEIU 1199NE, and as former director of communications at Hartford Public Schools.

Pedro returned to his post at Hartford Public Schools as Director of External Relations and Communications in 2024 with a vision to support HPS students and their families, teachers and administrators to achieve the equitable education that our school district deserves. He previously served as the Senior Communications Advisor for SEIU 1199NE, the New England Health Care Employees Union, from 2018 to 2024. His role included helping long-term care workers and medical staff in Connecticut and Rhode Island to stand united through the catastrophic consequences that the COVID pandemic had on healthcare providers and their patients.

Mr. Zayas received a bachelor’s degree in Public Communications from the University of Puerto Rico, and has significant graduate research and coursework in law, journalism and public administration at the University of Iowa and the University of Connecticut. He currently splits most of his time residing in Greater Hartford and the southwestern town of Yauco, Puerto Rico, with his wife, son and trusted canine.

Carmen Clarkin

Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives

Carmen Clarkin, M.P.H., is Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives with Connecticut Voices for Children. In addition to focusing on the organization’s priority projects, Carmen is the lead coordinator for Kids Count. She is part of the Executive Team.

Previously, Carmen was a Research & Policy Associate with Voices. A Connecticut native, Carmen’s expertise is at the intersections of health, housing and justice working closely with community stakeholders as well as local, state, and federal government officials. Prior to joining Connecticut Voices for Children, Carmen was a researcher and housing specialist with the Yale Global Health Justice Partnership and a public health specialist with URU The Right To Be. She also spearheaded a number of policy efforts as Director of Initiatives with Justice 4 Housing in Massachusetts.

Carmen earned her M.P.H. from the Yale School of Public Health and a B.A. from Yale University.

Emily Knox

Research & Policy Director

Emily Knox, Ph.D., is a Research & Policy Director with Connecticut Voices for Children. Her focus is on health, housing, and justice research and policy, specifically the intersection of foster youth and criminal legal system reform. She is part of the Core Programs Team.

Prior to joining Connecticut Voices for Children, Emily served as the Director of Research at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Her work has focused on effective measurement in program evaluation, the impact of trauma-informed practices in residential juvenile facilities, and the conceptualization and management of recidivism risk in youth. Emily also serves as a member of the advisory board at Prairie View A&M University College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology as well as being an affiliate faculty member at the TCU Institute of Child Development. She previously worked as a researcher at the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute at Texas A&M University, where she conducted research related to the activation of racialized stereotypes, and stereotype threat.

Emily was awarded a Ph.D. and M.S. in Sociology from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Emily earned her B.A. in Sociology and Gender Studies from the University of New Orleans. Outside of work, Emily enjoys being outdoors—hiking, biking, and spending time with her wife and son.

Patrick O’Brien

Research & Policy Director

Patrick R. O’Brien, Ph.D., is a Research & Policy Director with Connecticut Voices for Children. His focus is on fiscal and employment research and policy, specifically tax reform and macro economics. He is part of the Core Programs Team.

Previously, Patrick served as a Research & Policy Fellow with Voices. He is an expert on the issue area of presidential control over public finance policymaking, broadly defined to include fiscal policy, monetary policy, and the effect of both on economic policy. Prior to joining Connecticut Voices for Children, Patrick was a postdoctoral research and teaching fellow at Trinity College in Hartford, CT and he remains a Visiting Assistant Professor of Public Policy.

Patrick was awarded a Ph.D. in political science from Yale University.  He also earned an M.A. in political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a B.S. in economics from DePaul University.

Eli Sabin

Legislative Coordinator

Eli Sabin is a Legislative Coordinator at Connecticut Voices for Children. He is part of the Core Programs Team.

Eli has extensive experience in government policy-making, organizing, and advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels. In his work, Eli focuses on the advancement of policies and issues that are closest to home for him as a lifelong New Haven resident: affordable housing, fair taxation, school funding equity, neighborhood safety, and job creation.

Eli earned a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University and was a 2021 Truman Scholar representing Connecticut. He is currently attending Yale Law School.

Nick Teeling

Advocacy Director

Nick Teeling is the Advocacy Director with Connecticut Voices for Children. He is part of the Core Programs Team.

Previously, Nick served as the Advocacy Deputy Director and Local Strategies Deputy Director with Voices. Nick is a lifelong resident of Connecticut, born and raised in the Northwest Corner. Prior to joining Connecticut Voices for Children, Nick spent five years organizing around issues that affect working families, including housing justice, fair wages and taxation, affordable healthcare, and equitable access to reproductive care. He has also worked with lawmakers across Connecticut at the federal, state, and local levels.

Nick is a proud product of Connecticut’s State Colleges, having graduated from Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University.

Ruchi Sheth

Research & Policy Associate

Ruchi Sheth, M.A., is a Research & Policy Associate with Connecticut Voices for Children. Her focus is on employment research and policy, specifically early childhood, as well as housing, health, and justice research and policy, specifically safety net issues. She is part of the Core Programs Team.

A Connecticut native, Ruchi is an experienced molecular biology researcher with several published articles, and her career has most recently intersected with state and federal legislator engagement and community organizing. Prior to CT Voices, she was a Community Engagement Liaison with the United States House of Representatives, where she focused on connecting policy work with the community.  Ruchi also served as a Legislative Aide at the Connecticut General Assembly, where she focused on constituent services and legislative issues.

Ruchi earned her M.A. in Biology as well as a B.A. in Biology and Classical Civilizations from Wesleyan University.

Joseline Tlacomulco

Power Building Deputy Director

Joseline Tlacomulco is the Power Building Deputy Director with Connecticut Voices for Children. She is part of the Core Programs Team.

Joseline comes to us with nine years of community organizing and political campaign experience. She has focused her efforts building power with and for Latine and immigrant communities across the state and has worked on local, state, and national campaigns in various capacities. Most recently, Joseline served as the Director of Federal & State Legislative Affairs for the City of New Haven.

A New Haven resident, she’s in the process of earning a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Connecticut.

Betsy Yagla

Chief of Operations & Development

Betsy Yagla is the Chief of Operations & Development with Connecticut Voices for Children. She is part of the Executive Team.

Betsy joins Connecticut Voices for Children with nearly 20 years of professional experience in the government, nonprofit and media sectors. A trained journalist, Betsy wrote for the Spanish-language Registro newspaper before becoming Associate Editor of the New Haven Advocate. She expanded her storytelling portfolio at New Haven Promise where she was responsible for overall communications as well as parent and community outreach and engagement. As a public servant, Betsy focused on project management, community building, communications and grant writing.

Betsy earned a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri.

Emily Byrne

Executive Director

Emily Byrne, M.P.A., is the Executive Director of Connecticut Voices for Children.

She has extensive experience in developing human-centered policies and programs as well as driving effective advocacy strategies in service of systemic and structural change. Byrne has led and contributed to work that has been recognized by past White House administrations and has appeared in numerous publications. Most notably, she was the founding Executive Director of New Haven Promise, a nonprofit at the intersection of education and economic development.

A public servant by training, she started her career as a policy analyst for the City of New Haven, CT where she helped design the nation’s first municipal identification card for residents irrespective of immigration status. Since then Byrne has held various governmental leadership positions as a systems intrapreneur within the social and economic justice arenas. She is also a past U.S. Visiting Fellow with the Robert Bosch Foundation in Germany. Her research focused on migrant rights and racial justice vis-à-vis democratic participation and education.

Emily earned an M.P.A. from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a B.A. in Political Science from Providence College.

Ellen Scalettar

Senior Fellow for Fiscal Policy

Ellen Scalettar, J.D., is a Senior Fellow for Fiscal Policy at Connecticut Voices for Children.

Ellen’s history with Connecticut Voices goes back to the mid-1990’s and precedes her time with the organization as a staffer when, as a State Representative in the General Assembly, she relied heavily on our tax and budget work. She continued to collaborate with Voices on projects and policies affecting the state’s children and families in her role as Assistant State Treasurer for Governmental & Community Relations and later as Director of Policy, Research and Legislation for the then-Senate President Pro Tempore.

Ellen is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the City College of New York and earned her J.D. degree with honors from the University of Maryland School of Law. Ellen is currently a Visiting Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School; her earlier legal career focused on litigation in the areas of defamation and privacy.

Shelley Geballe

Distinguished Senior Fellow

Shelley Geballe, J.D., M.P.H., is the Distinguished Senior Fellow at Connecticut Voices for Children.

A Co-Founder of CT Voices in 1995, Attorney Geballe served as Voices’ President until October 2008 when she became its Distinguished Senior Fellow – an advisory role.  Now a Professor of Clinical Public Health in the Yale School of Public Health, her courses include Public Health Law,  Health Disparities and a Health Policy Practicum. For 20 years she was also a Clinical Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School where she co-taught the Legislative Advocacy Clinic.

Over her time with CT Voices, Attorney Geballe’s research and writing focused on state and federal tax and budget policy, family economic security, child welfare and juvenile justice, and children’s health and mental health. She has served in multiple appointed positions in the state, including currently on the Advisory Committee of the Office of the Child Advocate. She has been a consultant in diverse international contexts (e.g., on the non-profit sector at Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China, on HIV/AIDS law at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and on public health law at the Union School of Public Health in Beijing, China).

Prior to co-founding CT Voices, Attorney Geballe practiced civil rights law with the Connecticut ACLU, serving as counsel in a variety of federal class action cases, including representing the state’s abused and neglected children in a systemic class action challenge to CT’s foster care system, children with HIV/AIDS who were excluded from the New Haven public schools, women incarcerated in CT’s prison system, and CT inmates living with HIV disease. She also co-taught Federal Civil Rights Practice at the University of Connecticut Law School. Her publications include Geballe, Gruendel, & Andiman (eds.), Forgotten Children of the AIDS Epidemic (Yale University Press, 1995).

For her work on behalf of CT’s young people and their families, Attorney Geballe has been honored by many organizations including the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy (John Filer Award), the Connecticut Public Health Association (C-E. A. Winslow Award), the CT Bar Association, American Academy of Pediatrics – Connecticut Chapter, the CT Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers – CT Chapter, the National Organization for Women – CT Chapter, Casey Family Services, the CT Youth Service Association, the CT Association of Mental Health Clinics for Children, the CT Community Providers Association, the CT Probate Court Assembly, Gateway Community College, the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition, and United Way of Greater New Haven.

Attorney Geballe received her law degree from Yale Law School (1976) and her public health degree from Yale Medical School (1995). She is married to Gordon Geballe, former Associate Dean of and current Lecturer in the Yale School of the Environment. They have three sons, three daughters-in-law, seven grandsons and two granddaughters.